The next day, Saturday, Jace woke up unusually late. His ribs were feeling a lot better after these couple weeks of rest, and he was actually able to sleep through the night without pain or nightmares keeping him up. The weather was growing seemingly colder with each passing day as winter approached rapidly.

Isaac was still sleeping, and Devin was out, probably getting lunch somewhere with his college friends. Because he had a day off work, Jace was able to relax in front of the TV all afternoon. His anticipation for dinner with Felicity and Wesley was mounting as the evening came.

"Don't screw this up. It's like you're meeting her dad and need his approval," commented Isaac as Jace was getting his jacket on, ready to leave.

"Gee, thanks," said Jace sarcastically. "I think Wesley already likes me, but this will be our first long interaction."

"Exactly! I'm so glad I'm not in your shoes."

"You done?"

"Yep! Have fun!" Isaac pushed Jace out of the door and slammed it shut behind him.

Jace took a taxi to the apartment. When he rang the doorbell, City answered.

"Hi, Jace!" She beamed and let him inside. Jace briefly studied her as she shut the door. She was gorgeous, dressed in a simple t-shirt and light, ripped jeans, her hair loose and flowing around her shoulders freely. City took Jace's hand. "This way, my dear," she said jokingly.

City led him into the dining room where they both sat down at a small, square dining table. Wesley came in a second later carrying a dish.

"Chicken and rice tonight, I hope you don't mind," said Wesley, setting down the roasted chicken.

"It smells great," exclaimed Jace. "I didn't take you for a cook, Wesley."

Wesley laughed. "Not many do. Cars and cooking, those are my passions," said Wesley with a smile.

They ate and talked and laughed. Jace thought it was going really well considering he was dating Wesley's only sister. There weren't any awkward pauses or weird conversations for the whole meal.

Then Wesley had to ask: "So, Jace, when will I meet your family?"

Jace cleared his throat and set down the bite he was about to take. City flashed a nervous glance his way.

"You don't have to answer, Jace—"

"No, no, it's fine," Jace reassured her. He turned back to Wesley. "My mom died when I was young, so I lived with a man who took me in as his own. I still work for him at his gym. Besides him and my two roommates, I don't have other family."

"I'm sorry for asking," said Wesley.

"It's okay, really. I'm happy with where I am today." Jace winked at City, who blushed.

The meal finished on a good note, despite that slightly awkward conversation, and soon it was time for Jace to leave again.

"A quick word, Jace?" muttered Wesley, nodding into the living room. Jace followed him in, with City watching them go around the corner to talk.

Wesley shifted on his feet. "I really like you, Jace," he began, "and I know you make City happy. She talks about you a lot, always with a smile." Wesley sighed. "I just... I hate to say this, but I don't want her to get hurt. I'm not sure what kind of crowd you run with, but she's been worried about you these past few weeks. She said something about getting in a fight and hanging around dangerous people..."

It was Jace's turn to shift uncomfortably. He braced himself for what was to come.

"But... I think you have good intentions. And I really want to trust you. I think you're a good guy, but if anything happened to her..."

"I'll protect her," said Jace. "I don't want anything to happen to her, either. I care about her a lot."

"I can tell you do." Wesley sighed again. "Sorry to be all 'older protective brother' on you. I just want you to be careful, for her sake."

Ever since the men from the Pit had gone out to Indigo with him last night, Jace had been thinking this same thing. Should he give up his illegal fighting career to protect Felicity from any harm that could befall her?

"I understand your concern. I don't want to hurt her, ever," assured Jace.

Wesley nodded. "I trust you. I'll let you two say goodbye." He turned and disappeared down a hallway, probably to his bedroom.

Jace came back into the kitchen where City was still standing, a concerned look on her face.

"What did he say to you?" she asked immediately.

"Oh, just that I can never see you again," said Jace.

City blinked. Then she tilted her head and frowned. "No, he didn't."

"No, he didn't say that," repeated Jace with a laugh. City rolled her eyes but smiled as Jace continued, "He just wants me to be careful and not hurt you."

"Well, you haven't so far!"

"No... Look, Felicity, there are some things I haven't told you yet..."

"Save it," she said suddenly. "If you aren't ready to tell me, I understand."

Jace stared at her. She was so beautiful. "Are you sure?"

She nodded and said, "I trust you. Tell me on your own time, okay?"

"Okay."

They stared at each other only for a second longer before Jace pulled her in for a kiss. One of his hands weaved through her wavy hair, his other cupping her face lightly. She had draped both arms around his neck, letting herself get lost in the kiss for the few moments that they had together...

When they pulled away, Jace tucked a strand of hair behind City's ear.

"Can I ask you something?" she asked in a quiet voice.

"Of course."

"Are you... involved in gangs?"

"No, I'm not. Some dangerous people, but not anything gang-related."

Jace heard her small sigh of relief. "I guess now I can rule out that I'm dating a bad-boy gang leader," she said with a giggle.

Jace laughed. "Sorry to break that cliché."

They hugged and said their goodbyes, and Jace ventured out into the cold night. It was Saturday, he remembered with a groan; he had a fight scheduled for 9 pm.

He got into a cab and made his way to the Pit. Isaac and Devin should be meeting him there, he hoped. They were usually good about going to his fights.

Sure enough, after Jace climbed down the ladder into the underground subway tunnel, crossed the tracks, and entered the Pit after getting past the heavy steel door, he saw his friends there.

Jace already had his black mask pulled up over his mouth and nose when he entered. Devin came up to him first.

"You're early," he said. "How did the dinner go?"

"Great, actually," said Jace.

Isaac came up to them. "Didn't get decked by her brother?"

Jace rolled his eyes and said, "No, I didn't. He seems to like me."

"What?!" cried Isaac as Devin laughed.

Jace shook his head with a grin and started making his way to the back locker rooms. After changing and forcing down more water to prepare for his fight, he came back out and stood with Isaac and Devin along a side wall.

The three of them watched a few other fights take place before Songbird's. Many of the fights lasted two or three full rounds, and there weren't any knockouts that occurred. Songbird hoped he could get a knockout so he could leave early.

He only had one opponent that night: a man by the nickname Javelin.

"Javelin? What kind of name is that?" said Isaac after Devin spoke about Jace's upcoming match.

"Mine is Songbird," said Jace with a shrug.

"Javelin is supposed to be very fast," said Devin, a hint of nervousness in his voice. His eyes darted across a sheet of paper that had Javelin's fight statistics. "It seems like he's under contract with..." His eyes got wide.

"With who?" asked Isaac impatiently.

"Henry Craton."

Songbird ran his hand through his dark hair. He tried to avoid Craton as much as he could. That man had several fighters that worked for him at the Pit, and he was not someone to cross. There were rumors about people that Craton had killed just for beating his men in fights.

"That guy hates your guts," Isaac told Jace. "You better watch out with this fight."

"Yeah..." said Songbird, putting up his hood; it was almost time.

"Be careful," added Devin, his eyebrows furrowed in concern. "Last time you said Craton threatened you when you beat his fighter."

"I remember," said Jace. "But he can't do anything with all these people here."

Devin and Isaac exchanged uneasy glances as Songbird walked through the crowd and into the makeshift arena. The room suddenly felt a lot cooler than usual. The crowd's noise swelled as their beloved Songbird entered the octagon, but Songbird was trying to drown out their hollers. Were his ribs burning again, or was that just his breathing?

The man called Javelin entered amongst a mixture of cheers and boos. He was probably 6'5'' and very tough-looking. He wore a small black shirt with a skull across the front that stretched tightly over his bulging muscles, and his thick eyebrows were scrunched together in utmost anger and concentration. He didn't look very fast to Songbird, but then again, people can be surprising.

Songbird barely noticed the card girl parade the number 1 over her head, and he almost didn't even hear the referee's whistle blow to start the match. Round one...

Songbird let Javelin swing a few times in order to study his movements. Javelin relied heavily on his rear hand, his dominant hand. Songbird ducked around that rear hand and created an opening through Javelin's weak left hand; Songbird sent a shockingly hard cross paired with a half-step forward to increase power. Javelin then tried and failed to block Songbird's hook, which came seemingly from nowhere and connected solidly with Javelin's jaw.

The two fighters circled each other for a moment, the crowd going crazy. He's a good fighter, thought Songbird, but he still has weak points.

Javelin lunged, but Songbird was ready, throwing his weight into a quick jab and then another heavy cross. Javelin screamed in fury and got sloppy in his anger, and Songbird was able to block a few of his swings and punches. Songbird ducked under a flying hook and then delivered a strong uppercut right into Javelin's jaw again.

Songbird's opponent stumbled back. There was a hateful look in his eyes that made Songbird wonder how much longer these three minutes would last.

As though reading his mind, the ref blew his whistle. Jace went to get water from Isaac, who had pushed his way to the front of the barricades.

"You're doing fine!" shouted Isaac above the crowd's rowdiness.

"I wanted him down by now!" said Jace with a playful grin, handing the bottle back to Isaac, sweat dripping down his face.

Devin still looked worried. "Seriously, Songbird, be careful—"

But Jace was already turning back to face Javelin. His eyes suddenly fell somewhere behind Javelin on a face in the crowd: Henry Craton. His burly, tattooed figure was easily recognizable, his bald head and beard standing out in the crowd. Craton's small, cold eyes watched Songbird almost with... anticipation?

Then, the whistle struck through the air, and the fight was on again. Was he imagining it, or did Javelin seem pleased with himself, even though he was losing? Songbird blocked one of Javelin's hooks and then sent his own jab-hook combination again.

Something shiny caught Jace's eye. He looked down and saw something silver and sparkling in his opponent's hand...

Before he quite knew what had happened, Songbird was blocking hit after hit. The shiny thing was a knife, and the crowd had seen it, too. Knives were illegal to bring in these fists-only fights, and the crowd was not happy about the sudden unfairness of the fight.

Songbird still had the upper hand, but it was slight. The audience's increased noise levels, trying to avoid both the knife and Craton's stares, and hearing Devin shouting, "Watch out!" in the crowd made Songbird more disoriented. He could also hear the referee trying to break up the fight, but that was a blur.

After a few more blocks and being pushed around more than he'd like, Songbird finally saw his chance to end this. He was preparing to deliver a knockout hook when Javelin unexpectedly threw his knife.

It made contact with Jace's side, and instantly the sharp pain flooded through him. He could feel his shirt and hoodie growing wet with the blood that was already spilling out. Only hesitating for a half-second, Songbird finished his hook and sent Javelin unconscious to the ground.

Songbird pulled out the knife. The room was spinning. The audience was pushing on the barricades, screaming at the defeated Javelin for bringing in the illegal weapon. Songbird was only focusing on trying to get back to the locker room.

He felt a hand around his shoulders and looked to see Isaac helping him walk. Concern was etched on Isaac's face, his blonde hair hanging in front of his eyes.

"Songbird—"

"Let's just get out of here, please," muttered Jace before Isaac could finish speaking.

After grabbing his stuff from the locker room, Jace and Isaac walked through the crowd toward the front. Jace ignored all the questions about whether he was okay, or if he needed to see a doctor, and just focused on getting to the subway tracks.

Devin met them outside the Pit's door, an envelope with that night's winnings in hand. He adjusted his glasses nervously. "Let's go to the hospital, Songbird..."

"No!" said Jace firmly, pain shooting up his side. He winced and put a hand there; his hand was painted dark red in seconds. "No hospitals... I don't need questions..."

"You really should—" began Isaac, but he fell silent with Jace's glare.

"I'm fine. Help me home, I can stitch myself up there."

So, they went up the ladder (Jace holding in cries of pain as he climbed) and made it to the street. The bitterly cold wind was slamming into them the moment they set foot in the alley. Soon, freezing rain started pouring, too. The cold was helping to numb Jace's pain, but he was beginning to feel more lightheaded than what was probably safe.

The blood was seeping through his hoodie now, covering Jace's whole left side. It mixed with the freezing rain that was soaking the three of them.

Jace shut his eyes and leaned his head back against the seat in their Uber as they drove to the apartment. Isaac and Devin kept glancing his direction. Jace heard Devin whisper, "Will he die on us?" to Isaac.

Jace tried to keep the blood off the car's seat as he slid out. He was dripping blood onto the sidewalk and up the stairs as they made their way into their apartment building.

Immediately, Jace went to their shared bathroom. He took out his extensive first aid kit from under the sink and sat against the bathroom wall. The coolness of the tile helped his pain only slightly. His dark, wet hair was flattened against his face as he blinked heavily a few times, trying to clear his head.

He had locked the door, but he heard Isaac pounding on it. "Jace! Open up! We don't need you bleeding out on the floor, okay? We're here to help!"

Jace ignored his friend's pleas and opened the kit. He ripped off his hoodie and t-shirt, which stuck to his wound painfully. He gasped with the sudden pain that was piercing his side.

Quickly, he put a medical cloth on the stab wound and applied heavy pressure to it, despite his wincing. Jace had to clamp his teeth together to stop himself from crying out; he didn't want Isaac, who was still right outside, to hear.

His breathing became rapid. Sweat started forming on his forehead, and the bathroom was spinning around him as he sat against the hard tile. Dark red blood was beginning to pool beneath him as he continued to dress his wound.

The room was fading in and out now... Blackness was threatening to take over his vision with every blink. Jace tried to focus on his side, but his hands were slipping... He was slipping...

The heavy, frantic pounding on the door was the last thing Jace remembered before he fell out of consciousness.