Note: So yeah, this was one of my first ideas for this story, so it popped out awful quickly. Hopefully you like it, as much as I liked writing it. You might want to review Maggie's last chapter, but this is before the other one so if not, no worries. Enjoy. Btw, I stole the following song, lovingly, from "Who Framed Roger Rabbit." Also, this does take place before the other Maggie chapter in my world, but my history timing is off a by a little. So don't use me as a source please, I'd rather not have you fail history tests because of me. Anyway! Enjoy.

Winter 1912 Chicago

The smoke in the speakeasy was enough for anyone, even the most seasoned smokers, to cough. But it fit the atmosphere. The lazy and mysterious atmosphere of the Blue Club as it was lovingly referred to. The only thing that was blue in the building however was the music and the bows on the waitress' necks. It was a cheeky club. People came from all around to drink their gin, ogle their girls, and listen to them make music together. Maggie and Tad.

It was just another night, another cigar to smoke, another round of drinks.

But she was sparkling that night. Maggie slowly walked out onto stage wearing a gold sequenced dress that showed too much leg and too much of her bosom. Then again, the smoke left enough to the imagination. She raised her head as she heard the first note on the piano. His dark hands against the white keys. A light lit up Maggie's delicate face. A smirk played on her face.

"You had plenty money 1892," Maggie sang sweetly, "You let other women make a fool of you, why don't you do right…like some other men do." She walked seductively down to the tables letting her hands grace the shoulders of high paying drinkers. Mobsters. Friends of the Owner. And more Mobsters. "Get out of here, get me some money too." Maggie leaned over to dangle her lips in front of Daryl Dane. A big time newspaper editor. He reached out to meet her lips, but she pulled back to sing, "You sitting down and wondering what it's all about if you ain't got no money, they will put you out. Why don't you do right like some other men do?"

A smirk spread on Tad's face. His fingers showing the playful and sexy qualities of his leading lady. It didn't matter how many times they preformed together, it was always just as exciting and hot as always. He'd heard patrons say that the smoke wasn't from the cigars and cigarettes, but their music. And he wouldn't doubt it.

"Now if you had prepared twenty years ago, you wouldn't be a wonderin now from door to door, why don't you do right…like some other men do?" Maggie sang as she slowly climbed back onto the stage, her behind shaking in time with the music. She paused next to Tad and winked at him, "Get out of here…get me some money too."

Tad took her hand as they rehearsed and she climbed up on top of the piano and lay down on it. "Why don't you do right…like some other men…do," She finished the spotlight going out on her face. There was applause. There was always applause. The curtain fell in front of the stage, which allowed Tad and Maggie to relax.

"Wow…you and Mr. Dane, huh?" Tad asked with a full laugh that was drowned out by the clapping.

Maggie jumped off the piano and poked him in the arm. "I know how to pick them. And anyway, I won't be doing all of this trashy singing always," She pointed out, taking her earrings out. "Shit, these things are killing me."

The two of them walked off stage as the chorus girls got in their places. Tad looked over a few of them and they giggled in response. Maggie turned back to look at those girls, glaring at them. The chorus girls gulped and tried to look away from Maggie. She was the queen around here, if they angered her, they would be out on the curb quicker than they could imagine.

"So what are you career aspirations today?" Tad asked as their reached Maggie's dressing room. He grabbed a cigarette from her vanity and lit it quickly as if he was a master at it. "Are you gonna be a lawyer or maybe a businesswoman? Go back to the stage? Or just go crawling back to your ex-husbands?" He asked with a laugh.

Maggie smacked his arm. "Oh stop. I'm not ever going to stoop that low again. I think I want to write for a newspaper," She explained as she slipped out of her dress.

Tad covered his eyes but he still managed to smoke. "Ah, now I get the near miss with the paper man. So you gonna sleep with him to get in his paper?"

"You…always think the worst of me…" Maggie said putting her hands on her hips and shaking her head. She pulled on her robe and mumbled, "You can look."

"Well I wouldn't consider it the worst. More like the truth sweet cheeks. That's how you got this job isn't it?" Tad asked with a giggle. He was always giggling, sometimes for no apparent reason at all. But Maggie couldn't help but find it charming.

Maggie smirked. "It was a part of it. But I didn't know that he was such an important man when I met him that night. And like you should talk…Mr…I bed every chorus girl for the fun of it."

"I beg to differ," Tad waved his hand in the air. "I haven't gotten to Cecily yet. Just give it time. She's Catholic…but I'll convince her, don't you worry."

The singer rolled her eyes and pushed him away from his vanity. "Thank God that you're in Chicago. Or else you would be lynched for doing that. Sleeping with how many white women…" She sat down in front of the mirror and plucked off her extra lashes and wiped her face clean of make up.

Tad stood behind her and then kissed her neck. "Hence I'm not in the south. I like it here. And you're here…which is a bonus."

"It is," Maggie said with a smile. "Now…do me a favor. Order me a drink at the bar and try not get mistaken for Langston Hughes."

"Can I help it that I look like I poetic genius?" Tad asked puffing out the smoke from his lungs.

"Oh would you get out!" Maggie laughed pushing him. "A girl deserves some privacy." Her friend only waved at her as he slipped out of her room. With a deep sigh, Maggie slipped out of her robe and picked out her best casual dress. She wanted to make a move tonight. She was sick and tired of watching Tad flirt with all of the chorus girls. What was wrong with her? She was just as beautiful as they were…maybe she should start flirting with him on stage…but then she knew that would probably get him arrested. Chicago was better than the south, but only behind closed doors.

Tad walked down the hall waving the passing by extra chorus girls whom giggled as if by cue. They were cute, he had to give them that, but they giggled as much as he did. Which could be slightly awkward. "Hey, Jim," He grabbed their stage manager, "Can you do me a favor? Get a drink down for Maggie and me. I'll be right down, just gotta make a stop."

"Sure thing, Tad," Jim said patting his arm. "Nice playing today."

Tad grinned. "Thanks…" Then he bounded away with an extra skip in his step. He walked through the hallways in the back of the club and eventually found himself in the lighting box. A smile on his face grew as he saw the outline of his lover. "They're still on. Shit, how do their legs stay on? Dancing all night? Screwing mobsters all day? I don't know how they do it."

The lighting man, Lauri, looked up at Tad with a grin. "It's the gin that they feed to them through tubes. Even if their legs fell off they wouldn't notice." He grabbed Tad's hand and pulled him into his lap. "We got until the song is over…then I gotta spot light on the conductor."

"Just as long as you have some time to spotlight me," Tad said flicking his cigarette in the corner.

"Always," Lauri mumbled before kissing him deeply.

Maggie arrived at the bar expecting for Tad to be ready and on his third cigarette for the night. But he wasn't even there. "Jerry," She asked the bartender while smacking her gum, "Where is Tad? He run off after some skirt or something?"

"Nope, Jim told me to keep these drinks warm for you, miss," Jerry explained, "You did a wonderful show today, miss."

"Thanks Jerry," Maggie groaned picking up her drink and taking a large sip.

A man towards her with a grin on his face. Daryl Dane. "She sings like a songbird, looks like a goddess, and imagine that, she can drink like a sailor." The newspaper mogul smirked taking Maggie's hand to kiss. "It's a pleasure to meet you Miss."

"I'm sure it is," Maggie smiled wondering if it would really be a sin to keep herself busy with a handsome and rich man. Tad didn't even know how she felt as of yet…so it wouldn't be bad at all. "Mr. Dane, I presume."

"You presume right. I'm sure that you knew who I was before…during your little song?" He asked pointing towards the stage. The chorus girls had just finished off their song, bowing more than any primadonna would.

"My little song?" Maggie asked authentically offended, "That little song sir took a lot of practicing. It's not so easy as turning on a radio." So much for getting a job with this clown. Now all she wanted was for him to walk away from her. She knew that people thought she was a bitch for being so testy, but she knew what she liked in a person and what she didn't like in a person. Dane had things she didn't like.

But Dane didn't catch the clue. "Let me guess, you and the Negro aren't on the same tune."

Maggie tightened her hand around her glass. "He has a name you know."

Dane shrugged. "Does it really matter? They're all the same anyway, any of them could play music like-" He was interrupted by Maggie tossing gin into his face.

"Jerry…" Maggie said calmly. "Can you do me two favors?"

The bartender gulped and nodded. "Of…of course Miss."

"Get Peter and tell him to introduce Mr. Dane to the curb and then pour me a new drink," Maggie said holding out her glass, "I had to waste it on trash."

The newspaper mogul's jaw dropped. "You…you can't do that."

"Just did, sweetie," Maggie winked at him as Peter came up behind the man. "You'll get along just fine with Peter. He's another one of those you know…" The bouncer cracked his dark knuckles and pulled the man off of the floor. Maggie only laughed in her victory.

She glanced towards the stage to see the conductor of the band waving at the light box. He was missing his spotlight. Maggie shook her head knowing that Lauri fallen asleep on the job again. "So, Jerry, do you think that what I just did was wise?"

"I…I don't think Mr. Grisham will be happy miss," The bartender pointed out.

Maggie sighed, the owner of the club liked to keep everything clean and open…to corruption that is. She shrugged, "I'll make it up to him. A new number. Maybe this time Tad can sing and I'll play." It was a joke to the bartender who let out a belly laugh of approval, but Maggie was being serious. She was one of the few people who had heard him sing. And it was just as beautiful as her own voice, if not more.

"Thank you!" The conductor called out as he finally got a spotlight.

The customers laughed clapping their hands as they thought it was part of the show. "Who knew that the conductor was so full of himself?" Maggie muttered to herself, although she knew that she would be equally upset if Lauri managed to fall asleep during her performance. But for some reason, he'd never fallen asleep while she was performing. Maybe he had a crush on her…

"Hello there," Tad said taking a seat next to her. "You look rather…happy with yourself. Did you break someone's heart?" He asked nodding to Jerry and taking his drink.

"Maybe," Maggie smirked. "I turned down the Dane. He was a horrible fellow. Believe me, I'm glad you never meet him."

Tad pulled a cigarette from his pocket and lit it quickly. "Can't say that I'm heart broken about missing him. Heard he's an ass. But you tend to like that in a guy don't you?"

"Haha," Maggie grumbled punching his arm. "You're a bit of an ass yourself."

"Makes me wonder why you aren't around me more often," Tad raised his brows suggestively but just giggled in a puff of smoke.

The singer paused and wondered if this was the moment. It seemed like the best opportunity. She licked her lips and opened them, "Odd that you should mention that-" She was cut off my screams and shouts.

The two friends turned around to see a battalion of police officers enter the illegal club.

"Oh this is just dandy," Tad mumbled as he took her hand and tried to guide her towards the kitchen. But an officer came out of it with his gun at the ready. "Just dandy…"

Maggie still held tightly onto his hand as the detective stood on a table. The patrons, the workers, everyone was frozen in fear. "All right everyone. We know that you ain't drinking no apple juice in your glasses. Everyone in this room is under arrest."

Voices immediately reacted in shock, anger, and fear. The ever present smoke somehow seemed to lessen in the room. They could see the detective just fine. One chorus girl seemed particularly upset by the news.

"Oh, damn. Betty wants to put on a show," Maggie grumbled under her breath. The chorus girl was determined to do anything to take Maggie's place. Tad even told her to avoid eating anything that the girl would give to her. She was that jealous.

"I…I'm too young to go to jail, Mr.Detective. I've done nothing wrong here. Just danced…there are other people in here…who do the work of the devil. They are the ones that really deserved to be arrested," Betty cried, milking every tear for what it was worth.

Maggie raised her brow. "Who is she going after?" She asked knowing that there were plenty of crooks to chose from in this place. But all of them had a posse. They all had a group that would come and kill a little girl like her with no problem for ratting them out. "She's gotta be suicidal…Tad?"

Her piano player was staring at the girl with a sick look on his face.

"What do you mean, sweetheart?" The detective asked. Of course he was interested. If he caught a whole speakeasy and some other crime in one night, they would love him forever at the precinct. "What type of devil's work happened here?"

Betty sniffed as if she was personally hurt by it. "The worst act that one can ever do. The worst defiance of the Lord. Sodomy."

Tad snapped his head to look at the light box hoping that he got out in time. He knew that he would have no hope.

"Sodomy!?" The detective asked appalled. "Well who did it sweetheart?"

"Lauri Goodman and Tad Greenlee. I saw them…committing the heinous act," Betty said pointing towards Tad. Gasps and heads darted towards Tad's direction. All of the color from Maggie's face faded. All of this time…she thought as she looked up at him as well. But the piano player didn't want to give anyone time to gawk. He darted away towards the stage knowing that they probably hadn't covered the back entrances. The captain of the police blew his whistle on him, as others of his men went in search of Lauri. With all of the confusion, the workers and customers of the Blue Club stampeded for the door. They weren't the main targets anymore.

Maggie held onto the bar watching her best friend try to find his way to safety. Just as he reached the back stage, he was punched in the face by their stage manager. He hit the ground with a loud smack. Maggie closed her eyes trying not to cry for herself, or for her friend.

"State your name please."

"Maggie. And that's all you'll need, thank you," She said in a cheery sing song voice. The jail warden grumbled and tilted his head, allowing her to visit.

Slowly she walked into the meeting room and smiled when she saw Tad already waiting, wringing his hands quickly. She knew him too well. He always did that when he was nervous, but there was no need to be. That was for sure. Maggie sat down in front of him, "Hello stranger. I've missed you."

Tad's wringing hands stilled and a smiled spread across his face. "You…" Then he bit his lip nodding and knowing that all was well between the two of them. "I've missed you too. They don't let me mooch off of other people's rooms here. And even if they did, none of the cells are as nice as your dressing room."

"Honey, please," Maggie said waving her hand. "If my dressing room looked like one of these cells I still would be with my second husband."

Tad just giggled, glad to be able to do that again.

The smile on Maggie's face faded as her thoughts turned to more serious things, "Have you heard from Lauri? I heard he was never caught."

Tad nodded slowly looking down at his hands, "Yeah. That's the blessing of being up there. No one sees you and everyone forgets about you. It was convenient…and no. I haven't heard from him. And he hasn't come down to see me or anything."

"Not even a note?" Maggie asked.

"No," Tad said quietly, "I guess we weren't meant to be."

Maggie sat up and put her hand on the grate that separated them. "Why didn't you tell me, sweetie? I thought you were…I thought that you were sleeping with every girl in the Club but me."

"I kinda…wanted to keep that belief. Didn't want this to happen," He said pointing to where they were, "And I didn't want to hurt anyone in the process. Though I guess I did…I never meant to hurt you, Maggie. You're my best friend." He put his hand up against the grate their hands meeting.

Maggie only winked at him trying not too loose her smile, "You threw me for a loop, you did do that. But I understand. Somehow I understand you."

"You're one of the precious few that do. In fact, the only one," Tad added trying to hold back the tears forming in his eyes. "If it's…any help at all…if I was to be with any woman out there…you'd be first on my list."

"Before the chorus girls?" Maggie asked wistfully.

"Before the chorus girls," Tad giggled placing his hand on his lips and then on the grate where Maggie's hand lay. "I love you, girl."

"I love you, too," Maggie replied.

Next Tale: Jessica and Bella