~ Marcus in the Billiards Room after Vince’s departure ~<br/><br/>Silence.  Complete utter silence filled the room, flowing from wall to wall, floor to ceiling, coating everything in a thick blanket of nothingness.  That was the mood of the moment, as seen from Marcus’s eyes right after Vince’s announcement.  The news had stunned him, rocked the very foundation upon which he stood, and he was left floundering for a moment.  He watched the young man stride from the room, his footsteps echoing, and still felt the lingering effects of their handshake that reverberated throughout his body.<br/><br/>Marcus hadn’t expected this, not in the least.  He knew they would have problems, arguments, disagreements and might even lose one of them in time but he never expected it to happen on the first night.  It gave him a moment of panic at the fear that his family wouldn’t come together as he’d planned but after a moment of self-pity he shook that off.  Now was not the time to be thinking of failures but to be looking towards the bright future, one that included the remaining members of their group.<br/><br/>Leaning his cue stick against the pool table, Marcus turned and made his way to the bottle of scotch he had brought for Bo.  Grabbing one of the empty cups he’d also brought, he quickly filled his glass with a swallow and chugged it then poured a little more.  As the liquid burned its way down his throat to the core of his soul, Marcus turned to Bo.  “A rather unexpected turn of events, if I do say so myself” he said as he held the glass up in a silent salute before taking another sip.  Scotch was not his normal drink but he thought the events of that night called for it and he was never one to deny fate.  “I know the ladies were enjoying some quiet time among themselves before turning in for the night” he said “but I was thinking it might be nice to say good night to them, given the circumstances.”  To emphasize his point, he motioned towards the open door with his glass.  “What do you think?”<br/>