Changing

Alvin sat in the passenger seat, gazing at New York's bustling streets. He sighed wistfully.

Frank, who was driving, glanced in the rearview mirror at Nick and Ginny. Nick was slumped in his seat, holding the sleepy Ginny and letting her rest her head on his lap.

With an unusual moment of peace, Frank was in high spirits. He glanced at Alvin and said with a smile, "If you don't want to, you can refuse them.

Helping those gangsters is hardly your responsibility."

Alvin smiled and shook his head. "Hell's Kitchen is my home. I want to make it a better place.

Those gangsters are willing to go straight. That's a lot better than fighting and killing every day."

He looked out at the scenery and shook his head with a wry smile. "Unfortunately, it seems like Hell's Kitchen's style has left those idiots incapable of thinking straight.

How long do you think they can keep this up?

I think sooner or later, they'll all end up in prison..."

Frank smiled indifferently. "That's a good thing. For people who used to have no end but death, going to prison can't be all bad.

What they do doesn't really have much to do with you. As long as you're in Hell's Kitchen, the place will stay relatively peaceful.

You've done your best. Everyone can see how Hell's Kitchen has changed..."

Alvin sighed, then smiled. "Do you know how I felt when I found out Bruto, a drug dealer, had actually started showing some kindness?

That bastard deserved to die dozens of times over for all the awful things he'd done. But when he told me he wanted to help people, I actually felt a little touched.

Maybe bad people aren't born bad. A change in their surroundings can change them, too.