Realistic or Modern A Family Affair: The Irish Mob - IC (Ended)

[Misty Gray]

Sinead Callahan​

Sinead rolled her eyes when Peter told her the wound was nothing. "Alright, I'll take your word for it," she relented. Whilst she'd been thrown out of the path of bullets a few times over the course of her life, she had never been shot herself. As she briefly glanced around, she was reminded that it was an apparent achievement for someone in this family to have never been shot. Peter, Shannon, Lucy, James, Conor... they'd all been shot. She took a deep breath to keep on top of her emotions as such a trail of thoughts led her to memories of watching her own daddy die of his gunshot wounds. She pushed back those thoughts, cleared her throat and managed a small laugh for her husband. "You've always been cool, Petey. I'm sure you passed the initiation," she told him. She wasn't convinced that was a good thing, but it was important to Peter and she knew all she could do now was support him. And hope he wouldn't be unlucky in the future. "Oh, please. You are not old!" she said, scoffing at his comment. "You just need to start training again. General Porter will love that!" she teased, hoping she was distracting him - and herself - enough until Finn got there.

Sinead smiled when Kieran joined them and took a look at the bullet hole, which she was so far struggling to do herself. Then he asked her to put pressure on the wound and she stuttered a little before sparing a quick glance to Peter's injury. Then Finn arrived and handed her some cloths, backing up Kieran's instruction. "Um. Okay..." she replied, quickly nodding her head as she moved to sit at Peter's injured side. She finally looked to his shoulder, her hand trembling as she moved it to press a cloth against his wound to stop the blood. "Sorry..." she said, hoping she wasn't hurting him. She took a couple of deep breaths and managed to calm her nerves. By now, there was blood on her own hand, but she found herself able to just accept that. It was more important to help her husband out now that he needed her, for a change. She looked to his face and smiled, proud of him for being so brave and also of herself for not running away at the sight of blood.

Sinead would then watch on as Finn tended to the wound, ready to do anything he or Kieran asked of her right now.

Bellz (Peter) Shireling (Kieran)

 

[Misty Gray]

James Porter​

As James remained standing in the now open doorway of his office, the sheer amount of things he needed to think about seemed to have the opposite effect and for a time leave his mind seemingly blank. Or too busy to focus on anything at all. When Rudolph spoke up, it caused his mind to be directly on Fallon, who he did believe was dead. "Even if she is alive, it doesn't take away the fact that someone blew up Jackson's apartment. He could have been in it and Fallon may well have been in it. Even if nobody had been hurt, it's the mere fact that they've attacked us. Inaction has rarely proved to be a good idea." He felt there was no choice but to retaliate.

Rudolph then made his suggestion of putting a mole inside the IWU and that was something that didn't sit well with James on first thought. "You're right about Eli. We can't count on him on this. Ciara's got him wrapped around her little finger, so I need to deal with him carefully and not risk completely losing him to the IWU." He took a deep breath, not ready to address the mole suggestion in that moment. "I need a smoke and some air. Come with me," he told Rudolph.

As he returned to the lounge, James was approached by Aliana. He placed his hand on the top of her arm as she spoke to him, trying to focus on not being rude to anyone. "You're right there, There isn't enough alcohol even in Conor's pub to account for how much I need to drink right now," he drily told her. He then glanced to Tommy and sent him a nod, briefly wondering if the guy had made his attraction to her obvious enough by now.

James was stopped from reaching the front door once again when he saw Lucy and Delilah who were then joined by Syd. He hadn't seen his son for a couple of weeks and hoped they could catch up later. "Are you three alright? Where's Mal?" he asked, aware Mallory wasn't present. "I'll catch up with you later Delilah," he said, in a knowing tone of voice as he hadn't forgotten she'd been keeping secrets from him. "You too, Syd. I'm glad you're home," he told him, gently patting his shoulder. James' eyes then locked on Lucy for a time. He needed desperately to speak to her alone, where he could let his guard down. Right now, there were too many people around the place and he needed to keep a level, calm, controlled head. He'd become very skilled at displaying confidence and certainty, despite any chaos that may surround him. There was one thing he knew he shouldn't keep quiet, as the truth would soon come out, even to his children. "Luce, I need to speak with Rudy for a minute, but... They didn't just destroy Jackson's home - he said Fallon was in his apartment at the time of the explosion," he said, glancing to Syd and Delilah. He then looked back to Lucy. "Conor's with Jackson, so we might need to tell Alex the bad news and bring her here, where it's safer."

James finally got outside and lit up a cigarette as he waited for Rudolph to join him so they could have a quick talk outside. "What's this about a mole, Rudy? It sounds pretty risky to me. That bitch Ciara clearly has a fucking screw loose and it would have to be a seriously strong guy for me to risk his life putting him under her nose. I don't like putting others in positions where they could become a sitting duck."

Shireling (Rudolph)
Bellz (Lucy) Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana) Pyroclast (Syd) ElectricDandellion (Delilah)
Mention: neverbackdown (Alex, Michelle)

Thomas Dempsey​

Tommy gladly accepted the cup from Aliana. "Cheers," he thanked her. When she then explained about Jackson's apartment, Tommy was stunned. "What the Hell? I know I've heard the others calling Ciara a crazy bitch, but why would she do that? Jeez. To think, she was hanging out over here just last night. The two-faced..." he stopped as he found himself going off on a rant. It pissed him off knowing someone had targeted Jackson's place like that.

"I'm glad you're okay too. Along with everyone else," he agreed, slowly nodding his head. "Definitely glad you're okay, though," he said, with a wink. He watched on as Jackson stormed out of the house, followed by Conor. He seemed to be taking it badly, though he figured there was no other way to take having your home destroyed. "The three of us were out on a job, so we didn't get much chance to notice the explosion. We were all getting shot at and Peter got hit." Tommy fell silent as he knocked back the drink he was holding. Mentioning the gunfire made the realisation come flooding back to him. He'd shot and killed a man during the job. Until then, his targets had either just been wounded or had simply been non-living objects. He'd just taken another life and it was barely even registering with him. He had to deduce he was either heartless or it would suddenly overcome him when he was alone with just his thoughts. Realising he'd become distracted, he looked back to Aliana and faintly smiled. "Still, we did what we set out to do and stopped them from murdering a young woman. I'm not blowing our own trumpets, but I think what we did was quite heroic," he jokingly exaggerated.

Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana)

 

[ElectricDandellion]

DELILAH PORTER

“And your hands to yourself,” she quickly added to what he had said, eyebrows raised as she smirked. Her cheeks tinted a slight rusty rose as he kissed her. It was a magical moment, and she so wished they could have stayed upstairs, but with the drama and explosion that had occurred, they would have no choice but to stay downstairs. For reasons being that their families would want to keep them in their sight, in their protection. And that was understandable. She wanted to know they were all safe too, assuming her siblings had already been found minutes after the bombing. Delilah didn’t doubt that her mother would’ve immediately made calls to figure out everyone’s location and to advise them to come back home. His wink made a laugh rise from her throat involuntarily, and she lifted a hand to hide her mouth in slight embarrassment.

Delilah teasingly squeezed one of his cheeks. “You know she just wants to know you’re alright,” she spoke, following him as he walked out of the room and into the hallway. His cologne wafted into her face as he walked down the stairs in front of her, and she smiled at the scent. His cologne was probably one of her favourite smells, along with the scent of cinnamon swirls. Head peering past his shoulder, given she couldn’t look over his head due to her height and his, her eyes skimmed the faces in the room. Taking a deep swallow, she felt her face growing a little warmer knowing that most people downstairs would see the two walking down together, obviously from her room. The thought made her slightly nervous; not that she was at all embarrassed about their relationship, but rather anxious what people would think given they had been in her room alone.

As they ventured down the stairs, she saw Leo rush to Ali almost immediately, engulfing her in an embrace. Watching with a shy smile, she hadn’t noticed her mother moving towards her, until she was in her arms. Suddenly startled, she felt herself tense up, not seeing the face of the person hugging her, but she easily recognised the scent on her mother. Almost immediately, she wrapped her arms around her in return, chin resting on Lucy’s shoulder. The nauseous feeling of her previous worry completely deteriorated within her mother’s presence. She always had the ability to calm her. “Mama! I was very worried,” A slight Spanish twang weaved into her words, something she always tried to hide. Given she learned English after Spanish, it had taken her a while to try and brush away the accent immediately. Nestling her head into her mother’s shoulder, she tightened her hug. “I’m glad you and Dad are okay,” she quickly added hurriedly. “Is everyone else okay?” Delilah mumbled, lifting her head to look around, eyes locking on her uncle who was bleeding in a chair. Clenching her jaw, she sharply dragged her gaze away. “Is there anything I can do to help Uncle Pete?” She asked, but soon felt herself frowning when her mum mentioned approving something. Pulling away from the embrace confused, she looked at her mother, following her gaze until it stopped at Leo. “Approve?” She felt herself asking questioningly before she realised her mother knew. “I’m sorry, Madre, I wanted to tell you.” Delilah felt herself saying before her brain had processed it. But, she soon felt herself grin when Lucy called her boyfriend a cutie pie. “He’s alright, I suppose,” She spoke softly and teasingly, but it was clear from her resting gaze on Leo that she was very fond of him. “You are alright though? No injuries, right?”

There were a few moments of silence, and Delilah was perfectly content with them, but was just as content as her mother spoke again of her siblings. “I’m not sure, I haven’t seen them since last nig-“ She was suddenly cut off by the appearance of Syd, who was staring almost daggers at Leo. “Stop it,” Delilah frowned jokingly, pushing her brother’s shoulder with a frown. Mallory must of told him about her and Leo, even though she asked her not to. Perhaps that was the last time she shared something deeply secretive with her sister. But, she hadn’t seen Syd in a while, and quickly rushed over to him to give him a hug. “How was it in the mechanics? You should take me with you next time, I love cars,” Delilah mumbled, pulling away from the hug. “Don’t go away for so long next time, even I started to miss you,” she joked lightly

Hearing her father’s voice, Delilah quickly turned around, smiling at her father. He wasn’t injured, that was good. He looked fine, though she knew something would be bubbling under the surface of his skin. It was clear from his tense face. “Are you okay, Dad?” She asked, visibly concerned for her father’s wellbeing. As he said he’d talk to her later in that specific tone of voice, Delilah felt her lips purse in slight annoyance. She knew that meant he wanted to talk about her and Leo. “Do we all have to stay here all day?”

Pyroclast (Syd) Bellz (Lucy) Misty Gray (James) Melanin-Gxdess (Leo)​

 

[Shireling]

Rudolph Meyers​

"I know, Mr. Porter," the German explained, lighting his cigarette and joining James outside. He took a long drag of his cigarette before glancing at the object in his hand and then down at the package. Weird, he never smoked menthols. Shaking his head briefly to clear the distraction, he glanced up at the sky and then back to James.

"It's a risk, but I think it's a risk worth taking. To have someone in on the ground floor of Ciara's operation would help us know where to hit them, what they're up to, and maybe even have a voice sympathetic to the family that could tug on Eli a bit. If we could get him to cross back over, well, that would be half the war right there. I don't like the idea of Porters going up against Porters. Your kind are too crafty." Rudy smiled a bit before his expression grew darker. "I think you should talk to Kieran about this."

 

[Misty Gray]

James Porter​

"I'm fine, love," James answered Delilah, sending her a reassuring nod. When she asked if they had to stay inside all day, he shook his head. "Not quite. You can stay in this house, in Sinead's house or outside in the gardens. But until I've had chance to deal with tonight's events, you're not to venture behind the front gates without me or my say so," he firmly told her. "Just until I know what's going on," he added, his voice softening.
ElectricDandellion (Delilah)

********​

James took a long drag of his cigarette as Rudolph spoke to him about it being a worthwhile risk. Whilst he agreed it could pose useful to have someone on the inside of the IWU, he wasn't sure if there was anyone he knew well enough to do something like that and at the same time be capable of defending themselves. "You're right there. We got our crafty nature from my old man," he remarked.

James almost choked on his own cigarette's smoke when Rudolph mentioned him speaking to Kieran about it. Still, he took in some more of his cigarette, not deterred by the thought of choking again. "No fucking chance," he bluntly replied and looked Rudolph straight in the eyes. "First of all, I don't know if you've met my mother-in-law, Shannon. She's in the house right now, if you haven't met her. She also happens to be Kieran's aunt and if I let anything happen to her nephew, she will rip my head off, at best..." he told him. "Not to mention the fact he and Ciara already spoke at the party last night. If she were to recognise him, he'd be in serious trouble. It's far too risky."


Shireling (Rudolph)

 

[Shireling]

Rudolph Meyers​

"I would think about it, Mr. Porter. He met Ciara, so what? He goes to her and he says to her, 'I saw my uncle blow a guy's head off in the living room' or whatever, and he tells her that he wants to help her. He's a churchman, remember? A lot of them go in for radical causes like the IWU, and they aren't known for their trust in mobsters." Rudy crossed his arms as he rested his cigarette in the corner of his mouth. "At least think it over. It could be the foot in the door we need."

Misty Gray

 

[neverbackdown]

Michelle and Alexandra Romano ​

Alexandra felt like her younger self again when she kissed Conor, it felt right, it felt like home and it felt like that little piece of herself she had left in Chicago was no back, that was until a giddy voice broke her from the kiss.
She raised an eyebrow as she turned to face their daughter but a small smile was present on her lips , Michelle was clever and resourceful and while she was only a child, the girl very clearly knew what she was doing.

Alexandra was about to teasingly scold their daughter, when she heard a knock on the door. Alex answered the door and was greeted by a man whom she recognized from the gates at the Porters house last night. She listened to him speak before nodding her head and inviting him inside while she went to get Conor .


.........................

After Conor left the fear of uneasiness began to sink in. She knew from past experiences that ‘the boss wanting someone home’ usually meant something bad had happened and she just hoped that all the Sullivans and Porter were safe.
“Mom where’s Fallon?” Michelle asked from beside her. Alex bit her lip as the uneasy feeling only increased, she hadn’t heard from Fallon all day which wasn’t unusual for the girl. She knew that she was overreacting but still the feeling would not pass “im sure she’ll be home soon dear, just watch some tv I need to make a phone call”. Alex said absent mindedly as she made her way into the kitchen. It was only when she picked up the phone , did she realize she didn’t have Jackson’s number. She put the phone down and sighed as she tried to calm her racing mind. She knew this fear was irrelevant and was only due to all the trouble that had happened and everything she had gone through in Chicago but what if it was a sister instinct. Alex rubbed her face before Searching through the cabinet until she found a specific piece of paper with a number on it, she was thankful in that moment that she had kept the number James had given her 7 years ago Incase she ran into any trouble. Alex dialed in the number and listened as the dial tone rang out before the phone began to ring

Misty Gray Bellz ElectricDandellion Pyroclast (anyone in the Porter household)

 

[Bellz]

Peter Callahan and Finn Sullivan

Peter watched as Sinead battled with herself about applying pressure to his wound, but a soft smile followed by a small wince could be seen when she finally did press the cloth to his shoulder. "Thank you baby." He told her lightly before squeezing his eyes shut a moment. Finn was surprisingly upbeat given the circumstance of everything that was going on, but that was the way he rolled. There wasn't a day he'd seen go by where the man didn't smile. He finally addressed his wife's words about General Porter training with him again, and Peter's eyes opened to look at her, a laugh bubbling past his lips. "Oh yea, I remember training...I can't believe he still does it." He admitted to her before Finn came over with what looked to be something to clean out his wound.

Biting his lip, Peter watched as Finn's fade only smiled a little. "Sorry mate, but you know the drill as well as I, I got to flush the wound with alcohol before I can start looking for fragments...Maybe we should head to the other room?" He asked, looking to Sinead for an answer as his eyes found a few of the Porter children looking over at the scene, worry in their eyes. Finn had known how much James and Lucy tried to keep their kids from seeing such horrors...he wished to respect that now. Peter was the first to answer despite Finn looking Sinead's way.."I think that would be best...I don't want to startle anyone further." He said, also seeing his niece and nephew looking his way, he offered a smile but was sure it looked more painful than anything else. "Alright...come on. Help me out of this seat." He beckoned Finn and Kieran. Finn immediately moved to help the man up, after setting down the alcohol and clean cloth he had prepared. "Dining room would be better, or kitchen...something with hard floors and less fabric." Finn muttered before slinging Peter's good arm over his shoulders.
With:Sinead Misty Gray ; Kieran Shireling Mentions:

Lucy Porter

Lucy hadn't said anything about seeing Delilah and Leo heading downstairs when she arrived home, but she would be sure to address it when things grew a little calmer. For now, she wanted to enjoy that her children were safe and home. All the questions were not surprising to Lucy and she smiled softly at her daughters concern for her family, "Everyone is okay..." She reassured her daughter before nodding and looking down at her own appearance as she asked if she herself had any injuries. "Nothing to report Lilah." She informed her. Lucy heard Syd's voice and blew out a sigh of relieve before Lilah told him to stop staring daggers at Leo. Lucy couldn't help but laugh at the interaction lightly before giving her son a stern look. "Why must you leave your mother for such long periods of time, you know I can't stand it when any of you leave. Come here, give your momma a hug and a kiss." She said before not leaving him any other choice and pulling him in for a hug, planting a smooch on her son's forehead. James' voice rang out from behind them and Lucy looked to see him before letting go of Syd. She took a step back to let James greet him and Delilah before answering his questions. "We are alright...Mal is around somewhere I believe..." Her sentence trailed off as she looked to Syd wondering if he knew where Mal was.

She didn't say anything more as James' eyes locked with her, making it clear that they needed to talk in private at some point. Lucy gave a small nod his way, breathing in and out deeply, signaling that he needed to do the same. Lucy listened closely as he explained the reasoning for Jackson running out so quickly, her eyes widened and she brought a hand over her mouth in horror as she thought about what the man was now going through. She nodded in understanding, knowing that they would most likely have to break the news to Alex in Connor's absence. "I'll get her here immediately...and whenever you are ready to talk...let me know." She informed him before he headed out to speak with Rudy. Lucy's mind wandered a moment thinking about Fallon and Jackson, she felt horrible. The phone ringing pulled her from her thoughts quickly however and she looked to her children. "I will be right back." She said before hurrying to answer the phone. "Hello?" Lucy asked once picking it up.

With: Delilah ElectricDandellion ; Syd Pyroclast Mentions: Alex neverbackdown ; James Misty Gray ; Leo Melanin-Gxdess ; Jackson Enzyme

 

[neverbackdown]

Alexandra and Michelle Romano ​

Alexandra stood and listened to the ringing of the phone as she urged someone to pick up the phone. She knew she was being ridiculous and overreacting to the highest degree but anyone would react like this had they walked in shoes.
She kept her eyes trained on the front door waiting for Fallon to walk in any minute but that minute seemed to be taking too long for her liking. It felt like hours before she eventually heard a voice coming from the other end of the line.

“Lucy” Alex greeted as she kept fear out of her voice “James gave me your number a few years ago Incase I needed it “ Alex explained as she began to ramble. She took a deep breathe before shaking her head, she needed to relax and not talk the ear of Lucy “I was wondering could I get Jackson’s number I haven’t heard from Fallon all day and I know I’m being ridiculous but I have a bad feeling “ she rambled on while internally face palming herself. All she had to do was ask for Jackson’s number but no her brain had decided she needed to explain her life story.

Bellz

Mentioned: Enzyme (Jackson)

 

[neverbackdown]

Mallory Porter ​

Mallory watched as her brother moved off to make a phone call, it was obvious he was ringing to make sure their family were ok. When Skye asked what she had missed Mallory frowned “there was a bang and I’m pretty sure it was an explosion” she explained before looking back out the window. She hoped everyone was ok.

Shortly after Sinead arrived and confirmed Mallory’s thoughts but she gasped as Sinead announced it was Jackson’s home that had been blown up, her hands quickly moving up to cover her mouth in shock. Who the hell would do such a thing? She was shocked but she was also angry, Jackson was like family and he didn’t deserve for his house to be blown up, the loose his belongings, she felt sorry for him.

When Sinead left quickly followed by an awkward and fumbling Syd , Mal turned to look at Skye with a devious smirk playing on her lips “looks like someone likes you too” she teased. While Mal said it in a teasinging way it was glaringly obvious that Syd had feelings for Skye, she had never seen him trip over his words and she definitely enjoyed watching how he squirmed as he tried to casually suggest meeting up with Skye later.

Misty Gray
Mentioned Pyroclast Enzyme

 

[Misty Gray]

Skye Maisie McKendrick​

Skye smiled at Syd as he said he needed to head home to catch up with his parents, which was completely understandable. "Yeah, you should go catch up with them. I'm sure they've missed you, even if nobody else has," she teased him. "I'll be here all night and all morning," she assured him. Then she wondered if her words sounded somehow inappropriate. "Y'know, because I kind of live here and I'm putting the children to bed and... yep, I'll be around," she told him. Luckily, Syd seemed to be tripping over his words too, so that reassured her a little. "I'll be sure to call if needed."

Once Syd had left, Mal looked to Skye with a smirk, causing her to blush a little. "What? You think he does like me? Even though I was just being a complete dork?" she asked. "Man, now we really need to have that night out. Perhaps we should all do it tomorrow?" she said, having no clue that might be difficult considering James' sudden lock-down. Well, not difficult for her as she could come and go as she pleased, but difficult for her friends.



neverbackdown (Mallory) Pyroclast (Syd)

James Porter​

"I will certainly give it some thought, Rudy. Whilst she may buy the story, it's a lot for Kieran to take on. It's my job to keep this family alive and even Fallon's death I'm considering a failure on my part," he informed him. He had no idea how he would have prevented it, but he still felt responsible Jackson's place was targeted at all. "I will think over your suggestion, but right now I need to avoid making decisions until I can be sure my head is clear. If I were to make any decision right now, it would be to go find Ciara and strangle the bitch." He shrugged his shoulders. "That might still be on the cards, but only when I'm thinking straight enough to get away with it..." he trailed off.

James stubbed out what little was left of his cigarette. "I'd best go back inside and make sure everyone's okay," he told him. He didn't want it to seem like he was avoiding speaking with everyone. James made a point of being open and honest with his family and most trusted friends, save for the more gruesome, sensitive or risky details. His kids were still kids to him, but at the same time he wouldn't shield them from the reality of things. Doing that would only give them a false sense of invincibility and he needed them to be aware, for their own safety. He knew one of the reasons Sinead was at times fragile was because she'd always been protected from anything bad that happened in her father's business and to her loved ones. So when Sinead did get dragged into the war with the Romanos, her idealism and innocence were challenged and shattered, in turn knocking her confidence. James knew his kids needed to have some idea of the dangers their family faced.

When he returned inside, James saw Lucy heading away to answer the phone. He figured if it was for him he'd be told, so he instead poured himself a large Scotch and sat down on one of the empty couches. He wasn't sure which was going to be the worst - having to question Ciara or speaking with Nikolai.

Shireling (Rudolph)
...and anyone else

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

There wasn't much the woman could do at the moment other than be a shoulder for whoever needed it. That and try and help figure out just why Ciara had blown up the apartment building. At least seeing her friends and her brother alive and almost well was a relief. She probably would have started to go crazy if anything had happened, beginning to love these people as part of her family. It was a feeling she hadn't felt in a long time and one she was growing extremely close to. After giving Leo a hug, she decided she was going to inquire as to why he was even at the Porter resident. She had the assumption that it was to see Delilah. Even though he hadn't out right said anything, she had observed their actions the night before and she wasn't stupid.

She turned her attention back to Thomas, stepping away from Leo for the moment. She took a deep sigh and shook her head. "I have no idea, honestly. Although, she did look upset last night. But, alas, my mind was somewhere else.." She trailed off, thinking about the news of Conor that was dropped. 'Geez, get over it.' She thought to herself. The two of them weren't dating, but she couldn't help but feel they could have. She snapped out of her own thoughts and smiled at Tommy.

"I was about to ask why Pete had a bullet hole in his shoulder. Glad that's cleared up." There was a slight pause and the sudden thought of what happened at the Jazz Club came up again. The feeling that the bombing and the attack being connected was tugging at her and she looked around. Everyone was in their own little world, which meant they wouldn't pay attention to the two of them. "Hey, I need your help with something." Taking his hand in hers, she led him to an isolated room where she hoped no one could hear. Taking a deep breath she crossed her arms. "The bombing isn't the only thing that happened today. Or your little shoot out. One of the bouncers at the Jazz Club was attacked today. He says it wasn't a normal mugging or anything like that; definitely planned. Now, I don't know Ciara well enough to know her MO but I want to make sure it wasn't connected." She took a pause to take a look around, making sure no one was listening before she continued.

"I'm looking into it and we're keeping James out of it. He has far too much to worry about right now and this could very well just be a hiccup. Tomorrow, I'm going to go on a hunt and I'm sure not bringing Leo or Sinead along. Will you come with me?" She asked. If he denied her, she wouldn't be too upset, being fully capable of handling it herself. But, with the aide of someone else it would go faster. That and she thought she would spend more time with him.

"Yeah, I know." He said to Del, responding to her comment about Ali wanting to check on him. "But she is really killing me right now." He joked. As he made his way downstairs, he couldn't help but think; what exactly would have happened had this mess not been going on. Internally he smirked to himself and shook his head. Seeing Ali, he returned her hug and shrugged his shoulders. "Al, I am a-okay. Promise. Just uh wanted to come over here and hang out with everyone. Mal and Del, you know?" He gave her a nervous smile, knowing he wasn't really good at covering up this lie.

He tensed at the look he was getting from Ali, hoping she wouldn't question him at the moment. When she gave his shoulder a pat and walked away to speak with Thomas, he let out a breath he didn't even know he was holding. But as he watched his sister walk away, grabbing this man's hand, he raised an eyebrow. Either she had a few secrets of her own or she just didn't realize what is was she was doing. Either way, he would use it as a counter to whatever argument they were sure to have later.

Looking around the room, he could see the chaos this all caused. He knew immediately that Aliana was going to try and do something to help the situation, which meant he was here for a little while longer than he meant to stay. He wasn't going to leave until he was sure things were okay with both Ali and Del. It all made him rub the back of his neck. How stressful his vacation was turning out to be. ​

 

[Misty Gray]

Thomas Dempsey​

Tommy smirked as he glanced at Peter who was receiving unexpectedly positive attention from Sinead. "Ahh, he'll be fine. How can he not be with Tinkerbell all over him?" he playfully commented. "I thought he'd be in big trouble with the missus by now! I was secretly looking forward to watching her kick off at him, like an angry fairy."

Aliana then said she needed Tommy's help, causing him to look to her with a more concerned expression on his face. He let her take his hand and direct him away from the others. "I thought you'd never ask," he joked as they entered the unoccupied room. When she started talking business, he returned to being serious again. "What? Someone started shit in the jazz club?" he asked. He was about to ask her if James had been told when she made it clear she wanted to keep him out of it. He didn't like that idea, but when she reasoned their boss had enough to deal with he couldn't help but agree. As well as that, he wasn't going to let Aliana go out hunting for them alone. "No, don't involve Leo or Sinead in this," he agreed. He bit his lip as he thought it over and eventually nodded his head. "Yeah, I'll come with you. You're not doing it on your own," he firmly told her. "But, if it does turn out that Ciara is behind it, we have to tell James. He needs to know what he's dealing with and who the IWU is willing to involve," he said, referring to her involving Sinead's club.


Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana)

 

[Bellz]

Lucy Porter

Lucy stayed silent as she listened to Alex explain her concerns for her sister. Her hand moved over her mouth and she leaned against the wall, wondering what she should say to the woman. She couldn't have her believing there was some hope that Fallon would be found...if Jackson had left her there before the explosion and was expecting to see her there..."Alex..." She began with a sigh. Biting her lip, she dropped the hand that was held over her mouth. "Alex...Jackson's apartment was attacked today...there was an explosion..." Lucy wondered if the woman would come to the conclusion on her own without having to out right tell her. Lucy stayed silent a moment, giving Alex a chance to speak if she must before continuing on. "James and I would like you to head to our place quickly, there isn't much time...we are being targeted. It will all be explained when you get here. Bring whatever you must, belongings and all and head over as soon as possible. I know this is hard and I'm so sorry for your loss, but we can't lose any more. Whether you like it or not, you are part of the family and we will protect you as such."

Alex neverbackdown

 

[neverbackdown]

Alexandra and Michelle Romano ​

Alexandra listened quietly as Lucy spoke a small gasp escaping her lips as she immediately realized what Lucy was trying to say, Fallon was dead. The silence was deafening as Lucy clearly waited for Alex to say something, but there was nothing in that moment she could say. The only family member who had her side in this whole Michelle issue , her sister that had left Italy: her home, friends and family to flee to Ireland with her traitorous sister was gone, an innocent casualty in someone else’s war. She just couldn’t accept her little sister was now gone and died in such a horrible way. Would there be any pieces of her left to bury? How was she supposed to tell her family back home that she had died? Had she been in pain or did she die instantly? Did she die in fear or unknowingly? All these questions were swimming around her head and the buzzing in her ear was beginning to make her nauseous. She briefly heard Lucy say something about grabbing her belongings and coming over to the Porter residence but she just couldn’t make sense of it right now. Alex took a deep breath before mustering strength into her voice, a skill of hiding her emotions that had been developed over the years was now in play. “Okay I’ll see you soon Lucy” she said before hanging up the phone.

Once the phone call was finished Alex looked into the sitting room to see Michelle was still watching tv. She bit her lip before making her way upstairs to pack their belongings or at least the necessities, they could always come back and get whatever they needed. As Alex began to move her clothes onto her bed, she felt a sudden twinge as her legs gave out before she fell to the ground with a hard bang. Her sobs came out uncontrollably and erratic adding to the pain from her broken heart. It was a pain she had hoped she would never feel again, the kind of heartbreak that resulted from a person being ripped too soon and suddenly from life. Once again she didn’t get to say goodbye to a family member that she would never see again and once again it had been left in an awkward way that would never be settled with the two having had barely said a word to each other last night. Her hand was shaking as she placed it to her mouth to try and silence the sound of her sobs not wanting her daughter to hear from downstairs

Bellz

 

[Misty Gray]

James Porter​

James had been quickly drinking his the alcohol when he looked back over to Lucy who was still speaking on the telephone. He could see his wife appeared distressed as she leaned against the wall and nervously bit her lip. He got up from the couch and approached her. As he got closer, he heard her saying she was sorry for the loss and that the person she was speaking to was part of the family. It didn't take any thought at all for him to realise Lucy was speaking with Alex. He knew the Italian had phoned them and there was no choice but to tell her then, but it was still upsetting to know she had to find out over the telephone and they couldn't have told her in person.

When the call ended and Lucy put the receiver down, James stepped closer to his wife. "Luce..." he began. "Please tell me Alex and Michelle are coming to stay here." Without further words, he placed his arm around her shoulder and led her into his office so they could talk privately. He then wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in close for a tight embrace, allowing her to bury her face in his muscular chest if she needed to. He then placed a kiss on the top of her head. "We're going to get through this. I love you, Luce," he softly told her.

"We're going to fight back." James eventually broke away from the embrace and look to her face. "I'm not going to let them get away with it and they won't intimidate our family. I'm going to put myself in the middle of this one and if any of our gang members don't want in on it, I will respect that. But, if this was Ciara, then I will kill the bitch myself. I won't stand by and let anyone hurt or threaten the people we care about. The Romanos got away with hurting this family for too long and I'll be damned if I let another jumped up megalomaniac do it again. We have to attack them now, before they become too confident."

Bellz (Lucy)

 

[Misty Gray]

Sinead Callahan​

Sinead couldn't help but smile when Peter thanked her for helping apply pressure to the wound, glad she wasn't somehow making things worse. She then slowly nodded her head as he spoke about James' training regime. "Well, I'll be sure to sit back on the sun lounger and take sneaky peeks at you working out," she told him, with a wink. That comment was said as a reminder of when he very first started working for James all those years ago. Sinead had been sunbathing by the swimming pool whilst Peter was being put through his paces. She remembered pretending to read her book when really she was admiring the young man who would become her husband. She would always remember that day as it was the day she realised she was attracted to him.

When it was agreed Peter shoulder be taken into the kitchen to be treated, Sinead quickly tip-toed out of the way and allowed Finn and Kieran to help her husband into the other room. She used her clean hand to carry in the alcohol and fresh cloth for Finn, then followed the men into the kitchen. She placed the the items on the table next to Finn so he could tend to Peter's wound. Meanwhile, she disposed of the bloodsoaked cloth and thoroughly washed her hands in the kitchen sink. As she dried them with a towel, she stood close to Peter in case they guys needed her to do anything else. "Oh, Finn. We're so lucky to have you in this family. You're so good at what you do," she appreciated him. He'd always been such a positive influence on the family and she suspected they might need his happy face in the near future. Following news of the explosion, she was well aware of the tense atmosphere, not to mention the usually cheerful Jackson and Conor both appearing distressed when they rushed out of the house.

Bellz (Peter, Finn) Shireling (Kieran)

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

"Oh trust me, she took all that anger out on James. I don't think she has any left inside her." She said shaking her head, laughing at the 'Tinkerbell' comment. Ali had to admit, watching Sinead yell at someone and give them a piece of her mind was quite entertaining. Although, she felt bad that no one really took her too serious due to her voice and her small frame.

Turning her attention back to Tommy, she started to notice how playful he was. She didn't know if it was just his personality or if that's how he was just towards her but she definitely picked up on it. However, at the moment it wouldn't be on her mind until much later. It was a relief that he had agreed to coming with her and keeping it all a secret. Tilting her head side to side, she agreed on telling James if it was connected to Ciara. "Agreed. For now, let's keep it between the two of us. Don't want to risk this getting out and then back to him before we find anything..." There was a brief pause before she looked at him and nodded her head with a smile. "I didn't think you'd be so cool about it. I mean, I thought you'd put up more of a fight or something. Sort of glad you didn't but also disappointed. While it would have been exhausting convincing you, I think it could've been entertaining."

Thomas ( Misty Gray )​

 

[Bellz]

Lucy Porter

Lucy swallowed hard as Alex stayed silent on the other line. She turned slightly seeing that James had joined her, but before she could really look directly at him, Alex spoke again, telling her that she would see them soon. The phone went dead and Lucy placed the phone back. Turning as James called her name, Lucy nodded her head gently, "I told her to bring what belonging she could..." Lucy informed him as he placed his arm around her shoulder, leading her into the office, finally getting a moment to speak in private. Lucy released a deep breath as he wrapped his arms around her, her own arms wrapping tightly around his waist. She buried her face into his chest, finding comfort in the closeness and the sound of his heartbeat. He placed a kiss on top of her head and told them that they would get through this..."I know.." She whispered softly, a gentle smile forming on her lips, "I love you too, James." Lucy felt a bit helpless, it felt like the violence that they left behind in Chicago was now returning full circle, but this time around she had her own children to worry about, her nieces and nephews, all new employees of the business. She didn't think she could fathom loosing anyone else close to her.

James pulled away to look into her eyes, promising that they would fight back, no longer using the tactics they had back in Chicago, they weren't afraid to make waves here. This comforted Lucy a bit until James, of course, added that he would be throwing himself into the middle of it all. She knew he wouldn't leave his men to do the dirty work of something that his decisions may have caused, but it had been a long time since he had to involve himself in the action. Lucy bit her lip again, clearly nervous by this. Her head nodded slowly as he revealed he would give his members a chance on if they wanted to be involved, but if Ciara was behind it, he would end her himself. "Can't believe that low life thinks she could throw such a fit." Lucy's voice trembled with emotions as she thought about what could happen if they weren't able to stop her. All she wanted to do was choke her out, wishing she would have known what she was up to the night before.

Lucy thought back to the shit they were put through with the Romano's and she rubbed a hand down her face, trying to compose herself, even though all she wanted to do was cry. Cry for Fallon, whom she was hoping to get to know. Cry for Alex, who lost a sister and Michelle who lost an aunt. She wanted to cry for Jackson as well, who seemed to have lost his entire life in one day. The curse that Lucy had felt so long ago seemed to be seeping through the cracks, poisoning the ones they loved. "I don't want any of our children, or Sinead's children or little Michelle to have to go through what we went through James. Those kids deserve better, so so much better. Everyone here does. You aren't going to be alone in this..I know it." She took a deep breath once more, calming herself. Her ring caught her attention in the lighting, "The wedding..." She murmured softly, the worry clear on her face about having an event such as a wedding now that there was a threat.
James Misty Gray (Peter should be up soon )

 

[Pyroclast]

Still spellbound by the blood streaming from his uncle's shoulder, Syd snapped out of his trance only when Delilah had reached him and gave him a small shove. He rose his arms defensively.
"I didn't say anything!" he argued. He wanted to discuss her relationship with Leo further, partly to be supportive and partly to make sure she was making a good decision. But now was not the time, and so when she moved in for a hug he simply held her firmly back and replied,
"Even you, huh? Well, I missed you too sis...I hope you've been good while I was away." He laughed slightly at her comment, trying to be subtle so as not to seem to make light of the scene around them. "I'll take you someday, I promise. Though I don't reckon it's the friendliest place for a woman to work..."

The Porter family were very close-knit, more so than any of Syd's friends' families from school. While most other kids his age would be glad to live away from home, Syd was aware that his family had a different dynamic and always felt a little out of place being stationed somewhere else for a long period of time. However adventurous he may feel, watching his family going through hardships and experience grief together definitely dampened his desire to move around. When his mum lightly scolded him for being away, he felt a pang of guilt, and slight regret.
"I'm sorry, mam," he said, hugging her tightly. "I swear, I'll be home more now. I've missed you."
When his mother finally let go of him he looked up to see his father approaching him.
"I'm fine, dad," he said, having learned to give concise answers when his dad wore that focused and worried expression. He had been through a lot, and Syd had watched him go through a lot of difficult and stressful times, always with that look of distant worry in his eyes. He had to respect for now that he was busy, even though he wanted to sit down and catch up with him as well. "Mal's over at the Callahan's with Skye and the little ones. They're all doing fine, I just came from over there. No need to worry," he said, giving a smile that he hoped conveyed some sense of comfort.

Not really knowing how to make himself useful, he stood close to his family to listen in. But as soon as his dad mentioned that someone had been killed, his heart dropped and he felt as useless as ever - awkward, even. He brought a hand to his mouth before quickly dropping it back to his side, not wanting his parents to think it upset him to hear the details. For a second he just stood there, anxiously chewing on his bottom lip, before catching Delilah's eye and gesturing for her and Leo to follow him through to the kitchen. His tiredness was beginning to return to him and after stifling a yawn, he said to her "I don't know about you but I'm desperate for a coffee. I think everyone else in here could do with something too. Shall we get out of the way for a minute, make ourselves useful?"



Interactions / Mentions
Misty Gray James, Skye ** Bellz Lucy ** Melanin-Gxdess Leo ** ElectricDandellion Delilah ** neverbackdown Mallory

 

[ElectricDandellion]

DELILAH PORTER

Delilah raised an eyebrow as Syd rose his hands defensively. At his words, she crossed her arms across her chest and shook her head. “If looks could kill,” She started, eyes momentarily shifting to Leo, then back to her brother. It was as if he thought she hadn’t seen the stare he gave to Leo before, and a sly grin started to peel about her lips. Mallory must’ve told him otherwise he wouldn’t have given him such a stern glare as he had. Being her brother, it was expected. “He’d have dropped dead already,” Delilah quickly added, chewing the inside of her cheek. She could only hope he wouldn’t break her boyfriend’s neck purely for going out with her. It was a strange thought, but she pinned it down to protective fatherly and brotherly instincts. They just wanted the best for her. It was quite sweet, really, but probably not on the receiving end of the intimidation for Leo.

The subject quickly shifted as he hugged her back. Arms loosely hanging around his neck, she rested her chin on his shoulder for a few moments, calmed by his presence. She really had missed him too when he had gone. Still with Mallory around it’d be fine, but it still didn’t feel the same without their brother for a while. It was a very weird thought to know that he had been so far away for so long. His presence had been missed sorely by all of the family- she knew that much. The fact that he missed her too made her turn to him and smile, pulling away from the hug. “I’ve been fine...And you were behaving at work?” She asked jokingly, listening as he spoke again. Thick eyebrows coming together into a frown, she pursed her lips. “How’d you mean?” Delilah questioned, unsure and a little offended. Were the workers just so extravagantly sexist or was Syd insinuating that such a workplace wasn’t for a woman? That probably was the general thought for all of the men working there, but even so, she’d still like to see the cars. Delilah loved cars, especially her car. It was beautiful, although slightly run down, but that was a characteristic she adored about it.

As her mother hugged and spoke to Syd, she watched the interaction, smiling softly to herself. It was nice to have the family together, even given the circumstances.

As their father mentioned the death of Fallon, an involuntary gasp flew from her mouth. She didn’t know the woman well, but she did know that Fallon was Jackson’s girlfriend, and she felt her heart squeeze. He must’ve been absolutely broken- Delilah couldn’t even begin to understand the pain he must’ve been going through. Her sympathy laid with him. If Leo ever died in such a tragic accident, the young woman wasn’t sure she’d ever get over it. The mere thought of it made her heart squeeze harder.

Eyes catching Syd’s, she watched as he gestured her, and then Leo, to follow him into the kitchen. “Don’t you dare say anything nasty,” Delilah whispered bluntly, her eyes narrowing, but in a slightly jokey fashion. If he tried to intimidate Leo, she would definitely step in and put him into line. It wouldn’t be fair to her boyfriend to have two talks from reasonably scary members of her family. After all, she was certain Ali wouldn’t take to her in the same way.

Nodding momentarily, she moved towards Leo, a soft expression on her face. Her hand reached for his, giving it a gentle squeeze. “Syd needs our help in the kitchen,” she spoke, not really giving him an option to say no as she pulled him into the kitchen before Syd got there, closing the door quickly behind her. “He might act intimidating, don’t mind him,” she whispered, giving her boyfriend a quick peck on the lips before moving across the counter to turn the kettle on.

Pyroclast (Syd) Melanin-Gxdess (Leo)​

 

[neverbackdown]

Mallory Porter ​

Mallory laughed at Skyes reaction “I promise you now he definitely likes you, the way he was fumbling over his words is sign enough” she laughed. She sat back down on the couch and smiled to herself, her signature smirk playing on her lips as she looked deep in thought.
“I’m definitely maid of honor and think off all the stuff we can get up to as sisters-in-law” she playfully teased while watching Skye’s reaction.

Mallory decided she had embarrassed her friend enough and chose to move on from the current conversation “so we should do our night out tomorrow, catch up on all the drinking you’ve missed” she suggested. She bit her lip in thought as a small frown graced her lips for a few seconds “since Jackson’s house got targeted I say my house might be on lockdown or at least we’ll have to bring minders” she used her fingers to display inverted commas as she said the word minders. “So we’re probably best keeping this to ourselves?” She added as she thought it over , already starting to plan how to sneak out without getting caught.
Mallory snapped from her thoughts as she looked back up at Skye “only if you want to off course?”

Misty Gray

 

[Misty Gray]

James Porter​

When Lucy confirmed Alex was coming over and bringing her belongings, a realisation dawned on James amongst all of the other problems. He let out an exaggerated groan."I think there's something you and I need to address before Alex gets here. That something being the very fiery and stubborn in elephant in our living room," he told her. "Shannon... I'm not tackling your mother on my own, love. We'll have to speak to her together, before Alex and Michelle arrive."

James gently rubbed the top of Lucy's arm as her voice trembled whilst speaking about Ciara. "The woman has serious issues. If I'd known she'd change into whatever the fuck she is now, I would never have given her the time of day in the beginning. She used to have the needs of the working class at the front of her mind and what she was fighting for was a good cause. Still, there was always something not quite right about her that niggled at me, but I brushed it aside. I thought I was just being over suspicious, like I am with everyone," he explained. "When she asked for the explosives, she told me they were for a protest she's planning. Either she was lying and intending to use my own stock on Jackson all along, or she's still planning on another explosion. One aimed at another group she finds threatening to her cause. Cops or politicians would be the most logical, but is she even predictable anymore?" he mused aloud.

"I don't want any of the kids having to live through that shit we dealt with," James agreed. Though their four teenagers had enough knowledge and understanding of the family business, it had rarely seeped into their lives and they certainly hadn't ever had to suffer for it. Savannah had some knowledge of it all, having overheard conversations and people speaking of her biological father, who had caused much of the Irish family's suffering back in Chicago. Braden just thought the armed guards were "cool" like characters from the cops and robbers movies he'd seen on the television. Emery, meanwhile, had no concept of her family's businesses and James would be damned if the child's innocent world would be tarnished by violence and death.

James sighed when Lucy mentioned the wedding. He knew exactly what she what thinking and it had crossed his mind too. Trouble typically seemed to find them during what should be happy occasions, but he felt unwilling to cower down by not going ahead with it. "The wedding is still happening, Luce," he firmly told her. "We'll do it at home, if we need to. We have a large garden and plenty of space inside. We can decorate it all exactly how you want to and invite only the people we really want there. We don't need a church or a fancy venue. We just need some imagination and the people we care about." James felt their family and friends needed something good to look forward to. He and Lucy deserved to have a beautiful wedding.

Bellz (Lucy)

 

[Pyroclast]

Syd Porter

When Delilah jokingly asked him if he'd been behaving at work, Syd's thoughts returned to the concealed bruise on his eye for the first time since he got home. He hoped she hadn't seen through it, because that might mean his parents had too, and he really didn't think they needed to see that right now. He almost reached up to touch it, but caught himself at the last moment. "Oh, you know...behaving as always," he smiled. She could make of that what she wanted.

Syd let Delilah and Leo go on through to the kitchen while he took one last glance around the room to count heads for coffee. Even if they didn't want it, he felt it was the only remotely helpful thing he could do at that moment without getting in the way. After the door closed behind him, he began preparing the coffee and decided to answer Delilah's question from before. He knew how much she loved her car, and didn't want her to think he underestimated her passion.
"It's not that I don't think you'd be good at the job, Del," he began. "It's more that...well, from the conversations I've overheard about women from the guys in the workplace, I can only begin to imagine the trouble you'd face working with them. And God, if any man ever made you feel like an object, or hurt you in any way at all, I'd kick his ass so hard he'd taste shit." Syd had started pouring out the coffees and took a sip from one of them. "You know what I mean, Leo," he added with a quick gesture in his direction, turning around as he did so to look him dead in the eyes with a fixed, firm gaze. "Pleasure to have you over here, by the way - however awful the circumstances. I hope you'll feel very welcome." Still with his eyes on Leo, he slid two cups of coffee in his and Delilah's direction before turning back around and beginning to prepare a second round of drinks.

Interactions
ElectricDandellion Delilah ** Melanin-Gxdess Leo

(Sorry for no images, writing without a laptop for a few days and my phone can't process them properly! Also for any continuity errors, mistakes, sporadic contributions etc.)

 

[Misty Gray]

Thomas Dempsey​

Tommy grinned when Aliana said Sinead had taken her anger out on James. He was curious to imagine how that went down, whether James just let it go over his head or gave her a piece of his mind in return. Whether people listened to her or not, Tommy knew the petite lady had a fiery nature in her and he'd seen her speak up for herself in the past. "Ah, poor James. At least he took the heat off Pete!"

Tommy nodded his head when it was agreed they'd tell James if Ciara was involved. He didn't want to risk there being security flaws at Sinead's club if the IWU was involved in the earlier mugging. "I'm not exactly cool about it, Ali. However, I don't want to put any more stress onto James if it turns out to be a random attack. It will add fuel to the fire and if he does think Ciara was behind it, he'll retaliate, so we need to give him facts rather than assumptions." He shrugged his shoulders. "Besides, you'll get the pleasure of spending time in my company... But, if you want me to put up a fight to entertain you, we could start this conversation again?"


Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana)