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

[Misty Gray]

James Porter​

After speaking with Kieran, James returned back to the main house and noticed Syd finishing cleaning up the mud he'd left through the house. Seeing Nikolai hadn't arrived yet, he decided he had a little time to pass, for a change. He walked over to Syd and grinned. "Ah, mate. I hope your mum didn't see the mess," he remarked. "I don't think I can get you out of this one." The lad was pretty much finished cleaning it up, which is why James chose to make light of it. "It seems we've got a fourth dog now too," he added, thinking of Alex's dog, Rocco.

James would walk with Syd to a quiet corner of the lounge "What we spoke about earlier... Are you still on board?" he asked his son. "I'd like you to have an active part in the business, but only if it's what you really want to do. If you're happy being a mechanic and staying clean, then that's perfectly fine with me. I would never force any of you kids into being something you don't want to be. My old man didn't give me much choice in the matter and as such I was barely walking before I was pick-pocketing," he admitted. "You're old enough to make this decision and if it's what you want, then we will start training. We'll be up very earlier most mornings and I won't go easy on you," he admitted, with a faint smile. "It's not that I don't enjoy watching people squirm, which I do enjoy... But I want to make sure you're prepared to deal with any eventuality. It would be irresponsible of me to let you jump into this without training."

Pyroclast (Syd)

 

[neverbackdown]

Alexandra Romano ​

Alex looked up at Conor as he told her the main suspect. She nodded her head as she repeated the name in her head to make sure she remembered it. Now Alexandra had two people on her hit list, Nikolai: the man who took away her father, uncle, brother and friend and Ciara: the woman who took away her youngest sister.

When Conor mentioned how war might be brewing, Alex bit her lip “same shit different crowd” she told him. “It is inevitable in this life that a war will start, eventually someone gets cocky and think they own the place” she added in thought. “But you defeated the Romano’s , anyone else will just be easy” she told him. While the Romano’s were her family , her flesh and blood, Alex was aware of how psychotic and cruel her family could be, especially her insane father.

When Conor said he was going to fight, Alex nodded her head and gave him a slight smile. She wasn’t going to stop him fulfilling his duty to his family and she also knew that he was doing this for Jackson and herself and Michelle aswell. “I want in” Alex said suddenly , an air of seriousness clear in her tone, a tone which Conor should be used to and know that there was no talking her out of it.

Misty Gray

(Mal coming soon I promise, on my way into work so it’ll be a while but it’ll be today)

 

[Pyroclast]

Syd Porter

Having just about managed to get the remaining dirt from out of the carpet, Syd looked up to the sound of his father's voice and gave a sheepish grin. He felt lucky to have avoided a lecture, because any excuse would have sounded stupid - especially the truth. Skye momentarily returned to his thoughts and he gave a small sigh. She was making a fool of him, that was for sure. He stood up and shook himself off, turning his attention to his father.
"Looks like he's settling in at least," he said, at the mention of Rocco. "The more the merrier if you ask me."

Syd followed as his father discretely beckoned him to one side of the lounge. He smiled when James implied he was clean - having little involvement thus far in the family business, his own definition of that word at this point in his life was still rather vague. From his history of dirty fist fights and school expulsions, he didn't exactly consider himself a saint. Of course, the two words were not alike and someone in James' position would have a totally different idea of what it meant to be clean. Nevertheless, Syd wasn't about to hesitate at this opportunity to become an active member of the business. Especially when his father specifically expressed that he wanted him to be involved.
"It is what I want," he said, looking his father confidently in the eyes. "I appreciate your easing me into it with training and time to think. But I've thought about it, and I'm ready to start. Whatever it takes, wherever you need me. You can count on me, dad." He was trying to conceal his excitement, because to smile might make it seem like he wasn't serious. "When have I ever had trouble getting up in the mornings?" he said with a wink. "Be as militant about it as you need to be. There's no one else I'd trust to get me up to standard."

This was certainly true - it wasn't exactly that he was afraid of his father, but more so of being a disappointment to him. Syd managed to live a fairly lawless lifestyle, and there weren't many people on this earth that he was keen to obey. But he had respect for his parents for taking him in and putting up with him. He never really understood why they did what they did for him but he loved them for it and felt that he owed them big time. Of course he wasn't going to pour his heart out like that, but now that he was being given the chance to give something back, he was more than willing.

"When do we begin?"

Interactions
Misty Gray James

 

[Bellz]

Peter Callahan

Peter followed Sinead into the other room, ready to continue the relaxing moments he could have in his home before having to possibly work for James again, his wounds would heal in a week or so, as long as he could manage a few days of rest. Peter had been itching for another adrenaline rush however, becoming quite the junkie. He wondered if this was becoming a dangerous habit for him and his family. It was reckless, he could only really think that much about it all...but that never stopped him before. Sitting down on the sofa with his love, he listened as she told him how the club was holding up in his absence. "Well well well, everyone behaves when I'm gone huh? trouble follows me I guess." A boyish smirk appeared on his lips as his eyes looked down at his arm, his bad should resting limply against the cushion.

He watched as Sinead rested her head on his good shoulder and smiled gently, he reached his hand out and grabbed hers, curling his fingers through her own. His smile slowly faded into a frown as she said that she was just, alright. He knew better than to just read what was on the surface of that word. Something had happened. He didn't believe her for a second. Peter was about to press further just when Sinead decided to tell him on her own. His frown only deepened and etched into his face as if he was made of stone. Peter stayed still and listened as she explained what Grant had done.

Peter had always had a bad feeling about that guy, he was always too...forceful, with a lot of things. He swallowed hard and squeezed his wife's hand gently, clenching his jaw together, ticking lightly. "Didn't give you a choice in the matter? Love? You always have a choice...what do you mean?" He pressed further, needing specifics. His knee bounced lightly, feeling his pulse rise as the anger was becoming harder to control. Perhaps the man had pushed his luck too far this time...maybe Peter didn't have to seek out trouble.

With:Sinead Misty Gray Mentions:

 

[Misty Gray]

Conor Sullivan​

Conor shook his head when Alex said he'd defeated the Romanos. Perhaps she meant his family took them down, but it still didn't stop him from speaking up. "No, I didn't do shit. All I did was piss your old man off and then proceed to stand down because I couldn't lead my family's business. James saved my family and then I left them so only I could be disappointed with me." He sighed. "But you're right, we've fought bigger than some IWU pricks and I'm not going to run from the fight this time. I've not got my youth as an excuse anymore. and now I've got Michelle to think about. Not to mention all of the other kids around here. I won't have any of them live through the shit we had to."

Conor's eyes widened when Alex said she wanted in. It wasn't a surprise to him considering she'd just lost her sister, but it still caught him off guard. He knew her well enough to know she was being serious and he would struggle to talk her out of it. "Are you sure, Alex? You can't go getting yourself hurt when Michelle needs you." He glanced over his shoulder towards the house. He was aware James would be speaking with Nikolai and later Ciara before the end of the night. Until then, his family's next move remained uncertain, or at least unconfirmed. "I know I can't talk you out of it, but I can warn you. Don't do anything without consulting James on this. Whilst he's always been pretty open with us, we can't always be sure of his plans until he needs us to be. We have to wait for him to tell us when we can act, rather than risk getting in his way or causing him further stress." Conor shook his head as he thought about it. "James will be more surprised than I am at the thought of you fighting on the same side as us after all we went through in Chicago."


neverbackdown (Alex)

James Porter​

James thought of how Syd used to get in trouble when he was in school, often getting himself suspended. Sure, it would have been easier if his kids had all been the sensible bookworm kinds, but he never thought being a parent would be easy. If Syd had been an intellectual who enjoyed school and liked his teachers, James would have encouraged him to stay on to go to college and university. As it happened, Syd hadn't enjoyed school nor had he respected the teachers. James really couldn't blame him for that as he'd never had much respect for authority figures himself either. Even now, in this late thirties, he carried that view, observed in the way he was happy to put the cops in their place. They may not be related by blood, but James felt he could relate to Syd as he too was often in trouble throughout his childhood and teenage years. He just had to be guided, then pushed into becoming mature, controlled and responsible. Like he had complied with his own father, James expected Syd to follow his orders if he wished to be a useful part of the family business.

James smiled when Syd confirmed he was ready to start and showed genuine interest in helping the family out. "Ah, you'll wish you hadn't given me permission to go hard on you. But you're right that it will get you up to standard. If you're on a job, I need to know you can defend yourself and others if needed. I have to know if you have to take a shot at some shithead, that it's going to hit them. Otherwise, you might get hurt and then it'll be on me for letting you go out into danger." Syd asked when they would begin, causing James to look outside where he noticed Savannah and Michelle playing. "Perhaps tomorrow morning," he suggested. "We could have squeezed a little target practice in now, but I'd hate to startle the little kids and have them see us playing around with guns. I'm sure Alex wouldn't be amused and I'm certainly not in the mood for another telling off from Sinead."


Pyroclast (Syd)

 

[Misty Gray]

Sinead Callahan​

Sinead closed her eyes for a short time when Peter held her hand, never tiring of his touch. She'd always been a tactile person who craved human contact, whether it was a kiss from her husband or hugs from her family and friends. Peter's touch always brought a warmth with it which made her feel both loved and secure. Just being close to him now made her feel at ease following her altercation with Grant.

Peter squeezed her hand and then pressed her to explain in more detail about what Grant had said to her. "I don't think he was giving me much of a choice. I think he was blackmailing me," she said, pausing as she wondered if it was the correct choice of word. "Grant's always been one to say uncomfortable things, but everyone just figures he's the kind of guy without a filter or lacking the ability to think before he speaks. You know, like how when he didn't realise I was pregnant with Emery, he told me I was getting fat and I had to be skinny to succeed." She sighed, realising she could list then many awkward things her music manager had said to her and others in the past. "Whether or not he intended offence back then, tonight was different. He meant what he said and I could tell. He told me he could make sure I never got another gig if I refused to do this one. I believe he was being serious and I don't want to risk him ruining everything for me. If his word gets around as fast as he says, then I might not get another chance to sing."

Bellz (Peter)

 

[Pyroclast]

Syd Porter

It was true that Syd didn't know how tough training with his father could be, and he had to admit to himself that it might turn out to be a bit beyond him. With a laugh, he replied, "Yeah, you're probably right there. I know it'll be worth the hard work though. You're going to make a man out of me, right?" He gave his father a playful punch on the arm. "All I know is, I want to be the one left standing at the end of a fight. If you can get me there, I don't care what you put me through."

His eyes followed James' to the window and watched Michelle and Savannah playing outside. That had been him outside with the dogs just moments ago. He reflected on what James had said about having to take a shot at someone. By no means had Syd had a trouble-free life, and causing physical harm to another person would not be knew to him, but even so, shooting someone was pretty next-level. He just hoped he wasn't about to lose that carefree playfulness by getting himself involved in dark, criminal activity. He remained undeterred however - the idea of being sent out on dangerous jobs thrilled him too much. Being a mechanic was fun, but opportunities like the one James was proposing did not come to everyone, and Syd knew it'd be much more of an adventure than working in a garage for the rest of his life. Even though he had no idea what was in store, there was no way he'd turn it down. Not for anything or anyone. James was right though - he may be old enough to think about putting himself in harm's way, but the young ones shouldn't have to see them waving guns around.

"Tomorrow morning's fine by me," he said, turning back to face his father. "Is it a secret then? Who's allowed to know? I'm guessing you've already discussed this with mam?" Of course, regardless of whether his family knew what he was getting himself into or not, they'd surely find out soon enough anyway. More than anything, he was eager to tell Skye. Maybe it would impress her, or concern her. Either would satisfy him, as long as she cared in some way...Syd felt his attention begin to slip away again and blinked hard in an attempt to get her off his mind and refocus on the conversation at hand.

Interactions
Misty Gray James

 

[neverbackdown]

Mallory Porter ​

Mallory laughed “yeah it’ll be the perfect adventure, it’s been a long time coming”. She looked at the dress that Skye had bought and looked it over a smile forming on her face “it’s beautiful Skye!” She told her before standing up of the bed. “Right I’ll be back in a sec” she informed Skye before walking out of her room to go find her sister.

Mallory made her way across the hall and walked into Delilah’s room without knocking. She grinned as she saw her sister applying makeup and clearly getting ready to do something. “Do you have plans?” She asked her as she looked over the outfit her sister was wearing. Mal walked further into the room and closed the door behind her so that she wouldn’t be overheard talking about tonight.
“Me and Skye are going to sneak out into town, do you want to come?” She asked her the grin still present on her lips

Misty Gray ElectricDandellion

 

[ElectricDandellion]

DELILAH PORTER

Delilah had been delicately applying her makeup when, from the corner of her peripheral vision and from the reflection of the mirror, saw the door swing open. Surprise was evident on her face at the action; people usually knocked, and she was just grateful that she had gotten dressed only moments before. Jaw dropping in slight shock, she swivelled around on her chair to face the door, eyebrow cocked. Seeing her sister, though, her open mouth soon twisted into a grin. “Since when was knocking so much to ask?” She joked, turning back to the mirror to finish doing her final makeup adjustments. Delilah continued what she had been doing, expecting and waiting for Mallory to ask something. After all, why else would she have been in the room and have rushed in so urgently if she hadn’t anything to say.

At Mal’s question, Delilah shook her head lightly. “Well- not particularly...I wanted to go out but I thought you and Skye would be busy, and Leo would likely be busy with Ali today too after telling her about us. I gather she wouldn’t have been particularly happy about it after what he was said but, you know.” Shrugging her shoulders, she began applying her deep purple lipstick to her plump lips. From in the mirror, she could see her sister’s interest in her dress, and she smirked lightly. “I bought it the other day, haven’t yet had the chance to wear it. Do you like it?...I don’t know if it’s a bit much,” Her gaze skimmed over Mallory’s evening outfit. “Your outfit is pretty cute. Does that mean you’re going out soon too?” She asked, though her sister’s previous question had foreshadowed to her an invitation to go clubbing with her.

The sound of the door closing had Delilah turning once again, having now finished her makeup. Her grin widened as she stood up excitedly, her tight curls bouncing across her back. “You don’t even have to ask!! Of course I’ll come.” Delilah couldn’t peel the smile away from her face, the thought of going out exciting her uncontrollably. “If we go out through the garage, I’m sure no one will see us. Everyone else is busy elsewhere,” Eyes glancing through the balcony doors at the darkening sky, she stood and slipped on her black, chunky-heeled shoes. The night was chilly but that didn’t mean she was about to ruin her outfit with any of her clunky jackets. “Are you thinking of going anytime soon? Or were you thinking later?”

neverbackdown (Mallory)​

 

[Misty Gray]

James Porter​

James chuckled when Syd asked if he was going to make a man out of him. "Perhaps I will, mate. We're certainly in agreement that I want you to be the last one standing and to pack more power in that punch of yours. I don't want you to go out causing trouble, but I want you to be able to fend off any problems and help me to protect this family."

When asked if their plan was a secret, James bit his lip and quickly nodded his head. "Yeah, keep it to yourself for now. I still need to talk to your mum about this, so it's best she doesn't find out from anyone else. Just leave it with me and I'll sort it out. If not, you might have to defend the family when Luce kills me," he half-joked. He'd mentioned in passing to Lucy about training Syd in the future and perhaps letting him help out, but those conversations had never gone very far. This time he knew they would need to have a proper discussion about it. He snapped out of his thoughts in time to see his son also lost in thought. "Have you got something else on your mind?" he asked, with light curiosity.

Any conversation was interrupted when the phone began to ring. James rushed to take the call and was informed Nikolai wouldn't get to the house until later. It was probably for the best as the meeting with Ciara was drawing closer and he needed to get ready for that treat. "Alright, Syd. Your mum and I need to get ourselves off downtown. Conor's in charge, but perhaps give him a hand," he suggested, knowing the guy was a little preoccupied with Alex and Michelle.

James went to find Lucy and when he did, he wrapped his arms around her waist from behind before kissing her on the cheek. "Are we ready to go see that sour-faced cow? The sooner this meeting is done with, the better," he told her. "Perhaps then you and I can finally catch up with everything that's been going on." He was aware the weekend had been so chaotic that they'd barely had chance discuss everything, even the normal things like Delilah's boyfriend and Conor's new family.

Pyroclast (Syd) Bellz (Lucy)

James Porter and Ciara Hennessey
~ Michael Hennessey ~​

Ciara had agreed to meet with James in a public place: an independent cafe chain downtown. She and her brother had arrived early, for no reason other than to arrive before James did. She held a lit cigarette in one hand whilst using the other hand to bring her glass of water to her mouth so she could take a sip from it. "I don't like this, Ciara. If you're going to insist on antagonising the Porters, you should at least bring more backup than a couple of guys seated at the other end of the room." He shook his head and knocked back his vodka. "When he asks if you had anything to do with that explosion, what are you going to tell him? We - the IWU - look pretty fucking guilty to them."

"Oh, do stop wetting yourself, Mickey. James is smart enough not to try anything in the middle of a restaurant. That kind of shit isn't his style," she said, casually placing the glass down on the table. "I'm going to tell him the truth, of course..." Ciara was cut short when she noticed the Porters approaching.


After parking up the car, James placed his arm around Lucy and walked with her towards the entrance of the restaurant. He made sure to keep his attention focused around them and his hand ready to reach for his gun if needed, but something told him this wasn't any kind of trap. "Alright, Luce. If I agree to stop you from throttling Ciara, will you agree to stopping me from shooting her?" he lightly asked. In seriousness, he knew how testing the woman could be to his patience, so he didn't doubt she would grate on Lucy too.

James opened the door for Lucy and he didn't have to look for long to see Ciara sat at a table with Michael. As they approached the table, Ciara made no effort to stand or even smile at the Porters. Michael stood up and sent Lucy a small smile and James an acknowledging nod, until now having been on professionally good terms with the man. "Lucy, this is Michael, Ciara's brother," James introduced them, seeing as Ciara wasn't going to. He then took his seat opposite Ciara and Lucy would sit next to him, but facing Michael. The waitress didn't take long to approach and take their drinks order. Once that was done with, James brought his attention to Ciara. "You told me I had until today to decide whether or not to supply you with the explosives you need. You're not very patient, are you?" James seriously asked her.

"You wanted to meet me just to ask me that? You could have just called," Ciara remarked, a smirk on her face. "I found someone who was willing to supply me with what I needed. It was a one-off deal and one I will not to be divulging any information about to you. Besides, it didn't seem relevant to bother to update you on my own business deals as your refusal seemed pretty final to me."

"I wanted to look you in the eyes whilst we had this conversation. It's easier to lie over the phone." James told himself to remain calm, despite the smirk Ciara sent to him and Lucy. Given the fact someone had been killed last night, he didn't feel she had any reason to be smiling. "Did it seem relevant to blow up Jackson's apartment? Was that some kind of fucked up revenge for someone saying no to you?"

"Oh, please!" Ciara shook her head, laughing into her glass of water as she brought it to her mouth. She felt Michael discreetly kick her foot and so she placed the glass back down on the table before clearing her throat. "Sure, it's pretty incriminating, but that was nothing to do with me," she casually told him. She diverted her eyes from James to Lucy, trying to gauge the woman's reaction.

​

Bellz (Lucy)

 

[Bellz]

Peter Callahan

Peter understood that Sinead was trying to reassure him, that Grant was always sort of a dick. But for him, this didn't make things any better. Peter had always had a bad feeling about the guy and her his wife was now revealing what sort of a person he really was. Grumbling under his breath, he shook his head and sat up a bit straighter in his seat with some effort. Hearing her express her concern for the managers tone tonight, he wanted to storm out of the house and capture the weasel before he could scurry back into his little pathetic hole in the ground. "He's threatening you eh?" He asked, mostly to himself as he thought about what he could do next. Peter raised a hand to place over his mouth, dragging it down his face in thought. "Perhaps we should invite Grant over for dinner? Maybe even meet him at the club?" Peter shifted slightly and let out a wince. Looking over at his bad side, he sighed softly.

I know I'm not in the best of shape right now, but I don't want some creep threatening my wife in such a way and getting away with it. You don't need a music manager Sinny, you book your own gigs just by performing, people are always asking me about you." Peter squeezed his wife's hand again and shook his head, looking towards the farthest wall from which they were sitting. "You don't deserve to feel pressured into something, especially when its something that you do enjoy. That will only create anxiety for you. I want to give Grant a piece of my mind but...I'm afraid I won't be able to do it physically...perhaps I can talk him down?"
With:Sinead Misty Gray Mentions:

Lucy Porter

Lucy had managed to stay out of everyone's way, as she had planned to do. Instead of fussing over everyone, knowing well that they were safe, she took to privately planning the wedding herself. She had a lot of ideas down so far and her main goal was to have it in the gardens at home. The wedding itself would be smaller in size but the reception would include more people. Her mind began to wander as she sat in the outside patio, tapping her pencil against the pad as she thought about different things. When the time was right, she knew she would have to sit down with Delilah...but she had yet to even discuss it with James so for now she kept that on the back burner. She was surprised when James wrapped his arms around her waist, just as she was getting up out of her seat. She let out a small chuckle as he kissed her cheek, but her joy turned to a bit of irritation as he mentioned Ciara. "As ready as we'll ever be I suppose." She admitted before they left the house together.

Once they arrived and were walking up to the restaurant, Lucy opened her bag before pulling out a compact mirror and lipstick. Placing the red color delicately on her lips, she chuckled lightly at James request before snapping the mirror shut placing it and the lipstick back in her purse. "Oh alright, I guess that's reasonable enough. But if I go to the washroom them I'm off duty." Her tone indicated that he could feel free to shoot the witch if Lucy excused herself from the table. Lucy was feeling a lot of emotions as they stepped inside the place. Seeing Ciara at the table, Lucy fought with everything she had to keep from storming over and demanding who she thought she was. Having no concept of manners, like the cow she was, Ciara stayed seated. The man who accompanied her however, stood and offered acknowledgment to them both. Lucy offered a small smile to Michael, who James introduced as Ciara's brother, appreciating the maturity.

No small talk could be made yet,Lucy took her seat beside her husband and faced Michael, soon a waitress came along and took their drink order. Lucy ordered a whiskey neat before a smirk settled on her face at hearing James poke at Ciara's lack of patience. She raised an eyebrow at Michael once before turning to Ciara listening to her annoying voice grate on her eardrum. Ciara had a smirk of her own, which bothered Lucy to know end. How could someone be so smug about causing an innocent life to be taken so early? The blonde's icy blue eyes stared Ciara's way as she dodged her husbands gaze. "You can't expect us to believe it wasn't you, doll. She stated simply with a shrug. "Getting someone to supply you with explosives and then there being an explosion where someone allied to us lives is not merely a coincidence. That pretty face will only get you so far." She leaned back in her chair before crossing her arms.
Misty Gray

 

[Misty Gray]

James Porter and Ciara Hennessey
~ Michael Hennessey ~​

"You think I'm pretty? That's very sweet of you, Lucy. I mostly spend my time with men, but I'd make an exception for you," Ciara told her. However, she then took on a serious tone, now sharing her attention between Lucy and James rather than staring daggers back at the blonde. "As I said, I understand it all looks pretty incriminating. I threaten James if he doesn't give me what I want. I end up getting my hands on the explosives anyway. Then Jackson's apartment gets blown up." She shrugged her shoulders. "Hell, now I'm starting to think it was me, too."

"But it wasn't us," Michael spoke up. "What happened to your friend's apartment had nothing to do with Ciara or the IWU."

James sat forward and looked Ciara in the eyes. "You haven't denied it yet, Ciara. Whilst your brother could be telling the truth, I wouldn't put it past you to go behind his back and do it anyway."

"Oh, Jesus... I didn't blow up your friend's apartment. Is that good enough for you both?" she asked James and Lucy. "I heard some Romano girl died. Don't you have history with them?" Ciara sat forward. "You have an ample supply of explosives and plenty of motive to slaughter Romanos. If you ask me, the evidence stacks up against you lot. I'm surprised the cops haven't pinned it on you yet." Ciara glanced to Lucy and smiled, almost inviting her to react. "We could have worked together through all of this, but you fucked it up, James. Even your brother thinks you're weak and when this all blows up in your face, he'll be standing on the winning side. The fact you know I'm capable of doing whatever it takes means you're aware of the power I now have in this city."

​

Bellz (Lucy)

 

[Misty Gray]

Sinead Callahan​

Sinead began nervously fidgeting with the chain of her necklace as Peter replied to her. "Well, yes, I suppose he was threatening me," she reluctantly agreed. She knew it would have been wrong to keep this a secret from her husband, but now she was worried about causing him stress and possibly leading them to trouble. "I'd prefer we meet him at the club. I don't want that man in our home, where our children live," she told him. She quickly looked to Peter's shoulder when he winced, but realised he'd just disturbed it when he moved.

"No, sweety. I don't want you getting yourself hurt because of me. You need to let your shoulder get better," she told him. She took a deep breath as he explained to her that she didn't need a manager and she could get her own gigs. "I suppose now I could. It was just, when I first started out here I didn't know many people or clubs, so I needed a manager to help me learn about the entertainment scene in Dublin. Plus, everyone thinks I'm an easy target or a soft touch who can be manipulated. I guess all I did was get myself a manager who thinks he can do exactly that - manipulate me. All I want to do is entertain people whilst doing what makes me happy. But there's always someone waiting to twist anything that's pure in life." As Peter squeezed her hand, she snuggled a little closer to him, closing her eyes to hold back any tears. "I don't want you to fight him, especially not when you're still healing. Hopefully talking will do the trick. I appreciate you helping me and it looks like I need you to now, but it just upsets me that me talking isn't enough. I try not to seem like a pushover, but nothing I do works. It's so bloody frustrating."

Bellz (Peter)

 

[Bellz]

Lucy Porter

Lucy sucked in a short breath, completely unsatisfied with Ciara's reaction to her accusations. Her icy glare continued on however until it was clear the wench wasn't going to give her another look. Looking down at her lap for a moment, she listened as the conversation got heated once again. Her jaw clenched again and she rubbed once of her hands against her thigh, biting her tongue, knowing that out of the two, Lucy was the more likely one to crack. Her eyes looked up to the table when Michael spoke up, she looked him up and down, trying to gauge if the man was telling the truth and if his loyalty to his sister was unbreakable. Lucy loved her own siblings more than life itself but would she follow them through situations that she knew were wrong...she actually didn't have an answer. Tilting her head to the side, she looked at him a bit longer before turning to look to James. Her eyes looked from him to Ciara several times, a single brow raising.

Lucy listened carefully at Ciara's outburst about her innocents and scoffed as she suggested that her family had something to do with Fallon's Death. She stared the woman down, shaking her head slightly at the thought of the police questioning them about such a thing. James had been at the station the night before, surely it was questioned. Her jaw ticked as Ciara continued to poke at James, mentioning what his brother thought of him. Though when she mentioned that they knew of what power she had, Lucy snorted out loud, causing a hand to fly to her mouth. "Excuse me." She said as another burst of laughter overcame her. "What power have you got in this city? Last time I checked, it was you who came groveling on all fours for James' help." Lucy composed herself before looking at the table, her cheeks slightly reddened. "Whatever you did and didn't do, we are going to find out." Her eyes looked between Ciara and Michael.
Misty Gray

 

[Misty Gray]

James Porter and Ciara Hennessey
~ Michael Hennessey ~​

James tightened his jaw when Ciara brought Elijah into the conversation. It was only a matter of time before she mentioned his brother who he didn't doubt she had manipulated into taking her side or at the least getting into his head. He wouldn't be surprised if Ciara was to blame for the way his brother looked down on him, his family and his home. "I suspect you've done nothing to help Eli in all of this. It's more than likely you've been in his ear this whole time."

Ciara looked back to Lucy as she burst out laughing at her claim of power. "I came to James because I thought we were allies and that he'd see sense in helping me out. It wasn't grovelling," she said, quickly shaking her head in protest. "I've got my hands on the explosives I need. I must have some power," she suggested.

"It was grovelling, Ciara," James scoffed. "You were so fucking desperate for the explosives. I believe you got lucky in finding someone else to provide you with what you needed." James sighed. "Whatever you're planning to do at your rally, you need to forget it. Innocent people do not deserve to die. The cause you're supposed to be fighting for is a good cause and you will only undermine it by blowing shit up. You used to have good intentions, Ciara. Now you're obsessed with power. You need to reign it in and remember what you're meant to be fighting for."

"No, we've tried to do it that way and nobody listens. I will make everyone pay attention to us and there's nothing you can do to stop it." Ciara smiled. "If you try to get in our way, I will retaliate. I'm not afraid to direct my attacks closer to home. And, don't forget we have your brother on side. I'd hate for him to end up back in a padded call, or worse..." In the back of her mind, Ciara hated bringing Elijah into it in such a way, but it was always an easy way to get to James. The man's biggest weakness was his family and Lucy's birthday party had only confirmed that.

​

Bellz (Lucy)

 

[Bellz]

Peter Callahan

Peter raised his eyebrow lightly as Sinead agreed with him, she didn't sound too sure of herself. Was she afraid to tell him about this? He hoped not. He nodded his head slowly as she said that she didn't want the man over with the children present. Peter let out a sigh of frustration as Sinead told him that he shouldn't be fighting anyone, that he needed to let his shoulder heal. If there was one thing he didn't miss about being on the job, it was the injuries. He listened with a slight frown on his face as his wife talked about the reality of the world they lived in, where the strong preyed on the weak.Looking down at her, it was hard to understand how she perceived the world around her but for the most part, he was sure it was more innocent than what he saw it as. Maybe now that something was hitting an important part of her personal life such as this, she was able to see the real world. Biting his lip lightly, he listened as she continued to vent her frustrations about not being taken seriously.

He leaned back a bit to see her face and caressed her cheek softly with his good hand. "You are a tough cookie Sinead, I don't that for a second. But don't being frustrated with the sweet little thing you are because that's what everyone loves so much about you." He tried to brighten his wife's mood a bit. "Are you willing to meet him at the club later this evening? Or did you want to wait for another date?" He asked wondering if he needed to prepare himself for a little bit of confrontation.
With:Sinead Misty Gray Mentions:

Lucy Porter

Lucy rolled her eyes at Ciara's pathetic excuse as to why she came to James, not believing for one second that the woman wasn't desperate for allies,groveling. As she suggested that she must have some power because she got her hands on explosives, Lucy interjected, "The power to beg?" A smirk held her lips as James went on to agree with her about Ciara's groveling. She raised an eyebrow the woman's way as James revealed that she was desperate for explosives. The smugness on her face dwindled as James mentioned the innocent lives that would be lost because of her actions. He advised her to tone it back and remember what she originally had been fighting for. As the blonde looked over Ciara, she was almost sure that this speech was being given far too late. The determination in the woman's eyes was as clear as day, perhaps even a little crazed wide eyed looked to them. She was far too gone to persuade with any reason...

Her answer proved it and made Lucy's clench her teeth together in irritation, listening to how Ciara mentioned that she would get people to pay attention. When the bitch brought up attacking closer to home, Lucy's eyes widened slightly and she looked down at her lap a moment, making sure that neither Ciara or Michael could see her face. She was cursing the bitch in her mind, wishing she'd never been allowed to the party. It was clear that she knew what one of the weaknesses to their family was. Eli was being used as a pawn for her psychotic game now and from the looks of it, James wasn't going to be able to do anything. At home, they would have to make sure everyone understands the rules and restrictions...as there was going to be a lot after a casual threat such as Ciara's. Verbalizing that she was willing to get more personal with her attacks. Wiping her face clean of any emotion, she took a deep breath and looked up at the table again. "Grasping at straws with Eli? Seriously, is everything you do out of desperation?" There was a shakiness to her voice that was hard to detect by those who weren't close to her. Lucy turned her head to look to James, wondering what he thought of the threats she was making.
Misty Gray

 

[Misty Gray]

James Porter and Ciara Hennessey
~ Michael Hennessey ~​

James heard the subtle shakiness in Lucy's voice and though he wanted to reassure her, he didn't want to draw attention to it and let Ciara think she'd got to his wife. The gun he was concealing started to weight heavy on him, the fact Ciara had spoken to his wife and threatened his loved ones gave him something of an itchy trigger-finger. Ciara had been smart to invite them somewhere public, because it meant James wouldn't put a bullet in her skull in that very moment. Instead, he was forced to imagine killing the bitch and that gave him very little satisfaction. "You've lost your fucking mind if you think I'll let you get away with threatening my family and attacking Jackson's place. At this rate, you'll never get to have your little protest..."

"Come on, now," Michael spoke up. He held his hand out in front of Ciara to signal for her to stay silent rather than persist to bait the Porters. "Let's all just relax. There's no need for threats," he said, making sure to look to his sister so she knew he was including her in what he'd said. "The protest we will be holding in a couple of weeks time is for the benefit of the working class and to draw everyone's attention to the political corruption which will put more of our people out of work. IF we make use of the explosives, I can assure you we do not intend to cause any casualties or loss to human life. Only bricks and profits will be harmed."

"You never were any fun, Mickey..." Ciara groaned and rolled her eyes.

"I'm not sure you can guarantee nobody will get caught up in it. I'm certain there are other ways for you to get your message across," James tried to reason. Michael seemed to be genuine, but he couldn't be too sure. If Ciara was anything to go by, her brother may also be playing mind games. One thing for sure was that he wasn't going to get any straight answers from Ciara tonight, but there was someone who may have the opportunity to place himself in a position where he would know more about the IWU's plans. This meeting wasn't going well, so James decided it was time to start planting the seeds which could assist Kieran. The intention to allow the man to become a mole was something else James had planned on talking to Lucy about but hadn't had opportunity to do. He just hoped she would recognise he needed her to play along and ask questions later. "What's more frustrating is that I've had Kieran on my back about my family's business and having explosives. He believes your cause to be more noble than mine and thinks I should be supporting the IWU. That's blind faith for you, right there. If only I had it in me to burden him with the truth about you. If only he'd see that I'm the one trying to help the people of this city whilst you're just desperate for power..."

Ciara smirked at James' words. "Damn, now I feel bad about being rude to the guy at the party. He talks sense, if you ask me," she remarked. "I'm here to look out for the little guy and if there's only one good thing about the church, it's that they understand the needs of the working class. He makes a valid point rejecting your cause."

​

Bellz (Lucy)
Mention: Shireling (Kieran)

 

[neverbackdown]

Mallory Porter ​

Mallory smiled “yeah your dress is lovely, really suits you” she complimented her sister before clapping her hands in a moment of glee when Delilah confirmed she would join them. “Perfect I just need to get changed as does Skye and then we’ll head out as soon as Mam and dad do” she told her sister “come down to mine when your ready” she told her before leaving the room and heading back to hers.

“Delilah is in” she told Skye as she entered the room, a wide smile taking over her lips as she took in Skye’s appearance in the dress. “It’s a pity we can’t get Syd out especially with you looking like that” she said as she gave her friend a playful wink. Mallory walked into her walk in wardrobe and began to look through her clothes as she decided what to wear, eventually she landed on her red short dress that she had bought months ago, had never worn and completely forgot about. Once in the dress, Mal put on a pair of white heels before sitting down at her vanity to do her makeup and hair. She was fairly quick with makeup as she didn’t tend to put much on.

When Delilah entered the room, Mallory went over the plan again of how they would go out through the hole in the back of the garden so to not alert the goons out the front of their plans. The hole was big enough that one could easily fit through it and she couldn’t help but wonder if her father actually knew about it or if for once she knew something he didn’t.

Once outside Mal turned to the girls a grin on her face as she reached into her bag and pulled out three bottles of already mixed vodka for their walk to town. She handed them their bottles and without hesitation took a drink from her own. “To a good and messy night” she cheered

Misty Gray
ElectricDandellion

 

[Misty Gray]

Sinead Callahan​

Sinead opened her damp eyes when she felt Peter caress her cheek and she allowed a loving smile to take over her lips. When he told her she was a tough cookie, it filled her with a little more confidence. She'd been a very fiery and independent person in her late teens, but her family's war back in Chicago had knocked the confidence out of her. With the death of her father, followed by giving birth to Savannah on her own and then watching Angel gunned down, she had been forced to regain some of that strength. She knew meeting and falling for Peter had also helped her find herself again. But recently, she'd started to feel weak and powerless to control anything around her. She'd tried to ignore it and getting drunk was always a good excuse to mask her insecurities, but she had a feeling she would have to start seeing her counsellor again. "Well, thank you, Petey. You're pretty sweet yourself, darling," she said, sending him a genuine grin and stroking his cheek like he had hers. "You will tell me if I do need to change my behaviour at all, won't you? I don't want people to ever misinterpret the way I am for something I'm not. I know it's important that people can't manipulate me when it could harm the family business and our safety."

Sinead quickly nodded her head when asked if she was willing to me Grant that evening. "We should do it this evening, so it's out of the way. I don't want to spend longer than I have to fretting over this. If he's not still drinking in the club I'm sure I can get through to him on his home or office numbers." Sinead sat up so she could look Peter in the eyes. "Are you really okay to do this tonight? I don't want you to be getting stressed out if you still need to rest."

Bellz (Peter)

Skye McKendrick​

Skye had just finished putting on her above the knee length dress when Mallory returned to the bedroom. "Yes! I'm so glad Delilah is coming too. We'll have so much fun," she excitedly told her. She twirled around so her friend could admire the dress but pouted at mention of not being able to bring Syd along with them. "I know. I really wish we could invite him. I could have made him dance!" she playfully suggested. "I feel bad not asking him to join us, but I'd feel worse if his dad found out and then he got in trouble because of us."

When Mallory was dressed, Skye smiled brightly as she admired the red dress. "You look hot, Mal. If you don't find a guy tonight, I will be super-shocked. And I mean a guy closer to your age. Not that old Montag guy," she teased her. When Delilah joined them, Skye gave her a hug and expressed her excitement that she was joining them.

Once James and Lucy had left, the three teenagers put the plan into action. As expected, the planned escape route was still in existence and they managed to sneak off with relative ease. Skye accepted the bottle from Mallory and playfully nudged her arm. "You're a terrible influence, Mal. If we get in trouble, I'm totally putting all the blame on you," she joked. "To a messy night!" she agreed.

Upon entering the first club, Skye wasted no time in pointing out a handsome young, brown-haired man working behind the bar. "Delilah is spoken for and I'm into Syd. I dare you to try chatting that cute barman up," she proposed to Mallory. "What do you think, Delilah? He's cute, right?"

neverbackdown (Mallory) ElectricDandellion (Delilah)

Savannah Callahan

When it started to get dark and cold outside and Rocco wasn't picking up many tricks just yet, Savannah suggested she and Michelle went inside where it was warm. She was sure Rocco would learn some tricks in a few weeks, they just had to be patient. In the meantime, she'd seen Skye go to the Porters' house earlier and she wanted her to meet Michelle. "Come on, Shelly. You need to meet my nanny. She's so much fun!"

Savannah entered the house with her new cousin and walked over to the first person she saw. "Syd, is Skye still here?" she softly asked, looking up to him. "I want her to come meet Shelly. Do you know where she is?"

Pyroclast (Syd)
Mention: neverbackdown (Michelle)​

 

[Shireling]

Kieran Joyce
​

After talking to James, Kieran had assured himself that he would find a way to implant himself with Ciara's organization. He would make a call on her tomorrow, if he could manage it, call from a payphone and make it seem very clandestine. He was working himself into a steeled and confident rapture, to dispel the jitters that accompanied the certainty of life-threatening work ahead. As he stood outside, smoking a cigarette in the garden, he noticed the Porter girls and a third person he didn't recognize come into the garden. He ducked behind a statue so as not to be seen and watched them slip out a hole in the shrubbery. After they were gone, he took a drag of his cigarette and stepped back into the light tutting. He thought about telling James, but he would rather just forget it. It wasn't his job to protect James' children from their own irresponsibility. Still, it gnawed on him. He waved this away and stomped out the smoldering butt of his now-depleted cigarette. He glanced back at the house, then to the hole in the shrubs. James would kill him if he just let his daughters waltz off and do god-knows-what, but at the same time it wasn't his place. His eyes went back and forth before finally he walked briskly back into the house, grabbing his overcoat and hat and following several minutes behind out the back of the garden.

In the low light of the street, he could easily trail them without being seen, although he often lost sight of them. Finally, he watched them disappear inside a nightclub. He was glad he wasn't wearing his Roman collar, otherwise he would have raised eyebrows, but since he was dressed like a fairly well-to-do young man out on the town, he fit in quite well and his fedora covered the top of his face. He slid into the crowd behind them and broke from the crowd. Promptly, he was approached by a stray waiter who offered him a table and a tab. He took a table on the far corner and ordered a gin and tonic, swiped a nearby magazine on a table, and shuffled into the corner booth to observe. His face was hot with embarrassment. This was a stupid idea, he thought, flipping open the magazine and staring blankly at a full-paged advert for Marlboro cigarettes, his eyes darting back briefly to the gaggle of girls, and then back to the magazine - some periodical about cars.

Misty Gray neverbackdown ElectricDandellion

 

[ElectricDandellion]

DELILAH PORTER

Delilah smiled at her sister’s compliment towards her dress, plump lips painted a bright pink**. “Thanks mal,” She looked over at the door slightly reluctantly, hoping that neither their mother, father or grandmother had been hanging around and listening into the sibling’s conversation. Nodding to her sister, she brushed one of her own curls behind her ear. Slightly worried now at what her parents would say, she twiddled her hands in her lap, standing to straighten her dress. “We can probably get Leo to take us home after, given he isn’t busy,” Delilah found herself grinning at the thought of seeing her boyfriend, but soon shook away the thought. “With Ciara around, it’s probably too....unsafe to be walking home,” despite her words, a pout played on her lips and her tone clearly insinuated an annoyance of some kind. Usually, when drunk and sober, Delilah enjoyed late night walks though was rarely allowed to given the endless enemies her family seemed to have, not that she was particularly irritated that her family had enemies; that only left interest in their lives.
“Won’t be long, I’ll see you in a minute,” Delilah spoke, watching as her sister walked out of the room.

Only a few minutes later, Delilah grabbed her phone and made her way down to the hallway to her sister’s room. With a quick knock on the door, she let herself in. “Wow, you guys look amazing! I’m jealous,” though, she soon listened carefully as Mallory explained the plan, nodding her head in agreement. “Alright, sounds good. It’s going to be tricky trying to keep quiet in these bloody heels though,” Grinning, she pulled her dress up slightly, forcing it into a more flattering fit. The fact that she’d be able to spend time with family made her happy endless amounts, and she vowed to herself that she’d have to do it more often.

It didn’t seem hard for any of the three, Delilah had noticed, as they snuck out of the house without anyone watching or anyone else having even seen them, or so she had thought. Something scratched at the back of her mind to look behind her, and she could’ve sworn she saw a figure, but nailed it down to her eyes conjuring images out from the dark. It was a little squeeze to fit through the gap with her heels on, but that didn’t stop her slim body from slipping through the hole speedily to catch up with the other two. Upon reaching the other side, she felt a bottle being passed into her direction, and she willingly gripped it, flicking off the lid and swigging at it as they walked. “To a messy night,” Delilah agreed with a slight giggle, lips perking into a subtle smile. “If Dad finds out he is going to kill us, Mal. There will be hell to pay,” The young girl cocked an eyebrow, clearly amused at the fact and at the adrenaline rushing through her system from sneaking out.

The walk seemed pretty sort given the excitement and chatter going on between the three, and in no time they were already at the nightclub. Delilah took a final, long swig of the bottle before putting the cap on it, hiding it behind her back as the bouncers approved them into the club. Neither of the three had to wait in the painfully long line to the club; their family were well known amongst the city, and so their presence wasn’t questionable.

Hearing her name spoken as she leaned against the bar, she puzzledly turned her head to look at Skye before the words registered in her mind and her gaze flickered to the handsome man behind the bar. With a sly smirk, Delilah jokingly shrugged her shoulders, balancing her weight on her hip. “I don’t think cute quite does him justice,” Her eyes floated towards Mal, and she pointed her head slowly in the direction of the man. “Go on, Mal. He’s so your type,” nudging her sister teasingly with her elbow before grabbing a straw and placing it in her bottle, already half empty. Slowly yet surely, the buzz was beginning to hit her in slow intervals. “Whilst Mal chats up that guy,” Delilah began, climbing on top of the bar. “You can dance with me, Skye!” Offering her hand to her friend, she could feel herself already itching to dance.

neverbackdown (Mal) Misty Gray (Skye)

Mentioned: Shireling (Kieran)









**Changed the lip colour to match the face claim haha.​

 

[Pyroclast]

Syd Porter

"Good to know you'd pass that responsibility down to me, dad" he replied to his father with a smirk. "But I don't think mam'd have it."
When asked if there was something on his mind, Syd made every effort to wipe the pensive expression off his face. "Like what?" he asked. "No, there's nothing-" He was cut off when the phone began to ring, and he exhaled a small sigh of relief. It took a lot more to get Syd to talk about personal things than just being asked one question. He'd hardly admitted to himself that he was developing feelings for Skye, let alone to anybody else.

Syd let his father go and leaned against the windowsill for a few minutes, looking over to where Conor and Alex sat talking on the grass outside. He was glad that people could feel welcome in his house and trusted Conor to help Alex and Michelle feel at home. A few hours passed, the house quiet with the girls outside and his parents out. Some time after it had got dark, Syd wandered into the kitchen to feed the dogs. As if on cue, the door opened and Rocco scampered inside and stuck his nose into the food bowl. Savannah and Michelle followed him in. They must have been out there for hours trying to train that crazy dog. Syd smiled at them. "Hey, girls," he said. "No, I haven't seen her for a few hours. I think she's upstairs with Mallory, though - let me go have a look." After spending a good part of the day trying to keep to himself so as not to seem desperate, he was secretly glad to finally have an excuse to go and see Skye. But when he reached Mallory's room, it was empty. Delilah's too. And the bathroom. Surely they must be here somewhere, he thought, They wouldn't have gone out by themselves after what happened to Fallon...

He returned to the kitchen, a slight sinking feeling in his chest. Kneeling down to face Savannah, he gently tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear and said, "You know, it's pretty late - I think she must have gone home. But she'll be back tomorrow no doubt. If she stayed away any longer she'd miss you too much." He looked over to Michelle. "Good to meet you, Shelly," he added with a warm smile. But under the surface he was starting to worry. Skye and his sisters had gone out, presumably in secret since they were all under their parents' strict orders to stay at home. He was going to have to bring them back somehow without anyone noticing that any of them had been gone. Syd knew that trying to get past the guards was hopeless, so he'd have to walk rather than take the car. And that meant finding another way out... He stood up, raking a hand through his hair in contemplation before looking back to the kids.
"Alright, girls," he said. "I've got an early one tomorrow so I'm heading off to bed. Your Auntie Lucy's left you some dinner in the fridge. Make sure you eat it all yourselves, okay? The dogs have had their share. And be good for Conor and Alex." He gently tousled their hair and said his goodnights before heading upstairs to find his jacket. He knew exactly how the girls had got out.

What rebellious teen didn't have a secret escape route?

Interactions
Misty Gray Savannah
neverbackdown Michelle

Mentions
neverbackdown Alex, Mallory
ElectricDandellion Delilah
Misty Gray Skye, Conor
Bellz

 

[Bellz]

Peter Callahan

Peter frowned softly, seeing the dampness in her eyes when she opened them. He stayed silent as they just stared at each other for a long moment, enjoying just looking at one another. When she spoke again, Peter shook his head, "Don't ever change dear. You are perfect just the way you are. People are going to try and manipulate you but you just need to hold your ground, don't change what makes you, you]" He leaned into her hand lightly when she caressed his cheek in return, smiling gently as she did. Once the sweet moment passed, Sinead returned to the importance of meeting with Grant. Peter was eager to give the man a piece of his mind, wanting to make sure it was crystal clear that he wouldn't be allowed to do that again without consequences. Peter began to shift to get up as Sinead sat up but he stopped his movements as she questioned him about being ready and okay to do this.

Peter had to swallow a wince from pain in his shoulder just then, making sure his wife didn't see a thing. Instead, he nodded his head again and sent her a weak smile. "Never been better babe, I'm just gonna talk to him. That won't take too much energy." He reassured her before hoisting himself off the couch with her help. "I would try reaching him over the phone first, Call the club, his home and office...if he's not answering or isn't at the club...we will go on from there."
With:Sinead Misty Gray Mentions:

Lucy Porter

Lucy was satisfied as James told Ciara she was well out of her mind if she thought she could threaten them and get away with it. The fact that the woman had so blatantly flaunted the fact that she could harm their family left a bad taste in her mouth, so much so, that she fell completely silent. Feelings that had been left in Chicago a decade ago were now flooding back into her mind and heart like tsunami. Life had been going so great in Dublin that she hadn't felt such a feeling in a long time. As it all came back to her, it was a shock. This time, it wasn't just James and herself she had to fight for. It just wasn't for her brothers and sisters, her mother, her father...it was for her kids and her siblings kids. They couldn't lose. Especially not to this miserable bitch. Lucy's thoughts snapped out of it again as Michael interjected trying to calm the conversation.

Lucy tried to see the reasonable side of what the siblings were doing, the rally was supposedly for the working class, but that was hard to believe now. Lucy stayed silent still, letting James handle the talking…for now. He took her by surprise as Kieran was suddenly shoved into the conversation, speaking about him not agreeing with the Porter’s cause. At first, Lucy wasn’t sure what to think, she was angry, hurt…but then as Lucy looked to James’ face, she recognized what he was doing. Her face gave away nothing as she just watched him speak, listening as he seemed to be playing both sides of the coin. Lucy continued to not speak, even though Ciara’ voice caused her to want to wrap her hands around her thin neck.

Misty Gray

 

[Misty Gray]

James Porter​

James decided he was done with the conversation and they wouldn't get any sense out of Ciara this way. He turned his head to Lucy and sent her a warm smile before looking back to the Hennesseys. "I think we're done here for tonight."

"Oh, really? We never had cake," Ciara remarked. "We're both staying for cake, Mickey," she casually told her brother.

James ignored Ciara's comment and instead got up from his seat and waited for Lucy to do the same. "I'll be in touch and I certainly won't be letting you do what you want in this city. We'll speak again soon," he promised the bitch. James placed his hand around Lucy's waist and walked to the counter, paying for his and Lucy's drinks only. He also ordered a couple of coffees for them to take out. He had a couple of things to discuss with his wife and was determined to do it before they could get home and risk further distractions getting in the way.

As they reached the car, James balanced his cup on the vehicle roof so he could check the car over. Ciara having explosives in her possession gave him more reason to be cautious. "I want to kill her, Luce. If she didn't have Eli, I'd gun the lot of them down now. We need to get him back home," he said, whilst lifting the hood of the car to check the engine.

Once satisfied, James climbed into the driver's seat next to Lucy but didn't start the car. Instead, he turned to his wife and sighed. "This seems like the only chance we're going to get to discuss other matters. There's two things I've got to talk with you about... First, Kieran has agreed to get himself into the IWU - he's going to act as a mole to get us inside information about what that woman is planning. I had my reservations, but now I'm certain we need him to do this." He let out a sigh as he observed his wife's face. "Second, it's time I started training Syd. I want him to be able to fight and use a gun. Given what's going on right now, we need to know we can defend ourselves and that our kids can. This is what Syd wants to do and I'm going to start his training tomorrow..." James bit his lip. He had a good idea none of this was going to go down well, but things were changing for the family.

Bellz (Lucy)

 

[Misty Gray]

Sinead Callahan​

Sinead quickly nodded her head as Peter reassured her that she didn't need to change but just need to stand her ground, to perhaps be more assertive. Sinead stood up from the sofa when Peter started to move and she stood looking to him in case he needed her to do anything to help him. She reached her arm out to take the hand on his uninjured side and help him to his feet. "You just tell me if it does make you tired. Perhaps I'll just slap him silly, if all else fails," she lightly joked. Despite this, she was still apprehensive about the whole thing. "I'll go make those calls now. Will you ask my mum if she's okay to stay here with the kids? Although I'm sure she's claimed Emery as her own by now anyway!"


They managed to figure out that Grant was still at the jazz club, so that's where they headed. Sinead entered the club with Peter by her side and her eyes were instantly drawn to the bar where Grant appeared to be chewing Kev's ear off. No doubt schmoozing or gloating about some sort of achievement. Kev appeared somewhat relieved for the interruption and opened out his arms in a welcoming gesture to Sinead and Peter. "If it isn't my favourite couple!" he greeted them. He then pointed his thumb to Grant. "This guy's distracting me. I swear I'm busy, Boss," he joked to Sinead, unaware of any possible tension.

"Oh, don't worry, Kev. I know you're a hard worker," Sinead sweetly told him and smiled brightly. Her face dropped when she focused her attention to Grant. "Shall we go to my office?" she assertively suggested, pointing in the direction of the said room.

Once inside the office, Sinead remained standing and was about to speak up when Grant's voice spoke above hers. "Pete. It's good to see you, lad. I thought you'd given up on the place," the man said, sending him a nod before sitting on the edge of Sinead's desk. His smug personality was clearly reflected in his body language. "Did this wife of yours tell you I've got her a gig in a couple of weeks? We can't have her wasting her talents serving drinks here whilst watching others perform, can we?"

"I do have a name, Grant!" Sinead spoke up, frustrated by the way he was overlooking in her to speak directly to Peter.

"My bad, Sinead," he replied, with a slight chuckle. He then looked back to Peter. "I bet she keeps you on your toes," he joked.

Bellz (Peter)