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

[Bellz]

Peter Callahan ​

When Peter had returned, Sinead filled him in on the duties that would have most likely been better for her to do. Checking in on teenagers, well, his kids weren't even there yet. He had a heart attack ever time Emery thought a boy was cute. It was the fact that Sinead was unable to really check on them that sent him on the search for two teenagers. "Alright dear, I'll be right back okay?" He murmured before sitting up and leaving Sinead along with the rat dog for a moment. Peter prayed to the good Lord above as he walked towards the gym, with each step he took, he prayed that he wouldn't be stuck in an awkward situation. "Oh God, please please please, Shannon's not here right now and you know that I'm sure, let's save the awkward situations for-"

But God seemed to hate him, because as soon as he made his presence known to the two teens, he was greeted with a make out session. Or maybe it wasn't, regardless, Peter cleared his throat and placed a hand on his head as he tried to act like he hadn't seen anything. "Um...Um...Your auntie reminded that you needed to be checked on." A smile formed on his lips as he finally decided to make eye contact with them. "Though I'm sure you both know better than to do something weird down here. Its where your father works out after all. I mean..." He shivered slightly and gave the two a smile. "Are we behaving down here?" A teasing grin formed on his face as he looked to Skye and Syd, raising an eyebrow when he looked to Syd specifically.
With: Sinead Misty Gray
mentions:

Minnie Abernathy​

Minnie's eyes rolled dramatically as Delilah attempted to hurt her with words. Clearly, the young woman needed a lesson in how to talk shit because they were just touching the surface and Minnie was more amused by the words than anything else. Porter's daughter reminded her of a small dog, coincidentally, for that was exactly what she was calling Carter and herself. Delilah was one of those small animals that had an identity problem, thinking it was something bigger and more important than being a purse dog. Of course though, she wasn't anything more than a pawn, easily handled and removed. Minnie didn't move an inch as Carter shot Tommy, watching as he slapped Delilah upside the head before grabbing a bunch of her greasy hair and dragging her away from Leo. He made quick work of the other man before dragging the woman towards the car. Minnie pulled out her own gun quickly and looked towards the men, who didn't appear to be moving, covering Carter as the car door was thrown open.

She dove inside quickly and watched as the door was thrown shut behind her. The action didn't end in the car as the young Porter was quite the fighter. Minnie jumped as a gunshot echoed through the small space and the car began to swerve. Minnie tried to reach for the driver quickly but in the car sounded another gun shot, Carter let out a loud curse as her head turned to look at him. Minnie's eyes widened as she was met with the stare of a barrel from a pocket pistol, she sneered and lunged forward to grab in, not shying away from death when Carter beat her to the punch. He snatched the barrel and shoved it to the right where the bullet was sent flying. The sound of it smashing through the glass and whizzing past her ear caused a loud ringing in her right ear drum. Her eyes saw the girl dive into the front seat and Minnie went to follow her quickly. Grabbing at her hair again, she intertwined her fingers through the dark locks before her eyes looked up as the tires squealed and the car swayed violently. "Shit!!" Minnie screamed out as the car was about to collide with a brick wall. Minnie threw herself back into the seat, but with no time to put on a seat belt, she was propelled into the back of the passenger seat with immense force.

Hitting the back of the hard leather seat face first, Minnie was sent to the itchy carpeted floor like a crumbled piece of paper. Her neck popped in a few places and the familiar sent of iron filled her nose while the taste of it pooled down her throat. From what she could hear as Carter moved to examine the Porter's kid, she was unconscious and things were looking like hell. Minnie struggled to get herself from off the floor, her head stuck under the passenger seat shockingly. Shimming her way out, she pushed open the car door beside her and stumbled out of the car, just as Carter was wanting to make a move out of there. Minnie nodded dizzily before her eyes caught what Carter had done. "Like a Picasso." She said, finding it in her to toughen up and crack a joke before following Carter towards their safe place.
With: Carter Enzyme ; Tommy Misty Gray ; Leo Melanin-Gxdess ; Delilah ElectricDandellion
mentions:

 

[Misty Gray]

Thomas Dempsey
Outside the Rose and Crown Pub, a minute's walk from the parade.​

Tommy's hand was itching to reach for his gun but he knew this situation was much trickier with Leo present. He didn't want his actions to get the lad hurt too. Still, when Carter replied suggesting he should be afraid of him, Tommy was about to respond with a contradicting comment. Any venom that was ready to leave his mouth was forgotten when someone even less welcome on the scene than Leo joined them. "What the fuck--" he began, his head snapping to the direction of Delilah. The girl shouldn't be anyway near the parade and he was certain she'd gone against James' word to be there.

"Be quiet," he berated the girl. Regardless, she continued to run her mouth off and clearly didn't understand the severity of the situation or who these people were. She was going to be in deep shit when they got home and Tommy wouldn't defend her if it meant she'd learn a lesson through her punishment. "You and Leo should go into the pub. Have a drink," he began telling the girl. It was too late for reason from Delilah or Carter. As the creep edged closer to Delilah, Tommy sent a cold stare at the man and took a step closer to the girl, hoping to get between the two. However, before he could do so, Carter pulled his gun out and shot him in the shoulder. Tommy stumbled back as he clutched at his bleeding wound with his other hand. "Delilah!" he yelled, his voice reflecting his pain.

As he tried to get steady on his feet again, he watched Carter grab Delilah by the hair but his attention was snapped away from her as the man sent two bullets into Leo's stomach and chest. "Fuck!" he snapped as he watched the younger man collapse onto the ground. "LEO!" Tommy crouched down to the lad's side, ignoring his own wound for the moment as Aliana's brother appeared to be hurt more severely. He couldn't leave Leo alone to bleed out but he also couldn't leave Delilah alone with the two IWU creeps. He reached into his pocket for his gun, but the movement send a deeper pain surging down his arm, making him unable to properly grasp the weapon, let alone focus to use it. Tommy had to take cover behind his car as more bullets were fired towards him but the gunshots ceased and then he heard the other vehicle start up nearby. Tommy got up and rushed into the pub where the few drinkers had taken cover. He firmly asked for them to help him and to stay with Leo...

((Leaving it here for now. Will post more for Tommy when the time comes...))
Melanin-Gxdess (Leo) Enzyme (Carter) Bellz (Millie) ElectricDandellion (Delilah)

 

[Misty Gray]

Grace Armstrong and Arlene Sullivan​

Arlene nodded her head when asked if she knew Quinn's father. "Of course. I like to keep informed on the news wherever I am. Granted, the front page of the newspaper was all about today's parade, but a few pages in there was some write-up about Jared Armstrong's upcoming campaigns," she told him. She allowed a moment of sadness to show on her face. "I do hope the commissioner will be okay and I hope this isn't too worrying for your father." Her face didn't deceive her lie. Really, she hoped Jared wouldn't be able to sleep again out of fear for retaliation. She truly hoped there would be retaliation, for his part in what happened to Sinead alone. Nevermind the things she had yet to hear about.

"Would you believe I've only been here a couple of days?" she asked. More like a few hours, but he didn't need to know that and she needed to make her knowledge of the mayoral candidates a little more believable. "I'm still trying to find my way around, but I couldn't resist coming down here and seeing what this parade had to offer. If I'd known it would end the way it has, I might have ventured somewhere more peaceful."

Arlene followed Quinn's gaze towards the door and she was surprised to see Ryan enter the shop. She sent him a questioning glare, but soon masked it with a neutral expression. She briefly looked away from the two men as Quinn put on his business tone to address the other man. She'd hoped to be able to get some more out of Quinn and didn't want Ryan to think she needed rescuing from the situation she'd allowed herself to remain in.

When Ryan started approaching her, she fixed her eyes on him, hoping he was going to try anything heroic. His next action was unexpected and as he addressed her in a familiar manner, she acted quickly and sent him cool smile. He held his arms out and embraced her in what she didn't feel was the most convincing of hugs. She wasn't sure if Quinn would buy it at all. Ryan discreetly noted that they had to leave. She was annoyed to be pulled out of the situation but understood she couldn't mess things up for James.

After the hug, Quinn asked if she knew Ryan, apparently ready to step in if the man was in fact bothering her. "Yes, it's okay. Against my better judgement, I know him far too well," she replied, with a wide smile. She decided to remove any doubt about their earlier awkward embrace might have cast. She turned to Ryan and put her hands on her hips. "Honey, I'm pretty sure I told you I wanted to get closer to the stage to watch the speech. As usual, your mind was elsewhere, no doubt eyeing up the closest pub," she ranted. She then let out a relenting sigh and outstretched her arms, pulling him in for a closer hug than their previous one. Ryan might see the devilish grin on her lips, but it would be out of Quinn's view. "I'm sorry if I had you worried," she said, placing a kiss on Ryan's cheek. She managed to hide her amusement at the potential of how awkward her actions may have made him feel. She allowed the embrace to linger in case he needed to mask any surprise. When she pulled away, she regarded Quinn again as she spoke to Ryan. "This young man's sister was pretty shaken and it helped me bury my own shock to help her get to safety... I guess only now is it sinking in, y'know?" she said, folding her arms tightly around herself to give the impression she needed comfort. "Can we go now? I need a strong coffee!"

Grace couldn't hide her frustration at not being able to get in touch with Jared. Her father was strong and fearless, she was sure of that, but she still worried about him and more than anything, he always made her feel safe. When Faye suggested they remained in the shop until the man was done with his meetings, she reluctantly nodded her head. "Hopefully his employees with pass on the message that we're here." Upon invitation, Grace accepted her mother's offer of a hug, tightly embracing the woman for a little longer than intended. She then pulled away before hopping up to sit on the edge of the desk, facing Faye. "I've never seen someone get shot before - that was awful. Do you think the commissioner will die?" she asked. The man had been rushed off in an ambulance, which at least provided some hope he may survive. "Are you scared, Mum? I'm worried Dad might be getting himself into trouble," she sadly admitted. "First the mayor was poisoned and now the commissioner has been shot. What if Dad's the next target and he gets hurt too? Someone clearly doesn't want a mayor around here."


Bellz (Faye) Fletchawk (Quinn, Ryan)

 

[Pyroclast]

Syd Porter

Syd had had years to ruminate over his birth parents. Whether or not they had wanted him, if the neglect stemmed from the addiction or a genuine lack of love, if what the orphanage had told him about them was even true or simply a lie to deter him from running away. Over the last fifteen years he had still never reached a conclusion, and found it ever more useless to discuss the subject with anyone else. There was of course no other intention in Skye's words but to make Syd feel understood and supported, yet knowing that no amount of talking could ever resolve anything only frustrated him. The way his brain chose to perceive her words suddenly changed from positive to negative, and a familiar thought flashed across his mind that defended his parents' inability to look after him. He didn't verbalise it however; instead he nodded along to what she was saying before replying rather coldly, "Well, I'm not curious."
It wasn't entirely true, but he believed the whole thing not to be worth his curiosity anymore and had worked hard to move past it. Feeling a bit mean, he then added, "I'm sorry - I appreciate what you're saying, it means a lot. And your opinion does matter to me, Skye," he smiled. The momentary sourness in his mood left as quickly as it had come. "You're right, they're amazing people. I'm glad you get to share this life with us too, because me and all my family care about you so much. If you think I deserve to be here, then you definitely do." Syd felt the positivity and warmth return to him and his heart began to beat a little faster as he looked into her eyes.

Imagining the wrath that Lucy would bring upon James if ever he disrespected her made Syd laugh along with Skye. "Trust me, you do NOT want to get on the wrong side of my mam! Luckily dad knows better than to treat women like slaves." With an eyebrow raised, he smirked as she mulled over the best way to get away with being dressed up in the house. "Do what you will, Skye. In the meantime, I'll have that sweet mental image playing on my mind," he teased. The inevitable moment arrived when she kissed him, and he broke away only to hear her flirtatious remark before pulling her back towards him and kissing her passionately.

Suddenly Syd heard someone clear their throat and he drew away from Skye, startled. His uncle Peter stood by the door looking rather embarrassed, which Syd found amusing.
"Checked on?" Syd asked, putting on an innocent tone of voice as he stood up and wandered a few feet towards Peter. "Something weird? I don't know what you could possibly mean, uncle." When Peter looked to him dubiously and raised an eyebrow, Syd raised one back at him. "Like angels. Why, are people starting to gossip?" By people, he mainly meant Sinead, who he knew would be down here teasing the two of them herself if she was able. Slightly uncomfortable from the interruption, he avoided his uncle's gaze and began to unfasten the mats to carry them one by one over to the trolley on the other side of the room. "I guess we ought to head back up anyway - I've no idea what time it is anymore. Is there anything we can do for Sinead, by the way? Were you looking for us for any reason other than to make sure we weren't up to something?"

Interactions
Misty Gray Skye
Bellz Peter

 

[Misty Gray]

James Porter and Thomas Dempsey​

As he spoke to Rudolph, James heard what he thought was a gunshot from not too far away. He fell silent as he looked around and listened out for more sounds. By now, the cops who hadn't been seeing the vocal crowd away from the crime scene were inside the hotel with Detective Donnelly. James looked back to Rudolph just in time to hear more gunfire. It wasn't entirely clear where the sounds were coming from, but his gut told him he needed to check in on Dempsey. "We need to make sure Tommy's alright," he suggested. James didn't wait for an answer before he set off towards the pub he'd told the lad to wait by. His fast walk turned to a sprint as he couldn't shift the sense of urgency to the situation.

When he arrived at the pub, James saw a handful of people standing around what appeared to be a man laid out on the floor. He sent a glance to Tommy's car and noticed a few dents in the vehicle's bodywork caused by bullets. To James' surprise, but still no relief, it was Leo on the floor being tended to by the pub-goers. "Oh shit... Leo?!" James asked, crouching down to the teenager. The younger man's face was drained of colour and he didn't respond, likely a mixture of shock and blood loss. There was a pool of red surrounding the lad and his top was soaked in the blood that had been spilling out of the stomach and chest wounds. James didn't need a degree to know this was extremely serious. The bar staff had brought out towels which were being pressed against the bullet-holes to try stem the flow of blood. The pub manager, a Porter ally, announced to James that an ambulance had been called for the two injured men. "Two?!" he asked, before his attention to directed towards Leo who was walking away from the scene but the reason why was not in James' current view.

Seeing the trail of blood which had been dripping from Tommy's shoulder, James rushed to his feet to help him. "Tommy..." James said as he caught up to the young man. "What happened?!" he asked.

"That sick fuck... The one who poisoned Sinead," Tommy replied, trying his hardest to fight back any pain and weakness. He then pointed ahead and to the right a little, only now drawing attention to the crashed out vehicle that had previously been obscured from James' view by the building which housed the pub. "Delilah. Go help Delilah," he said, still clutching at his wound with his blood-soaked hand.

"Delilah?" James repeated. At first he wasn't sure he'd heard right. When he was certain he had he then wasn't sure if Tommy was talking in riddles. Why would his daughter be involved in this? But Leo wasn't meant to be there, yet he was now bleeding out on the street. "Delilah!" he said, this time with more urgency and severity. James ran to the car which was smashed up against the wall of a closed business. He first saw the body of a man in the driver's seat, but that wasn't important to Porter right now. As he rounded the car, he saw his eldest daughter laid out unconscious on the floor. There was some blood and bruising on her forehead, but his attention was drawn to and then fixated on her exposed stomach which was covered in the girl's blood. His first thoughts were to expect the worst; that she had been shot or stabbed.

"Oh God..." He wasted no time in getting down onto his knees and dragging his suit jacket off of his back. He pressed the material against his daughter's stomach so it could soak up the bulk of the blood. When he lifted his jacket away he saw the crude letters 'IWU' scratched into her skin. Though the wounds may be superficial, there was still more than enough blood and certainly too much intent behind it. James pulled Delilah's top down properly to cover her stomach and also placed his jacket over the area of the wound to keep soaking up the blood as well as to keep her warm. He wrapped a safe arm around her shoulder to gently pull her up onto his knees so he could cradle her close to his chest. "Delilah. Sweetheart," she softly spoke, using his free hand to push her hair out of her face and then gently stroke her cheek to try soothe the unconscious girl. As the rest of the world was blocked out of his head for the moment, he could feel and hear her breathing, giving him at least some reassurance. There were thoughts in the back of his mind about the different ways he would get revenge - there always would be. But right now, all that really mattered was his daughter and how much he needed her to wake up. "Come on, love," he urged her, pulling her in even closer and softly kissing her forehead. His eyes briefly flickered to the pistol on the ground next to the girl's purse, briefly wondering if the weapon was his.

Tommy cautiously approached the two Porters and was shocked to see Delilah unconscious. He crouched down and retrieved her purse, in the back of his mind hoping it was so he could soon hand it back to the girl. "James, is she...?" he began to ask, but fell silent as he got the impression the older man was blocking him out to focus only on the girl.

James wasn't prepared to wait around for an ambulance and a bunch of nosy cops to arrive. Instead, he reached over to retrieve the gun and placed it in his back pocket. He then cradled Delilah in his arms and got up to his feet, ready to carry her to his own nearby car. "We're going home. You're safe now, love. I've got you now.... you're safe..." he reassured his daughter, whether she could hear him or not.

ElectricDandellion (Delilah) Shireling (Rudolph)
Mention/Nearby: Fletchawk (Ryan); Me (Arlene); Melanin-Gxdess (Leo)
((OOC: Not sure if Ryan or Rudy will join James? Arlene will go wherever Ryan is going...))

 

[ElectricDandellion]

DELILAH PORTER

Something about the blow has rendered her unconscious, yet she could hear the buzzing of her ears trying to snap back into place. Her eyes were trying desperately to do the same, but it was as if they couldn’t, for whatever reason, grasp the concept. Being dragged, for one, was excruciating, especially when the jagged glass scratched through her back as a force dragged her by her hair. Her hands itched to grab the force and prevent the pain running riot in her body, but they stayed limp at her sides, making her unable to defend herself or even fight off the attacks. All she could scramble out of her thoughts was that someone was enough of a coward to try and beat someone whilst they weren’t able to fight back, and that single thought made her sick to her stomach. Acid burned the walls of her stomach in preparation for the inevitable; death. She had thought, anyway. Delilah also knew for a fact that it would be Carter. After all, he poisoned her aunt like the spineless man he was.

Pain screeched through her stomach, and she allowed herself the ability to flinch away from the object tearing at her flesh, sending a burning sensation at her nerves. They sizzled unknowingly. Warm liquid oozed from the wounds, enough to tell her it was blood, and began to pool in the places Carter had dragged his knife through her flesh. In her body’s response, her fingers began to twitch, begging with her consciousness to waken. They hurried off, she could hear their footsteps, in a rush to not get caught, further proving their inability to fight strongly or properly. But that was not the biggest issue. Delilah’s mind drifted away slightly, almost as if she were there yet she wasn’t. Perhaps it was a disassociation her brain had played with her consciousness so she couldn’t feel the immense pain circulating her stomach and the carved in words etched in as easy as it would be with pen it seemed.

Ambulances played their lullabies in the background, seemingly zooming past her location which caused her body to stir slightly. Did anybody know her body lay there? Hair scattered across the old, crumbling road, back almost splintered by shards of glass and blood dripping from her torso and down onto the road with an ominous patter that she couldn’t ignore. Was it that bad? Couldn’t be if people were yet to help her- surely people would have seen the crash. Delilah could only hope that both Leo’s and Tommy’s injuries were tended to immediately. She couldn’t imagine how she’d feel if either of them passed away or had to take the brunt of her words.

A familiar voice, one she immediately recognised to be her father’s, murmured towards her. Her whole body seemed to sting with shame, ashamed that she’d been trusted to leave the house and had done so yet injured herself and took others down with her. Ashamed that her father had to see her in her state. Her head started thumping, eminating in waves from the bruising on her forehead. That pain took away the pain from the sudden dabbing at her stomach. The texture of the jacket pressing against her wounds made her stomach churn.

When moved by her father, and greatly comforted by his presence, one that finally made her feel safe, her body still fell limp. His words of comfort and gentleness had her at least feeling secure and able to stop panicking so much. Being so close to his chest meant she could hear the drumming of his heart beat, and instead concentrated on that instead of the pain. Her consciousness faded in strengths, coming back every now and again but allowing her tiny movements, yet diving deeper a few seconds later that meant she couldn’t manage any response at all. At one point, she tried to fight for her eyelids to flutter open, and they seemed to be on the exterior, but they soon lay back down to rest like they had before.

As he stood, and her head lolled limply against his shoulder, she groaned, lifting a hand to her head. The skin there seemed tender, and she winced as she touched it, feeling an egg-like bump starting to form. It had purpled, but it wasn’t anything too worrying. She managed to fight the weights of her eyes to look down at her stomach. Reluctantly, and with a strong struggle to coordinate her movements, she moved the jacket enough to see the red staining her cute little dress. It splodged itself like runny paint on an amateur art piece. Lip beginning to wobble, she felt, before she’d allow them to, her eyes close. “Papa?” She questioned, voice seemingly raspy. “I’m sorry,” Delilah scrambled her words together, lifting her right arm to wrap around his shoulders as he carried her.



Misty Gray (James&Tommy)​

 

[Misty Gray]

Skye McKendrick​

Skye had caught on to Syd's somewhat snappy answer stating he wasn't curious about his parents. When he apologised to her, she sent him a reassuring smile. It wasn't like she could hold it against him as it was something personal and important to his life - his whole existence, really. She couldn't deny, no matter how much his parents might have neglected him, it wouldn't be wrong for him to still want to know about them. Skye had lost her parents, but she knew they were dead so she had closure. Syd, he probably just had a whole lot of questions about his own biological parents.

Although she saw nothing wrong with kissing or anything she was presently doing with Syd, Skye still couldn't help but feel flustered when Peter made his presence in the same room known. She coughed to clear her throat. As Syd spoke to his uncle, Skye sat quietly and felt her cheeks burning a little. She wasn't even sure why she was embarrassed as Peter was a pretty relaxed guy and likely knew what youths got up to. She could only assume it was essentially due to him being her boss as she was the nanny of his children, and therefore Peter was something of an authority figure to her.

"We totally wouldn't do anything weird, Mr. Callahan... Peter..." she quickly assured him. "100% best behaviour in Mr. Porter's gym, Sir!" she said, giving a playful salute as she stood up straight. She watched Syd as he began tidying away the mats. Meanwhile, she removed the restricting bobble from her hair and allowed her locks to flow freely again. She nodded in agreement with Syd's suggestion of returning upstairs. "Of course, if Sinead needs any help, we're right here. Are those lovely little children behaving? I can check through the answers to their 'schoolwork' if you need me to?" She smiled brightly to him she'd overcome any awkwardness now. "If they're being little monkeys, I can entertain them for a while? Shelly included," she added, unaware of Alex's accident and that Michelle wasn't home.


Pyroclast (Syd) Bellz (Peter)

 

[Misty Gray]

James Porter and Thomas Dempsey​

James looked down to Delilah as she moved her hand to her head. Despite being sickened to see she was hurt, he still couldn't deny the relief at seeing his daughter moving. He watched her as she touched her head wound and then looked down to the bleeding skin on her stomach. He bit his lip as he continued to push back his emotions so he would appear strong and reassuring to Delilah in her time of need. Hearing her address him and then apologise nearly broke him, but he quickly shook his head. "Now isn't the time for apologies, love," he reassured her. He gently squeezed her shoulder as she wrapped her arm around him. "I'm taking you home and Finn will tend to those wounds for you." Despite his heart aching at seeing his sweet daughter in pain and so brutally attacked, he played it down for her sake. Even so, the fact Jared's pet psychos had hurt her was more than enough. Carter could have merely inflicted a scratch on the girl's arm and James would still be furious. The simple fact he'd been within touching distance of Delilah was a line crossed.

James turned to Tommy and asked him to stay with Leo until the ambulance arrived. He didn't doubt Tommy would be treated at the hospital, but he trusted the young man knew what little to say to the doctors and cops alike. Furthermore, he expected Ryan and Arlene would catch up to Tommy soon enough, knowing the meeting location where Tommy had been stationed. He asked one of his men from the pub to attend the hospital and make sure he was kept updated on Leo's condition. Tommy meanwhile promised to help make sure a message got out to Aliana about her brother. He didn't doubt James would be asking a lot of questions, but for now he knew his boss' mind was elsewhere.

When he reached his own car, James kept holding Delilah in his arms, his right arm supporting her underneath her legs and the left securely underneath her shoulders. He stuck his right hand out, twisting the key in the passenger door and then flicking the handle to pull it open. Still holding his daughter, he used his foot to kick the door fully open so he could carefully place the girl in the passenger seat. He closed the door and rushed around to the driver's side, only then looking down to see his white shirt covered in Delilah's blood. Once in his seat, he started the car and sped off back home. During the journey, he kept glancing to Delilah to check she was still conscious and he continually spoke to her, wanting to reassure her and keep her distracted from any worrying thoughts she might be having.


In the Porters' house, Savannah had heard James' car pulling into the driveway, so she rushed to the front door to greet her uncle. However, when she opened the door, she saw James step out of the vehicle with blood all over his shirt. She stood still as she then watched him carefully lifting Delilah out of the car and then holding her safely in his arms. Seeing her cousin looking injured, she knew something bad had happened and with that she also knew the adults were likely to be upset or stressed out at any minute. In situations such as these, she knew the adults would usher her away and tell her everything was okay. It didn't look okay, but at the same time, this was sadly something even Savannah had come to know as relatively normal for her family. She stepped back into the house and skipped back to her siblings who were playing in the nearby hallway. She knew they'd all be told to go elsewhere so the adults could do their thing and Savannah also knew Emery was too young to see the things she herself had only just started to understand. "Brady! Emmy! Let's go upstairs and finish our classwork so we get to have some treats after dinner. Okay?" she suggested, hoping they would accept her encouragement and that she was doing a favour for the grown-ups. She took Emery's hand and led her upstairs whilst Braden sprinted past them, because clearly it was a race and he had to win it!

Just seconds later, James entered the house as he held Delilah. "Luce? Finn?" he called out. He knew Lucy would be shocked and worried when she saw Delilah, but he knew the girl needed her mother around right now. Once the Finn and Lucy joined him, he would make his way to the guest lounge which he expected to be unoccupied. He would be correct as Sinead was resting in the main lounge and Savannah had helpfully made sure the youngest children were out of the way.

ElectricDandellion (Delilah) Bellz (Finn, Lucy)

 

[Fletchawk]

Ryan Donahue & Alexander Quinn Armstrong​

The tension that was building between the young Armstrong man and Donahue was effectively quashed by the charming blonde. Quinn was almost visibly relieved when Arlene confirmed her ties to the man. He still had some suspicions that she may be under duress, but her seemingly obvious affection for the man dismissed his doubts. "My apologies for doubting your intent, sir. Today's trying events are still fresh and I fear it has left me a little cautious." He bowed slightly with his hand across his chest to show his sincerity.

For Ryan, even though he had to tense his back muscles to keep from flinching as Ms. Sullivan wrapped her arms around his sore back, he was caught off guard by her more than adequate ability to play along. Ryan had been just hoping to not offend the lady when he loosely embraced her but the woman returned his act of familiarity with such aplomb, he could do nothing but be entranced by her talent. The peck on the cheek following such a unabashed roguish grin had the man forget his surrounding for a few seconds as his sight narrowed its focus on the captivating woman. Even the alarms in his head quieted as he briefly took in her visage.

It was Quinn's movement in the Ryan's peripheral vision that reminded him where he was and the situation they were all in. Ryan cleared his throat to give himself a second to regain his composure so he could try to keep up with Arlene's skill of subterfuge. "Er... Yes. I suppose I am guilty of not paying enough attention to you since we got here, my sweet." He could feel his ears turning red from allowing himself to be distracted as he tried to put on a shameful smile to convey his words as best he could. "I'm sorry and I'll make it up to you." Normally, Ryan might of had made a quip but the dour mood he'd garnered from the rest of the day had been quick to return as he regained his senses.

Continuing his obstinate stance of avoiding contact with the Armstrong boy even though Arlene made an obvious reference to his existence, Ryan instead focused on trying to keep up with her ruse. Although he initiated the ploy, it definitely wasn't his forte and so he had no qualms following her lead on the matter, but he was still awkwardly reacting, barely keeping up. This time it was because he had to stop himself from removing his suit jacket to drape over Ms. Sullivan in order to not reveal the shoulder holster concealed underneath. It took a few seconds, mostly to convince himself to do it, but he gently pulled Arlene close by small of her back with one hand and used the other to cradle her head against his chest. "You are safe now, Arlene." The action was meant to play along to her mock distress, but his softer tone conveyed a certain level of honesty behind the words. Ryan held the woman for a moment even though his body was starting to ache from his earlier conflict. "Alright, let's go get you some coffee." He murmured, the words meant only for the person he held.

Quinn watched the man comfort Arlene, thinking that while he was oafish, the man wasn't heartless. Still, as it was apparent they were designing to take their leave, Quinn pulled a thin rectangular case from his breast pocket and opened it to extracted a business card before returning the case to whence it was pulled from. "Before you leave, I must offer my gratitude for accompanying my family and I to ensure their safety. If you have need of anything, you need only to call, madam." Quinn offered the card with a warm smile as the couple made their way towards the door, ignoring the pair of burning eyes that threatened to pierce him on the spot. Not allowing the man's glare to outwardly bother him, he open the door for the pair as was part of his custom. "I bid you both adieu and I do hope the rest of our day is more tranquil than earlier."

It wasn't until that they were around the corner and out of view of Armstrong's Absolute Attire that Ryan separated to more casual distance from Ms. Sullivan. "I apologize for acting so familiar, miss. However, it was James' request that I discreetly separate you from the Armstrongs." He stopped to give the woman a look over, but after watching her display her acting skill, Ryan wasn't entirely sure if he could get a read on her. It didn't help that he'd only met her a few hours ago and he knew only that she was a Sullivan from New York and that she pretty and obviously clever. "Are you alright? I mean really." Ryan's voice was low and tired as the trials of the day was obviously wearing on him.

Misty Gray [Arlene]

 

[Bellz]

Peter Callahan ​

Lucy Porter and Finn Sullivan​

Peter let out a laugh at his nephew's reaction to him checking up on them. He was confident it seemed at first, but he showed his true colors after giving Peter an earful to which the man saw his opportunity to tease him some more. "Aye Syd, don't get all bashful on me, I was forced into this by Sinny." Taking a moment to look around the basement, he nodded his head slowly. "I'm sure you kids were actually being productive down here for some moments." The man turned back to Syd and Skye and smiled knowingly before he heard some footsteps coming from upstairs. Either someone had arrived home or the kids were making a mess around the house, it was time for Peter to make a quick leave back up the stairs, ending the awkward conversation. "Well, I should go see what the little rascals are up to...uh...be safe, I guess." Peter's cheeks turned a bright pink as he spoke those words before turning and practically running up the stairs.

Peter had just made it up the last steps into the hall when she heard the familiar voices of Lucy and Finn coming from the main entrance. Quickly walking towards the main entrance, he offered the two a smile just as Lucy was placing her coat in the hall closet. "How was the doctors?" He asked her curiously. "It was great, just a check up." Lucy responded offering him a smile of her own. Peter could hear something in her tone, something that told him it wasn't just a check up, but he left it alone for the moment, seeing she looked tired. Looking to Finn, he looked for some sort of explanation for how Alex was doing. "Alex is in a coma for now, the doctor's are going to watch her closely, but what they are aiming for is stabilization." Finn said to Peter, having read his face well. Lucy's head nodded along with Finn which seemed to answer Peter's own concerns about her doctor's appointment. Shannon and her must have ran into Conor at the hospital. Peter nodded with a deep sigh, "Well, we all need to pray for Alex and Shelly." Peter said softly, "Its going to be a long road to recovery it seems." He murmured before moving to check on Sinead, having been reminded that she was on her own road to that.
With: Sinead Misty Gray

* * *​

Lucy was relieved to be laying in her own bed now, having felt fatigued back at the hospital, along with a little woozy."Luce? Finn?" Sprawling out, she turned her head towards the open bedroom door where her brows furrowed with confusion. James' voice sounded shaken, which was out of character. Lucy pushed up into a sitting position before quickly making her way towards the stairs, she watched as Savannah, Braden and Emery walked up the stairs past her. Finn hurriedly came out of another room upstairs and both Finn and Lucy looked over the stairs to see what was the matter. The blonde's eyes widened and she let out a broken cry as she saw their daughter bleeding in James' arms, taking to the steps quickly, Lucy reached out for Delilah while Finn was already assessing Delilah's injuries. James led them to the guest lounge that was empty of others. Finn grabbed a few pillows, "I need you to lay her flat on her back James, right here on the carpet." Finn laid a few pillows for her head to rest on the carpet. "I'll grab my kit." He murmured before sprinting out of the room towards the stairs.

Lucy's tears were already spilling over as she moved to grab their daughters hand once James laid her flat on the carpet. "My baby girl." She cried out to Delilah as she moved her hand to her mouth and kissed it softly. "It's going to be okay, Finn's gonna help you." Lucy sat on her knees and bowed her head over their daughter's head. "Be strong, love. its okay, we love you." Finn returned in a matter of seconds as he set his medical bag on the coffee table. He grabbed everything he needed before turning to begin his work. Looking to James and Lucy, he offered them a sympathetic look before clearing his throat, "I am going to have to get to that side, Lucy." He looked to the blonde as she slowly raised her head. There was no arguments from her as she quickly but gently placed her daughter's hand down and moved so that Finn could help her.
With: James Misty Gray ; Delilah ElectricDandellion
mentions:

 

[Pyroclast]

Syd Porter

Putting away the equipment gave Syd a reasonable excuse to not look his uncle in the eye during this slightly awkward conversation.
"You don't say," he muttered sarcastically, a subtle smirk playing on his lips when Peter told them Sinead had sent him down. "Oh, we were, I swear...like angels, remember?" he smiled, waving his finger above his head to signify a halo. When at last Peter went back upstairs, Syd exhaled a sigh of relief and looked over to Skye. He reached for her hand and took a step towards her so he was close enough to kiss her quickly on the cheek.
"Right, I guess we should head up, then," he said, giving her hand a squeeze. "Maybe make some lunch, or whatever time this is. I don't know about you but I haven't eaten a thing today." He was hesitant to leave - in such a busy house as his, it was rare to get a decent amount of time alone together. Spending the majority of his day in Skye's company had left him feeling elated, not just for the physical interactions but also for having got to know her in more depth.

The feeling wouldn't last though, as Syd soon caught the faint sound of his mother's sobs coming from down the hall. His breathing quickened slightly as he followed Finn's voice to the guest lounge. His mother and father were there, both visibly distressed. Finn was rooting through his medical kit on the carpet and there beside him lay his sister. Syd's stomach twisted at the sight of her and any hunger he had felt instantly vanished.

"Del, what...?" he murmured, frown deepening as he stepped closer. "What happened to her? Dad?"
Hating to see his mum cry, he gave her shoulder a quick squeeze, but didn't stop moving until he was there at his sister's side, making sure to not get in Finn's way. "Is she awake? Del, it's me, can you hear me, sis?"

For his sister's sake and his mum's, Syd was doing his best to hold it together but on the inside he was confused and scared. It didn't make sense to him, none of it - as far as he knew she had never left the house, and the security at the gates surely would not have let her out alone, or indeed anyone in who was capable of hurting her. The fact that Delilah was wounded and he couldn't figure out how angered him, and he felt his throat begin to constrict as he forced himself to remain calm. While Finn was assessing her injuries, Syd managed to catch sight of the markings on her stomach and he glanced up to James with fire in his eyes. "They mutilated her," he mouthed, unwilling to say the words aloud in case Delilah could hear him. The last thing he wanted was to shock her, but he was panicking a bit more than he meant to let on and he couldn't fully control his response to the situation. Eyes resting on his father, he took his sister's hand and brought it to his chest, gently massaging her palm with his fingers. Now that he knew someone was to blame for her injuries, Syd struggled to rein in the anger that had begun to course through his veins. Delilah was a sweet girl who didn't deserve to be mixed up in IWU's terrorism, to be branded, mutilated... However this came to happen, whoever dared put a knife to her skin, Syd wanted to see them suffer. He moved over to his mum and placed his arms around her, feeling her shoulders shake lightly as she continued to cry. But he kept looking to his father, for an answer, or reassurance of some kind. Now was not the time to vent his anger, so he kept quiet as his blood boiled beneath the surface.

Interactions Bellz Peter, Lucy
Misty Gray Skye, James
ElectricDandellion Delilah

 

[Enzyme]

Jackson McCarthy

​

Jackson's head bobbed up as Conor moved to open the door. "Who died and made you king?" He managed a smile through the bandaging wrapped around his face. He could see the pain in his friend's glassy eyes, offering a more sincere smile. "Don't worry. No matter what, I'm not leaving until we both know Alex is okay." He couldn't help but feel heartbroken on Conor's behalf. It was hard seeing the man so beaten, but he knew there was little he could do to make Conor feel better. He had no choice, but to watch his friend disappear from the doorframe.

Jackson's gaze trailed up his arm as Blake delicately placed a kiss on his hand. His lascivious eyes watched as she turned to the door, shutting it quietly.
His eyebrows arched once she shamefully admitted to shooting the Gardai Commissioner under Jared's order. He was sure James would blow a gasket over the whole situation, but Jackson wasn't upset in the slightest. The way he saw it, police in most cases were a nuisance at best. He and the law enforcement of Dublin had a mutual dislike for each other, over a history of distasteful run-ins. "Did ya' kill him?" He flatly asked, almost sounding disinterested.

His attention was refocused as she made her way closer, his hand reaching out for her, appearing weak. Once he took hold of her, however, he abruptly pulled her up onto the bed. "Way better," He smiled down to her, wrapping his arms around. He rested his head back against the soft pillow as Blake bluntly asked how he was still alive. "A bit of luck, I reckon." He tugged at Blake lightly, adjusted his grip on her so the catheter could run freely from his arm. His eyes traced the ceiling as he reflected on the whole situation. Blake was right; under these circumstances, he should be dead. Jackson shrugged lightly, his smirk reappearing. "I guess Jared's gonna have to get used to not getting everything he wants." He winked at Blake, pressing his lips softly against hers.

Bellz (Blake) Misty Gray (Conor)

 

[Misty Gray]

Arlene Sullivan​

Arlene sent a reassuring smile Quinn's way when he apologised for doubting Ryan's intent. She took from it that she had been convincing enough at appearing to be something of a gentle and perhaps even slightly vulnerable woman. In return, she had decided both Faye and certainly Grace were innocent in Jared's business - similar to how Sinead had been when she was Grace's age. Quinn, she wasn't completely sure of. He seemed genuine and concerned about her, but he also appeared like he had some fight in him and she couldn't be sure how he would have dealt with Ryan if she hadn't confirmed he wasn't a danger to her.

Ryan then placed his hand to her lower back and pulled her in close, reassuring her she was now safe. She softly smiled and rested her head against his chest, painting the picture of a woman being comforted by a man she cared for romantically. "Thank you, darling," she affectionately replied. Her eyes then fixed on the small case Quinn removed from his pocket before looking up to meet his face as he handed her the business card. She sent him a warm smile as he thanked her for helping him and his family. "You're too kind. It's what any decent person would have done. Tell your sister I hope she's feeling better and I hope the photograph I took of you all turns out well." She looked down to read the business card Quinn had given to her. "I will be sure to call you, Quinn... Now, you try to enjoy the rest of your day," she suggested as she took her leave with Ryan. All the while, there had been the urge to mention Jared in some vague or cunning manner, but she knew it was best to hold off from mention the corrupt man at all.

Once they were out of view of the tailors shop, Arlene felt the physical contact with Ryan break away. She turned and sent him a teasing smile as he apologised for being familiar with her. She too stopped walking and turned to face him so they could talk directly. "Damn, you were only doing that because James told you to? Well, shit. Here I was thinking you really liked me. Fuck, I'd already eyed up a colour scheme for our wedding," she teased. "Seriously, Ryan. You don't need to worry about anything. It was quick thinking and made sure Armstrong's son wasn't suspicious. Besides, I've had men act far more familiar than that before and I made sure they realised their mistake," she assured him. Whilst she had been initially annoyed at being pulled away from her interaction with the Armstrongs, she understood Ryan was doing what James had asked of him and also couldn't fault him for being concerned. It wasn't very often that people felt the need to worry about her, but she knew she was partly to blame for that as she hardly painted the picture of a woman needing rescuing or being concerned about.

"I'm alright, Ryan," she confirmed, slowly nodding her head. "I've seen more blood and violence that I care to speak of. Gotta admit, even though we were expecting something to happen, it was still a shock in that moment the commissioner was shot. I don't like politics and I don't like cops, but the guy seemed like a decent enough man," she reasoned. She let out a deep breath and fixed her eyes on Ryan's face, which showed evidence of his earlier fight with Conor. "And what about you, tough guy? I heard a rumour you got into a fight with Conor. He's my cousin, but don't worry about me taking sides on this one. I only just found out about his romance with Alex today and I'll be giving him a piece of my mind too," she assured him. Arlene hadn't heard about Alex being hospitalised, but even that knowledge wouldn't change her feelings about Conor falling for a Romano.

Fletchawk (Ryan, Quinn)

 

[Misty Gray]

Jared and Grace Armstrong​

Jared stepped out of the passenger side of the black Jaguar sports car and tapped the roof a couple of times to signal for his driver to continue on his way. He intercepted a couple of police officers on his way to his tailors store; Armstrong's Absolute Attire. He easily feigned interest and concern for the injured commissioner, even managing to give the officers a sense of apprehension for his own position in the election. After gaining reassurance from the cops that they would find the culprit and ensure a safer election campaign, Jared continued on his way maintaining his practised look of unease.

When he entered the shop, his attention was immediately drawn to Quinn who had only just seen off Arlene and Ryan. Jared approached his son and reached out to firmly pat him on the shoulder. "Quinn. Are you alright?" he asked him, making eye-contact as he spoke level with his son. He then pointed towards the manager's office at the back of the store. "Your mother and sister still here?" Jared didn't give much time for a response, instead heading towards the office and motioning for Quinn to follow.

As soon as the door was pushed open, Grace's head snapped around to see who was entering the room. When she saw her father, she hopped down from the desk and onto her feet and rushed over to him. She tightly wrapped her arms around the man's waist, prompting him to put his arms around her shoulders and gently rub her back. His initial response was going to be to make light of the situation and assure his daughter he'd been safe, but he knew that wasn't the main thing on her mind. He was now well aware she'd seen the commissioner being shot and that was something he hadn't wanted to happen. Had he known his family were going to be at the parade, he would have taken every effort to have them be anywhere else. He realised he'd overlooked an important point in his mission to take out the opposition and that was the job of ensuring his family's safety in the process. "Are you okay, Lily? I'm sorry I wasn't here with you," he softly told her, lifting his hand to stroke her hair. "I just spoke with some police officers. The commissioner should hopefully recover from this," he reassured her. Really, he was hoping for the opposite. Blake's shot had been a few too many inches lower than where he would have put the bullet.

Grace pulled away from the hug so she could look to her father's face. She placed one hand on his shoulder as she let out a sigh. "I'm worried about the commissioner and I'm shocked by what happened. I've never seen anything like that before and the poor man was bleeding, a lot. Maybe I'm selfish, but... I'm more worried about you," she said, awkwardly biting her bottom lip. "The mayor was poisoned to death and now Commissioner Morris has been shot. Someone tried to kill him too. So, I'm worried they might hurt you next. You've already done so much for this community, why do you need to be mayor too?" she pleadingly asked him.

"There is still a lot this community needs of me, Lily. If I back out now, what message will that send? Commissioner Morris might have been shot, but he still made a powerful point by not cowering from the threat. I commend him for that and it's only right I do the same." When Grace let go of his shoulder and took a few steps closer to Quinn, Jared sent her a reassuring smile. His attention then focused to Faye and he didn't hesitate to approach her. He would have done so sooner had Grace not appeared the most fragile in that moment. "Faye, love. Are you holding up okay?" he gently asked her. He held his arms out to accept her hands and would follow it up by offering her a hug.

Fletchawk (Quinn) Bellz (Faye)

 

[Misty Gray]

Sinead Callahan​

Sinead's attention was calmly fixated on the little sleeping dog next to her as she gently stroked Pistol's back with her fingertips. When she heard Peter's footsteps as he returned to the lounge, she shuffled up again and brought her attention to him. Pistol woke up, clearly disappointed that the tickles had ceased, and then he jumped down to sprawl out across the nearby rug. "Are Syd and Skye behaving themselves?" she curiously asked Peter. She was sure they were, but figured she should still ask in case her intervention was needed. She let out a happy sigh and glanced to Pistol. "I can see why Luce and the others loves having dogs so much. You don't have to look very far for cuddles," she noted. Not that the kids didn't give plenty of cuddles too, but Emery's tended to include a clumsy elbow to the ribs along the way.

"How about a Petey cuddle, instead?" she playfully asked. She was soon distracted by the sound of James calling out for Lucy and Finn. His voice sounded urgent and had a rare sense of desperation to it. "What's going on?" she asked, not sure why she expected Peter to know more than she did. She pushed herself to sit up and then quickly stood up from her position. She soon slumped back down onto the sofa, the mixture of getting up too fast and her minor heart condition causing her to feel dizzy at the low blood pressure. She coughed a little before taking deep breaths to control her breathing. Once her hand was steady enough, she reached out for her glass and took a short drink of water. "Can you find out what's going on out there?" she asked, giving in to her present poor health. If someone else was hurt or something else bad was happening, she wanted to know. She hated feeling so useless, so if there was anything she could do to help, then she wanted to do it.

Bellz (Peter)

Skye McKendrick​

Skye nodded her head when Syd suggested they went upstairs and grabbed some food. "Sounds like a plan, Stan!" she remarked. When they ascended the stairs, the sound of Lucy's cries could be heard. Skye rushed after Syd to see what was happening and she was shocked when she saw the state Delilah was in. Skye stood with her hand over her mouth as she watched Finn tend to the girl. Her automatic reaction was to comfort Syd, but she saw him comforting his mother and knew they were there for each other right now, which was touching to observe, even amongst the horror before them. When she heard Syd say the IWU had 'mutilated' Delilah, it angered the girl and she quickly shook her head in frustration. It was upsetting to see her friend in such a bad way, knowing she'd been dragged into something that she probably wasn't even willingly involved in.

With James, Lucy, Syd and Finn all tending to Delilah, Skye decided to give them all some privacy. She gave Syd a reassuring shoulder squeeze and sent him a look to tell him she'd be nearby if he needed her. She then left the room and carefully closed the door behind her. She clenched her fists, almost ready to punch the first object she saw, which was some nice vase with pretty flowers in. Still, she reminded herself it wasn't her house and it wasn't for her to start wrecking things out of anger. Instead, she headed towards the lounge where she heard Peter and Sinead speaking...

Pyroclast (Syd) Bellz (Lucy, Peter, Finn) ElectricDandellion (Delilah)

 

[ElectricDandellion]

DELILAH PORTER

Delilah felt her head limply lay against her father’s shoulder. Her eyes rolled downwards, observing the way her blood began to be absorbed by the pale fabric of her dress, painting over the flower design in a deep crimson. The mere sight twisted her stomach into a thick knot, a velvety saliva entering her mouth. The way he seemed so calm frightened her- could he not see the injuries? Well, he must have given he was holding her up. “But I-“ her voice slurred, suddenly halted as her lips involuntarily turned downwards, eyes squeezing shut. Lifting a shaky hand, she covered her eyes. “Leo and Tommy-“ The sudden realisation that her inability to keep her mouth shut had caused the two men to be severely injured had her choking on her breath. “...I didn’t...mean-“ the entire action of talking was becoming tiring, and Delilah found herself struggling to breathe as she spoke, and so halted her speech altogether. Instead, she nodded her head lightly, as to not move too vigorously and worsen her head wound. Would they be mad? Her eyes fluttered as they closed, mind engaged in her blurry thoughts. After the initial recovery, would they be angry for the way she had provoked Carter and Minnie? Her lips, on their own pursed as she chewed on the inside of her cheek, unable to concentrate on anything other than the pain revolving around her stomach.

Speech. Incoherent words floated into her ears, both voices familiar, and she gently lifted her head, only to meet the pool of blood nearby on the floor and a body that she recognised to be Leo’s. Her heart began racing and she tried to scramble out of James’ grasp, desperate, despite her pain, to see that he was okay. Tommy didn’t seem too bad given he was talking well. That didn’t lessen her guilt, however. Tears seeped out of her eyes as she buried her face into her father’s chest, no longer able to face the scene that Carter had brutalised Leo and Tommy with his gunshots.

She opened her eyes to see her father placing her in the car and, in that moment, she could’ve sworn she saw James holding her with the same gentleness he once had when she was first adopted by them. One to stop her from being scared and to instead comfort her. Did she have reason to be scared? As he placed her in securely, her gaze dropped to her stomach and she pushed away the jacket he had put on her stomach. It took a while to see past the blurry vision she endured, but she could see enough that allowed her the knowledge that Carter had carved into her body like butter. Her lips curled tightly into a grimace, a nauseous feeling suddenly rushing over her body. It must have said something or meant something at least, but with her vision fading in and out she couldn’t quite read it. Fingers twitching as she stared down, she felt herself take a sudden intake of breath. His attempts at speaking to her were blocked out as she stared intently at her injury.

But, it had seemed that, in no time, James was back at her side and calmly taking her back out. Her eyes struggled to focus on one set object, especially as they were moving but she knew they were home already. The sound of the pebbles beneath his feet as they walked were comforting, but the sound of her cousin’s voice shook her to hazily open her eyes.

Everything was silent to her until a scream broke through the buzzing that had become ominous in her ears. “Mama?” She whispered lightly, managing to allow her gaze to focus on the figure of the woman rushing downstairs. Her eyes lingered for a moment before shutting entirely, allowing the others to carry her into the room she needed to be in, not one she wanted to be in. “No,” She felt herself suddenly mumbling, frowning. “I’m tired....I want to go...bed,” Her voice grew slurred as she saw Finn with the medical kit and she shook her head, squeezing tightly onto her mother’s hand. The idea of having her wounds cleaned out scared her- plus, there were greater fish to fry; didn’t tommy have greater wounds? Her eyes dived from person to person, clearly overwhelmed. “It’s fine. I’m fine. I just need to sleep,” Delilah began to panick, looking up at the ceiling with a soured expression. “Mama...?” She repeated, suddenly saddened that she had dropped her grasp. But, as soon as anything, another hand seemed to grip hers and she lazily tipped her head to the side, squinting her eyes to see that her brother was now stood next to her, holding her other hand.

Tipping her head back, she looked up at her brother, brows loosening. Delilah couldn’t help but notice the red staining her fingers from when she had inspected her wounds in the car. Even with her vision shifting from blurry to clear, she could see the red stains. But, her hands fell limp as she closed her eyes, loudly sighing. “I shot someone,” Delilah felt her lower lip quiver,now feeling uncomfortable. “....mama, papa, I shot someone,” Syd’s Hand on her own did comfort her. “I-.....didn’t know what to do..” she shook her head, slowly getting more panicked.

Bellz (Finn&Lucy) Pyroclast (Syd) Misty Gray (James)​

 

[Bellz]

Lucy Porter and Finn Sullivan​

Finn had taken over from where Lucy had been, kneeling over Del lightly as he shifted through the items in his kit. Pulling on a pair of latex gloves with a snap, he looked to Del who was squirming around too much for him to get a good view of her injuries. ”Hey sweetheart, its alright, right now you don’t need to do a damn thing except lay back and hold still.” Answering the statement that had been geared Syd’s way. After making sure Del would stay still for him. Finn gently looked to her knife wounds on her stomach. ”IWU” was cut into her flesh carefully and it honestly made Finn sick to see; however, he sucked in a deep breath and continued to remain calm as he assessed how deep the wounds were. Lucy and James were watching him carefully, as he could feel eyes on the back of his head. ”Well,” Finn started as he turned towards the pair, also addressing Syd, ”The exterior lacerations on her stomach are shallow enough to where I don’t need to stitch it up, however if we don’t watch the wound properly, it could scar.” He paused and looked to Del once more a moment. ”Luckily, I think I can watch it enough to where it will heal up just fine without scar tissue.” Lucy let out a short breath as she tried to catch her breath. She held Syd weakly as she saw that one of her worst nightmare was coming true. Her daughter laid weak on the ground, confused and hurt from the ones who sought to destroy the family’s name.

”What about her head wound?” Lucy asked before she hiccupped lightly. She squeezed Syd a little tighter and kissed his forehead gently, knowing that she needed to comfort her children, not the other way around. Finn bit his lip at Lucy’s question before moving to examine the egg shaped bump on Delilah’s head. The bruising was already starting to turn the area black and blue. Finn grabbed his small flash light from his kit. ”Del darling, I’m going to have you follow my finger okay, don’t move your head at all.” Delilah would follow his fingers with her eyes only while Finn watched for dilation in her eyes. Finn shook his head slowly, ”Slightly concussion it would seem, no internal bleeding from the wound it looks like.” Lucy nodded her head, trying to look on the bright side of things. It could have been a lot worse, but at the moment, she was just angry that her own children were being involved in this war. The IWU had no mercy for children it seemed like, another sick fuck wanted all the power and it seemed like they were going to do nothing to stop it from happening. Lucy squeezed Syd one more time gently before moving to stand, taking slow deep breaths as she felt the room spinning around her. She stepped aside with James so he could inform her of everything that happened and what he found. After a long pause, Lucy nodded firmly, ”You need to go to the hospital then.” She said, her tone telling him that it wasn’t up for any negotiation. ”Don’t worry, we have it controlled, Finn is going to handle it. Syd and I won’t leave her side okay? But you need to make sure your men are okay.”

With: James Misty Gray ; Delilah ElectricDandellion ; Syd Pyroclast
mentions:

 

[Bellz]

Faye Armstrong​

Faye tried to worry as much for Jared as Grace was, she tried to express it on the surface, to show her daughter that she worried for him too. But she found it hard to show any outside emotions at the moment, as she was finding herself conflicted with opposing feelings. Faye heard the familiar jingle of the bell above the shop door, signaling that someone had arrived. She had been far too deep in her thoughts to notice if anyone had come in before that but now she was pulled from her thoughts. Somehow she could tell that Jared had entered. Hearing his deep smooth voice speaking with Quinn, Faye’s eyes watered lightly and she turned the desk chair to face the wall just as Jared walked into the office. Faye held her breath a moment, wondering if she would snap at him in front of the children.
It was rare for the Armstrong family to fight with one another. Sure sometimes the children would often get into fights, but it was what siblings did. Rarely did Jared and herself get into some sort of confrontation, even rarer in front of the kids. The tremble of the desk behind the chair as Grace launched to her feet signaled that Jared was indeed back from wherever the hell he had gone. Faye still didn’t turn around as he spoke with Lily. The conversation between the two of them was painful to hear. Knowing that there wasn’t anything they could do about what she saw today. They couldn’t take the pain or fear away; they couldn’t shield her from the dangers that the outside world offered.
Running a hand through her red hair, her lip trembled as Lily spoke of how worried she was for Jared. Faye had to admit now that he was in the room, she had been really really really worried about him. Faye’s breath hitched as she listened to her husband answer. The way his words flowed so elegantly, so intelligently. He was still the same person she had fallen in love with, but they were just kids then. Everything was so much simpler. His voice called out her name now and she froze, unsure if she should address her feelings with Quinn and Grace in the room. Letting out a heavy breath, Faye turned the desk chair towards the room where she met everyone’s eyes before staring into her husband’s. Reaching out her trembling hands, she met his firm and still hands accepting his grip before she stood slowly. He offered a hug and she practically dove into his arms. Her face hiding in his chest as tears flowed freely. ”I was so worried.” She whispered, hoping that only he could hear her say that. The frustrated and worried tears didn’t stop her from what she felt like saying, ”We need to talk about this.”

With: Quinn Fletchawk ; Jared + Grace Misty Gray
mentions:

 

[Misty Gray]

James Porter​

As Syd pressed him for an explanation about what had happened to Delilah, James didn't answer at first. His attention was pulled away as his daughter continued to vocalise her worry for Leo and Tommy. When Syd looked to him again for an answer and perhaps even reassurance, James remained standing but took a step closer. "I'm not sure what she was doing out there, but the IWU got to her and the lads." James tightened his jaw as he observed Finn tending to Delilah's undeserved wounds. He then looked back to Syd and saw the anger in the teenager's eyes, something he too was feeling. "They'll pay for this, Syd," he firmly assured his son, knowing he deserved more than sugar coating.

When Delilah began fretting over having shot someone, James crouched down to her side and gently rubbed her forearm. "You do nothing, Delilah. All you should do right now is let us look after you and get rest. Think about yourself right now and remember how much we all love you. That's an order," he firmly told his daughter. James then got up to allow Finn the space to continue tending to Delilah's wounds. A sense of relief presented itself with the knowledge his daughter's cuts were likely to heal without scarring. The injury to her head also wasn't severe - a minor concussion but thankfully no internal bleeding to worry about.

Lucy soon stood up and led James to one side. He instinctively placed his arm around her shoulder to send her comfort and strength in the moment. As much as he didn't want to leave, he knew she was right about him needing to be at the hospital. Not just for Leo and Tommy, but apparently Jackson and Alex had also founds themselves in the place. "I know. You're right," he agreed, nodding his head to convince himself. "Make sure she stops worrying about that guy she shot. That bastard is of no concern to me and won't be one for Delilah either." James placed a long kiss on Lucy's forehead before pulling away a little. His next words were said quietly, but Syd would likely hear them too. "They're going to pay for this, Luce. We're not going to sit back the way this family did in Chicago. They've shown they'll hurt our kids without provocation, so there's no reasoning with these people. Armstrong will pay for this and as far as I'm concerned, nobody is off limits."

Pyroclast (Syd) ElectricDandellion (Delilah) Bellz (Lucy, Finn)

Before leave for the hospital, James had changed out of his bloodstained shirt and washed his daughter's blood from his hands. During the whole process, he decided next time it would be Jared with blood on his hands. He wished for Armstrong to be the one in this position. The Sullivans had made mistakes in the past and one of those had been fooling themselves into thinking compassion would ever save them. Romano had never held back in his attacks and it appeared Armstrong wouldn't either. The only option was to be cruel to this enemy in return before they became too comfortable.

At the hospital, James was unable to see Leo as the young man had being rushed to the operating theatre. In comparison, Tommy was relatively unharmed but was asleep when James checked in on him. A cop stood guard outside the lad's room, no doubt wanting to question him rather than being there to protect him. James then checked in on Alex and spoke with Conor for a short time. James asked his brother-in-law to join him with Jackson as soon as Michelle was settled.

James finally reached Jackson, only saving him until last as he knew they had much to discuss. He entered the room and sent a friendly nod to Blake before stopping at the injured man's bedside. "How are you both holding up?" he asked. He looked over Jackson's wounds, figuring it must have taken a few guys to lay into the ex-boxer in such a way. "What the fuck happened?" he asked Jackson and Blake. He couldn't even muster any sarcastic remarks given the severity of the situation. "Those bastards have done the rounds today. After both being shot at, Leo is in a critical condition and Tommy's shoulder is fucked." James then coughed in a bid to throw out the emotions that threatened to escape him as he thought of his next words. "They got to Delilah too. Left her with concussion and carved the 'IWU' initials into her skin." James glanced to Blake before deciding she would simply have to leave the room if she wasn't comfortable with this kind of discussion. "We're going to get back at them and send a message. They've gone too far this time... I'd like to have you in board and I'm sure you've got scores of your own to settle..."

Enzyme (Jackson) Bellz (Blake)

 

[Misty Gray]

Jared Armstrong​

Jared noticed his wife's initial hesitance, but he wouldn't mention or draw attention to it, even if he would make a mental note of it. He smiled fondly to her as she accepted his hands and he helped her up onto her feet. He felt her hands trembling so gave them a gentle, reassuring squeeze. When she accepted his offer and fell into his chest, he wrapped his strong and secure arms around her waist. When she whispered that she had been worried, he pulled away ever so slight so he could place the fingertips of one hand under her chin and carefully lift her head so she could look him in the eyes. He softly kissed her lips and warmly smiled to her as he observed her features "You don't need to worry, my darling," he told her, the words continuing to roll smoothly from his tongue. When she went on to say they needed to talk, he frowned slightly and quickly nodded his head. He used his index finger to catch the tears from her cheeks. Soon, he reminded himself of the others in the room. He pulled away from the embrace but kept his right arm around Faye's shoulder.

"Quinn. Lily. Go wait out in the store so your mother and I can talk in private," he instructed them. He waited until both of their kids were gone before looking back to Faye. "Now we're alone... What's wrong, Faye? What do we need to talk about?" he pressed her for an answer. "Don't cry, my beautiful. You mustn't worry - I was safe all afternoon. I've been working on the election campaign and doing what I can to win it. I'm sorry I didn't leave you with a number you could contact me on."



Bellz (Faye)
Fletchawk (Quinn)

 

[Bellz]

Faye Armstrong​

Jared’s comforting words caused Faye to cry a bit harder, knowing that this discussion was going to be hard for her. He caught her tears that rolled gracefully down her red cheeks with his index finger. Oh how she desperately wanted this all to be easy. Faye turned her head to the side, still hiding her face but she could watch as their kids respectfully walked out to wait in the store, obeying the privacy that they needed at the moment. Once the door closed Jared look towards her, lips trembling and most likely had a red nose Faye tried to keep herself together for her husband’s sake. She listened to him as he comforted her sweetly, making it very hard to be frustrated with him, he owned up to his faults, as him being unavailable to contact was one of the things that had really pissed her off. ”Oh Jared.” She murmured softly at his apology.

Faye cleared her throat lightly and twirled from his right arm to sit on the desk. Smoothing out the fabric of her dress, she stared at the detail of it a moment. ”I don’t want you to forget about us.” She said brokenly, her hazel color eyes slowly scanning the room before stopping to stare into his, full of honesty and concern. ”Maybe I’m being clingy and needy, maybe I’m overreacting but you made a promise to me when we said our vows. And for years, Jared, we have kept that promise. I have stood by you through everything but I can’t help but feel like we are starting to drift apart.” Faye swallowed harshly before looking down at her hands resting in her lap. ”What happened today…had our kids spooked. I tried to be strong for them, but not knowing if you were okay, not being able to reach you. Its not acceptable.” Faye finished and let out a sigh. The woman opened up her arms for Jared to embrace her again. It was hard for her to be so upset with him, she hated it. They had been together for so long, it was like she was losing a whole part of her if he were to forget his family one day. She stood by his side with everything and she wasn't throwing it in his face, she simply didn't want him to get caught up in all of the success. He had a family who loved him to much to lose him.
With: Jared Misty Gray
mentions:

 

[Pyroclast]

Syd Porter

With all his focus on Delilah, Syd had forgotten that Skye had followed him into the room. He felt a hand squeeze his shoulder and looked up to see her standing over him. A look of understanding was passed between the two of them, the unspoken concern in their expressions rendering words unnecessary. As he watched her leave the room he couldn't help but feel slightly guilty at not being able to go after her, figuring it must be hard for her to see her best friend in such a bad way. But his priorities lay with his family in that moment, and nothing could have torn him away.

When James clarified that Delilah had not been with him and that there were others that had been hurt, Syd gathered that the situation was a lot more serious than a few shallow cuts and a concussion. Though he had seldom encountered them, he knew the IWU to be savages, unpredictable and merciless in their actions and it seemed there were no limits to what they were capable of doing, nor willing to do. With the emotional and physical distress that Delilah was in now, Syd understood fully the danger that they posed towards his family. This is what his parents were afraid would happen, why they kept such tight security on the house and why his mother didn't want him to train. But the ever-growing hatred and fury that was building up inside of him as more and more people around him got hurt, he wanted to put to use, not keep confined where it would only fester. When James looked him in the eye and told him sincerely that the IWU would pay for what they did, Syd did not doubt it for a second.

Delilah looked up at him as he held onto her hand, confused and delirious as though not expecting to see him there. Syd's concern deepened when she admitted to having shot someone, but without context he couldn't have passed any judgement. It was clear that she was becoming more agitated as she let it worry her.
"Dad's right, sis, you've got no reason to worry about that, alright?" he said, voice low and calm to match his father's comforting tone of voice. "No one's going to come after you. The whole Porter clan is standing in their way."
His mum then gave him a quick squeeze and went to one side of the room to speak with his dad. Syd stayed with Finn and Delilah, gently rubbing the back of her hand and gazing at the floor beyond her as he concentrated on listening in to his parents' conversation. The words 'Nobody is off limits' struck a chord with him, and he hoped his dad would be wise about how he chose to respond to this attack.

Interactions
ElectricDandellion Delilah
Bellz Lucy, Finn
Misty Gray Skye, James

 

[neverbackdown]

Mallory Porter ​

Mallory had spent the majority of her day with Adam. She found that after only a few hours with him, she had fallen even harder for him to the point she was genuinely sad to be leaving him but as evening drew close, Mallory knew to avoid questions and being found out about skipping school then she needed to leave soon. With regret Mallory said her goodbyes with the promise that the two would meet up again soon.

Unaware of the drama that today had entailed, Mallory walked into the house with a beming grin on her face as she thought back to her time with Adam, she really needed to thank Skye for getting his number. Absentmindedly Mal walked into the lounge and the sight she was greeted with immediately made her smile drop. The giddiness she was feeling only seconds ago had been replaced with shock, rage and fear for her sister. “Del” she called softly as she moved quickly towards her, she dropped to her knees beside Syd and looked down at Delilah, a frown playing on her lips. A small gasp escaped her lips as she saw the wound on Delilah’s stomach. “Fallon, then Sinead and now Delilah them pricks are going to deserve everything they get” she hissed to Syd , anger clear in her tone. Her fists clenched at her sides as a stray tears escaped her eye. “They’ve gone too far this time” she added before standing up. She caught sight of her mother from the corner of her vision and made her way over to her before wrapping her arms around her in a hug.

ElectricDandellion
Bellz
Misty Gray
Pyroclast

 

[neverbackdown]

Michelle Romano​

Michelle watched as her aunt and granny came over and allowed her father to place her down in the seat. Once her dad had left she quickly moved over to sit on her granny’s lap finding comfort with her there, well as much comfort as she could in this situation.

It felt like years before her father returned and finally brought her down to see her mother. The wires and tubes made her take a step back out the door as tears streamed down her face. She didn’t understand why they were there and it made her feel sick as she looked at it. Eventually she was coaxed into the room and made her way over to the bed when she gasped audibly at the sight of her mother’s bruises. She shook her head quite violently hoping this was a dream and she could wake herself up but obviously it wasn’t. Michelle crawled up onto the bed beside her mother and sobbed into her chest.

Eventually Michelle had calmed enough that she was no longer sobbing but the tears were still seen to stain her cheeks. She watched her uncle come and leave but was too distracted by her thoughts to hear what he had been saying. She hadn’t spoken since arriving into the room and due to this her voice came out broken and soft “what will happen to me if she doesn’t wake up?” She asked as she looked to her granny before looking at her father. Would they still have her after her mother left, she hadn’t know them very long and while they were family, did they really want her. This thought had been playing in her head since arriving at the hospital and she had only know found her voice so to ask it

Misty Gray

​

 

[Enzyme]

Jackson McCarthy

​

Jackson's eyes trailed from Blake, up to the tall figure in the room. Concussion or not, there was an angry Porter at the foot of his bed. "No flowers?" He asked with a smile, once James stepped closer. He lightly released Blake and sat up in his bed, allowing James to get a full look at his facial wounds. "I was walkin' Ms. Walsh home when the scum bastards popped up around the corners. Dragged her away from me and brought me down to the docks." He stuck his tongue in his cheek, looking to Blake. "The wankers got me pretty good, I'll admit." He shrugged, rubbing the fabric on his bed. "Rubbish at finishin' the job, though," He said as he smiled up to James.

His eyes widened as James described the condition of the rest, including his daughter. Jackson had assumed off the gate that he and Blake were the only unlucky ones. He hadn't realized there had been multiple hits. "Christ sakes." He shook his head, looking at Blake. Even if she had changed her direction, these were still somewhat her people. He knew the mentality of the mob, but most had enough respect to leave children out of it.

He nodded slowly, looking off to the bleach white wall. "Bet your arse I do." He gripped the catheter in his arm, twisting it lightly in a subdued rage. "Enough is bloody enough." He looked up to James, his right eyelid unable to fully open due to the swelling. "You can't fight fair with this crowd - they'll use it against you." He chuckled lightly, running his tongue across the bottom of his teeth before muttering, "Cowards."

Misty Gray (James) Bellz (Blake)