Realistic or Modern Family Ties: 1980s Gangs - IC (Ended)

[BasDorcha]

Tom and May Thatcher​

Tom had been waiting to travel for two weeks. Something must have come up, because Syd had delayed his time off. Luckily, Tom hadn’t bothered to tell his sister he was coming, and Syd had set it up to give him an extra day. He hadn’t seen Shinoa since dinner at her house, and work had been so busy he hadn’t had a chance to talk to her much either. He left her a letter at her house in the box, explaining he was going to see his sister and would be back in a few days, and would be happy to see her if she wanted. He had set up an answering machine at his house so she could leave him a message.

The traveling had gone better then expected. Before leaving Ireland, he had gotten her a box of sweets from her favorite bakery, then carried them on with him. A few hours later, he was touching down in London, and the warm, sunny weather was perfect for walking around. He only had an address for his sister, and hadn’t seen her since he came to visit during his last leave. Truth be told, he had been obsessively working since he went into the military, and hadn’t seen any of his family much. Lately he had seen his mother a few times, and she always asked if he would provide her more money. He just ignored these request, provided her some food, and pay her low-end rent directly to the landlord.

Tom was dressed ready for a night out, he planned on catching up with his sister and taking her to dinner. Hopefully she would be home, he had tried to call the bar but the number came through disconnected. It worried him a bit, but with any luck, she wouldn’t have moved since he last seen her. He left the airport, bag over his shoulder, treats in the other hand and looked around the foreign city. He thought about walking, but since he didn’t know where he was going, he decided a taxi would be better. Waving one down, he gave the address and hopped in, on his way to see his sister.

*************************************************

May had been home recovering and going crazy for days, until Darcey had let her come to work. The first few days, every she assumed had stayed home. She was sore to say the least, her chest hurt to breathe, she finally decided it wasn’t worth wearing bandages if it meant she couldn’t inhale. When Darcey let her come to work, it had been a relief to get out of the quiet of her house, it had been haunting her since the explosion. She didn’t want to be alone, but with very few friends, and everyone busy with themselves, she didn’t really have anyone to keep her company. Instead, she threw herself into work relentlessly.

Eventually, May fell into a routine, and part of that routine was finally remembering to check her mail – it had seemed such a small nuisance at first, she didn’t give the energy to it. When she finally did, she found a letter from her mom and a handful of bills. The letter looked odd, because with it was a picture. The letter read:

Dear May,

I found this old picture while cleaning out my closet. At first I couldn’t remember who it was, then I did. Since you’re in London, where he was from, I thought you might want to look for him. This is your father. Hope this finds you well. If you can, please send some money back for your poor mother, I am barely making rent this month.

-Mom

A raspberry escaped her lips at the idea of sending her money because she needed rent. If her mother spent less on drugs and liquor she would have rent, that was if she was still working. She didn’t really know anymore. What caught her attention, once the words sank in, was that the picture was her father. The man looked familiar, but she couldn’t place where. It was odd, but she had the strangest sense that she had met him somewhere before, but he looked different, sort of. Shaking it away, she chocked it up to him having one of those faces. With no name on it except the initials TK on the back, she had sat silently on the idea for a few days.

Eventually she went to Darcey, hoping she might be able to dig up more on her family like she had before, but Darcey had been busy and unable to assist. Instead, she provided May with Christian’s info and put in a call for her. Since their night in the hospital she had though about him again from time to time, and was looking forward to an excuse to see him again. He was the first person in London that truly made her feel like it didn’t matter what her past was. Sure, Darcey was trying, but if May did something wrong, she may as well be the first to throw her out – as was right if it meant defending her family.

Spencer and the other King men were still looking at her with caution. Kerry hadn’t spoken to her much, and she didn’t have many other friends. She thought she had been on her way with Erik, but the explosion had laid him up and other then a quick check in on the telephone, she hadn’t gotten to see or speak to anyone. She was healed up for the most part now, still a little sore but at least doing better then a lot of the others. May had sent a get well gift to Harper in the hospital, a deck of cards and a get well note, hopefully it would help keep her entertained and her mind sharp while she was laying around recuperating.

So when Darcey told her Christian was coming by, she had the flutter of nervousness that came in a good way. She had picked up and even dressed up a bit, waiting for him to arrive. When the knock came, she had to stop herself from rushing to the door, and instead walked slowly and opened the door with a shy grin, “Well, I guess I should spend more time wheeling around newly introduced men at the hospital. Sounds like a good way to pick up some crazies.” She teased, before lightly touching her side at his question. “They’re not so bad. Bruises are gone, as well as this,” she pointed to the right side of her face which had returned to normal, black eye and all. Even the cuts had healed away without much scarring.

“How are you feeling? Come on in. If you want, I have drinks both alcoholic and not. I also have some snacks if you’re hungry.” She was rambling a bit, suddenly nervous to have him in her house. This was not the same as being in the bar, surrounded by people, putting on an act that could easily disguise her. In her own home, there was nothing to hide her, she was simply… May. Her flushed cheeks showed some of the underlying tentative nature and she waved to the table where the picture and letter sat, while she went to sort drinks. IF he wanted one, she’d get it but she definitely needed one for herself. Making a whiskey on the rocks, she came back, sipping it to calm herself.

“Thanks for coming by, I hope it didn’t put you out. My request isn’t anything serious. I just got a letter from my mom with some info about my dad, my actual dad not the man she married, and I called my dad. I thought maybe I – we – uh, you, could maybe locate him for me. It would be nice to have some family…” she trailed off a bit, unwilling to admit how lonely she had been. “I don’t even know if it’s possible though.”

Mentions:
Misty Gray Melanin-Gxdess

 

[BasDorcha]

Le Hospital​

London
Jeremy Gray​

The two weeks since the bombing had been the longest two weeks of Jeremy’s life, with the first forty-eight hours being unbearable. They had spent the night anxiously waiting for a work, and when it had come, it had been a race between Alex and Jeremy who got there first. Out of respect, he had slowed and allowed Alex first visit, coming in after. The both of them had slept in chairs and half-ass couches, taking turns, for the first week. It had been miserable, but neither of them intended to leave her side. Jeremy hadn’t showered since the night of the bombing when a nurse, who he angrily told could allow him to shower there in the hospital in Harper’s room, had finally allowed him to use the facilities there.

Daily he washed in the bathroom, and he had sent a friend of his to bring some clothes for him from his house. Since then he had not left the hospital, dining on cafeteria food and sitting in her room between bouts of her sleeping. He could tell she was growing restless, but he refused to allow anything that the doctors did not say, and that is likely why Alex had eventually agreed to leave her alone with Jeremy. At first, she hadn’t really spoken to much, and the first week she mostly slept. There were a few times he fed her, though she was unlikely to remember under all the drugs she was on. The amount of drugs she was taking worried him – a stronger man than him would fall victim to morphine addictions.

When he looked at her, he got awkward, because half of him was self-blaming for the incident and hating himself, the other half just wanted to hold her. She had yet to say she heard what he said during those moments before they loaded in to the ambulance, and he did not feel like it was a good time to say it yet, he did not want to put any extra strain on her in case she denied him while she was recovering, but it got harder by the day. Once she started sitting up more and becoming more aware, he broke out the cards that May had sent and they started playing cards to pass the time. At times he was too distracted to pay attention and she'd win, other times he won but he never felt like he won fairly.

Today was no different. When she asked if he had somewhere good to sleep, he scoffed silently, shifting on the stiff chair, trying to convince her he was comfortable. “It’ll be alright. I’ve slept on worse.” Not for so long, but I’ll survive none the less. “You’re not getting rid of me, regardless if it is or isn’t.” As the doctor came in, he listened, his face darker and darker as he listened to the depth of her damage. He was terrified she was never going to be the same, and it would destroy the her on the inside. Harper was not one who placed a lot of stock in how someone looked, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t important to her. IT didn’t matter how she looked to him, but she already had so much pain in her life, it wasn’t fair that there was more now.

“Don’t worry doc, I’ll make sure she gets to therapy for that leg, as well as any home exercises.” He looked at Harper as if to dare her to argue with him, and the look on his face was not a playful one. He intended to do anything he could to get her back to normal, for her sake. If she fired him after that because of his one day confession at least he would know she’d be ok without him. Him and the doctor had spoken a lot, and Jeremy was relaying updates to the family regularly.

“I will make you do it to, Harp. You might hate me, but one day you’ll thank me.” Jeremy sat back, not looking at her, instead staring at the floor. He could just imagine how much she was going to fight him once SHE thought she was healed. Then she asked what he’d been fearing the most, and for a moment, a flash of anger – not at her, but at the thought of what happened – mired his face. Carefully breathing out, collecting his thoughts, he looked up at her with a unclear mix of emotions in his eyes.

“Well…” Jeremy began to describe what happened, about the bombing, the club, and the aftermath. He paused when he got to the part about pulling Harper out, swallowing hard and trying to hold himself together as the images of her looking like she was at deaths door in his arms flooded his mind. “I thought you were dead Harp… You were so beat up, even though I tried to get to you, I wasn’t fast enough. If you no longer feel like I can protect you, I will understand. I should have been paying more attention.” His voice was hard, and a bit cold, as he was mentally preparing for her to toss him. Logically, an outside person might say “It’s not your fault, Jeremy, you couldn’t know.” This was not how Jeremy viewed it at all. He had gotten lax, even letting down his walls, and was getting to a level of comfort that made him less aware. Surely he missed something, could have moved faster if his emotions were unhindered, anything.

“Alex and I rode in with you, and well, I’ve been here ever since. You know when Alex left. Your family is certain it was… Them.” Careful of where he was and speaking to much about the firm, he wagged an eyebrow as if it could say Sullivan. “The boys are handling it, tonight I think is the first meeting to start discussions. But you will be no part of it, since you are on your butt healing for a long while.”

Silence fell for a moment, before he tried to force a smile to his lips, but his heart would not allow him. Fear caged him – fear or rejection, fear of loosing her, fear of the pain that would come with acknowledging he was so over the moon with her that it would kill him to loose her. He had to distance himself, he could not go back to the at-ease Jeremy she had gotten to see lately. If something came, if they were targeting her, he had to be ready. Thinking about what he would do if he caught anyone within punching distance of her, an almost scary look crossed his face, his teeth gritted. He wanted to part of the force that was going to take revenge, but he’d have to speak to Bruce first. He had already let Spencer know he wanted to be part of the party, and of course he said semantics, but if any of them thought the would be able to get him to stay, they’d find out how mistaken they were.

Reaching out, he lightly touched her hand before giving it a reassuring squeeze. He had so much to say, but now was not the time to say it. If he started talking to much, if he got to close, touched her to long, he might turn back into a blubbering idiot, or worse, spill his guts to her entirely.

Mentions:
Bellz - Harper, Harp, Harps, Harper.
Misty Gray - Spencer
Melanin-Gxdess - Alex
Pyroclast - Bruce

 

[Misty Gray]

Moretti Family Home
~ Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn ~

Gabriel Moretti and Valentina Wycliff​

Gabriel was fully aware that his decision to involve Liam in his retaliation against the Sullivans hadn't gone down well. Elvian, Teddy and especially Valentina hadn't been impressed by his choice. When it came down to it, Gabriel hadn't been seeking their approval or appreciation. Every decision he made was to benefit his family and his business. Sometimes, those decisions were far from ethical and wouldn't be deemed popular, but if it got the job done then it was worthwhile. Despite always being clear on who he was and how he wished to run his business, he found himself agreeing to Elvian's plans to have him sit down and talk with Valentina. Although Teddy the one who had been sent to come to an agreement with Conor, it seemed Gabriel hadn't managed to avoid his own mediation session today, only this one was a family issue.

Elvian had set up the table in the sunroom, making the most of the sunny weather they were experiencing outside. Gabriel appreciated the effort his wife had gone to in order to make a welcoming setting along with drinks and finger foods. He was sure the setting would put most into a relaxed mood ready for such a meeting, but he was no stranger to his and Valentina's attitudes when they were made to have less pleasant discussions. He wasn't sure Elvian's efforts would pay off as well as she intended. Seated directly across his youngest daughter, Gabriel looked at her as Elvian spoke. When she told them both to work out their differences before they could leave the table, Gabriel glanced to Elvian and cleared his throat, ready to speak up.

"Alright, I'll start. I have plenty--" Valentina began, making sure to be the first one to speak. She was cut off as he father also began to speak.

"I believe--" Gabriel began, only to fall silent as he caught Valentina's glare.

"It's rude to interrupt someone when they're speaking, Papa," Valentina firmly berated him. The number of times the man had told her off for the same when she was younger meant it was something of a personal victory to fire it back at him. "We'll be here all night if I go through every issue I have with Papa. So I'll start on the most recent," she said, looking to Elvian before fixing her eyes back on Gabriel. "Cristina getting kidnapped may have been because of you and your business, but she is mine and Teddy's daughter, so any retaliation for that was for the two of us to decide, not you. I didn't want any retaliation, I just want this endless cycle of bullshit to stop. But Teddy and I compromised. I was willing to let you to harm Aliana and Leo to get back at the Sullivans. We never agreed to involving a kid! And Sinead Callahan suffered enough already when you hastily allowed her jazz club to be destroyed in my name. All those people who died in there had died in my name and the Sullivans weren't even to blame that time! So the last thing I want is for a child to be hurt in Cristina's name. But you went ahead and involved Liam and his mother, behind both Teddy's and my back. And because of that, it ended up with me arguing with Teddy even more because I thought he'd lied to me!" She quickly shook her head. "You're a control freak and you always have been. I guess when it comes to my family, I'm a control freak too, thanks to you. So where my children are concerned, what happens to them and what actions are taken in response to any of them being harmed - that's up to me and their father to decide. I get that you love my children, and that's great, but just be their grandpa and leave the serious shit to me when it involves them!"

"I understand where you're coming from, but this is my business and I will do whatever it takes to keep our enemies in their place. I didn't involve Theodore in that plan because I knew he would try to talk me out of it and you'd have probably been in my ear about it too. In my position, there isn't time for flip-flopping. It requires decisiveness. It clearly worked and Conor has been put in his place, otherwise, why else would he have agreed to the meeting with Theodore? And on such a note, the fact I agreed for their meeting to take place at all should be enough to show you I am taking steps to put an end to the personal wars so we can get back to pure business." Gabriel briefly smiled at Valentina before looking to Elvian. "I don't see the point in this conversation when steps are already being taken to put an end to us and the Sullivans attacking each other. No more kids or other innocent family members will be getting hurt. Sounds like you're getting what you want, Valentina."

Valentina shook her head before taking a long drink of water. Placing the glass down, she grabbed the jug to fill it again, almost wishing it was alcohol. "Mama, the old man doesn't get it. Most of what I say just goes straight over his head, as usual. This is exactly why I spent the best part of six months ignoring him," she remarked, thinking back to their last big feud a few years ago.

Melanin-Gxdess (Elvian)

 

[Misty Gray]

Syd Porter's House
~ Dublin, Dublin ~

James Porter
​

James had finished getting ready pretty quickly, so as he waited for Lucy to finish up, he returned downstairs to grab himself a drink of water. He'd never been someone who naturally enjoyed big, loud or energetic parties, but over the years he'd grown used to them and learned to unwind a little. However, spending six years in prison had pushed him back into the mindset of appreciating silence and solitude, meaning he feared he may have reverted back to the version of himself that was only comfortable in small social groups. Of course, everyone he would be seeing that evening would be family and friends, but in a way that made it seem more difficult. They'd notice how different he was where strangers wouldn't.

Hearing Lucy call out to him, James poured the rest of the water down the sink and left the empty glass on the side to be cleaned later. Returning upstairs, James joined Lucy in the bedroom and smiled as he took in her appearance. She managed to get in first with the compliments, telling him he was getting sexier with age. He grinned at her as she straightened out his shirt. "You just wait until I've finished catching up on the full workouts I missed in whilst in Rikers," he commented.

When she asked him if he was excited to see the kids, he let out an exaggerated deep breath. "Bloody teenagers..." he echoed her observation. "As much as I loved having our kids around back in the day, I'm glad we get to relax now. Rowdy and moody teenagers are Syd's problem now - we get to hand them back to him when we're done," he joked. "Now we can both just stick to caring for dogs and having all the peaceful vacations we need," he reassured her. When she pointed out that she was starting to get grey hairs, he shrugged his shoulders. "Any amount of greys won't make you any less hot, love. You're still way out of my league." He then flashed her a smile. "But, if you think hitting the gym is my secret and you want in on it, you're always welcome to join me. You can even wake up early and come on my 6am jogs."

*****​

As bad as it might sound, James was glad Conor was in New York and unable to attend JJ's birthday party. The only time James had seen Conor since his release had been a couple of weeks ago and it hadn't been the most pleasant of conversations. Whilst grateful to be home in one piece, James hadn't liked that a child had been used to secure his safety. During the heated conversation, James had even gone as far as to accuse Conor of only getting him back to Dublin so he could help him clean up the new messes he'd caused with the Morettis and the Kings. By the end of the argument, Conor had told James he'd be sure not to involve him in any aspect of the business and he would not be made privy to any of it. A mixture of stubbornness and simply wanting to relax for the first time in his life, James ended the conversation by saying he wanted exactly that - no part in Conor's business nor his battles. He was done fighting and beyond done getting blood on his hands.

When they arrived at Syd's place, James got out of the car and greeted both Finn and George before Lucy asked him to get the presents out of the car. "Alright, love. You're the boss," he remarked before retrieving the gifts and walking towards the house. He was only halfway towards the front door when JJ rushed at him and gave him a tight hug. "Woah! Your Grandpa needs to breathe, kid," James exaggerated. "Happy Birthday, JJ! As if I'd miss it. You've already got six years' worth of presents lined up from me. You are still into teddy bears, right?" he teased.

Letting JJ return to his young cousins, James continued carrying the presents inside so he could leave them with the rest of the pile.

Bellz (Lucy)

*****

George Sanderson-Sullivan
Liam Callahan and Lucas Sullivan​

Sinead had dropped Liam off with Finn and George before she made her way to see Aliana, so the boy could head to JJ's party with them. Liam enjoyed hanging out with Lucas, even though the other boy could be quite up front with his questions. The questions today being able how he was feeling since the kidnap attempt and how Sinead had been since being stabbed. Liam had given short and simple answers, mostly wanting to forget about it and just enjoy his cousin's party.

When they arrived at Syd's place, George got out of the passenger seat and gave Lucy a warm hug. "Hey gorgeous. I'm doing great. Our new house is wonderful, especially the library Finn surprised me with," he happily enthused. He then watched on as Lucy greeted Liam and Lucas. The kids clearly got along, but George could see the stark differences in personality Liam was more introverted, and in some respects echoed Peter's brooding nature. Whereas Lucas, he was more of an open book and loved asking questions, as well as giving answers. Sometimes, Lucas' answers were perhaps too honest, but George knew there wasn't any ill-intent behind it.

Whilst Liam had nodded in understanding when Lucy joked for him not to let JJ talk them into any trouble, Lucas had flashed a broad smile. "I promise I won't let him talk me into trouble, Aunt Lucy. If I misbehave, it's all on me. I promise I'll take full responsibility," he remarked, with a playful laugh, clearly not promising to stay out of trouble, merely to own up to it. Without further delay, Lucas and Liam joined JJ, listening as the boy suggested they sprayed the girls with water guns. "Alright. I'm in--" Lucas was quick to agree.

The plan was brought to an abrupt stop when Jeanie bossily told them they would do nothing of the sort, instead stating the girls would be staying inside where water wasn't allowed to be sprayed. "It's only water. It'll dry," Lucas teasingly reasoned. Liam stayed quiet, observing the interaction between his cousins. Whilst they were only water guns, he was hopeful they'd find something else to do. Something completely unrelated to weapons or upsetting the girls.

​

George stood beside Finn as his husband asked Lucy how Shinoa was doing. It soon became apparent that James was still in the dark about the situation and he folded his arms as it seemed Lucy was concerned about telling her husband about Shinoa and the baby. Lucy asked for his input on the situation, given he knew first-hand how overwhelming it was being released from prison after a lengthy stretch inside. "You're right, it is difficult to readjust to normal life, especially having to catch up on everything that's changed and to try find your place in society again. However, I must advise against leaving it for too long, Lucy. The longer you keep it quiet, the more likely it is he'll find out from someone else. You've got to find the right balance between giving him chance to readjust but also not patronising him. Your secret is safe with me, of course. Just don't leave it too late," he suggested.

Bellz (Finn, JJ, Lucy)

 

[Misty Gray]

May Thatcher's Place
~ East London ~

Christian Brooks​

"Are you calling me crazy?" Christian asked, feigning offence at May's joke. "I'm offended. It usually takes people a little longer to come to such a realisation," he remarked. He was glad to hear her ribs were healing up and he followed her hand to her pointing to her face. "Ahhh, you still look as good as you did before the injuries..." he began, but quickly silenced himself as he realised what he was saying. "I mean, not that I should be... I just... You are an objectively attractive woman, May Thatcher. No cuts or bruises can stop that," he attempted to save himself. May had seemed flustered herself, but it did little to stop him from feelings awkward about his own comments.

"A cup of tea would be great," the Scotsman asked. "If you've got snacks going free, I shall take you up on that offer too," he said, not wanting to refuse her hospitality, especially as she seemed nervous. He watched as she poured herself a whiskey. "You know, us Scots get a bad press about always being drunk, but I always say, you Irish are just as bad," he playfully observed. He then took a seat at the table as instructed and took a moment before allowing his eyes to look upon the letter and photograph on the table. His focus instantly fixed on the photograph as the face of the man looked familiar to him. The picture was an old one, so the subject has aged over two decades, but the resemblance was uncanny. Having recently investigated the man in the picture, it didn't take a lot of effort to realise he was looking at a younger version of the same man he'd be watching for Spencer.

May joined him at the table, handing him his drink as she thanked him for coming over. "Ah, it's no trouble," he quickly assured her, bringing the cup to his mouth and taking a small sip. The brief action had bought him enough time to put on the neutral expression he had become well trained in during his time as a detective. When attending to crime scenes with victims or nosy bystanders present, he'd learned not to give anything away through his expressions or body language, which was a skill he was naturally adopting in the present situation. When she revealed the letter and photograph pertained to the identity of her biological father, he was thankful for his skill of maintaining a neutral expression. He picked up the photograph and took a closer look, deep down hoping it would cast doubt in his mind, but it only served to confirm his initial suspicion. He was looking at a picture of Trevor Stewart - the father of the four King siblings. A man who was not only a terrible parent who ditched his family, but also a man whose whereabouts was of special interest to the Kings. Anything related to Trevor, he knew he had to run past Bruce and Spencer first. The possibility of the same man being May's father was one giant complication, especially given her Sullivan bloodline. It was certainly something that fell within the umbrella of private business he could not act upon without the Kings' approval.

"Anything is possible, May," Christian casually assured her. He placed the photograph down on the table but kept it directly in front of himself. He didn't want to lie to May, but he hoped it would only be a temporary lie until he had first warned Bruce and Spencer. He nodded his head upon hearing her request. "I will see what I can do. I don't believe there are many things that are impossible. There are just many things we give up on before succeeding," he told her, but stopped himself before he went into his quirky territory of rambling on and speaking in metaphors. "Do you know how old the photograph is? Did your mother tell you much about your father - the man in this picture?" he asked, tapping the photograph with his index finger. "I will need to hold on to this for a little while, just so I can start my investigations, but I will make sure you get it back," he promised her. It brought a slight sadness to him to hear how much she wanted to have some family. "I'll see what I can do for you, May," he reassured her. From what he'd heard about Trevor, she was likely better off not knowing the man, but he still understood it was a person's right and a need to know the truth about who they really were.

BasDorcha (May)

 

[Misty Gray]

Sullivan Family Home
~ Sutton, Dublin ~

Sinead Callahan​

Sinead had felt horrible for the last few weeks. It wasn't just the physical pain caused by being stabbed, but also all of the emotional baggage that came with it. The incident itself, of being stabbed and fearing losing Liam, had been terrifying to her. It was something she couldn't help but think about often. There was also the heartbreak of realising she was losing Conor, the brother she had always been so close to until recent years. His latest decisions made it all seem so final that she wouldn't see the brother she'd grown up with again, merely the man she deemed was a shadow of his former self. Despite all of her worries, she had managed to mask it well beneath a bright smile. Having Hattie and Callum had proved to be the best kind of medicine, with them being around often enough to provide a distraction and prevent her from getting dragged down into her depression. The latest blow, however, was learning Peter was to accompany Conor to New York to attend a meeting with the Morettis. Whilst she was completely on board with the purpose of the meeting being to stop the war and spare any further bloodshed, it didn't stop her from being worried about the safety of her husband and brother. She hoped the arrangements to go see Aliana would help her and stop her from going crazy with worry.

Rather than driving herself in her own car, she had one of the mob's drivers take her to the Sullivan residence. When she was there, she carefully got out of the vehicle and walked towards the front door. She winced as the lingering pain in her abdomen intensified with the movement of walking. She certainly wasn't feeling as fit and mobile as she would like, but she hoped the discomfort would wear away soon. She pressed the doorbell before folding her arms around her waist for comfort. By the time the front door was open, Sinead had found it within herself to smile brightly at the sight of Aliana and Sydney. "Hey, Ali," she sweetly greeted her sister-in-law. "And Sydney. My beautiful little angel niece," she happily greeted the girl. If anyone could remind her of the hope and light within herself, it was seeing the bright child in front of her. Many people often compared Sydney to a young version of Sinead, which meant the woman felt a special connection with her little niece. Sydney reminded her of better times. "I've been so excited about coming here to see you, honey," she enthused.

When she finally entered the house, Sinead walked into the lounge to see Michelle standing there, having prepared drinks and snacks. "Michelle, you make me feel old every time I see you!" Sinead said, greeting her niece with a hug, though being careful not to press against her healing wound. Only seeing Michelle for occasions such as Christmas, it always felt like a shock to see her all grown up, a reminder of how quickly time was moving. "I heard about your separation, sweetie. That man sounds like a real dumb jerk for doing that to you. You deserve way better. Go get yourself a hunk - one who actually deserves you," she suggested.

Finally taking a seat, Sinead looked across to Aliana and sighed. "How are you holding up, Ali? Have you heard anything yet?" she asked, trying not to specifically mention Conor in front of Sydney, but just wanting to know he and Peter were okay.

Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana, Sydney)
BasDorcha (Michelle)

 

[Pyroclast]

The Royal Taphouse
~ Bethnal Green, London ~

Bruce and Billy King​

By the time Billy had been discharged from the hospital it was practically the middle of the night. Erik had been asleep when he left so he couldn’t say goodbye, and as exhausted as he was he still didn’t feel like going home. With Alex staying at Harper’s side, Bruce took Billy back to his place and the pair had a drink together. Billy was sure that if he had been alone he would have drunk himself to sleep, but he managed to maintain more control in the presence of his uncle. What he didn’t realise was that Bruce knew this, and it was why he had invited Billy to stay with him for the night.

Even though neither of them had been admitted, they came to spend so much time at that hospital that it felt like they were living there. The relief upon hearing that Harper had woken up was immeasurable and though they still went to visit her every day, just knowing that she had survived the attack meant they were able to let go of their heaviest concern. They would visit Harper, then Shona and Edward, and then Darcey, while Billy would make a personal visit to see Erik. The days were long but at least sociable, and Billy enjoyed all the time he was spending with his uncle. It wasn’t until Erik was discharged that he stopped staying at Bruce’s house and instead spent the majority of the day helping his friend get by while his leg was healing.

There was no way he could deny that his relationship with Erik had irreversibly changed. Erik was an independent man, but Billy still liked to act as his carer when necessary and it seemed like the perfect excuse for spending practically all his time with him. Still, despite the intimacy that the two were now revelling in, Billy still hadn’t really worked out how to tell him how he felt. There were so many moments at which he wanted to kiss him, but for some reason he always ended up resisting. He just had a bad feeling that as soon as he made anything official, it would all get complicated and he would have to face the consequences of being with a man. As it stood, he wasn’t with a man, he wasn’t visibly gay and nobody had to know - but as soon as he kissed Erik or confessed to him the truth, that would all change. And he wasn’t sure he was ready for that. So for now, he just enjoyed the man’s company and being able to get close to him in the privacy of the man’s apartment.

Outside, things were also looking up. Billy was ecstatic to become an uncle again, and paying the baby and the two new parents lots of attention was a huge lift for him. He had also decided to step in as the Mercury Nightclub’s architect for the restoration project and so between that, the hospital visits and spending time with Erik, he managed to quickly regain his confidence and shed most of the anxiety the attack had brought on. As for Bruce, he knew his job was to figure out how to respond to it. Even if the Sullivans’ target had been the Morettis who currently resided in London, it was clear that the mob were trying to bring the Kings into their war. Despite how the Sullivans had been behaving in regard to Callum’s living situation, Bruce hadn’t wanted things between the two families to get so hostile and was still deep down hoping that they could come to some agreement. Now, of course, he knew the Irish were already far beyond that. They were inciting war and Bruce couldn’t ignore it.

After two weeks of deliberation, Bruce decided to bring his nephews into the discussion so they could formulate a plan of retaliation. It may have sounded inappropriate to talk about such business at Edward’s welcome party, but it was convenient having the three brothers together while there were other people around to keep Shona company, and he didn’t want to wait any longer. After spending some time at the group table, Spencer suggested that they get the business talk out of the way and so they moved off to sit elsewhere, leaving Shona and Eddie in the company of Erik and Darcey.

Spencer started off the conversation by expressing his impatience to make a move on the Sullivans, going on to clarify that he was against involving any children, women or blowing up their nightclubs. Looking over his pint glass, Billy shook his head. “Nah, I ain’t goin’ after kids, neither,” he said. “We’ve seen what the Sullivans and Morettis are doin’ to each other, kidnappin’ and torturin’ loved ones to send a message, but where does that get ‘em really? All it does is provoke another attack, and we’re already gonna be dealin’ with the aftermath of this one for a while.”

Alex then came out with the rather direct suggestion of just killing Conor and Syd, the idea being to remove those at the top of the mob’s hierarchy once and for all. Bruce sighed, linking his hands upon the table. “You’re all right,” he said, keeping his voice low. “Frankly I never wanted it to go this far but the Irish are a cocky bunch - they like to show off their power with acts of violence and murder. That bombing coulda’ killed the lot of ya’ and if the Sullivans want a bloody fight we’re gonna have to get on their level. That don’t mean goin’ after their wives and their kids, no…I think you’re right, boys. It’s not the soldiers you wanna be goin’ after, it’s the men givin’ the orders. We take out Conor and anyone else qualified to take his place, and we effectively dismantle the gang.”

Sitting opposite Spencer, Bruce had mostly been looking at his eldest as he spoke. He knew the man had experience in killing and on a normal job he would trust him to handle the mission professionally and effectively - the difference was that in this case, the job was personal. “We’re gonna have to be very careful how we approach this,” Bruce added. “And I don’t just mean gettin’ through their security. If we go after the big guy at the top, we won’t get a second chance. That means we cannot fail, d’you hear me?”

There was a moment of silence before Billy turned to him. “What about Callum?” he asked. “I mean, we’d be killing his great-uncle. Savannah would know we were behind this and she’d never let us see him again. And Alex, you wouldn’t exactly be able to apply for custody ‘cause she could just dob us in to win the case.”

“Billy,” Bruce said, keeping his eyes on the centre of the table as he thought. “It’s a good point to consider, but Callum ain’t the only one we’re fightin’ for now. The Sullivans don’t just wanna take him away from us, they want to take away you lot now, too. They blew up this nightclub knowin’ Callum’s dad, aunt and uncles coulda’ been killed in the blast. I don’t wanna bring our boy any pain, but this war is lawless and we’ve gotta do somethin’ before it gets any worse. I ain’t lettin’ them hurt you again.”

Knowing that Billy had never killed before, Bruce wondered if perhaps he should be left out. “We have people here we can send over to Dublin,” he pointed out. “I ain’t askin’ any of you three to put yourselves at risk to do this. Spencer, you’ve got Shona and little Edward to be here for. Alex, I mean, this is your son’s family we’re talkin’ about…if you don’t want to have to lie to your son about who killed his great-uncle later on in life, then you don’t have to do this. And Billy…I don’t know if it’s a good idea sendin’ you out when you ain’t done nothin’ like this before.”

Interactions
Misty Gray Spencer
Melanin-Gxdess Alex

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Sullivan Family Home
~Dublin, Ireland~

Aliana Sullivan

​

Ali hadn't missed Sinead wrapping herself but decided not to say anything about it in front of Sydney. The young girl had been more observant and asked more questions about the things she heard and had seen more so than her either children. Both of her daughters had been kept in the dark about the happenings as of late and she wanted to keep it that way. Sydney's eyes lit up when Sinead informed her she had been meaning to come to see her and a huge grin had grown on her face. "Really?! Well thank you for coming then!" Ali let out a slight chuckle before stepping to the side and allowing her sister-in-law to enter the house. She closed the door behind her and led her to the sitting room they'd be in. Michelle had already brought in the snacks and the tray holding the pitcher of frozen margaritas.

While Sinead and Michelle caught up, Ali grabbed the pink walkman that was sitting on the nearby table and handed it to Sydney. "Who are we listening to today?" Ali asked, looking through the small container of tapes. "Tkovsky," she replied, Ali knowing she was talking about Tchaikovsky. Ali then switch the tapes to the one she wanted and set her on the seat next to her. She thanked Michelle for pouring Sydney some juice of her own before handing it to the young girl. After the headphones had been secured onto Sydney's head she turned back to the two women. "Allen's adjusting to his new meds and it puts him out, so Sydney will be joining us," she told Sinead, "But um... I don't want her to hear everything..." She trailed off, looking over at her.

She then cleared her throat and listened as Sinead asked if she had any updates. Aliana glanced at the phone in the corner of the room before looking back to Sinead. "I'd be better if I knew how they were doing over there. The only thing I've heard is that they were safe." Aliana paused and raised her hand to tug on the collar of the turtle neck sweater she was wearing to hide her scar. It was no longer covered by a huge gauze bandage, but it was wrapped hidden by a regular bandage. She still felt self-conscious about it so her wardrobe grew with the purchase of turtle necks. "We know how Moretti operates and I'm just worried he won't actually hold up his end of the bargain." She cleared her throat again and shook her head. "Sorry, I didn't mean to get weary already!" She waved her hand in the air and replaced her frown his a smile, grabbing a glass of the Moscato Michelle had poured and downing it in one go. "How are you? I'm sorry it took all of this for us to finally get to hang out," she then gestured towards Michelle with an excited grin. "With Michelle, no less!"

Michelle ( BasDorcha )
Sinead ( Misty Gray )

******
Moretti Family Home
~Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn~

Elvian Moretti

​

Elvian was grateful for the two headache pills she had taken prior to this meeting. Not only were her family members passionate about their beliefs but they were loud about them too. Pair that with the fact that Valentina was angry and Gabriel was annoyed at having to explain himself and you had two very loud people. But Elvian was prepared for it and sat in silence as the two started speaking. Her daughter went first, expressing her desire to speak only on the most recent issue at hand. Elvian had to be honest that she was relieved to hear her say that considering they would, indeed, be there all day. If that were the case then she was going to need a few more pills and something stronger than the orange juice she had in her cup.

Elvian made sure she paid attention to Valentina's words wanting to make sure she heard and understood both sides equally. She nodded her head in agreement when the point about not wanting to include a child was made. There was no point for Elvian to express any amens about it considering she had already told Gabriel how she felt about it as well. More often than not when Elvian expressed her distaste for something her husband did she did it once and left it at that. She never felt any need to revisit old conversations and was a big advocate for moving on. It was probably why her marriage had lasted so long - along with a dozen other reasons. She looked over to her husband to gauge his reaction but he had been steel-faced as per usual. Valentina went on to explain how his decision had even affected the two's marriage for a short time, which was something she didn't appreciate.

Teddy had been in the middle of disputes - as were the rest of the family members - ever since he started dating Valentina. The poor man hadn't had a break since then and Elvian doubted he ever would. She felt for him, truly, and wished there was a way he wouldn't have to but she knew that wouldn't ever be possible. However, she did have hope that however this conversation ended would help him and herself. Being in the middle was a horrible place to be and if she could get her husband and youngest daughter on better terms there would be relief everywhere.

Gabriel spoke next, informing Val of his reasons for not wanting to tell either one of them anything. Elvian knew that everything Gabe did, every decision he had ever made had been because he wanted to protect his family. He would never let one of them be hurt in any sort of way and let it go unanswered, which was admirable in its own right. Elvian definitely appreciated and had even come to accept it over the years. People who messed with her family deserved the worst, so she would always stand by his decision.

Elvian turned her attention to Valentina when it was clear her husband hadn't been understanding what their daughter meant. "Now, draga mea, let's not get hasty," she said, patting Valentina's hand in comfort. She then cleared her throat and turned to Gabriel, a small smile on her face. "My love, I think it's important to understand what your daughter is saying. It's not about the fact the meeting has been put in place after it's everything that led up to it that's important. Not only that, but you also have to understand that she's her own person now and an adult, which means she can make her own decisions for her own family," Elvian then leaned closer to him, a smile on her face and her hand resting on his arm. "She's no longer a child, Gabriel." She then turned her attention back to Valentina, taking her hand back and linking her fingers together in her lap. "It's understandable for you to be upset with your father, but try to remember why he's often overprotective and that it all comes from things that have happened in the past and his devotion to his family."

Val, Gabe ( Misty Gray )

 

[Pyroclast]

Sicilian Avenue
~ Bloomsbury, London ~

Tatiana Moretti​

On the whole, Tatiana had always felt like she was in control of her life. Whenever something unexpected happened, she didn’t let it knock her over, but would instead grab hold of the reins and take it from there. Her quick acceptance for change helped her to deal with almost anything and that was how she had managed to keep her head on straight over the years. When she learned that she and Damian had narrowly missed being blown up at the Mercury Nightclub - and it hadn’t taken her long to figure out that it was meant for them more than the Kings - it didn’t come as a shock. Her first thought was to call her parents and let them know what had happened and that she and Damian were unhurt, but she wasn’t given much time to handle the situation before she found Jocelyn waiting for her at her apartment building. The woman had been out with Nikita to deal with the men responsible for her attack a few weeks prior, the night that she and Tatiana had first met, and Jocelyn had ended up killing them all.

Jocelyn was in a state of shock, though it wasn’t anything Tatiana wasn’t used to dealing with. She wasn’t exactly a mother hen by nature; having children didn’t interest her, and her nurturing tended to extend only to her dog and occasionally to a lover, once she had developed proper feelings for them. Yet, Jocelyn seemed to have been flung into her life at the speed of light and, while she had applied her natural ability to take over in a crisis when she had first found the woman in the alleyway, she hadn’t expected to feel so protective over her so suddenly. Unless she had a girlfriend, she didn’t tend to feel protective over anyone besides her sister, nieces and nephews, yet suddenly here was this silent stranger, a damsel in distress, whom she felt compelled to take care of. Jocelyn had been staying in her apartment with her since she needed someone there for her and had seemed to come to trust Tatiana rather quickly. Given that she was an associate of Spencer King, what reason did she have not to help her?

However, the speed at which Jocelyn had come into her life didn’t seem to be slowing down. Tatiana found herself holding her at night, allowing the woman the comfort she sought. It felt like the right thing to do, but whilst she trusted herself to keep both hands on the wheel and not mess anything up, she was having to admit to herself that she had started to feel something for her. It was becoming harder for her to distinguish between looking after her because it was the right thing to do, and looking after her because she genuinely cared. She hadn’t told Jocelyn that she was a lesbian - purely because it hadn’t come up - but the more time they spent together, the more she realised she probably didn’t have to. Tatiana didn’t share a bed with anyone she wasn’t sleeping with, not until Jocelyn had come along. It didn’t feel like she was just doing the woman a favour anymore. There was something there between them, she was sure of it.

As Jocelyn began to get her confidence back, Tatiana had decided to take her out somewhere. The woman had recently been severely attacked by a gang of men and now had their blood on her hands, so she would have understood if she hadn't wanted to go out - but given how safe she seemed to feel at Tatiana’s side, she figured going out together would help to keep any edge off. While she imagined Jocelyn knew London far better than she did, she still felt confident in her choice of where to take her.

The black cab rolled to a stop outside Jocelyn’s apartment and Tatiana leaned across to open the door so that Jocelyn could get in beside her, holding out a hand for her to take as she climbed in. It was incredible to see how beautifully-dressed Jocelyn had come; a stark contrast to the trembling shadow of a woman she had met in that alleyway, whose clothes had been torn into rags. “Look at you,” she smiled, almost blushing as she took in Jocelyn’s glamorous appearance. “Now how am I supposed to play it cool when you show up lookin' like a movie star?”

Even once the taxi set off, Tatiana struggled to take her eyes off her. The journey wasn’t long, but by the time they reached their destination the sky seemed even bluer than before. With such perfect weather and company, she hoped their date wouldn’t end before nightfall. “I know I haven’t been in London as long as you have, but I still found a place in this city that’s personal to me,” she explained once they were out of the taxi, taking Jocelyn’s side and facing the diagonal archway that led onto the boulevard. Across the arch was the sign, in gold lettering: ‘Sicilian Avenue’. She slipped her right hand into Jocelyn’s left before turning to face her. “Tell me now, Joce, before you spend the date humouring me,” she said, letting a smile form on her face. “Have you ever been to Little Sicily with a Sicilian woman before?”

Interactions
BasDorcha Jocelyn

 

[Misty Gray]

The Royal Taphouse
~ Bethnal Green, East London ~

Spencer King and Trevor Stewart​

Spencer listened on as Billy echoed his own sentiment that they weren't going to be harming any kids or torturing innocents in their retaliation against the Sullivans. The general consensus seemed to be that they had to go for the leader of the operation - Conor. When Alex made it clear the obvious course of action was to kill Conor, Spencer could only nod in agreement. If anyone deserved to be killed in all of this, it was Conor himself, not the man's relatives or the idiots dumb enough to work for the Sullivans. "After Conor and Syd, I can't see anyone who really knows what they're doing clawing their way into the lead role. Conor's son is practically still a kid - he wouldn't have a clue what he was doing!"

Spencer stay quiet as Bruce spoke up, his respect for his uncle meaning he tended to make a point of not interrupting the man. He was relieved to hear the man thought he, Alex, and Billy were all right with what they did and did not want to do to the Sullivans. It made planning much easier if they were all singing from the same hymn sheet. Spencer met Bruce's gaze as the man paid particular attention on him when speaking of taking out the key Sullivan players. No stranger to killing or dragging information out of men, Spencer was fully willing and he believed completely able to kill Conor as well as any others they decided to eliminate. Whilst Bruce may have thought this job being personal could work against him, Spencer believed it would motivate him even further. Perhaps underestimating how much a man's judgement could be clouded when things were personal. "I have no intention of failing. I want that bastard dead and it's to the benefit of us all that it happens," Spencer assured Bruce, with a determination in his voice. "He nearly killed most of the people we love and I've killed men for less," he pointed out, briefly eyeing his brothers.

When Billy pointed out they were talking about killing Callum's great uncle and Savannah knowing could jeopardise any chance of Alex having custody of Callum, Spencer thought about his next words, but his uncle spoke before he could. Bruce spoke up to put the matter into perspective, reminding them of how many of Callum's loved ones could have perished in the explosion. Compared to that, killing Conor was nothing, as far as Spencer was concerned. "I agree with Bruce. Losing Conor is nowhere near as devastating as it could have been for Callum. Besides..." he began, reaching for his pint and taking a quick drink as he debated whether to say what was on his mind. In the end, he figured now was the best opportunity. "With the explosion and looking after Shona & Eddie, I didn't get around to having this conversation," he began looking to Alex as he spoke. "Christian reckons we'd stand a much better chance in any legal battle for custody. How many of us have got criminal records?" The fact the answer was none meant Spencer didn't need to confirm it. "Sav's family? Her dad, two uncles, cousin... One uncle is the boss of the mob and the other the boss before him. Not to mention having clinically certifiable nutters in the family. Sav wouldn't fucking dare dob any of us in if she didn't want to risk losing Callum. We ain't exactly posh, upstanding citizens, but Jesus, we look a damn sight better for Callum's well-being than Sav's lot do."

When Bruce made it clear they had people they could send to deal with Conor and Syd, Spencer raised a curious eyebrow. His uncle then assured the brothers he wasn't asking any of them to take the risk and do it themselves. Spencer didn't hesitate to shake his head. Although he wasn't ignoring Shona and Edward needed him, he felt it was his duty to take action as vengeance for the recent attack and to secure his family's future safety. "There's no question about it, Bruce. I have to do this and I want to do it."

*****​

Meanwhile...
Whether it was procrastination or pure cowardice - most would suspect the latter - Trevor had been putting today off for a long time. He'd been in and out of London for a while, but only in the last few months had he settled in an apartment in Islington. He'd been laying low, trying to keep himself off the radar until his business was in order and he was ready to take the plunge. That was what he kept telling himself. Had the events of two weeks ago not taken place, he wasn't sure if he'd now be walking down the street towards the Royal Taphouse Pub, where he had it on good authority he would find most of the Kings. Of course, he knew Harper would not be present, as he was aware of her continued stay in the hospital as she recovered from her serious injuries. He hadn't met her before and even he wasn't brazen enough to walk into her hospital room to make himself known to a daughter he'd abandoned before she was even born.

The explosion at the nightclub, which could have killed all of his offspring in one go, along with the birth of his second grandson, finally gave Trevor the push he needed to show his face to the Kings. He knew it wasn't going to be pretty and he knew he wouldn't be welcomed with open arms, yet, as he reached the pub, he still carried with him a confidence - a casual attitude as though he was simply heading into his local pub for a pint.

From his seat, Kane watched as the pub door opened and a man stepped inside. Trevor didn't look threatening and didn't have many places to be concealing large enough weapons, his shirt and trousers fitted to the man's average build. With everything that had gone on, his lowlife father had been the last thing on Spencer's mind and he hadn't wanted to burden his family with news of the man being sighted in London. That also meant he hadn't warned the likes of Kane, who didn't see anything suspicious about the latest customer to enter the pub. That was sure to change...

As Alex and Billy answered Bruce as to whether they were willing to go to Dublin to kill Conor and Syd, Spencer's attention was drawn to the pub door as he looked up and ahead to see the familiar man step inside. "You're fucking kidding me..." he audibly muttered. Without another word, Spencer shot up out of his seat and rushed over to the man standing a few feet away.

"Afternoon, Spence," Trevor casually began. Despite seeing the furious, hated-filled burning in Spencer's eyes, the older man maintained a smile on his face as he looked his eldest son over. He didn't get chance to look for long as his son, predictably, charged towards him. Spencer dealt a heavy right hook to is father's left cheek, before grabbing the collar of the man's shirt in both hands and forcefully pushing him back. Spencer dragged Trevor over the small, round, empty table and dragged him down onto the floor. The table and it's two stools toppling over in the process.

"Everyone out. We're closing!" Spencer loudly announced to the customers, taking a moment to stand up straight and take in a deep breath. He looked to Kane as he pushed his hair back out of his eyes. Seeing the matter was a personal one and all in hand, Kane knew better than to intervene in the matter. Instead, he proceeded to ushering out the customers without delay, allowing only those who were with the Kings to stay.

Spencer looked back to Trevor, no words able to escape him as he was overcome with a deep, hate-filled anger brought on by the man's presence. "That's a mean right-hook you've got there, Spence," Trevor proudly remarked, bringing his hand to his face and touching his bust lip to wipe away the blood. "Toughened up, eh?" he asked as he got back up onto his feet.

There was an awkward silence as the last of the stragglers scurried out of the pub, followed by Kane bolting the door from the inside. As soon as the coast was clear, Spencer took Trevor by surprise as he grabbed him by the throat and slammed his back against the wall by the bar. Grabbing an half-empty bottle by the neck, he smashed it against the bar before holding up the sharp, blade-like edge of the bottle to his so-called father's throat. "Even this is too good for you," he hissed, bringing his face up close to Trevor's. Oblivious to anything that was going on around him or anything anyone else might have said, his mind was running wild with all the times he'd imagined killing his father and which option he now wanted to go with. It took a moment before Spencer snapped out of it, Eddie's presence in the pub suddenly surfacing to the front of his mind to stop him from committing murder only feet away from his newborn son. Loosening his grip and lowering the bottle, Spencer slowly back away as he tried to regain control of his anger.

"Billy, meet Trevor. Alex, you remember this piece of shit, right?" he asked, opening his arms as if inviting them to greet the man. Spencer eyed Bruce somewhat apologetically before approaching their table and grabbing his pint, turning his back on Trevor as he downed the rest of the drink in one go.

"Afternoon, boys..." Trevor sheepishly remarked, anticipating their response.

Melanin-Gxdess (Alex)
Pyroclast (Bruce, Billy)

 

[BasDorcha]

Maeve Thatcher​

May brought out a tray of tea, biscuits and some sweet dried fruits, setting the tray down between them before she settled back down into the seat. She couldn’t help thinking it took one crazy to know one, but she bit back saying it out loud. When Christian went about trying to compliment her, her skin turned a brilliant red, starting at her cheeks and slowly covering every inch of her. Sure, she was use to compliments – from drunk, sloppy men who would have hit on anything that moved. She never took it personally. Christian was different. He was sober for starters. He didn’t even attempt to ask for alcohol, which was weird and made her feel a little awkward for jumping to it. She took a few sips, then joined him for tea once her nerves had calmed down some. As she passed him the cup from across the table, she nearly dropped it when a build up of her own static electricity (socks on carpet are always fun) caused a literally shock to shoot up her arm when she touched his hand accidentally. If possible, the blush worsened.

“Us Irish never drank milk you know, just whiskey, straight from the bottle.” She managed a grin as the alcohol was doing its job and watched as he picked up the picture. She knew it would be a long shot to find a man from a picture over twenty years old, but they had figured out more then that about her so she had a slim hope. There was something about his look a split second before he tipped his cup that set her on edge – he was hiding something. Unprompted, her eyebrow furled for the briefest of seconds before she decided she was being paranoid – something she was doing a lot of since the bombing. When he mentioned anything was possible, she blew a disbelieving raspberry from her lips and looked down at her hands while she twiddled her thumbs.

“Yeah, I suppose… Could be possible you find him, and he’s great. Could also be possible he spent two weeks shacked up with my mom, then ditched before she even knew she was pregnant and left a young girl, barely a woman, to explain it to her family and raise her daughter alone.” There was a look of honest sadness on her face, as if she was willing herself not to be cry and was just going to hold it together. “I don’t much like my mom, but I wouldn’t wish that on anyone. Instead she married the first Joe Blow to agree to it, and never told him she was pregnant. He bailed when he realized I didn’t look anything like him, even in the slightest. So… maybe I’m the curse, ye know? From the moment I was conceived I was causing problems. It hasn’t gotten much easier since then.” She gave a half hearted smile, trying to lighten her own mood, and the mood of the room.

“Mom never said much about it – I figure because she didn’t know much. Picture is about nine-months older than me. The guy came into town one day, stopped in the bar where she worked, and some how talked her into taking him to her home. He stayed with her for give or take two weeks, just slutting it up, and using her home and money. She woke up one day and he was gone, and this picture was all she had of him. Mom use to like photography, guess the drugs did away with that. She called the guy TK, and when I asked why she said it was because his family name wasn’t real popular around there – Dublin I guess. Knowing what I know about my mothers family now, I can figure out it goes deeper then what she ever mentioned. As a kid I always thought of it as a Romeo and Juliet situation, but you know, without all the-“She imitated stabbing her self and some gargling noises, laughing quietly at her own goofy demeanor. “Anyways, if its going to end up causing me more trouble, just burn it. I’ve been this long without him, I’ll be fine the rest of my life.”

“Sorry, I’m done being a wet towel. Thank you for looking into it, but you’ll forgive me if I don’t hold my breath.” As her anxiety rode a roller coaster, she picked up a pack of decently used cards and began cutting and shuffling just to have something to do with her hands. Her fingers flipped and twisted the cards with a level of expertise that her young face belied. After a few moments of silence following his last statement, she started to deal the cards, giving them each a hand for poker. The dolled out the biscuits onto napkins and slid him some. “Common, lets play a hand. These are your chips. You’ve come all this way looking fancy for a very short conversation…” She dropped her eyes, trying not to let on she wasn’t ready for him to leave. “Let me make it up to you if you’re not busy and keep you entertained a bit.”

(Tom will be in later……… He’s still checking out the city )

Mentions: Misty Gray - Christian

 

[BloodThunder27]

~Chapter 11: Father Figures~

Sunday 30th June 1985
...15 days later...
New York City: Afternoon - Hot, Sunny, Clear Skies​

~Bradley Beckett~New York City | Riker's Island

It had been almost two months. Though Bradley was saddened to see him go, both he and Edwards had permanently separated as the former Soldier had decided to go with Porter in leaving Riker's Island to ensure that the man made it out of the country alive. For a bit, Bradley was alone, left at the mercy of Ramsey and those who worked for him. Though the beatings and ambushes have decreased and he hasn't been jumped in over a week, the young man was soon transferred into the same cell as Kurt, Porter's former cellmate. For the most part, Bradley left the man in peace due to the intimidating aura that resonated from him and the most really did sitting together in the courtyard whenever prisoners were let out for free time. Or eating their meals together in the cafeteria.

A couple of days ago, Bradley's Father, Mr. Beckett, had come to Riker's Island to visit his son for the first time. Because the guards were watching, the Father and Son were unable to speak about how they were gonna get Bradley out, but so that the Guards wouldn't get suspicious, Mr. Beckett had said that he was speaking to New York's District Attorney in hopes of reducing his Son's prison sentence, or let him out on good behavior, which sadly wasn't a thing as the older gentleman was informed of his Son getting into fights and the altercation with Corrections Officers that had happened previously...

On this day, with July closing in, Bradley could only continue to wonder where his path would take him, or how much longer it would be until his Father could get him off of Riker's Island. Even if Bradley himself could hide from the Guards for extended periods of time, or get outside of the prison walls...he wouldn't be able to outswim the Coast Guard. And even if he could, he'd be out of breath by the time he reached mainland New York City. And it wouldn't be long until he'd go back to square one anyway. As he walked through the courtyard, he saw a group of men approaching, but before they could even get near him, Kurt came up from behind.

“Yo, Beckett. Take a walk with me.”

Upon hearing his voice, Bradley walked over towards him and it wasn't long until the older man was up on his feet and they were walking away from the group that was approaching him. While he wasn't thrilled to be around the smell of cigarettes, he wasn't too bothered as the wind blew the smoke away from him rather then towards.

“Somethin’ I wanna tell ya’. I ain’t gonna be here much longer. I’m gettin’ out.”

When Kurt had told him that he wasn't going to be in Riker's Island much longer, Bradley's heart sank as it meant that he would be in these walls alone and left at the mercy of Nicholas once more.

At the same time, it wasn't like Kurt was abandoning him either. The man had a family to go back to. Who was Bradley to deny him that? Everything raced through Bradley's mind.

“Ain’t many people in here gonna watch your back, alright? You gotta get better at lookin’ after yourself. You got me for some time I don’t know how much, but when I get out, you’re on your own, kid. I been behind bars 20 odd years, y’know…so if you need to know how shit works, you got limited time to ask me."

"How d’you think you’re gettin’ on in here? You think you can survive this place, the way things are goin'?”

"Well, it's going to suck to see you go and I don't know if we'll see each other again, but I knew that day would come eventually. Sadly, its gonna be a while for me though. And sure, Ed may have watched my back for a while, but all it took was one wrong move for us to get separated. I think I'll be able to manage here on my own. The road ahead isn't going to be easy, but if I don't keep going, I might as well leave here in a body bag." He responded once he received his chance to speak. "And to tell you the truth, Reznik, I think I'll be lucky to get out of here alive fifteen years from now if not any sooner. Once you're gone, it's just gonna be me and that scumbag Ramsey and all his buddies coming for me. Because of him..." He took a deep breath. "I have a bullseye on my back." Bradley then looked around to make sure no one was within earshot. "James told me a couple of things before he left. Like who Ramsey is...who he's working for...What's that gonna mean for me after you're out of here?" He asked.

Despite putting up a brave face, Bradley was actually terrified that he was going to be alone and at the mercy of the Italian Mob, knowing that they were in control of Riker's Island if not New York City outright. But he was on a collision course with them...how is a nineteen-year-old kid like him going to stand up to a powerful organized crime family...and live? That was the only question he really had.

Interactions: Kurt Reznik Pyroclast
Mentions: Nicholas Ramsey Misty Gray

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

The Royal Taphouse
~ Bethnal Green, East London ~

Alex King

​

It was no surprise to hear that Bruce and his brothers agreed to not involve any children in their plans. That was one of the things that separated them from the Morettis and the Sullivans and all-in-all made them better than both of them. Retaliation was something everyone did and the King family was no exemption from that. The only difference was they would never blow up a club full of innocent people targeting two people. No, it would have been more isolated, cool, calm, and collected. Conor didn't seem to care about who he hurt in that explosion and had even missed the two people it was intended for. The attack only served to prove that the man didn't give a damn about the already fleeting relationship - even if they were Callum's family. "Leo wouldn't," Alex said in agreement, "Which means their entire empire would fall overnight."

For the first time in his life, Alex gave Bruce his complete and undivided attention when it came to what their next move would be. The older man was in agreement when it came to who they should be targeting - Conor and possibly Syd. It meant taking the men away from their wives and their children - family members that would definitely mourn them. For a sliver of second, Alex rethought the idea completely. He'd witnessed how much Callum lit up whenever he saw his uncle. Though he didn't like Conor, he had to appreciate the joy he brought into his son's life. The only reason he dismissed the thought completely was that he knew for a fact Conor spared him no second thought when he blew up their nightclub. For all he knew, Conor saw him - and his family - as collateral when it came to getting back at Moretti for what he did to Sinead, Liam, Leo, and Aliana.

Just as Alex was about to speak, Spencer interjected with news of his own. Alex sat back in his seat, arms crossed and listening to what his older brother had to say. The topic of custody was brought up - something Alex had never thought about before. Well, more the legal part of it. For years that had worked out everything important with themselves but even that had been a struggle. Spencer brought up the fact that Alex would more than likely have more of a chance to get full-custody of Callum than Sav. Her family all had blood on their hands and some of them had even been convicted and imprisoned. The King family, on the other hand, hadn't and were shown to be clean cut people. "They've also got enemies everywhere, it seems. Chicago, New York, hell they even had issues in Dublin at one point. Callum's in more danger being there than here." He stated, tapping his fingers on the table. "Sounds like a messy ordeal, but I'm all for it if he think we can be successful. I don't want to put Callum through anything unnecessary."

Alex nodded his head in agreement as Bruce spoke to Billy about how Callum would feel about it. As much as Alex wanted to protect that light that shone in the boy's eyes whenever he looked up at Conor, his planned attack was a transgression he couldn't forgive. Callum would be hurt, yes, but he was young and would get over it so long as he was with his proper family. Spencer spoke up about wanting to be apart of the attack on Conor while Alex remained quiet. He hadn't actually killed anyone before - that he knew of, at least - and he had only ever beat someone within an inch of their lives. But he was willing to have Conor as his first. "Me too. I don't want to have to lie to Callum, I don't, but if it's something necessary then what's the harm?" He shrugged and put his hands on the table. "I can't sit back and watch Conor disrespect our family anymore so-,"

Alex stopped short when he heard Spencer muttering to himself, furrowing his eyebrows. "What are you lookin' at when we're having a serious talk, huh?" He said, following his gaze with an annoyed look on his face. The moment his eyes landed on Trevor he froze. For years Alex wondered what he would do if he ever saw Trevor again - cower, beat him up, shoot him - something violent maybe. But right now, seeing him in person - in the flesh, he wasn't sure how to react. He saw Spencer get up from his seat and as much as he wanted to get up he remained glued to his seat. His chest was closing around his heart and his breathing was getting heavier. Alex was sure he was having a mild panic attack at that moment, but he couldn't be succumbing to it. Not now.

As everyone left the pub, Alex was still seated at the table trying to get his thoughts under control. Seeing Trevor had illicited an emotional response in him that he didn't know existed. He wasn't sure if it were because of the abuse or the arguments his parents had but seeing Trevor made him freeze up. It wasn't until Spencer addressed him and Billy that he finally looked up from the table. His eyes lingered on his older brother, almost pleading for him to take him away from the bar so he didn't have to face him. Unfortunately, there was no way out of it so his eyes finally drifted towards Trevor. The man had a grin on his face, the bruise already forming under his eye as the man greeted them once more. "The fuck are you doin' 'ere, Trevor?" He said, tearing his eyes away to look back down at the table. His fingers started tapping against the table again, trying to calm down the rise in temperature he felt flowing through his body.

​

Spencer, Trevor ( Misty Gray )
Billy, Bruce ( Pyroclast )

 

[BasDorcha]

Jocelyn Jones​

Jocelyn smiled, blushing deeply as she got into the car with Tatiana looking at her like she was something special. As she settled into the car, she waved her hand at her comment about being dressed up like a movie star. She most certainly did not look like a movie star, and far from it. She had a few scars here and there, and she still felt a little uncertain inside. As they pulled up to Sicilian Avenue she looked on in awe. It looked beautiful from the outside A soft red glow highlighted her cheeks as she shook her head. “Ne-never.” Her voice was still a little horse from the lack of speaking very much, but she was slowly speaking more and more.

When they started walking again, Jocelyn moved closer to Tatiana. Her hand did not release the other woman’s digits. A loud giggle punched the air, and the slightest jump pushed her into her companions side. Instead, her right hand held Tatianas, and her left hand hung across her body, laid over the supporting arms inner elbow. Her fingers squeeze gently, her eyes giddy and enamored when she looked up at her date. She felt like a school girl again, as if this was her first date. Maybe it was, her first date after rebirth, being born in blood this time.

“I-Inside?” She smiled shyly, and nudged her forward. “More?” Her head nodded towards to building with a questioning look, asking for more information about the place, what drew her too it, and what to expect. She knew Tati looked amazing, and she urge to kiss her had gotten stronger by the day. She did not know if today would end without her trying. It had been unspoken up to this point, but Joce just had a feeling Tati would reject her… she hoped. The blue sky background set a surreal feel to everything, and mentally, Jocelyn crossed her fingers, hoping for no bad energy or intent to invade their night.

Mentions - Pyroclast - Tatiana

 

[Bellz]

Blake McCarthy
Adam Harper's House
~ Drumcondra, Dublin ~​

After being basically kicked out of her own house by her daughter, Blake had decided to make at least one stop on her way to Adam's house. Wanting to pick up a bottle of his favorite alcohol as sort of an icebreaker. Of course, the pair were very well seasoned with each other already, she was sure it would be a little awkward to talk at first. Blake had made her decision about a week ago but with everything going on, the pair hadn't had a lot of time to reconnect in a way that would be meaningful and give them time to discuss what needed to be addressed.

She may have spent a little too long browsing the liquor aisle that by the time she had reached Adam's place she was more than a little late. Blake hesitated at the door for a moment, reaching her finger up to press the doorbell but letting it hover in front of it. Taking a deep breath, Blake told herself to pull it together before pressing the doorbell firmly. She shifted from foot to foot nervously as she bit the inside of her cheek but all that nervousness went away when Adam opened the door and smiled at her. "Hello, Adam." Blake greeted sweetly before the man invited her in.

"It looks great in here." She complimented the house before turning around to face Adam just as he shut the front door. He said that he was glad that they could finally catch up and Blake nodded her head happily in agreement, "It's been too long." She said before Adam asked her what she wanted to drink. "Actually," She reached into the grocery bag she had brought along and pulled out the bottle she had bought. "I know this is your favorite and I'm sure you have a ton of it in your cabinet, but what makes this one special is that it's from me." Blake smiled brightly before handing it to him. "So I'll take a glass of that, please." As they walked further into the house towards the kitchen, Blake hung her bag on one of the dining room chairs.

"I would have contacted you sooner but with all of this violence going on in the family again I've been watching my children like a hawk. Natasha has been extremely brave over the last few weeks after finding Leo and Ali but I fear that's not going to last much longer. But for now, she seems okay." Blake murmured lightly. "Plus, I know Conor has been keeping you busy ever since the attack. A little birdie told me the counterattack in London went well...how are you feeling about all of this?"

Blake knew there was plenty of time to get into the conversation about where their relationship was going, but she wanted to hear what Adam thought about this whole new war that was starting to rear its ugly head in the direction of Dublin. Blake had been determined to keep her children away from any of the danger that the Sullivan's constantly got themselves into, especially after losing Jackson. There were quite a few factors keeping her in Ireland now, Ali, her best friend needed her now more than ever. Natasha and Leo were starting to blossom into a relationship that Blake didn't feel she could deny her daughter of because she'd never seen her so happy. And then there was Adam...
with: Adam Misty Gray

 

[Bellz]

Peter Callahan
Biancardi Residence
~ Queens, New York City ~​

Peter wasn't exactly thrilled about leaving his wife and children to go to New York with Conor to meet with Teddy and Ricky but when the man approached him about it he didn't hesitate to agree to go. Having stepped out of the business for a long time, Peter had gotten a taste of what retirement was like and ultimately decided that it wasn't for him. Sure, he'd let Conor and Syd take most of the lead on things, but Peter wanted to work to keep his wandering mind busy. The brother-in-laws stayed in a hotel after arriving in New York the previous morning and in between coming up with a game plan, Peter had decided to take little breaks to look check the city out again.

New York was definitely not his favorite place in the entire world but it was different from the quiet life he lived in Dublin. It wasn't a secret that the quiet lifestyle they all had was now rapidly changing so Peter felt that maybe it would be helpful to immerse himself in the chaotic concrete jungle that was New York City.

Angry didn't even begin to cover what Peter was feeling as Conor and he sat in the back of a taxi heading toward's the Biancardi mansion but his exterior was cool and collected as he looked out the window. Conor captured his attention, asking if he was good with the meeting and the silvered-haired man nodded his head firmly. "As long as I'm not speaking with Gabriel." He added before Conor went on to say that this all was going to be hard, stating that he couldn't let this shit go on for another decade. Peter smirked and let out a small laugh as Conor said he missed Sinny's high-pitch, excited voice screeching in his ear. "Ahh, that voice certainly does have an effect on the people who love her the most. Unfortunately for me, I tend to be on the receiving end of hearing most of that screeching most of the time. Thanks for giving me a break, mate." Peter teased just as the taxi came to a stop.

Peter couldn't even take a deep breath to enjoy the fresh air when Ricky's security searched them for weapons. Peter practically shoved his own handgun at them but just like Conor, they proceeded to pat him down. Peter eyed Ricky and Teddy just as the guard that frisked him finished a small smirk forming on his lips at Conor's remark. Ricky insisted on being searched himself and Peter watched curiously as the man winced. Looking to Conor, the man seemed to have a knowing smirk on his face but Peter stayed silent, knowing better than to ask what that was about at this moment in time. With that, Ricky led them all to where they would be having the meeting and Peter immediately took a seat and saw that he was facing Ricky. The man nodded his head towards Ricky somewhat respectfully before the man proceeded to ask if they needed to have some sort of ice-breaker before getting into actual business.

Peter was silent as he then eyed Teddy. Although Peter was relieved to not have to deal with the likes of arrogant Gabriel, Peter was just as furious at the man sitting before him. Whatever the man's involvement in what happened to Ali and Leo as well as Sinny and Liam, Peter would make sure he got an earful. Teddy already rubbed him the wrong way with his sarcastic remark and Peter had to bite his tongue to keep from telling both Teddy and Ricky to act their fucking age. Teddy seemed to be in agreement with what Conor said about protecting families and Peter raised a brow as he stated that the wrong people were getting hurt. Peter was still silent, not wanting to say something he'd regret as he looked to his brother-in-law to continue the conversation. He'd jump in when he felt it was necessary to do so, but at that moment he needed to control his temper.
with: Conor + Ricky Misty Gray ; Teddy Melanin-Gxdess

 

[Misty Gray]

Adam Harper's House
~ Drumcondra, Dublin ~

Adam Harper​

Adam grinned when Blake complimented his home. "Hey, I did tell you about how well domesticated I am. This place is always neat and spotless, so don't be getting big-headed thinking I cleaned up just for you, love," he teased her. "Ahh, my favourite whiskey. Thank you," he said when she pulled the bottle out of her bag. "I'm sure it's going to taste all the better with the knowledge it came from you," he agreed that it was special. "Hope you're not trying to get me drunk..." he remarked as he poured them a glass each and went to the freezer to get some ice cubes. After dropping some ice in each glass, he handed Blake hers.

Blake explained she hadn't been in touch sooner on account of all of the drama going on with the Sullivan business, which he understood first hand was having an effect on everyone in some shape or form. "I understand. You do what you have to do to make sure your kids are alright. That's what it's all about, ain't it? Parenting. Putting your kids first..." he trailed off, but was quick to stay focused on Blake's words. "Conor always keeps me busy. But you're right, it's become even more intense since the attack."

When Blake asked him what he thought about the violence that was going down, with mention of the London attack, Adam didn't immediately respond. Instead, he pointed into the lounge. "Let's sit down for a bit. We don't need to order the takeaway just yet," he told her. Once they were seated next to each other on the sofa, Adam took a sip from his glass before placing it down on the coffee table. In his employment with the Sullivans, Adam had always been loyal and willing to carry out his orders, like a soldier would. Over the years, he'd grown higher in the ranks to the point where he was now one of Conor's most trusted men and one whose opinion was respected by the boss. That didn't mean his input and recommendations were always taken on board or agreed to by Conor. The London attack had been one such matter Adam and Conor had disagreed on. Adam had been fully on board with retaliating for the attack on Dublin soil, with the Morettis in London the target. He'd also been in agreement with taking action towards the Kings, who they believed were behind the attack where he took a bullet intended for Emery. Where he and Conor had disagreed was the method. Adam wasn't keen on using bombs. Too messy and inaccurate, but Conor had seemed keen on sending a clear and lasting message. Adam's plan would have involved guns and pinpointing their targets, using precision and accuracy to get those they wanted. In the end, Conor went with his own plan to get Tatiana and Damian, but also send a clear message to the Kings. Adam had been prepared to assist with carrying out the plan; doing his job even if the method wasn't what he would have gone for. However, Conor had kept Adam off the London job. Adam wasn't annoyed and deep down was probably glad as he would have deemed the Morettis escaping without a scratch as a failure on his own part.

"I feel Conor was right to go for those who had attacked his family a few weeks back. The Morettis have always needed putting in their place," he told her. "And the Kings needed to be told to back off too." Adam knew how close Blake was to the Sullivans, basically family, so speaking negatively of Conor was something he generally wished to avoid. But still, he was an open person when it came to Bake or Chase. "I didn't agree with blowing up that club," he admitted. "I'd have gone there myself, along with a couple of our best guys, and shot down those who needed taking out. But Conor didn't go with my idea in the end. The counterattack went well in terms of reminding the Kings where they stand on the food chain but... The Morettis got out unscathed and they were the primary targets, so in my opinion it didn't go as well as it should have done. I expressed my opinion, Conor listened, but he took his own route. The boss' word is final and I ain't getting on his bad side," he remarked.

Adam had another drink before turning to look at Blake, knowing they had even more to talk about outside of the business and violence. "Have you been able to think about what we discussed? Where you want us to both stand with each other?" he asked. Perhaps he was being too forward, but it had been on his mind for weeks and a small part of him had been going crazy wanting to know what their relationship with each other was going to be, moving forward.

Bellz (Blake)

Moretti Family Home
~ Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn ~

Gabriel Moretti and Valentina Wycliff​

Gabriel listened as Elvian pointed out the issue was about what he'd done leading up to the meeting that was now taking place. His decision to retaliate towards the Sullivans hadn't been a popular one, especially the part where he'd involved Sinead and Liam. No matter how many times he heard it nor whom he heard it from, he still believed his actions were justified. Without it, he wasn't sure how many more pushes it would have taken to get Conor to give in and back down. Although both he and Conor were taking the same stance of coming to a peaceful agreement, Gabriel still believed he was the winner. After all, he was now backing the Kings to deal with the Sullivans - they certainly had plenty of reason to want rid of the Irish.

Hearing his wife remind him that Valentina was no longer a child caused Gabriel to nod his head before he briefly rubbed Elvian's arm. "You're right. Valentina isn't a kid, but our grandchildren are still children and therefore require protection," he firmly told them.

"But that's up to me!" Valentina spoke out in frustration. "They're my children and so it's my responsibility to protect them. And they wouldn't need protecting if you'd just stop pissing people off. If this meeting today works out, can you try not to start or join any more wars? Between here and Miami, this family has plenty of business to be busy with without the added drama."

Gabriel sat back and looked to Elvian, flashing his wife a smile as he was sure she wanted to try keep the peace. Still, he wasn't one to back down easily, especially not if it meant letting his daughter tell him what to do. "I admire your devotion to protecting the kids, but what can you do? You don't have the means nor experience in arranging the kind of security I manage for this family. After what has happened to our family, including to you, I can't afford to sit back and risk your children being at risk. There was a flaw in my security when Cristina was taken, so what makes you think you could have done better?"

Valentina rolled her eyes and looked to Elvian. "Mama, how have you put up with this for so long?" She then looked back to Gabriel, glaring at him. "You never give me a chance to prove myself. It's always Marcus first, then Tati when he's out of the picture. I love my brother, but Jesus, Tati should be the next in line. She's proved herself time and time again, but you won't entertain the idea because she's female. But I don't see Marcus doing any of the hard work in London building up relations with the Kings. He's in Sicily, where our family presence is already comfortably established, so it's probably a vacation for him." Valentina shook her head before looking back to Elvian. "How do you put up with this, Mama. I love you, Papa, but you need to quit being so sexist and recognise how strong the women in this family are. At least give Tati the respect she deserves, if you won't give any to me."

"Are we really doing this?" Gabriel asked. "There's an important business meeting going on this very moment and I'm being lectured on equality for women? Is this really why you sat us down, Elvian, dear?"

Melanin-Gxdess (Elvian)

Biancardi Residence
~ Queens, New York City ~

Conor Sullivan and Riccardo Biancardi​

Conor noticed the way Teddy seemed amused at the mention of their first meeting when he'd tried to use Aliana to get a rise out of him. All things considered, it hadn't worked at the time and nothing Teddy had said affected Conor's marriage. Besides which, Conor had other things to get off his chest - more recent matters. "It interesting you agree the wrong people are getting hurt," Conor said, sitting forward and looking the man in the eyes. "Considering your contributions to hurting the wrong people," he observed.

"Fact is, I made an arrangement with Gabriel, whereby he got the rest of my New York assets and I would get James returned to Dublin in one piece. Had you and that smug bastard not tried to go against the deal and kill James, then your daughter would not have been involved in any of this. Furthermore, no harm came to her and I had no intention of such. Regardless of whether or not you succeeded in killing James, your daughter would have been returned to you. I'm not a complete arsehole," he assured him. "But you and Count Dracula had to take things too far, as always."

"Oh boy..." Ricky muttered, taking a deep breath as he reminded himself he'd opening it up for the guys to let off some steams so they could then talk business. He allowed his mind to relax, focusing on the nickname Conor had used for Gabriel, reminding him of his own thoughts of how the Moretti boss resembled a vampire.

"My wife and son were abducted, then tortured. Almost killed. That was all bad enough in itself," Conor began, placing the palm of his hand down on the table. "But then you dragged Peter's wife - my sister - and their child into this. The boy was dragged into the street and threatened with a damn knife! He only managed to escape because a fucking priest stepped in to help. And Sinead was stabbed and almost died. Yeah. The wrong people are getting hurt, especially when your lot really would hurt a kid." He quickly shook his head. "Before, during, and after having your daughter taken, I felt like shit, I'll admit it. The last thing I wanted was to hurt her, but I'd known it was the only way to get Gabriel to back down. What was going through your head when you planned the attacks on my family? Were you comfortable with the idea of hurting a kid?"

Melanin-Gxdess (Teddy)
Bellz (Peter)

 

[Bellz]

Natasha McCarthy
McCarthy Residence
~ Sutton, Dublin ~​

Natasha let out a small laugh as Leo asked if them having the whole house to themselves meant they could throw a party. "Ah I don't think my mom is that cool, besides, Thomas isn't really a party person, remember?" She said with a smirk. As they made their way through the house, Natasha rolled her eyes at his remark about being stuck drinking wine. She turned her head to look at him, about to make a sarcastic remark when he held up the bottle of wine he'd brought over. "It's amazing how well you know me, it's like we've known each other our entire lives." She said with a wink, obviously knowing the statement was true.

When Leo suggested a movie in the horror genre, Natasha carefully looked at him wondering if that was the best choice for him given everything he went through a month ago. "Nightmare on Elm Street, I haven't seen that movie in forever. As long as you are up for it, we can watch it. Collins a huge horror movie buff so he's got the collection of VHSs in the living room." Natasha murmured.

She was glad about her decision to keep things light by admitting that she missed him. Every bit of that was true. They spent practically all their time together and yet when they were away Nat felt deprived of him. Natasha had very vague memories of her parents together but when her mother would talk about missing her father...she would mention it felt like she couldn't breathe right without him. He was her other half.

Natasha let out a giggle as Leo pulled her in for a hug, asking if she couldn't get enough of him. "Guilty as charged." She said with her head buried in his chest, her voice sounding muffled as a smile graced her face while he kissed the top of her head. He pulled away all too soon and the conversation moved on as he answered her question on how he was doing.

Natasha watched his face closely as he said that he was okay. "Just okay, hmm? I guess we need to change that." Nat murmured before nodding her head towards the kitchen. As they walked the short distance, she listened as Leo mention that Michelle was back stating that it was interesting. "Why would she come back here right now? She's got a family of her own doesn't she?" Natasha asked, wondering who in their right mind would bring their whole family into danger when they had the option to be elsewhere.

Natasha would listen intently as he answered her before she moved to grab some glasses. Once she set them down, she moved to grab some liquor bottles from the cabinet, setting them down in front of Leo at the bar, she let out a sigh as she thought about her own answer. "Mom's good, she's making up with Adam I think now." She avoided speaking about herself for the moment, "I hardly see Collin, he's always over at a friend's house nowadays...think he just wants to escape hearing about all the violence." Natasha licked her lips before moving to grab a wine bottle opener from one of the drawers. "Things are getting...pretty scary, honestly. I was really worried about you and your mom....and I still am." Natasha looked up to meet Leo's eyes for a long moment before clearing her throat again.

"But things are better now, you know I'm always here to talk with you when you are ready."
with: Leo Melanin-Gxdess

 

[Bellz]

Harper King
Le Hospital
~ London, England ~​

Harper had shot Jeremy a glare as he stated that he would make sure she did the therapy for her broken leg as well as any home exercises. He made it sound as though she didn't want to fix herself but deep down, she felt extremely depressed and unmotivated to fix anything when she felt that things were only going to get worse for her family. When the doctor left, Jeremy told her that he would make her do it and that she may hate him but she would thank him one day.

Harper decided to not argue with him on the matter but to finally press him about what had happened and she caught the briefest expression of anger on his face. He took a deep breath, seeming to collect himself and his thoughts before looking at her directly. She tried to read them but it was hard to figure out what was going on in his head at that moment, the morphine on top of her exhaustion left her incapacitated when it came to trying to figure out how everyone else was doing emotionally, something she was normally worried about constantly.

He gave her a play-by-play of what happened and Harper stared at him intently as her vision started to blur with tears when he stated that he thought she was dead. Lifting cut and bruised hands to her mouth, she covered them to keep from crying out further as Jeremy went on to say that if she felt that he could no longer protect her, he understood. Harper shook her head, wanting to express that she wasn't upset with him in the slightest or felt that way but her tears didn't allow her to speak. It was as though she'd been holding on to everything she needed to feel the past two weeks in order to heal physically and no that she was finally able to let it out, there was no telling when it would stop.

Jeremy went on to say that when Alex left, her family had felt that it was the Sullivan's who had caused this. Harper closed her eyes gently as her heart sank. She wanted to believe that Savvy would have never allowed for this to happen, but maybe she didn't care anymore? Harper wasn't someone who welcomed people into the family with open arms, it took her a while to get used to people, for them to earn her trust on account of her father abandoning her and her mother dying. With Savvy, it had been no different, but Harper had an easier time letting her in because Harper felt that she could trust her. Harper felt the same with Shona as well and she adored her to pieces.

Harper couldn't exactly understand what she was feeling, but it was something along the lines of heartbreak and anger. She also felt stupid. Harper dropped her hands from her mouth and let them fall into her lap as she stared at them openly, watching the tears fall into them as she tried to compose herself. Jeremy's large hand reached out to lightly touch her right one and Harper looked up at him, unable to smile she just nodded her head, accepting the story of what happened for what it was. "I'm not...I'm not upset with you." She stuttered as she tried to slow her breathing. "How the fuck could you have known what was going to happen if my brother's or Uncle didn't know either? Don't place that blame on yourself, okay?" Harper asked lightly, before squeezing his hand in return.

"I hate you lurking around me constantly but I think I'd hate to have someone I didn't know doing it even more. Most of the men my family employ have a disturbing lack of humor. At least with you, we can make jokes." Harper could see how upset he was, "Hey, you did what you could and that's all that matters. Besides, you should know by now that I don't need a man to save me. I came back from practically the dead, that should be proof enough that I can handle myself with your help. So thank you."
with: Jeremy BasDorcha

 

[BasDorcha]

Jeremy Gray
​

Jeremy couldn’t stand the tears. He wanted to make each one disappear along with it. He lifted his hand, hers in it, and kiss her knuckles gently, though his brain screamed at him not to. For a moment it was like his body was not his own, he wanted to comfort her so strongly he could not stop it. When he spoke next, his voice was course, and deep, and his eyes had a shimmer to them like barely withheld tears of his own. “You’re damn straight, you didn’t need anyone, you came back and showed everyone who’s boss. Though I am glad to hear my only value to you is laughter, and here I thought I was a pretty serious guy.” He grinned, a little more natural this time, as his eyes never left hers. He had been watching her a lot more lately, but he tried to keep her from seeing it.

The power that seemed to be dominating him was in control of his body – his mind was like an astral projection, outside looking in but unable to do anything about it. His voice stayed the same rough and deep tone that he only ever seemed to use when they were alone. “You still can’t fire me, now more then ever, even if you don’t need me to save you. I doubt anyone is going to let you be without a guard at this point. Better the enemy you know though, then one you don’t.”

He stood, stretching a bit, her hand still in his. The need to wipe her face dry was destroying him inside, but he managed to refrain from doing it. Instead, he pulled a silken hankercheif out of his back beside him on the floor – the one from his suit the night of the bombing. Somehow, except for a small scent of smoke, it had been relatively undamaged. He had washed it in the sink until it was smoke free, and air dried it back to normal. It needed a good steam to take the wrinkles out, but otherwise, it was in the same condition it was when he put it on. It did smell like his cologne though, from being in the bag near his bottle. Mentally he reminded himself to check for a leaking bottle.

“Thank you though… For not firing me, for not blaming me. I c-could never…” He steadied himself as he handed over the cloth, carefully considering his next works, “forgive myself if I let you down.” He caught back the words live without you.

“You’re am amazing woman Harper, and I for one, am glad to see that even death is afraid of you.”

Mentions: Bellz - Harper

 

[Pyroclast]

Syd's House
~ Wouldn't you like to know? ~

Syd Porter​

Syd understood the risk of having a big family gathering after delivering an attack on the enemy. It was one of the oldest tricks in the book and one that his family had used to wipe out most of the Morettis back in the 1960s: wait until all your targets are in one place, and then attack. However, while that anxiety didn’t exactly go away, it was overridden by an eagerness to have his family all together. Recent events had filled him with an urge to keep his loved ones close and even though Sinead, Michelle and Conor couldn’t be there, he was still glad to see his house become filled with people he loved. Plus, this was the first birthday party that his father had been able to attend since before his arrest all those years ago, which made it extra special. Given that James had always been a hero to him, Syd had felt horrible for his kids to have to grow up without their grandpa around to influence them.

On top of that, and celebrating his son’s 13th birthday of course, Syd was also looking forward to having a chance to spend some quality time with Roxie. He had been worried about her ever since Matthew’s death, and even more so when he found out she was pregnant - but after finding out that Ricky had been the one responsible for Matthew’s murder, his concern for her only grew stronger. When he was deeply worried about something or someone, he found it hard to concentrate on much else and ended up fixating on the problem to an unhealthy degree. His instincts were constantly urging him to show up at her house so that he could listen to her problems and offer her help throughout the pregnancy, and if he wasn’t doing his very best to exert control over himself, he knew that’s what he would be doing. However, knowing how much he had messed Roxie about in the past and how his intense behaviours had ruined their relationship for years, he was particularly mindful to refrain from bothering her. It didn’t give him any peace of mind, of course - he still lay awake at night wondering how she was getting on and hoping that she was okay - but at least he wasn’t doing anything to drive her away.

Having thrown together a non-alcoholic fruit punch for the kids, Syd was now in the kitchen setting up the cups and plates for people to use as they came in and out. When he heard the front door open and the noise of boisterous teenagers flooding into the house, he looked up just in time to see JJ practically fly into his arms. A huge grin burst across his face as he caught his son in a tight hug. “Happy birthday, little man,” he smiled, clapping him on the back. “Guess you’re not so little anymore, though, right?”

Roxie addressed him then, with a teasing remark about his cooking that prompted a loud laugh from JJ. Syd lightly swatted his son across the head before shooting a mock-offended glare at Roxie. “Well I know someone who’s not getting a bowl of collapsed jelly mush,” he quipped back, a smirk showing on his face at the thought of even attempting such a thing. “Nah, mam’s got us covered. I wouldn’t wanna ruin JJ’s big day with my tragic attempt at baking.”

Syd watched fondly as Roxie and JJ squabbled about the shirt he had chosen to wear. He was obviously in an excitable mood because as soon as the doorbell rang he bolted from the room, leaving the two adults watching after him with weary smiles on their faces. Syd turned his attention back to the crockery he was organising, and when she playfully blamed him for giving her three kids that would all be teenagers at once he let out a soft chuckle. He watched her move to sit at the small kitchen dining table as she made her comment about their hair turning grey. Admittedly, he did pluck out the occasional silver hair from his head, but from the fact she had brought it up he guessed that her hair had remained its same luscious brunette colour. He found himself gazing at her, as if he might be able to spot any grey strands in her hair from across the room, but all he ended up noticing was how beautiful she was. As his eyes traced down her body, he caught the way her hand rested on her stomach in a naturally protective manner - so natural, even she might not have noticed. Anyone else would likely have paid no attention to the very slight curve beneath her dress, but knowing what it was likely to mean, the sight of it brought a subtle smile to his face. He blushed slightly and turned his focus back to the cups on the table, arranging them to make himself look busy.

Roxie made a passing comment about Jeanie’s choice of revealing clothing, something Syd had started to notice in his daughters, too. “I think you have an advantage in helping them dress appropriately, being a woman and all,” he pointed out. “Those girls will never take it well from me. Dad, what do you know about being a woman? You just don’t understand me!’” He looked up and pulled a face at Roxie, knowing she would have heard the exact tone before.

Her suddenly asking him about how he was doing caught him off guard a bit. It seemed like he always had a lot on his mind - even at times when there wasn’t anything particularly serious going on, he always managed to find something to worry about or dwell on. However, this was a time when there was all sorts of things to worry about - his children’s grief and trauma, his family who had been brutally attacked, the beginnings of a violent war with both the Morettis and the Kings, Roxie’s pregnancy and the situation with Ricky, among other things. He hadn’t figured out a way to answer her before she mentioned Conor’s trip to New York, which she had been expected to join, too. Although she didn’t say his name outright, he knew that she was talking about Ricky when she briefly explained why she hadn’t gone.

Syd let the silence linger for a second as he gathered his thoughts, then leaned forward onto the island counter with a sigh. After he had lost control of himself in Conor’s office, he wasn’t sure he trusted himself to keep his anger in check while talking about Ricky. “I’m glad you didn’t go,” he admitted. Professionally speaking, he knew he shouldn’t be encouraging her to miss important business meetings where her voice ought to be heard, but Syd never did well at ignoring his emotions and right now he believed Roxie shouldn’t have to face her fiancé’s murderer at all. “I just mean, ‘cause…it means a lot to JJ that you’re here, you know?” There was still a slight tingling on his cheeks when he looked over at her. “And in your condition, you don’t need the extra stress.”

When a smile threatened to show on his face, he looked back down to the cups. What was this? Just being around her seemed to transport him back to another time. They hadn’t had many moments alone like this over the years, not before Matthew was killed. Of all the things to bring them closer together, he never would have thought it would be this. Added to it was the fact that she was pregnant and that only he knew, reminding him of her previous pregnancies and the intimate relationship they had had back then. It was giving him the same feeling of excitement, almost like butterflies in his stomach, even though the child wasn’t his. Sometimes he worried he might lose himself in the idea of reverting back to their old relationship, imagining that he was the father - the fantasy was tempting him, and whenever he thought about her he had to remind himself not to get carried away.

“But yeah, I’ve been good,” he said, looking back up at her with a soft smile. Maybe it was the mood he was in, but he didn’t really feel like telling the truth. It seemed much nicer just to lie. “And what about you, Rox’? Is that…” Resting his chin on his hand as he leaned over the island counter, his eyes pointed subtly at her stomach. He was trying not to smile, but it only brought a blush to his cheeks. “Are you showing now?”

Interactions
Bellz Roxie

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Moretti Family Home
~Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn~

Elvian Moretti

​

Elvian opened her mouth to respond to her husband only to quickly close it the moment Valentina spoke up again. The younger woman spoke with such passion about her children - a passion Elvian recognized all too well as she had been the same way decades ago. She had to agree with her that things would definitely be easier on them if Gabriel would stop getting into pissing contests, but she knew better than to think that way. "In your father's defense," she said, looking towards her husband. "There will always be someone who detests your father simply because of the power he holds," she smiled at him before looking at Valentina again. "And because of the authority, he carries. Not all wars are started by him, but he very well will finish them. It's unfortunate that things have gone this far and it is a sentiment we both share my darling, but for once your father didn't start it."

"Now that's a bit unfair," she stated to Gabriel. She paused to drink from her teacup, her eyebrows knitted together as she shook her head. His statement of what Valentina would be able to do when it came to protecting her children seemed like an attack on her abilities as a mother. And as a mother herself, she wasn't going to allow him to do so. "A mother's say in what happens regarding the safety and wellbeing of their children should hold just as much weight as a father's. Especially when it comes to Valentina." Elvian paused, a lump forming in her throat. She was about to bring up Steve and his counterparts, remembering the pain and mental anguish her daughter had gone through because of them. As a result, her husband had attacked the wrong people and innocent lives were lost. Some days Elvian didn't know if Valentina had nightmares just because of her attack or because she knew the wrongful retaliation had been done in her name? "You attacked the Sullivans without Val's input more than a decade ago," she grabbed Valentina's hand for comfort - both for her own and her daughter's - while looking directly to Gabriel. "And in doing so made the worst mistake we could have ever made. Granted, we had been deceived from the very beginning but the fact still remains that people who had nothing to do with it had been killed. We're supposed to learn from our mistakes yet here we are repeating them."

The moment their discussion had drifted from the attack to Gabriel's misogynistic tendencies Elvian sat back in her seat and let out a deep breath. Staring at the pitcher of orange juice she was regretting not having filled it alcohol - or having any nearby, for that matter. It was an argument as old as time itself when it came to her husband and youngest. The newer generation was always trying to get the older ones to let go of their ways and embrace change. Though Elvian had embraced some of those changes herself she could see why her husband hung on to some. "I need something stronger than orange juice and tea," she whispered to herself, once again lifting her teacup to her mouth. After clearing her throat once more and setting her cup down she lifted her hands to both of them, rolling her eyes.

"La naiba, I think it's time to put this argument to bed because the both of you are worse than the children," she turned to Gabriel, staring with him first. "She's right. You have to recognize your children, your daughters are very strong women and can handle just about anything thrown at them and you can't deny it any longer. Being proud of their accomplishments is one thing. Recognizing them is completely different." Elvian spoke in a firm voice, obviously having thought about this topic dozens of times over the years. The only reason she decided not to say anything back then was that she didn't want to get in between the two of them or seem as if she were picking sides. She then turned to Valentina with the same intense look in her eyes and a firm tone of voice. "Though you may feel as if it's not the case, your father has only ever wanted to protect you and keep you away from things that aren't so pleasant. Sometimes it's important to try and see things from his perspective instead of immediately jumping to the defensive."




Val, Gabe ( Misty Gray )

Biancardi Residence
~ Queens, New York City ~
Theodore "Teddy" Wycliff​

There was something about the way Conor sat forward in his seat that rubbed Teddy the wrong way. He felt as if the man were trying to put himself higher above him to appear more threatening and it took everything within Teddy not to say anything about it. Had this not been a meeting to attempt peace he'd have definitely brought out the other Theodore, but for now, he'd shove him away. Conor stated it interesting Teddy would mention the wrong people getting hurt. It was to be expected considering what had just happened in Dublin a few weeks ago. Teddy remained relaxed in his seat, though his fingers were now tapping the table in front of him to help remain calm. "Do you prefer being the pot or the kettle?" He simply said, stating that Conor was being a hypocrite.

Teddy did his part by not interrupting Conor as he spoke. He figured nothing good would come of it and it would only escalate things. The point of this meeting was to de-escalate and unlike his boss he liked to think he was pretty good at it. Well, when the man who had kidnapped his daughter wasn't present. Teddy let out a dry chuckle at Conor's nickname for Gabriel, shaking his head. "Oh, better not let Gabe hear that one," he teased, looking towards Ricky, "I think he prefers Gomez," he said in reference to the 'Addams Family'. Teddy then turned his attention back to Conor, the amused grin on his face quickly turning into a frown. It was his turn to lean forward in his seat, lacing his fingers together and placing them on the table. "You don't know what kind of harm you did to my kid, Sullivan, so don't act all high and mighty just because it wasn't physical. You know as well as I do the sort of mental effects being kidnapped by a bunch of fucking strangers does to a kid - even worse when they're in single digits."

The seething Teddy had felt that day was slowly coming back to him and he had to close his eyes for a moment to not lash out. After a few seconds, he opened them and pointed his index finger at the man across from him. "You could've chosen anyone else to involve - people who knew what was going on - and yet you chose to take my child from her school, one of which she attends with her brother, to drag into this. That was your first mistake." Teddy then lowered his hand, bringing the now deformed one into view. "James Porter had to answer for his transgressions. Leaving New York without doing so was never in the cards and besides, you made that deal with Gabriel. Not me."

For a moment Teddy sat in silence after hearing about Sinead and Liam again. His eyes drifted towards Peter and for a moment he wanted to apologize. The second attack that had been committed hadn't been Teddy's idea in the slightest - he hadn't even known about it. While he was semi-okay with Ali and Leo being hurt he wasn't when it came to Sinead and Liam - two people who seemed to be the most innocent. Teddy then closed his eyes, taking a deep breath before opening them again. As much as he wanted to explain Gabriel hadn't told him about it he knew he would have to come off as a united front with Gabriel. He'd betrayed his boss once before and he wasn't going to make the same mistake twice. "I didn't know about your sister and the kid," he stated, pinching the bridge of his nose, "It was an unplanned attack and those responsible have been dealt with." It wasn't a lie completely - the two in charge of kidnapping Sinead and Liam and been reprimanded for failing and he had already talked to Gabe. But what Conor didn't know wouldn't hurt him.

He looked at Conor again, shaking his head. "I'm above having kids hurt and people who've never once participated in the things we do." He turned back towards Peter, knowing his words would probably do little to nothing when it came to how he felt. "They were never supposed to be included. And I-," he hesitated, unsure if he really should be apologizing before he relented. The plan was to hurt Conor, not Peter and besides, the latter is who he was apologizing to . "For what it's worth, I'm sorry they ever were."


Ricky, Conor ( Misty Gray )
Peter ( Bellz )

​

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

McCarthy Residence
~ Sutton, Dublin ~
Leo Sullivan

​

"Almost like we were made for each other," Leo said, letting out a playful gasp. It wasn't until Natasha had said something that he realized that they had, in fact, known each other their entire lives. There were days when he couldn't wrap his mind around the thought of one of his childhood best friends being his girlfriend, but then again it made sense she was. None of the girls he'd ever dated knew him the way she did or understood him quite the same. And if he were being honest, none of them made him feel the way she did either. Leo remembered his mother telling him about the beginning of her relationship with his father. From learning to love from someone else to realizing that their relationship was deeper than just sex. It'd taken them years to finally get to that conclusion and they had nearly missed out on each other. Had Tommy not died and Alex not left Conor, Leo was sure he wouldn't exist as the person he is now. He didn't want that to happen with Natasha.

Leo picked up on the look she had on her face after repeating his statement. She was still worried about him, it seemed, and that was the last thing he wanted her to do. He felt there was nothing for her to worry about, although he could tell why she would be. He had completely ignored what happened in the woods and hadn't spoken to anyone at lengths about it. The whole event was shoved down and treated as if it had never happened, which wasn't healthy at all. But that was how Leo had coped with things the past few years with no signs of changing. Luckily, he didn't have to think about it much as they continued their conversation about Michelle in the kitchen. "Uh, she's getting a divorce. Erm, or is divorced? Anyway, dad says she's here to get to know her family better. Holidays don't seem to be enough for her," he said, leaning forward against the counter. "It's cool or whatever, but I could never wrap my head around having a half-sister."

Hearing that Blake had been with Adam made Leo grin at his girlfriend. "Making up, huh?" He propped his elbows up on the counter, placing his cheeks in his hands, and winked at her. "You know what they say about the grown-ups and 'making up', don't you? Some of them lead to babies," he joked, letting out a chuckle. "Pretty sure that's how most of the kids around here were conceived. Myself included." Knowing his parent's knack for arguing he was sure one of their makeup sessions had led to his creation and he gagged at the thought of it. Hearing that her brother had been staying at a friend's house lately as an escape made him nod his head in understanding. Things had been crazy and hectic as of late and he couldn't but feel like escaping too. That family vacation Conor mentioned during dinner a few months back was starting to sound more and more enticing.

With Natasha mentioning how worried she was about him and Aliana, the smile on Leo's face slowly disappeared. It was natural for her to be concerned and he appreciated it. But not right now. He didn't want to think about the fire he felt in his lungs when he was being drowned. He didn't want to think about the blood he was so desperately trying to stop pouring from his mother's neck. Yet, the more he tried to shake the thoughts from his head the more they moved to the front of his mind. He hung his head for a moment, staring at the countertop while trying to calm himself down. He was safe now, his mother was safe now, and Conor was perfectly fine over in New York. There was nothing to freak out over and the moment he realized that he would be fine.

When he was finally able to focus on Natasha again he looked up at her and the two of them locked eyes. It was really thanks to her that he and Ali had even made it out of those woods alive, along with Stella. He didn't want to think nor consider what could have happened if they hadn't reacted as fast as they had. Leo leaned against the counter with his hands again and nodded his head. "Yeah, I know." Tapping his fingers against the counter, he bit his lip and pushed himself from the counter. "You always are," he said with a smile, shrugging his shoulders as he walked towards her. "Which I'm thankful for even if I don't deserve it." When he was finally standing in front of her he cupped her face in his hands, his thumbs caressing her cheeks. "And you know I'm here for you. That'll never change." The was a soft smile on his face before leaning down to kiss her lips. "Come on, I'm ready for my arm to fall asleep under your head," he joked.

​

Natasha ( Bellz )

 

[Bellz]

Lucy Porter
Finn Sullivan
Syd Porter's Residence (Outside)

~ It's for me to know and for you to never find out ~​

Lucy let out an amused laugh as Lucas told her that he would take full responsibility if he missed behaved, watching as both the boys and the girls took off in their own directions, seeming to leave each other alone and dry for now. The blonde wasn’t upset nor surprised when George advised that she tell James her secret. Finn nodded in agreement with his husband, "Georgie is right, Luce. I think James will be even less understanding of the situation if you don’t tell him what’s going on soon. Adjusting or not, he deserves to know and not be caught off guard, he’s got enough going on as it is.” Lucy sighed softly before silently nodding her head.

"I don’t want to spoil today for him, of course. I’m sure he’ll adjust to Shinoa just as Syd has but I want to make sure to not take the attention away from JJ today.” Lucy said, sort of selfishly using her grandson’s birthday as an excuse to not come clean. Finn caught onto that quickly and offered his cousin a soft knowing smirk, "Ah, but there is always tomorrow, love.” He reassured her before looking between George and Lucy. "Best get inside before the boys decide that we are the first targets with those water guns, hmm?” He asked with a laugh to which Lucy agreed before turning to see James returning to greet everyone. Once everyone had a chance to say hello, Lucy took her husband's hand and started to lead him towards the house. "Thank you for carrying those gifts in, love. I can’t wait to see the look on JJ’s face when he sees all the presents we got him. I feel like he thought you were joking about making up for missed birthdays.” She chuckled.

Finn let Lucy and James walk ahead of him and George, as he moved to grab the presents they had for JJ out of the car. Taking his husband’s arm as they slowly walked towards the house, he smiled sweetly at him. "This is nice, isn’t it? Some sort of normal, I’m glad that we decided to move back to Dublin. I don’t think I’ve seen a smile so big on Lucas’s face in a long time.” He commented before looking at George. "You’ve been real smiley since returning here too, I’ve said it a million times but I’ll say it again, you have the most handsome smile I’ve ever seen.” He complimented George.

"I honestly think you and I should start being couples counselors together, we’ve been bombarded with relationship questions from the very moment we got here. As happy as I am to help my family I think we deserve to make a little money off of it.” Finn teased as they walked through the door. "Guess we’re just the perfect couple. Which I completely agree with. I wouldn’t know what to do without you, love.” Finn murmured to George.
with: George + James Misty Gray

(in order of appearance)
Roxie Carriveau
Lucy Porter
Finn Sullivan
Syd Porter's Residence (Inside)

~ It's for me to know and for you to never find out ~​

Roxie let out a soft laugh as Syd that she was at an advantage helping the twins dress, being a woman herself before he mimicked the tone their daughters often used. "You’d think that, but this generation dresses in ways that I don’t think I would have. Sure, did I wear things that were too short when I was young, of course, but that was mostly to piss my parents off. Was always so satisfying for them to tell me to change and then I just gave them the finger and pranced out of the house.” Roxie said with a mischievous smile. "I see a lot of myself in Jeanie especially…which scares the shit out of me if I’m being perfectly honest with you.” She murmured. "But the outfits the twins want to wear most of the time are patterns that completely clash together…but I guess that’s the 80s.” Roxie shook her head.

She could see that her asking about how he was doing had caught him off guard. Syd’s face could never hide anything, despite never having the opportunity to see him play it, she was sure he was absolutely horrible at poker. She had caught him glancing at her as she sat at the table a few moments ago, there was an expression on his face that she hadn’t seen in what felt like an eternity.

Roxie watched him carefully when she spoke of her cousin and the meeting Conor was at currently in New York. She had been reintroduced to the other side of her ex after finding out about Ricky in Conor’s office and she was slightly nervous that bringing Ricky up was going to trigger him again. But much to her own surprise and relief, Syd just leaned against the island counter and sighed before admitting that he was glad she didn’t end up going. The smallest of smiles formed on her face despite the heaviness of the topic as he said it meant a lot to JJ to have her here. He looked her over and his cheeks had turned pink as he said that she didn’t need the extra stress in her condition.

Roxie found herself once again letting out a soft laugh, "In my condition, I’m not sick you know! Besides, if I could handle what I did 13 years ago, this is basically a cakewalk.” She teased lightly. "I wouldn’t have missed this even if things…you know.” Roxie didn’t want to bring up anything, skirting around what was obvious in order to save not just herself but Syd as well from any overwhelming emotions. "I didn’t get many birthday parties when I was a kid. And the ones I did get ended in arguments most of the time. We might not be the best parents in the world but I think we’ve done a great job at giving them some normalcy.”

She could see him fighting a smile as he turned his gaze back down to the cups he was arranging. Roxie took a moment to look around her as she reflected on this conversation she was having with her ex. It was weird, this type of interaction was something that Matthew had always encouraged her to have with Syd, for the sake of the children. But something had always stopped her from allowing herself to be exposed to his personal life. Roxie’s head tilted up as she stole a secret glance his way, watching as he continued to look at the cups. She’d never stopped caring and to a degree, she never stopped loving Syd, but she had felt she had done what was right to protect herself…at least at the time, she felt that way. She had just lost her father at Syd’s hands, and although it had been done in order to save her…there was a lot of residual anger towards him. Roxie was angry at him, at her father, at her entire family that when he’d lied to her, it had completely pushed her past the tipping point. When JJ was close to being born, they had ended up spending so much more time together, the prospect of having another child bringing them so close together that Roxie was about to patch things up but of course, her own stubbornness had stopped her from doing so, along with her family’s opinion on him.

Roxie watched as he looked up at her once more, saying that he’d been good, finally answering her question as to how he’d been doing. A soft smile graced his face and Roxie returned it with one of her own, though she wasn’t sure if she entirely believed that he’d been doing good. He soon turned the question onto her, her heart skipping a beat without her permission as he called her Rox. She watched as he subtly looked down at her stomach, her hand still delicately placed on it and she looked at it in confusion for a moment, not remembering her resting it there. She looked up to see Syd blushing as he asked if she was showing now. Roxie couldn’t help but smile widely "You are just as baby crazy as your mother.” She teased him before nodding her head. "About 4 almost 5 months now though, kids about the size of a lemon.” The brunette said with a shake of her head. "Remember always comparing the kids to fruits, I find it hilarious that the medical world decided to compare the size of babies to food.” She said with a breathy laugh.

"My next appointment to find out the gender is in a few weeks.” She added, "Trying to distract myself with thoughts of praying for another boy. I don’t think I could handle another girl.” Roxie said with a smirk, "I’m gonna need your help with telling the kids soon…I don’t think I can hide this much longer. I’m running out of outfits with distracting patterns. And I don’t know if she was just trying to be mean but Jeanie told me to lay off the donuts the other day, stating that I was bloated." The woman rolled her eyes.

"Thank you, for keeping this secret by the way…I’m just glad someone knows. It’s nice to talk about it.”
with: Syd Pyroclast

***
(Inside)​

Lucy called out to Syd before she seemed to hear him in the kitchen, "Hellooo!” She sang out as she led all the men towards the kitchen, catching the few words Roxie had been saying, something about a secret. "There you two are! Syd’s not cooking anything in here is he?” Lucy asked Roxie with a large smile on her face. The brunette looked like she had been caught in the act of something but quickly recovered as she flashed Lucy and James a smile and stood to greet them. "You know I’d never let him touch anything in the kitchen, the pots and pans are merely for decorative purposed.” She teased further, glancing Syd’s way a moment before moving to hug James first as Lucy went to greet her son.

"How are you doing, James? I’m so relieved you could be here! JJ has been talking nonstop about you coming today.” Roxie said with a smile.

Lucy reached her arms out to hug Syd tightly, before cupping his cheeks between both of her hands. "And how’s my senior citizen son doing today? How does it feel to have all teenagers!? Pretty soon they are going to have their own family’s! In the blink of an eye!” Lucy said, releasing her son’s cheeks. "You both are going to be empty nesters before you know it!” She murmured. When James was ready, she switched places with him to greet Roxie. "How are you doing, love! It’s been so long since I saw you last!” Lucy stated as she hugged the woman tightly. Roxie let out a small laugh, "Surviving as always!” She stated simply as they both broke away from the hug. "Thank you for being here, I know things are…tense with your family right now. But I’m glad we could all come together to breathe a bit.” Roxie murmured to which Lucy smiled, "You know I’d never miss a good party!” She said.

With that, Roxie turned to greet Finn and George with hugs, "Welcome back to Dublin, you two! It’s been a while!” She said softly, to which Finn smiled and looked at George, "We couldn’t be happier to be back. Family is first and foremost. I can’t believe your kids are so big now!” Roxie smiled widely as she shook her head, "It’s going by so fast, it’s like yesterday they were babies and today they are almost little adults.” Once everyone had properly greeted one another, Lucy clasped her hands together. "Alright, I want everyone out of the kitchen now! Shoo! Shoo! Let me do my thing!” She insisted to which Roxie stated, "Well I can help you in here, Lucy while the guys go talk-“ She was interrupted as Lucy tsked at her. "I don’t need help, dear! Please, go enjoy yourselves! You and Syd have done plenty here! Now go on! Shoo!” The blonde was using a tone that meant she wasn’t leaving the conversation up for debate.

"James, why don’t you go keep Finn and George company, I’ll be there in a little while once I get everything together.” Lucy insisted as she looked to Syd and Roxie. "I noticed there were a few boxes of decorations needing to be hung up, why don’t you two go decorate the dining room!”

Roxie looked to Syd before shrugging her shoulders, "Guess we are on decorating duty.” She said to her ex before nodding her head towards the hallway where she had placed the boxes. Lucy asked them to hold on for a second before grabbing a few bottles of alcohol she had brought with her, "Take these into that room too! Help yourselves to a few drinks!” Handing the bottles to Syd rather forcefully before shooing everyone out of the kitchen.

Finn placed his arm around George and led him towards the living area, knowing that James was not going to be too far behind. "Sheesh, she’s just as bossy as ever, isn’t she?” Finn joked before moving to take a seat on one of the couches. Once James was in the room, Finn smiled at the man warmly, "So Jimbo, what’s it like to be a free old man now? You playing chess in the park on Sundays with the rest of the old geezers in your free time?”
with: James + George Misty Gray ; Syd Pyroclast
(Goodness gracious, this was a lot. Please read carefully XD)

 

[Bellz]

Blake McCarthy
Adam Harper's House
~ Drumcondra, Dublin ~​

Blake followed Adam to sit on the sofa beside him. She listened intently as Adam explain that he felt that Conor was right to go after those who had attacked his family. Blake, of course, was in full agreement. It was interesting to hear that he didn’t agree with blowing up the club in London. Blake listened as he respectfully insisted that he’d have gone there himself with a couple of the family’s best guys and taken down those who needed to be. The blonde nodded her head as she listened, as much as she loved Conor and respected his decisions, she felt that maybe he was starting to lose sight of what really mattered. "Smart of you not to get on his bad side, especially right now. He’s a lot different now than when I had first been introduced to him. I’m not sure if I’m a fan of the person he’s starting to become if I’m being completely honest. He means well, of course…” She let her sentence trail off as she moved to take a drink from her own glass.

With that intense small talk out of the way, Adam asked the question she had been waiting to hear. Looking ahead of her, she was expressionless for a long moment before she turned to face him. "As horrible as all of this shit going down is…it has a funny way of reminding people of what really matters in this big fucked up world, ya know?” Blake looked into his eyes for a long moment before moving to grab his free hand. "I’ve put in a lot of thought…so much though that I’ve lost sleep. I’ve realized that I’ve been stuck living in the past. Hung up on a man that’s never going to walk through my door to tell me he loves me…because his time here ended more than a decade ago.” Blake had thought that this whole thing was going to be a lot harder to say. She felt like maybe what she had confirmed in her own head was just some lie that she had made up in order to attempt to save herself from living out the rest of her life alone. But Blake had felt this way before, a long time ago…with a man who was no longer alive.

She took a deep breath, "I’ve realized that what I’ve been feeling about him…it’s more of longing rather than love at this point. When he was alive, I was deeply in love, there is no denying that. Now…now…” She struggled to speak for a moment as her emotions threatened to get the best of her. Holding up a finger to request he give her a minute, Blake knocked back her drink before clearing her throat. "I’ve not been able to stop thinking about you this entire time. The god awful jokes you make, the way you smile at me…the way you caress me.” Blake bit her lip nervously as she smiled.

"I sincerely hope that what I’m about to say isn’t going to scare you away. I know you don’t scare easily, but Adam…I think I’m falling in love with you.” She admitted, her eyes searching his intensely. "And if that does scare you fine...but I want you to know that I had thought for many years that I wasn't going to feel this way about anyone else." Blake murmured.
with: Adam Misty Gray