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

[Bellz]

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

Peter and Ricky seemed to have the same idea in mind by letting Conor and Teddy get what they needed out in the open. The older man smirked slightly as Conor called Gabriel Count Dracula. Teddy mentioned that Gabe prefers to be called Gomez, trying to be lighthearted about the name-calling but Peter just wanted to say that regardless of the names the man was a downright creep. He bit his tongue and continued to listen to both the men.

They seemed to be going in circles, both stating that what the other had done was wrong but not admitting to their own faults in the situation in the slightest. When Conor brought up Sinead and Liam, Peter stiffened with emotion, listening intently as Conor explained what had happened to the two people he cherished most in this world in tandem with the others in his family. Family was extremely important to him, as a boy, he never had one and had lost his way in life until James hired him to be Sinead's bodyguard. The moment she had graced him with those big beautiful eyes, the rest was history. Teddy looked his way and Peter met the man's eyes, his face expressionless.

Hearing that Teddy didn't know about what happened to Peter's wife and son was confusing to the older man. His eyes narrowed in suspicion as he looked from Teddy and then to Ricky and then back again. Teddy stated that he was above hurting kids and people who never participated in the madness. Teddy said that Sinead and Liam were never supposed to be included before the man looked Peter's way and apologized.

Peter looked the man up and down, silently assessing how much he believed Teddy. The man seemed to be somewhat sincere in his apology, his body language didn't point him in a direction that said otherwise and Peter was sure that if Gabriel were here, he wouldn't be getting the same sort of apology. "While I appreciate the sentiment of an apology I can't help but wonder how the hell you didn't know that my wife and child would be attacked? Doesn't it seem a little weird that someone who is supposed to be your family is lying to your face about plans that you thought you were completely in on?" Peter asked firmly.

"Either you are completely lying about not knowing what was going to happen to the two most innocent people on earth or Gabriel really did pull a fast one on you." Peter looked to his brother-in-law for a long moment before looking to Ricky. "And you, don't you think you could have used your skills to help mediate things? I mean that's your job, isn't it? To keep this kind of shit from happening? Or are you too wrapped up in your own shit to care? You have family involved in this war too, people who could get seriously hurt as well."
with: Teddy Melanin-Gxdess ; Conor + Ricky Misty Gray

 

[Bellz]

Harper King
Le Hospital
~ London, England ~​

Harper let out an airy laugh as she moved to wipe at her tears, careful of the IV still stuck in her arm. "You all thought you'd have to live without me but I just proved that I'm going to live long after all of you are gone." She said lightly. "You are a lot more serious than you use to be, but the fun part about knowing you all of my life is that I know you have your dorky moments. And I have an advantage because I know how to reveal them." The blonde murmured.

If she hadn't been so under the influence of morphine she would have probably pointed out that he had a staring problem as a joke, but just as the sarcastic comment entered her brain, it left in that same instance. She was so out of it she didn't even have anything witty to say about him kissing her knuckles. Staring back at him, she listened as Jeremy said that she still couldn't fire him, especially now. "Great, I get to have everyone watching me 24/7 for the rest of my life. It's like being a celebrity..." Harper said sarcastically, lazily rolling her eyes as she closed them for a brief moment.

Jeremy stood up then, her hand still in his as he did. Harper had felt better than she had a moment ago but for some reason the tears continued to flow down her cheeks. He reached into his bag to grab something and pulled out a silk handkerchief. He thanked her for not firing him or blaming him stating that he could never forgive himself if he let her down. He handed her the cloth and she gratefully took it as she dabbed at her eyes with her free hand.

Her cheeks suddenly warmed as Jeremy said she was an amazing woman, stating that he was glad to see that even death was afraid of her. This caused her to laugh lightly, "I gave it a good arse-kicking. The grim reaper shouldn't come knocking on my door again until I'm at least 98." She joked.

"Also, I don't think I have the ability to fire you. Even if I said you were fired I'm sure my brothers would be quick to inform me that I do not possess that type of power." Harper shook her head. "For someone who just evaded death and came back to life after being squished like a Looney Tune I have to say I don't possess a lot of power in this world." Harper sighed. "Can't say I'm not used to it though, it's how it's always been. I can be as bossy as I want but it won't make a difference if what I say falls upon deaf ears."

"That's why I think your cool, Jere. Sure, you don't listen to everything I say but you do listen sometimes. Same with Billy. I think you guys see something in me that my older brothers and Uncle don't. It's nice to be seen in that way, so thank you."
with: Jeremy BasDorcha

 

[Pyroclast]

The Royal Taphouse
~ Bethnal Green, London ~

Bruce, Billy and Shona King​

The more Spencer elaborated on Alex’s chances of winning custody of Callum, the more confident Billy became in their position over the Sullivans. Callum’s Irish family was far more notorious, full of ex-cons with a criminal history that spanned decades. At least the Kings were clean on paper. Alex then went on to point out how many enemies the Sullivans had accumulated over the years, inferring that they were more likely to attract violent feuds that could endanger the children of the family. In comparison, the only fight the Kings had on their hands was with the Sullivans.

When Bruce then pointed out reasons why each of them should stay home and let someone else be sent to kill Conor and Syd, Spencer instantly spoke up to confirm his involvement. Bruce trusted that he would never go against his orders, no matter how strongly he wanted to do something, but on this occasion he didn’t feel inclined to stop him from going after Conor. As long as they had a plan in place and were all on the same page before anyone left for Dublin, he trusted the experienced man to get the job done.

Billy had to decide if he wanted to be involved in the hit. Sure, he wasn’t opposed to beating someone up, knocking them out - there was a level of violence he was comfortable with, but it wasn’t much higher than the average pub brawler. His brother, on the other hand, seemed confident in killing, having done it enough times in the past. While Billy wasn’t certain he had it in him to take someone’s life - especially someone he knew - Spencer’s words echoed in his head: ’He nearly killed most of the people we love and I've killed men for less.’ His eyes narrowed as he gazed pensively at the table, as if watching the blueprints of a plan come together before him. He supposed he wouldn’t necessarily have to be the one to do the actual killing if Spencer was there - and if he could make himself useful by assisting his brother, then that would at least put his mind at ease.

“I want to go, too,” he said decidedly, raising his eyes to meet Bruce’s. “We can’t let ‘em do this again. They came too close and I ain’t gonna sit around and let someone else fix the problem for us. It’s too personal.”

Bruce wasn’t as convinced by Billy’s decision as he was by Spencer’s. He had no doubt the man wanted to stop the war before it got any further, but he still wasn’t sure he would be able to cope with the mission in the same way Spencer could. “I don’t know, Bill…”

“I’m doin’ it,” Billy firmly argued. “For Harper.”

Alex echoed the sentiment, declaring his will to be involved and justifying the risk of betraying Callum by pointing out that the mission was necessary. Bruce had to agree with that - if the Sullivans were neither willing to talk it out nor back down, then killing their leaders was really the most effective way to stop the war in its tracks. However, Alex cut off mid-sentence, distracted by Spencer who had stopped paying attention to the meeting. One by one, everyone’s eyes followed where Spencer was looking, but before anyone else could question him, he shot out of his seat and charged forward. He dealt a heavy punch into a man’s face before grabbing him by the collar and dragging him over a table and onto the ground. Billy couldn’t remember the last time he had seen his brother get riled up like that - something seemed to have triggered Spencer, but even as Billy craned his neck to catch a glimpse of the man’s face, he still couldn’t begin to guess who it was.

“Woah,” he muttered, sliding his chair back. “What’s got into -” He felt a heavy hand come down on his shoulder and looked up to see Bruce walking past him. Still with no idea what was going on, Billy looked over at Alex to see if he had a clue, only to see that his brother had gone a little pale and his breathing had turned heavy. He wasn’t sure he had ever seen Alex look so visibly nervous before. If this man had done something to make Spencer fly into a fit of rage and make Alex sweat, surely Billy would have heard about it before. “Alex?” he asked in a low voice. “What are you not tellin' me?”

Spencer shouted at everyone to get out of the pub and a baby’s high-pitched scream pierced through the air. Shona was shocked at what she was seeing and was clutching Edward close against her, rubbing his back as the noise and chaos upset him. Shona quickly shook her head at Darcey and Erik. “Not you,” she whispered. “He’s not telling you to leave, don’t go anywhere.” The smashing of a bottle made her flinch - normally violence didn’t faze her, but with her newborn baby in her arms she felt deeply protective. Bruce came over to their table and put a hand on Darcey’s shoulder. “You lot can go,” he suggested, keeping his voice low. “Things might nasty ‘ere.”

“Fuck that, this is my party!” Shona fired back. “If me and Eddie bein’ here is all that stops Spencer slittin' that guy’s throat, then I’m staying. I ain’t lettin’ my husband kill someone unless I know he’s worth it.”

Bruce sighed. “Trust me, luv’ - he deserves far worse.”

Having heard the man address Spencer in a familiar way, his words suggesting that he had seen a less tough version of Spencer, Billy got to his feet. “Oi Spence, who’s this clown?”

There was a pause in which the only sound was little Edward’s inconsolable cries of distress, and a tension hung in the air that made each second seem longer than the last. Finally, Spencer introduced them. At first Billy didn’t register the name. It wasn’t until Alex dared to lift his gaze towards the man and speak to him that he understood who it was. Trevor greeted them and somehow just having the man’s eyes on him made Billy feel violated. His mouth hung open as he stared at him, suddenly feeling a little dizzy.

Bruce stepped between Trevor and his three nephews and started closing in on the man. “You got some nerve showin’ up ‘ere like this,” he growled. “You know how many people you got queued up to bleed you dry? You better start talkin’, mate, ‘cause I’m first in line.”

Interactions
Misty Gray Spencer, Trevor
Melanin-Gxdess Alex, Erik, Darcey

Bellz Harper (mentioned)

 

[Misty Gray]

May Thatcher's Place
~ East London ~

Christian Brooks​

Christian had found it slightly amusing when May gave him a small static shock as she passed him his tea. "Would you look at that, May Thatcher. One might say there's something of a spark between us," he couldn't help but joke. He then lightly chuckled when she said she was given alcohol over milk from the start. "Oh, I don't doubt that," he remarked.

Christian had been glad that May hadn't seemed to catch on to any awkwardness he was feeling upon seeing Trevor Stewart in the photograph she'd shown him. To tell her what he knew now would only open up a huge can of worms that he didn't want opening until his employers were aware. The last thing he wanted was to go upsetting Bruce and Spencer, given how much stress they were already under and that Trevor was a very sensitive subject. The you woman vocalised the possible outcomes of who her father could be, that he could be great or he could be the kind of arsehole his actions over two decades ago painted him out to be. Christian wasn't about to give her false hope when he already had some idea of who Trevor was as a person. He wished he could just tell her she was better off not knowing him, but that would confirm he knew more than he could let on at present. "Considering what you already know of him and how he treated your mother, it is perhaps wise to show caution when building any picture of what you think he might be like. We all want to know who we are and where we came from, but we should be prepared for the answers not always being pleasant ones." He quickly shook his head when she suggested she was the curse. "That's illogical thinking and it's not healthy. If problems were happening from the moment you were conceived, then fault rests far beyond you. If there is a curse - which I sincerely doubt - then blame your parents, as they were the only ones present during your conception." Christian brought his mug to his mouth and took a small sip of tea, briefly wondering how he suddenly found himself a part of such a conversation.

As May went on, the pieces he'd stopped needing the moment he saw the photo still continued to stack up. The whole 'TK' initials was a dead giveaway. The story of her mother being on drugs didn't sound too far removed from what he knew of Laura King - the wife Trevor walked out on and who went on to die of a drug overdose. He wished he could tell May to give up on the idea of finding her father and to just move on with her life, but he knew it wasn't that simple. No matter how much of a bastard Trevor so far seemed to be, it was May's right to learn the truth that she seemed keen on seeking. "How about you leave this with me and I'll let you know if I decide to just burn it in the end?" he lightly suggested as he tucked the photograph into his jacket pocket.

May seemed keen to steer away from the subject, which Christian welcomed as he wasn't enjoying withholding information from her. She proceeded to deal a pack of cards for a game of poker and handed out some biscuits. Christian was about to decline and suggest he left her in peace, but something compelled him to stick around and spend more time with May. He supposed it wouldn't hurt for him to branch out further and expand on his social circle. "You think I'm dressed fancy, do you? I suppose I did figure my visit was business and I should look the part," he told her, though part of him had wanted to make an extra effort for a reason he was subconsciously trying to ignore. "Fine, I will let you entertain me for a bit," he relented.

When he had another drink of tea, he acknowledged the alcohol May had poured herself and the early jokes about it. "I'm not tea-total or anything like that, by the way," he began to explain. "I wasn't planning on drinking when I came over, so I drove here. I won't touch a drop of alcohol if I'm driving... My sister was killed when she was just 14. Hit by drunk driver who then walked free from court. It's why I decided to be a detective rather than a lawyer - figured I'd feel better catching the bad guys rather than end up defending them," he remarked. Taking a moment to study the hand of cards he'd been dealt, he shrugged his shoulders. "I've realised since then it's not as straightforward as that. After all, these days I'd rather work for the Kings than the Police." He studied May's face for a time, half of his focus on seeing if she was giving anything away about her hand, whilst the other part of him was thinking about other matters. His skill of focusing on multiple thought processes at the same time. "I'm not saying your dad will turn out to be a good or bad buy, but I guess it would be for you to determine based on the evidence presented to you. And twenty years is plenty of time for a person to change, if they're not too complacent and beyond self-evaluation."

BasDorcha (May)

 

[BasDorcha]

Le Hospital
Jeremy Gray​

Jeremy laughed a little bit when she called out that he has dorky moments and knew how to reveal them. As if to prove a point, he made a face at her, crossing his eyes and letting his mouth hang in a slack jawed style, his tongue sticking out of his mouth just a bit. It only lasted for a moment, but for that moment, he was the image of his younger self, goofing off and not so serious all the time. Mentally, he made a note to figure out when he became such a serious guy and not the one she remembered.

He released her hand, though his mind sulked about it, and his heart slowed a bit. “I will try to give you more space, that way you can be you. I know it’s not fair to have to deal with me all the time. I’ll try to become one of those guys who stays outside the door, never inside, or within shouting distance. How about that?” Did he really just offer to spend less time with her? Mentally Jeremy was kicking himself, but he respected her and he wanted to make her happy. Shaking his head slightly, at himself not her, he pulled his chair right next to the bed, and turned so that they were feet to head and side by side with him in the chair and his feet on her side table.

“I would love to say you’re wrong about not having the power, but your uncle and your brothers are just trying to protect you the best way they know how. If you tried to fire me, they’d probably still keep me around just at a distance and try to make it like I was a secret. I’d rather you know the truth.” He shrugged, seeming to have relaxed a bit. When she thanked him, the tips of his ears turned pink, his eyes widening a little with surprise though they never met hers. Instead, he just gave a quick smile and nodded, while looking at his feet, “You’re welcome Harp.”

For a few moments they were silent. He wasn’t sure why he felt so uncertain suddenly. He also hated how his mind was always so at war around her. Then adding in how his heart felt it was like a three way battlefield. There was this man that he had been since realizing what was needed of a mob soldier, quiet, stoic, uncaring, unflinching. When he was with the guys, working a different type of job, he never would be seen smiling and goofing off, and nothing would incite more then indifference in him. Then there was Jeremy as a friend with the guys just hanging out and drinking or bullshitting. That guy was a little more relaxed, laughed and smiled more, and participated in the typical guy shit. Then there was Harper’s Jeremy, which had just recently come into existence, and he didn’t know how to handle it.

He had never felt more confused and certain at the same time in his life. He wanted to be a combination of all his other selves and still be this romantic, sweep her off her feet guy that couldn’t help but kiss her knuckles, or feed her food, or rub her feet after her shifts at the diner. If the guys could see him, they’d eat him alive, but when she was around, he didn’t care. Would he ever find a way to tell her how he felt, now that he had put words to what it was? Realizing he had fallen quiet, he looked up at Harper, giving her a slight smile.

“Let’s play a game, I’ll even let you go first. You’re allowed to ask me anything you want, and I’ll answer it truthful, regardless of how much I might not want too, but there is a catch. You have to answer your own question after I answer it, and before I ask you one.” Jeremy had played this in college as an ice breaker at a party, and it had been nothing but sexualized energy, but he figured it would be better then that with them. “For example. If you ask me what my name is, I’ll tell you Jeremy Dean Gray. You’ll then tell me your full name Harper Elizabeth King. Then we’ll go back and forth on questions. Deal?”

Mentions:
Bellz - Harper

 

[Pyroclast]

Sicilian Avenue
~ Bloomsbury, London ~

Tatiana Moretti​

By now Tatiana was used to Jocelyn not speaking very much. As much as Tatiana enjoyed conversation, she found there were many situations in life when speaking was unnecessary - picking up women in a nightclub where the chemistry did all the talking, or torturing targets that she didn’t need information from. Jocelyn was another kind of non-verbal relationship but one that Tatiana didn’t doubt she would be able to handle if she was just patient. And since she didn’t know how long she would be stationed in London for, she figured she might as well be as patient as Jocelyn needed her to be.

The pair crossed the road hand in hand, heading towards the grand archway through which a bright and inviting sunbeam shone. Tatiana had been there only once before but hadn’t explored it as much as she would have liked. She hadn’t expected to find someone who would want to go out with her and do that kind of thing. Damian was her partner and while she enjoyed his company and his rather odd personality, she couldn’t imagine that he would want to go on a leisurely day out to explore a place that meant something sentimental to Tatiana - or that if he did, he might not really understand why she was so happy to be there.

Jocelyn, on the other hand, was different. Tatiana could tell by the way the woman clung adoringly onto her arm as they walked that she would follow her anywhere. Tatiana could take her to a desolate car park for a date and she would still probably look at her with those big starry eyes. That was the kind of person she wanted to share something special with - and while she couldn’t take her to Sicily while there was a gang war going on, Sicilian Avenue was the next best thing.

Through the noisy London traffic, she heard Jocelyn’s timid voice ask if they could go inside. She was pointing to a building and when Tatiana looked towards it, she saw that it was an independent art gallery, with a restaurant on the second floor. She gazed up at it for a moment before walking Jocelyn slowly towards the shop window. Saying nothing, she led Jocelyn inside, where they were immediately greeted in Italian by a sharply-dressed young man with his black waves neatly combed back in an old-fashioned style.

“Ciao,” she simply greeted him in return, looking to Jocelyn with a smile to see if she would say anything back. The room was filled with beautiful and colourful paintings: religious icons, street scenes, vibrant markets with florists and fruit vendors, seaside villages with boats anchored on the shore - and in the corner sat an old man at his easel, painting his next work of art. It was just like where she had grown up. “Benvenuto,” she whispered to Jocelyn with a tender smile on her face. “You hungry?”

Turning to the gallery assistant, she asked, “Do you have a table for two?”

They were led upstairs to the restaurant, where there was an unreserved table open right by the arched window that looked down onto the street below. “È perfetto, grazie,” she said, and the pair were guided towards the table. On the adjacent wall was a piece of art that caught her eye - a beautiful oil painting of two women on the balcony of an old picturesque building adorned with flowers, looking over a cobbled courtyard from which many lit alleyways stemmed, no doubt leading into equally nostalgic scenes. It set a dreamy smile on Tatiana’s face, which only grew when she looked across the table at Jocelyn.

“You’re still such a mystery to me, you know,” she told her. “I want to know more about you, Jocelyn. However you can tell me or show me, I want to be let into your life a little more. Do you have anything you can share?”

Interactions
BasDorcha Jocelyn

 

[Misty Gray]

The Royal Taphouse
~ Bethnal Green, East London ~

Spencer King and Trevor Stewart​

With years of pent-up aggression and hatred for the man who had walked out on his family, it was difficult for Spencer not to get wrapped up in his own feelings about Trevor's sudden appearance. Having finished downing his beer, Spencer stood holding the empty pint glass in his hand, his ears tuning in to not only the men's voices around him, but also the cries of his newborn son who had been disturbed by the sounds of the commotion. He looked to Alex as his brother addressed Trevor before directing his eyes down to the table. His focus then shifted on to Billy who seemed stunned by the scene and no doubt shocked to now be staring at Trevor.

With Bruce stepping forward, Spencer placed a hand each on his brothers' shoulders, putting on enough pressure to provide reassurance but not discomfort. "We'll all deal with this, lads. We're all adults now and we're calling the shots, not him," he firmly assured them taking a moment to look each of them in the eyes. With his uncle addressing Trevor, Spencer took a moment to walk away and approach Shona and Edward, who were still with Darcey and Erik. He sat himself beside Shona and placed his arm around her, kissing the side of her head. As she held Edward close to try settle him down, Spencer reached his free and up to gently run his son's back. "It's okay, Eddie. Ain't nobody going to harm you," he softly told him. He then looked up to Shona and shook his head. "I have to deal with Trevor, love. He doesn't get to just walk in here without getting what's coming to him. And I won't let him anywhere near Eddie," he assured her.

Meanwhile, Trevor had just straightened out his shirt and let out a relieved breath following having a smashed glass bottle held to his throat when he saw Bruce approaching. It was expected that Bruce would have a lot to say, but Trevor had been somehow hoping the man wouldn't stick his nose in. He'd never got along with him from the start, so he wasn't expecting any better now. "Bruce. A pleasure, as always," Trevor drily remarked. He took a deep breath as he was reminded of how many people wanted their pound of flesh. "I've wanted to come back for a while now, and after what happened a couple of weeks back, it's clear my kids need all the help they can get. I've had a lot of time to think about this over the years..." He looked past Bruce to where Spencer was seated. "I tried come back before - to put things right. Ain't that right, Spence? I wanted to come back years ago, but you threatened to kill me and paid me to disappear," he called out. He then looked back to Bruce. "I'm a changed man and I want to prove it to my kids," he said, looking Bruce in the eyes.

After giving Shona another kiss, Spencer got up to his feet. Trevor was threatening to rile him up again, his comments about him paying him off to leave felt like his father was trying to shift focus and blame onto him. "Let's all take this into the back office," Spencer firmly suggested, looking to Bruce and then his brothers. Spencer wanted to smash Trevor's face in, but not in front of Shona and Edward. He then caught Kane's eye and pointed to the entrance. "Open the place back up and keep an eye out for any other pricks walking in. I won't have everyone's day ruined because my piss stain of a father showed up."

Once Bruce, Spencer, Alex and Billy had accompanied him into the back room, Trevor awkwardly ran his hand through his hair, waiting until the door was closed behind them. "Is this where you all let me explain or where you kill me, because I'd prefer the first one?" he remarked. "I'm not excusing me walking out on you all, but it seemed like the right thing to do at the time. Bruce here never gave me a chance from the start," he pointed out. He looked to the man in the question. "Laura was old enough to make her own decisions before I even met her, so any choices she made were hers. Still, it breaks my heart knowing she died after I left and that you couldn't help her either. I thought removing myself would be good for her, but I was wrong," he explained. "Seems like for all the hot air and bravado, you couldn't help her either, mate..."

Melanin-Gxdess (Alex, Darcey, Erik)
Pyroclast (Bruce, Billy, Shona)

 

[BasDorcha]

Tom and Maeve Thatcher​

Tom had traveled the long way around to May’s house, stopping to pick up flowers for his sister, and seeing some sites from the taxi window as he rode along. On the radio of the taxi a light orchestral jazz filled the air, and he was glad he was on his way to Maeve. It made him think of her, the way she use to sing while she made them dinner or worked. He realized suddenly how much he’d missed her. As they pulled up in front of the apartment building that matched the address he had given, he furled his eyes. It didn’t look terrible, but he had expected she lived in a nicer looking building. This one looked old but clean, if not a bit run down.

He tipped the driver, grabbed his gifts and bags out of the back, and entered the building, checking the apartment number. 3A. Two flights of stairs were easy, if not a bit rough considering how full his hands were, coming to a stop before an old door in need of a paint job. Looking at the handle, it looked like he could probably open it without any help, key or not. He made a mental note to talk to his sister and make sure she knew her safety was not where he’d like it at this place.

********************​

May listened to what he said, nodding as she agreed. “I promise, I wont get my hopes up.” When he started talking about his sister, she put her cards down and watch with an intensively look, making sure to pay attention because it seemed he was opening up to her. A touch of sadness for him washed across her face at his story. She imagined loosing her brothers and how much it would destroy her. She gave him an empathetic look and declined the urge to reach over and squeeze his hand. “I’m sorry to hear about your sister. That is truly unfair for anyone to go through, regardless of whether life is typically unfair or not. I for one am glad you are working with the King’s. I would never have had so much… fun… if you hadn’t found out the information about my lineage.” She carefully avoided using the word family, because they were not what she called family. “I am sorry it came to that for you to find your way though. Life has a cruel and funny way of guiding us.”

She fell silent for a moment thinking about her hand, and what they had been talking about. It wasn’t an uncomfortable silence, but quite the opposite. After a few minutes she stood up and went to an old record player she had brought with her from home, and put on one of her favorites – Kitty Kallen’s Its been a long, long time. When the music quietly filled the room, her soft but skilled voice followed along, singing with the artist.

“Kiss me once… Then, kiss me twice… Then kiss me once again… Its been a long, long timeeeee. Haven’t felt like this, my dear…. Since can’t remember when… It’s been a long, long time…” Her voice seemed to sing the lyrics like they were as natural and breathing. She returned to their hand at the table, picking up her cards and was studying her card’s while still singing along. Either the singing was protecting her from revealing her poker face, or she was skilled enough to not have a hyper-visible tell. “You’ll never know… How many dreams I dream about you… Or just how empty they all seem without you…”

There was something that seemed to work well with May and the jazzy, war time music. Smiling, she looked up at him, threw down two cards, and drew two more off the top of the stack she had sat to the side of facedown cards. When the music on interlude ended and the singing started again, so did May. “So, Kiss me once… Then, kiss me twice… Kiss me once again… It’s been a long, long time.” She figured her singing would be nothing new to Christian as he surely had seen her at the bar before, not that she had seen him. It just seemed logical to her he’d probably seen her, and she hadn’t seen him.

Her hand was set alright, but she wasn’t trying to win, if anything, she was trying to let Christian win as she had put down what could have been her best chance at a hand. She was genuinely enjoying having his presence around her and since she wasn’t playing for money, there was no need to reveal her cardsharking skills to him. For the first time, May realized she was actively not pushing someone away or pretending to be someone she wasn’t because she felt on display. Maybe it was because Christian, being a PI and having investigated her, knew more about her then even she might have figured. Maybe it was the strange warmth pooled in her stomach or the warmth that graced her cheeks and ears when he looked directly her. In either case, since the night of the bombing, she hadn’t felt like acting to be someone she wasn’t anymore, or being the perfect female on display. It might also be that it was all part of a bar persona she kept to protect herself from the way people acted like jerks.

She opened her mouth to tease him about being ready to loose his biscuits, when a knock came at the door. She furled her eyebrows, looked startled and confused. “Christian… Was someone suppose to meet you here when you left? Only you and Darcey and Spencer know where I live, I don’t have any friends-“ she choked a bit, realizing how badly she was about to expose herself and her lameness, “that would be coming by to visit.” She tried to recover quickly. Since the nightclub May found herself nervous about the unknown, and a sudden, unexpected visitor – which she couldn’t remember ever having – sent panic rising in her throat for seeming without reason.

Mentions: Misty Gray - Christian

 

[Misty Gray]

Sullivan Family Home
~ Sutton, Dublin ~

Sinead Callahan​

Sinead couldn't help but smile as Sydney thanked her for coming to see her. Her little niece was always a joy to be around and once she was feeling better, Sinead intended to continue on with the girl's piano lessons. With them all sat down, Sinead watched as Aliana helped Sydney with setting up and putting on some music. "Oooh, Tchaikovsky! What a treat for you, honey," Sinead enthused. As soon as the headphones were on and the music playing, Sinead knew the adult conversations could officially commence and braced herself for the likely subjects. "It's a shame Allen isn't awake. I do like having little catch-ups with your dad," she told Aliana, with a fond smile.

When Aliana confirmed she hadn't heard anything more about Conor and Peter since before the meeting when they confirmed they were safe in New York, Sinead couldn't help but frown. She'd hoped Aliana would have heard more since. Regardless of whether they'd been safe at the hotel, much of Sinead's anxiety was around when the men would meet the Morettis for the meeting. That was the point she felt there was more danger. "Moretti is a horrible man and I hope it isn't some kind of trap. After what happened to us, I don't trust him one bit," she admitted. She quickly shook her head when Aliana apologised for getting her weary so soon. "No, it's okay. It's nothing more than the anxiety I've already been feeling. And it's not just the Morettis being horrible people that worries me - there's the fact that Conor can be..." she began, falling silent as she glanced to Michelle. Deciding her niece was a grown adult more than capable of hearing the truth, she let out a sigh before continuing. "Conor can either be a hot head or stubborn, or both, and neither will work out well if Teddy is as smug and cocky as Gabriel is," she pointed out. "I just hope Conor keeps his cool and sticks to what he intended. Stopping this constant fighting with the Morettis." Sinead had to stop herself and take a drink, knowing she was on the verge of expressing how mad she still was with Conor. She didn't want to upset Aliana or Michelle by expressing it. Having been close to her brother for most of their lives, it hurt her to feel like they were strangers now.

"I'm getting by," Sinead answered when Aliana asked how she was. "Still getting a lot of discomfort in my stomach, but I'm just glad it wasn't more serious in the end. And Liam seems to be coping fine, especially with him able to focus on the religious stuff to distract himself." She then looked back to Aliana. "How about you, sweetie? How are you?" Then, she directed her focus to Michelle. "And come on, missy. Don't think you can drop by here unannounced and not tell me what your story is!"

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

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

The Royal Taphouse
~ Bethnal Green, East London ~

Alex King, Darcey Hargraves, and Erik Snowden

​

As Alex sat at the table with his head down, he could sense that familiar feeling of fight or flight kicking in. With the unforeseen emotional response being triggered within him he was trying not to resort to his ways - ignoring the situation and running away. Normally he would have already been up and out of the door but he had to fight the urge to do so. The bouncing of his leg was an indication that his body was confused by the lack of fleeing as was the tapping on the table. Nervous ticks he wished would go away. He didn't want anyone to see him like this, especially Trevor. Alex didn't want to give the man any sort of ammunition when it came to insults so he had to get it together quickly.

Finally he looked up once more, this time his eyes on Shona as she shouted back to Spencer, telling him she wasn't going anywhere. If anyone should be leaving it was Trevor but that wasn't going to happen. No, the man was like a disease, and until they could figure out what he wanted he wouldn't be gone for long. Billy stood up and demanded to know who the stranger before them was. The moment he did Alex's eyes shot to Spencer for a moment. Before the explosion, the two of them had agreed to try and keep Trevor as far as possible from Billy and Harper. There was no reason for the two of them to ever meet Trevor nor know anything else about him. Unfortunately, they'd failed, seeing as the man they were trying to protect their younger siblings from was standing in the pub.

Something about Spencer's reassuring touch and voice calmed Alex down. Maybe it was because he was his older brother and had always protected them - but it gave him the confidence boost he needed to face Trevor. He looked up at him and nodded his head before the man went to join his wife and newborn. His attention settled on the interaction between Bruce and Trevor - his biological father and the man who was more a father than he was. Alex was expecting Bruce to lay into him right then and there, but then again the man hadn't been the type. Still, he was hoping just seeing the man's face would bring him out of character just this once. Trevor then began to explain his reasoning for being back - the explosion supposedly being why. Alex let out a scoff, leaning back in his seat. "Yeah, and what exactly can you do for us? Get us addicted to drugs and teach us how to be an even bigger piece of shit?"

Trevor went on to explain how he had actually come back a while ago - that Spencer had paid him to leave and never return. For a moment Alex wondered why he hadn't heard about it, but instead of saying something right then, his eyes remained glued to Trevor. "Yet you're here. What happened, you snort all the money? Stick it in your veins? Drink it all?" He angrily accused. The anger wasn't just towards Trevor, but now Spencer. How could he have known Trevor had come sniffing around a long time ago, paid him off, and not said anything? To him, at least? For starters, he would have been heavily against giving the man any sort of money - Trevor wasn't even worth a stray penny on the ground. Spener suggested they all go into the backroom to talk and Alex dragged his feet getting there.

The moment they were in the room Trevor began to explain himself. It sounded like he was trying to blame Bruce for him leaving and Alex let out a scoff, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "Can't take responsibility for anything can you?" His tone was disgusted and the look on his face even more so. It only got worse when he mentioned his mother and Alex's arms dropped down to his sides. Hearing the way he talked to Bruce about her sent memories flashing in his mind briefly before fading away. Some part of him knew he hadn't completely gotten over his mother's death and Trevor's abandonment - the abuse and trauma he and his siblings had gone through and it was becoming clearer and clearer the more he stood there. The moment Trevor alluded to Bruce not being able to save Laura something in Alex snapped and he walked towards Trevor. His left hand grabbed the man's shirt he had just straightened out before his right dealt another hook to his face. "You keep her fucking name out of your mouth! You played an even bigger role in her death than any goddamn dealer!"

​

Trevor's sudden appearance sent a chill down Darcey's spine and she didn't like it. Not because she was afraid of him or anything of the like, either. No, the reasoning behind him being here was unknown and Darcey didn't like not having all the information. Besides, she couldn't Trevor just like everyone else in the building. Darcey had been present to see the decline of the bright and vibrant girl Laura had been before Trevor came into the picture. It broke her heart when she heard she had overdosed and the only thing she wanted to do was kill Trevor. He'd been the reason she started taking drugs, to begin with, and if he hadn't been in the picture perhaps she still would be.

She watched as the four of them moved to the back room and as soon as she heard the door close she turned her attention back to Shona. Darcey moved to sit in the seat next to her, wrapping an arm delicately around her shoulders. "You alright?" She asked, tilting her head to look at her. "Bruce and the others aren't going to let Spencer make any stupid decisions, okay?" She tried to reassure. "Don't let this stress you out - you're meant to be enjoying your new baby boy, hm?" She smiled and squeezed her shoulder before removing her arm and placing it on the table. People had begun walking back into the pub - including the barmaid Darcey had flagged down to bring her a pint immediately.

Erik had been sitting across from them having watched the entire scene unfold. The only thought in his head at the moment had been Billy and how he was processing it all - considering he had never heard him talk much about Trevor, to begin with. Though this probably wasn't the best time for it, Erik was realizing there were quite a few things he didn't know about Billy and his parents were one of them. It was clear to him - based on the way Bruce, Spencer, and Alex had reacted - that this Trevor person was quite a character. But the way Billy reacted? It told him he didn't know who the man was. With a heavy breath, he looked at the two ladies he was sitting across from and smiled at them. "I'm glad I'm not the only one with daddy issues and basically want to," he dragged his index finger across his throat, not wanting to talk about homicide in front of the newborn. "Their old man." Darcey shot him a look that told him to shut up and he immediately pursed his lips together. "Erm... Sorry. Shona," he said, clasping his hands together. "Let's talk nursery! You got everything set up? I've been told I'm great with my hands," he said, mentioned, attempting to lighten the mood.

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

​

 

[Pyroclast]

Syd's House
~ CLASSIFIED ~

Jane Carriveau-Porter​

Jane had gradually felt herself growing numb as the family’s suffering mounted up. When Matthew had been killed everything suddenly felt oddly unfamiliar to her as she was forced to navigate the grief, shock and trauma, the changes in her mother’s behaviour, a newfound fear of the outdoors. And just as she had started to feel more confident, Sinead, Aliana, Leo and Liam were all attacked. Most of the time Jane just wanted to spend time with her dad and Jeanie, and sometimes JJ if he wasn’t being annoying. Watching Roxie go through the stages of grief scared her and she had noticed her mother acting even more strangely recently, which she couldn’t understand. Because of how overwhelming life had become, she was surprised to find that she was genuinely looking forward to JJ’s birthday party. Rhiannon would be there and she knew there was a chance the girl would still be upset about her mother and brother’s recent attack, but she was still looking forward to catching up with her in a positive and safe environment.

Making herself look pretty definitely helped her to look forward to the day. She had been planning her outfit for weeks to ease any anxiety and ended up going with a vibrant, multicoloured playsuit and some statement jewellery to match. She was determined to have the most colourful outfit at the party and she was pretty satisfied with her efforts - so when the boys threatened to soak them with water pistols she instinctively jumped back as if they already had the toy weapons in their hands. Jeanie thankfully shouted them down, and Rhiannon’s appearance gave her a welcome distraction from the annoying boys.

“Yeah, JJ’s bound to act like he’s king of the world just because it’s his birthday,” she tutted, rolling her eyes when Jeanie told Rhiannon the party would have been a sausage fest without her. “At least now you're here we have an excuse not to pay attention to the boys!”

Hugs were distributed between Lucy, James, George and Finn, but Jane could see that they had a lot of things to carry in and organise once they got into the house so she was happy to leave them to it and instead run inside with Rhiannon and Jeanie, safely away from responsibility and the mischievous boys. Once they had found somewhere they could relax, Jeanie asked Rhiannon how things had been at home. Jane was always glad that her sister asked those things, because sometimes Jane didn’t know how to. Rhiannon turned serious for a moment as she mulled the question over, but ultimately found something positive to say. Jane had a feeling there was a lot she wasn’t telling them, but it was very early on in the party and the atmosphere was high so maybe later in the evening she might feel ready to talk more about it.

“What’s Michelle like?” Jane asked when Rhiannon mentioned their new family guest, leaning forward in her seat with a curious smile. “It must be so cool having a grown up sister. Totally different to a mom, right?”

Rhiannon asked them about the new house and Jane looked at Jeanie before turning back to Rhiannon. "It's kinda exciting," she said. "But it's sooo tiring, Rhi! There's always more unpacking and decorating and tidying and it feels like its never gonna end...I can't wait to just be settled. I never wanna move house again!" She paused for a moment as an image of Matthew came into her head. A small sigh escaped her before adding in a quiet voice, "I think mom needed the change, though."

Interactions
Bellz Jeanie
Melanin-Gxdess Rhiannon

Mentioned:
Misty Gray James, George, Sinead, Liam, MMM
BasDorcha Michelle

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Sullivan Family Home
~Dublin, Ireland~

Aliana Sullivan

​

Ali could see the disappointment in Sinead's face when she wasn't able to give her more news. She wished she had been able to talk to Conor right before the meeting but it hadn't happened. She shared her anxious feeling, not knowing exactly what Moretti had up his sleeves. From the time in New York to the incident a few weeks ago he had always been unpredictable. Bombs, shootings, torturing, kidnapping. There was no telling what the man wouldn't do and she knew to expect the worse. Unfortunately, it caused nothing but terrible thoughts to flood her mind and it was honestly the last thing she needed. It didn't matter that they weren't directly meeting with Gabriel but with his consigliere and Ricky - the latter being a man she more recently had decided wasn't trustworthy at all. None of them put her mind at ease and she wouldn't be able to calm down until she was able to see and hear her husband's voice. Sinead then brought up another concern they both seemed to share - Conor and his temper.

The woman had been no stranger to the after-effects of the man's temper either - the date-night turned murder she and Peter worked to cover up while Conor and Sinead watched from the sidelines. It was also the reason he had ended up in jail all those years ago that caused her to nearly ask for a divorce. Worrying about his attitude had been a shared sentiment and Ali rubbed the back of her neck, letting out a deep sigh. "He is incredibly stubborn," she repeated, looking towards Michelle. "So if your children grow up to be that way thank him," she lightly said. Shaking her head she turned her attention back to Sinead. "Here's hoping he doesn't try to get a rise out of him again. When Conor was first released, apparently Teddy and some other guy were at a restaurant Conor and Finn had been in. And in order to try and get a rise out of Conor made it seem as if I had slept with him." Ali let out a scoff, rolling her eyes as she thought about the memory. Conor had asked her about it and, in typical Ali fashion, she had gotten upset with him for it. "If he's still up to his manipulative ways then I'm hoping your brother will be able to see through it this time around," she said, leaning forward to pick up the frozen martini that sat on the tray.

"Hopefully with Pete there," she said, continuing after she took a sip, "He can be. Your husband, ever the cool, calm, and collected man." Ali smiled at Sinead and couldn't help but feel a bit... Jealous. Truly, she was jealous of everyone's marriage status at the moment but Sinead and Peter's had come in second place - Finn and George being the first, of course. Though they had their bumps in the road they had gotten over them and had become closer because of it. Lately, Ali felt as if she was losing her husband and she worried that this most recent attack would be the reason it fell apart if they kept ignoring what happened. Their marriage counselor in New York had gotten them on the right track and they were doing so well. When had it gone so wrong?

Aliana nodded her head as Sinead gave her an update on her wounds. It was good to see that she had been healing well from it, along with Liam. It still broke her heart to hear that the young boy had been included in this mess, to begin with, and she hoped none of the children in the family would have to ever again. That's why she had been willing to let Conor go to New York and do what he needed - for their sake. When asked about herself, Ali raised a subconscious hand to her throat once again. "It's healing alright - Finn is amazing, of course. Still sore and hoarse, as you can tell, but otherwise it's moving along. Leo," she said, shaking her head, "He hasn't talked much about what happened. Like he's just shoving things down and it's all so... Tension between the three of us, I guess. No one really knows what to say, you know?"

The attention was then turned to Michelle and her arrival, which Ali nodded her head in agreement. Though she had been told the story by both Michelle and Conor, she was still curious. "Agreed! It's all so sudden- erm, not that we don't enjoy having you here, it's lovely to see you outside of the holidays but," she gestured to her with an open palm, beckoning her to explain. "You did kinda just pop up, so go on, tell us everything!" She said, thankful for the distraction.

Michelle ( BasDorcha )
Sinead ( Misty Gray )

 

[Misty Gray]

Adam Harper's House
~ Drumcondra, Dublin ~

Adam Harper​

Adam let out a dry laugh when Blake said it was smart of him not to get on Conor's bad side. It wasn't that he was scared of his boss, but the last thing he wanted was end up losing his position within the mob - a family he'd spent decades working for and had grown close to in some aspects. Nor was he scared of death, but he'd much rather die at the hands of an enemy, during battle, than be killed by a man he'd always been on good terms with and respected. "The mixture of the losses he's experienced and the leadership position he's in was bound to change him. Hell, that night..." he began, knowing he didn't need to mention Jackson's death for her to know which night he meant. "I lost friends and team mates, and the initial aftermath of that I lost my usual control. Had it not been for Chase, I was ready to kill Kerry there and then. I'm a man who has spent his life separating duty and emotion, but that night was intense," he admitted. "Conor means well, but... Well, if one of my team was out of control, I'd give them a fucking stern pep-talk. But Conor's my boss, so that ain't my jurisdiction. A man in his position and temperament... that talk's gotta come from family. People who can get away with giving him some lip," he firmly told her.

Adam gave Blake his undivided attention as she addressed his question, explaining how she'd been giving 'them' a lot of thought recently. She seemed to have come to terms with the idea that Jackson was never going to come back, likely symbolising she did need to take the plunge and try to move on. He sent her a reassuring smile as she fell silent but her body language suggested she had more to say. When she spoke again to say she'd been longing for Jackson rather than still being in love, he lightly nodded his head as he processed her words. As she struggled to get further words out, he was about to speak up to tell her how strong she was for tackling the subject, but she held her finger up to silence him. He nodded his head and stayed quiet, giving her all of the time she needed to get her thoughts in line.

Blake continued to speak, telling him she'd been unable to stop thinking about him. He then feigned offence when she told him his jokes were awful. "Hey, my jokes are hilarious!" he remarked. About to ask if his jokes were like 'dad jokes', he was quick to stop himself as that now held a whole lot of meaning behind it considering Elena was his daughter. He warmly smiled to mirror Blake's as she spoke fondly of how he smiled at and caressed her. His heart practically skipped a beat as she suggested her next words had potential of scaring him away. However, when she followed up by telling him she thought she was falling in love with him, his heart began to beat fast in his chest. He could practically felt it thumping as the blood rushed to his face, causing his cheeks to visibly redden. His gaze met with Blake's and his mouth opened a little as if to speak, but no words came out as she told him that even if her revelation scared him, she wanted him to know how she felt.

Adam turned on the sofa a little to face her more directly. He reached out to gently rest his hand on her shoulder as he looked her in the eyes. "Now, why would that scare me, love?" he casually asked her, flashing a playful smile. "Blake... I've held back from telling you how I feel for some time. I didn't want to make things harder for you. I didn't want to make you feel rushed or cornered into deciding how or when you were going to move on..." He got lost in her eyes for a a little while as the hand on her shoulder moved to idly stroke her cheek. "I'm already in love with you, Blake. Nobody has ever come anywhere close to making me feel the way I do about you. I've always been able to contain and control my emotions, but with you, I can't control it and I don't even want to." Leaning his head towards her, Adam brought his lips to hers to move in or a passionate kiss. The hand that had been on her cheek moved down to rest on her shoulder as he rested his other hand on her waist. He didn't want the kiss to end, but when it did, he slowly sat back a little, regaining a small distance between them so he could look at her. "Christ, you have this ability to just turn a guy to mush. It's witchcraft!" he playfully told her.

He knew he had some news to tell her, but he was trying so hard not to let his need to tell the truth get in the way of the perfect moment they were having. He couldn't help but want to soak up every bit of the moment they were sharing.

Bellz (Blake)

 

[Misty Gray]

Biancardi Residence
~ Queens, New York City ~

Conor Sullivan and Riccardo Biancardi​

When Teddy posed the question of whether he preferred being the pot or the kettle, Conor smirked back at the man. "I'll go with the kettle," he remarked, accepting that he had been showing a level of hypocrisy. Oddly enough, even Teddy's comments that followed also drew out a humoured response in the form of a low chuckle. He would happily call Gabriel 'Count Dracula' to his face if only out of curiosity for how the uptight Italian would react.

"Oh, he definitely prefers Gomez," Ricky echoed Teddy's words, allowing a smirk to creep onto his face. "If you ever see his mansion in Staten Island, it all starts to add up. Not sure if the official term for the mansion is 'gothic architecture', but I think more 'gothic horror'. Nice place, though," he commented.

Despite the brief humour-filled intermission, Conor and Teddy weren't about to drop the serious topic at hand. Teddy made it clear the kidnapping had harmed Cristina mentally, even if she hadn't been hurt physically. Conor had known for weeks that his actions were not excusable and the girl would have been affected by her ordeal, even if he had made sure she wouldn't be physically harmed. He nodded his head in understanding, not even tempted to try excuse his actions or contradict Teddy's assertion that Cristina had been affected by it all. "I chose her because I knew his grandchildren were the only people Gabriel would back down for. James may have crossed you, but he's my family and I had to take steps to ensure he made it back to Dublin in one piece. None of us are innocent in this. Not me, not you, not Peter, and certainly not Gabriel." He let out a deep sigh. "But Cristina is, and I accept it was a mistake for me to involve her. Not just because of your subsequent retaliation, but because it was wrong of me to involve a kid at all." Whilst it was hard to back down to the enemy and it could be seen that he was simply doing it to progress their intended peace deal, Conor simply knew it was wrong of him to have Cristina or any child abducted.

Conor eyed Teddy somewhat suspiciously as the man assured him and Peter that he didn't know about the attack on Sinead and Liam. He explained how it was unplanned and the men involve were dealt with for their actions. "I fucking hope they were," Conor grumbled. As Teddy assured him he was above hurting kids and innocents, Conor couldn't help but detect he was being genuine about that. When the man went on to apologise to Peter, Conor looked to his brother-in-law to see if the man believed and accepted it. Folding his arms, he sat back in his seat, keeping quiet as Peter spoke. Peter didn't seem to be buying that Teddy didn't know about the plans. At best, it seemed to Peter that Gabriel had perhaps lied to Teddy about it.

Although he gave Teddy opportunity to respond to Peter's comment that Gabriel had pulled a fast one on him, Conor didn't contradict either of them. Either Gabriel had known and not told Teddy, or neither had known and their employees messed up. Conor's natural instinct was to continue delving into the matter, to accuse Teddy of lying or at least mock him for not being in control. However, he knew his family back in Dublin were relying on him to come to some kind of peaceful deal with the Morettis so they could all stop attacking each other. When Peter turned his focus on Ricky's lack of mediation, Conor remained sat back in his seat and watched Ricky, curious as to how the man was going to explain himself.

"How do you suppose I could mediate in matters I didn't know were going on? Whilst Teddy didn't know about the attack on Sinead and Liam, I didn't know about any of it. I didn't know Aliana and Leo were even going to be hurt. You've all met Gabriel. Do you really think he took a blind bit of notice of me when I told him not to retaliate? Would either of you have listened?" he asked Conor and Peter, to which Conor remained stone-face, not entertaining Ricky with a response. "What we're doing right here, right now. That's where my mediation skills come into play. So. Are we done breaking the ice or do we have more dirt to drag up?"

Conor rolled his eyes at Ricky before looking to Teddy. He was sure a deal couldn't be properly struck without both sides apologising. Although Teddy had apologised to Peter rather than him, Conor was aware he might have acknowledged his mistakes but he hadn't yet apologised for them. "I'm sorry for involving your daughter in this," he told Teddy, making sure to look the man in the eyes. "Despite everything our families have done to each other, all of the death and torture... Involving your kid was bad form. I'm not proud of upsetting your girl and I regret that she's had to suffer in all of this."

Ricky waited for Teddy and Peter to respond, but regardless of whether their responses were productive or not, he decided it was time to push towards the aim of the meeting. "Okay. The peace deal and contracts," he began, opening a file and handing out identical documents to all of them, including himself. "Teddy, do you want to start by summarising what Gabriel and yourself are proposing?" he asked his friend.

Melanin-Gxdess (Teddy) [let me know if you want to discuss what is being proposed]
Bellz (Peter)

 

[Misty Gray]

Syd Porter's House
~ Dublin, Dublin ~

James Porter and George Sanderson-Sullivan
​

George had to wait until Lucas had walked away before allowing a smile to cross his lips. The boy hadn't promised to behave, but he had promised to own up to his mistakes if he did. George kind of admired that about the kid, that he was honest and had humour in being so. Of course, if he were to misbehave, he would be in for a telling off regardless of admitting it. George maintained a serious expression when Finn back up his words about Lucy needing to tell James the truth before he was caught off-guard and found out from someone else. "Finn is right. You can spare James for today's sake, but don't keep putting it off. How about tomorrow? Tell him tomorrow," he lightly suggested.

Leaving Lucy to catch up with James, George stayed with Finn, getting JJ's presents out of the car and linking arms as they walked towards the house. George smiled brightly when his husband spoke about their decision to move back to Dublin. "Lucas does seem pretty happy, doesn't he? I'm glad he's getting along with his cousins and the other kids. Though I've noticed he's slipped back into that uncertainty where he's sometimes calling us 'Dad' or sometimes using our first names. I know he did it in New York because he wasn't sure how the other schoolkids would react to knowing he had two dads, but do we need to remind him that everyone here is family and none of them judge like other kids might?" he asked. It wasn't a big problem, but he didn't want to think Lucas was concerned about how others thought about him having two dads, especially if he himself was to blame by being so critical of religion and its judgements on homosexuality, considering the heavy Catholicism in Dublin.

George was able to relax when Finn pointed out he was being smiley too. "I'm happy as long as I'm with you, remember?" he assured his husband. "That being said, knowing Lucas is able to hang out with his family and build friendships with his cousins is a nice feeling. Not to mention, I love being around everyone here too. Peter, Sinead, Lucy, Aliana... I did miss having all of this family around."

George chuckled at the suggestion they should be couples counsellors. "You're right. We could make a lot of money doing this. At the very least, you should ask Conor to put us on his payroll - the mob's in-house couples counsellors. I like it!" he joked. He grinned at the suggestion they were the perfect couple. "Well, as close as there is to perfect. I mean, you're prefect, Finn, but I'm dragging us down a bit. I definitely have room for improvement," he playfully told him. Hearing Finn say he wouldn't know what to do without him, George stopped on the spot in the doorway and turned to kiss him on the lips. "That's not something either of us need to think about," he seriously reassured him.

When James entered the kitchen with Lucy, he'd not been paying enough attention initially to notice Roxie had looked like she might have been caught in the act. By the time he looked to the woman, she'd already recovered and he had no need to be suspicious. "Hey love," he casually greeted her. Despite Roxie and Syd having split up years ago, the fact she was the mother of his grandchildren and on friendly terms with Lucy meant James felt like she was pretty much family anyway. James gave Roxie a hug before moving on to give Syd a firm pat on the shoulder. "I'm doing alright," he told Roxie, in his usual understated manner. Considering he was fresh out of prison, he was probably meant to actually reflect his enthusiasm for being free. "I like to think JJ is excited to have me here, but maybe it's just that I told him already he has six years worth of presents to open from me," he joked.

James looked to Syd as Lucy called him a senior citizen and mentioned how he now had three teenagers. "Yeah, good luck with that mate. Luce and I already know how that feels after having to put up with you and your sisters back when you were all teens!"

No sooner had George greeted Syd and Roxie with hugs did Lucy demand everyone left the kitchen. "I don't need telling twice," James remarked as he took a few steps towards the doorway. He stopped when Lucy told him to keep Finn and George company. "Alright, boss!" he playfully agreed, flashing a mischievous smile at his wife.

As he walked to the living room, James caught Finn's comment to George about Lucy being as bossy as ever. "Finn, mate. She's worse than I remember from before I went off to jail. Thankfully she's hot and female, so there's no chance of me mistaking her for a prison officer and thinking I'm back in Rikers," he joked. Sitting down opposite Finn and George, James listened as the former asked him what it was like to be a free old man. "Hey now, I'm not quite at the chess in the park stage just yet. I've been trying to get back into some kind of a structure. After I retired from the business it was hard finding ways to fill my time, but Thomas was still a kid back then. Now I need to figure it out all over again. I didn't have much to do in jail, but there was enough of a structure there for me not to notice how unproductive I was being," he explained, glancing to George as he figured the man understood what it was like after he'd spent ten years behind bars himself. "How about you two? You've not been back in Dublin for long - how are you settling into the house and work? Lucas seems to have become a bit of a character since I last saw him. He must have been what? Maybe 5 when I last saw him?"

Bellz
Mention: Pyroclast (Syd)

 

[Pyroclast]

The Royal Taphouse
~ Bethnal Green, London ~

Bruce, Billy and Shona King​

Trevor had left barely a single memory in Billy’s head, having left when he was just 3 years old. Of course he had been curious about him growing up, since there were no pictures of him kept in the house. Over the years, Bruce and Spencer had provided fragmented explanations of the destruction he brought on the family - that he was an irresponsible and selfish man who had corrupted their mother and put her on the path that had ultimately led to her death. Although this didn’t entirely quench his curiosity, it stopped him from ever hoping to meet the man. The hazy memories he had of his mother weren’t positive ones either, with her being in the throes of a cocaine and heroin addiction, and he always wished he could have known the woman that Bruce had described to him - the woman she had been before Trevor came into her life.

Standing before him now, Billy could only stare in astonishment, taking in every detail of his face, his mannerisms. There was something vaguely familiar about him now that he knew who he was, but it wasn’t enough to recognise his face. Having had no contact with him since Bruce adopted the four King siblings, Billy had eventually come to believe that the man was out of the picture for good and that there was no possibility of him showing up again someday. The fact he was now facing the man who had abandoned him and his siblings 25 years ago was a lot to wrap his head around.

Stunned by the unexpected reveal of his estranged father, Billy felt like he wanted to sit back down, but denied himself the comfort, not wanting to make Trevor think he had any power over him. It helped when Spencer approached him and Alex and gave their shoulders a firm, reassuring squeeze, letting them know that they were going to handle it together. Billy nodded, filled with a fresh determination to take on whatever had brought about Trevor’s sudden arrival.


Shona’s eyes followed Spencer as he came over to soothe their screaming child. The fierce look on her face wasn’t for her husband, but she still didn’t relax when he kissed her. “Get him out of ‘ere, Spencer,” she commanded, trying to keep her voice low so as not to draw Trevor’s attention. “Do what you have to - but I don’t want him near our son.” Just before he left her side to deal with Trevor, she spared a hand to reach out and briefly take hold of his; as cold as she felt towards his father, she didn’t want him to think that coldness extended to him for the way she was acting. She understood it must be a stressful situation for him and given how abusive her own father had been, she sympathised with him for having to deal with him without any warning.


Bruce closed in even further on Trevor, his right hand twitching as he readied himself to throw a punch. As much as he would rather have booted the man out of the pub, he found himself listening to Trevor’s explanation for his arrival, only to be reminded of how pathetic the man was. The thought of him being close enough to hear about the attack on the Kings irked him. In all honesty, Bruce hadn’t much of a clue how much Trevor knew about his offspring, but he clearly knew enough to know that the attack on Mercury Nightclub had put them in danger.

What really surprised him, however, was to hear that Trevor had in fact returned once before, to be threatened and paid off by Spencer to vanish again. Bruce narrowed his eyes to see if he was bluffing, but when he looked at Spencer, he was disappointed to find that his eldest nephew wasn’t denying the claim. To know that Spencer had kept him in the dark fired him up even more, but he wasn’t about to direct his anger at Spencer when Trevor was standing inches away from him. The more immediate problem was Trevor, and how they were going to deal with him being here. “But he didn’t pay you enough, is that it?” he growled. Alex was equally unimpressed with his return, suggesting that he must have spent all the money Spencer had paid him on drugs. Bruce wondered if Alex had known what Spencer did - he made a mental note to quiz them both about it later on. “Look, I don’t give a toss what you want, Trevor. These fine young gentlemen ain’t no kids of yours.” He purposefully didn’t mention Harper, not wanting to put another idea in his head. Even though he knew she was suffering from her injuries still, he was grateful that she hadn’t been able to come to the party tonight, spared the unwarranted visit from her so-called father. “If you think you can just waltz back into their lives without so much as jumpin’ through a hoop, you’re even more entitled and pathetic than I thought.”

Just the sight of the man was making Bruce’s heart pound with anger. Nobody else had ever made him feel such hatred - not even Conor Sullivan. The destruction he had caused Laura and his children was something Bruce would never forgive. He was the reason his sister was dead, the reason his niece and nephews had grown up without a mother. He would rather see the man burn alive than ever forgive him.

Before he could lose control of himself, Spencer suggested they move into the back office. Bruce took a step back and straightened out his jacket, still holding his piercing glare on Trevor. Behind him, Billy was still struggling to process everything. He wanted to jump in and give Trevor a piece of his mind, as the others were all doing - but it was like he was frozen. He had never figured out what he would say to his father but for some reason all the scenarios in which he imagined himself confronting him had been arranged on his own terms. Not some out-of-the-blue appearance when he was least expecting it. When Bruce and Spencer started leading the unwelcome man into the back room, Billy was hesitant to follow. He turned towards the other table and caught Erik’s eye, suddenly wishing he could be alone with him and just tell him everything. Then there was Darcey, the woman who already knew everything, who had been their mother when Trevor had taken Laura away. This wasn’t the time to seek comfort, however - this wasn’t a situation he could just escape. Trevor was here and he had to face him, whatever that meant. So he turned away from their table and geared himself up for a confrontation.

Once they were in the room, Billy folded his arms and leaned with his back against the door so Trevor couldn’t escape. The man made a bad start by suggesting that Bruce had played a part in his decision to abandon his children, and that alone transformed his anxiety into a feeling of utter hatred, one he could enjoy feeling for Trevor. Despite the seriousness of the conversation, Billy couldn’t help but laugh at how pathetic the man was. However, his amusement quickly died when his mother was mentioned, his expression instead turning into one of shock and disgust. He looked to Bruce, scared he might see his uncle get upset.

But it was Alex who lost control first, jumping in and punching Trevor in the face as he shouted him down. Bruce’s breathing was getting heavier as he glared at Trevor, almost shaking with anger. “All those years you say you spent thinking this over, and that’s what you come up with?” he growled. “You just can’t accept one grain of responsibility, can ya’? You say you’re a changed man, but I see nothin’ new here.”

Stepping forward, he placed a hand on Alex’s back as he moved past him to take another good look at Trevor. “You know, I’ve thought a lot about this over the years, too,” he told him. “But it didn’t take me long to see that walkin’ out on those kids was the best thing you could ever have done for ‘em. All you do is drain the life outta’ people, Trevor. You’re a leech. Came and went as you please, not carin’ if your kids were even eating. Gettin’ Laura into the state that killed her and never gettin’ her any help. You dragged her down and kept her trapped in an addiction, Trevor - it was your fault she died that way.” His voice was starting to crack, but he showed no sign of backing down.

Watching from a slight distance, Billy was starting to feel defensive. He hardly ever saw his uncle get emotional like this. If Trevor could bring out this side of him, he must really be the worst kind of person out there. “We don’t need you,” he piped up, still leaning against the door, arms folded. “Dunno where you got that idea from, but we’re doin’ just fine without you.”

“It’s his inflated ego, Billy,” Bruce spat, keeping his unyielding glare fixed on Trevor. “He ain’t capable of seein’ himself for what he truly is.” Leaning closer into Trevor’s battered face, Bruce lowered his tone to address him again. “There’s nothin’ you’re capable of changin’ into that’ll be good enough for me. In fact, I’m gonna need ya’ to give me a good reason why I should even let you see daylight again.”


The only relief that Shona got from watching her husband lead his family and estranged father into a back room was knowing that Trevor couldn’t pay her and Edward any attention. She was ready to bite him if he tried to touch the child, and now that he was out of sight, she considered going home before he could come back out - if he was going to come out at all. She was still anxious on Spencer’s behalf, and Bruce’s, and Alex’s and Billy’s. The look Billy had sent back to her table made her want to call him over so he could sit with her, Erik and Darcey instead, but she knew this was something he needed to face.

While she was cooing and hushing her crying infant, Darcey moved into the chair beside her and laid an arm around her shoulders. She wished the woman hadn’t asked how she was, because it made her want to cry. Her hormones were still bringing her emotions to the surface frequently and she felt like she was constantly fighting them for one reason or another. “If he thought he was gonna kill him, he wouldn’t have reopened the pub,” she reasoned, her voice still soft and light from trying to soothe Eddie. Now that the fighting had stopped, Eddie’s cries had begun to quieten down. Darcey had a very comforting presence and even if Eddie was still fussing, she managed to calm Shona down significantly. Raising her head to look Darcey in the eyes, she said, “D’you want a hold?” Despite Trevor triggering her protective instinct, she was happy to hand her baby over to Darcey if the woman wanted.

Erik sent her a smile from across the table, but she couldn’t quite tell if it was out of awkwardness or if he was trying to reassure her. However, his light-hearted joke about having daddy issues made her laugh unexpectedly. “Find me someone who doesn’t have daddy issues,” she said, rolling her eyes. “I know I’ll be glad if I never see my dad again.” Noticing that Edward had now stopped crying, she leaned down to him with a smile. “But not your daddy!” she cooed, and lightly tapped him on the nose. “You’re a very lucky boy with a daddy who will always love you and protect you.”

Deciding a change of subject was in order, Erik promptly asked her about Edward’s nursery, offering his help. “I’m afraid it’s all done, love,” she told him, smiling warmly at the kind gesture. “I should carry some photographs to show, really. I’m sure Spencer would appreciate it given how hard he worked! Or better yet, you’re welcome to come round and see it - though I can’t promise the house won’t be a mess. I’ve got no energy to keep on top of housework right now. Last Monday I woke up at the kitchen table covered in milk and cereal with a spoon still in my mouth!” After going through the mess of childbirth and with the amount of sleep she had lost since bringing the baby home, Shona couldn’t be bothered to feel embarrassed about anything anymore. Just getting through a day without passing out in a random position was an achievement.

With a sigh, Shona reached out and gently rolled the baby stroller back and forth. “It really is a lovely stroller,” she said in a soft voice, before looking up at Erik. “D’you picture yourself havin’ kids someday, Erik?”


Interactions
Misty Gray Spencer, Trevor
Melanin-Gxdess Alex, Erik, Darcey

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

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

In another life or in some alternate reality, Teddy could see himself being friends with Conor. Of course, that reality would have to be in one where his brother-in-law had never attacked him, to begin with, and the atrocities they committed against each other never existed, but the fact remained. Though tensions were still high, both of them had at least managed to share a small laugh which set the tone for the rest of the meeting. Conor had accepted being called a hypocrite, as did Teddy with his earlier statement on the matter. They had both done something just as heinous as the other and there was no need to keep taking jabs at each other about it.

Hearing Conor's reasoning behind why he chose his daughter made the man furrow his eyebrows. How exactly, he wondered, had he come to the conclusion that Cristina would be the best bargaining tool against the other members of his family? There were only so many people in the Moretti employ that saw the man interact with his grandchild and even fewer who saw how he really acted with her. Surely the man couldn't have played a quick guessing game on who he was going to have snatched up? For the moment he would push the thought to the side for later. The man then let out an apology for involving the young girl and Teddy took a moment to look him over. The look in his eyes and his body language seemed to match his words. Eventually, Teddy nodded his head and let out a sigh. "I can't exactly offer you an apology for hurting your wife and son since it wouldn't be the truth nor sincere. But I do regret that they had to be involved in our little... Pissing match."

Teddy was hoping Peter would immediately accept his lie as Conor had and when he hadn't he paused. Again, he wasn't about to rat Gabriel out for several reasons - the main being him wanting to keep his life. He was almost sure Gabriel wouldn't have cared if the two men sitting across from him knew it was he who ordered the hit on Sinead and Liam, but that wasn't the point. Teddy was trying to maintain the front that his boss told him everything and though Teddy didn't have control of his own, he did have convincing opinions. "You may not believe it," he stated, looking at Peter directly and making sure to word his response carefully, "But we didn't know. A couple of goons who thought going the extra mile was necessary decided to add an extra line to the plans and acted of their own accord. Come on, you think we wouldn't meticulously plan an attack like that a little better? From what I hear it was at a church. My boss may not be a religious person, but his wife is and she'd lose her shit knowing he attempted something like that on God's front door." He let out a dry chuckle and shook his head.

He then looked to Ricky, listening as Peter blamed him for letting the whole attack go on behind his back. A part of him felt bad for not telling the man what they had planned, but then again he would have tried talking them out of it. The last thing he wanted to be told was that he shouldn't go and retaliate, especially when his family had been hurt. Instead of saying anything in the man’s defense Teddy turned his attention back to the two men sat across from him. Conor then apologized for hurting his daughter and for a moment Teddy just stared at him. Something in Teddy didn’t feel as if he would ever forgive the man for his transgressions - the same way he couldn’t completely forgive James. But he knew that if he didn’t, peace wasn’t ever going to be achieved. After taking another heavy sigh, Teddy looked down at the table and tapped his fingers, nodding his head.

Ricky beckoned him to go ahead and begin with their terms, Teddy sitting forward in his seat and placing his hands on the table. “Okay. It’s simple enough, right? You lot stay out of New York, we’ll stay out of Dublin. If for any reason either of us need to enter said territories - which I seriously doubt - then Ricky here will handle all the in between stuff, as he has been. No more tit for tat. No more dick measuring contests. No more contact.”


Ricky, Conor ( Misty Gray )
Peter ( Bellz )

 

[BasDorcha]

Michelle Romano
​

Michelle sipped on her margarita, watching as Sydney was set up with some lovely jams and distracted from the conversation before them. It still felt a little bit like being on the outside, even though this was her family. She figured this was due mostly to the fact she had missed such large chunks of their lives and vice versa, that each time she came around there was always a feeling of having to readjust to everything. It was nice being back though, and she was almost ready to bring the kids home, she just needed somewhere for all of them to stay, she didn’t want to cramp her fathers house with them all there.

“I figured we could use double the alcohol.” Michelle grinned looking at the two women before she listened to them talking silently for a bit. Right now, Michelle was mostly in observation mode. The new information about her dad, all the on goings, it had given Michelle pause to consider what parts of the family she didn’t know about. She did know she wanted to talk to her dad and see what she could do for work, if he had any recommendations – the sooner she got to work the sooner she could have a home and her kids back.

Already she had begun forming the layout of what the deal with Moretti was, and she didn’t like it. A trip to their territory could spell trouble for the Sullivan’s. Aunt Sinny was right, it could be a trap. They really should have met somewhere neutral. Hearing that her father was hot headed and stubborn was no surprise for Michelle, her mom had made her aware of her own traits so closely resembling her lineage plenty of times. “Dad keeping his cool seems like a slim chance if they pull something questionable... But still, even if he doesn’t, hopefully he is as skill at recovering as he is at loosing control.” Michelle had learned that recovering a situation was sometimes better when you couldn’t remain calm the whole way through.

When they asked what her story was, Michelle laughed a small laugh, shrugging. “Well, the ex decided he wanted to trade in for a newer model. Honestly, it had been over for a long time, at least a year before we actually filed. We tried everything, including counseling, but he was set on seeing other women, I guess he just wasn’t happy. It started with the normal stuff, things that make you think you’re crazy at first, surely you’re wrong. Then I found a note from her in his pocket. I finally had enough when I caught him in our bed with his to-go piece. And to-go, she did, straight back to her single life once he was out on his ass. He since moved to Australia, why I don’t have the foggiest. I think maybe he think’s Dad wont go after him there.” Michelle grinned again, shaking her head. “I think if I asked, he would. But I am just glad its over. It feels like a burden has been lifted. I cried enough in the beginning, I’m just ready to move on.”

That was the truth of the matter too, she was done with the whole situation. She should have told her family sooner, but she didn’t want to reveal their issues if it worked out. Once he moved out though, things happened so quickly she just forgot to mention it – she hadn’t exactly spoken to them much lately. Of course, now she knew why – they’d all been as busy as her. She shrugged, thinking back.

Mentions: Misty Gray - Sinny / Melanin-Gxdess - Ali

 

[Misty Gray]

The Royal Taphouse
~ Bethnal Green, East London ~

Spencer King and Trevor Stewart​

Spencer knew the moment Trevor had mentioned his visit 12 years ago that it wouldn't go down well, especially with Bruce who he was otherwise open and honest with. The fact it had been so many years ago meant Spencer could claim he was younger and not as wise in dealing with the situation, but he wasn't going to do anything of the sort. Spencer was sure he was in the right back in 1973 because he didn't disagree with his own actions even now. He hadn't wanted to give Trevor chance to worm his way back into his younger siblings' lives, especially when they were much younger back then. Still, despite his current stance on the matter, Spencer couldn't help but notice the way Bruce looked at him through narrowed eyes and was clearly unhappy with his lack of denial towards Trevor's claim. Alex looked angry at the revelation too. Although he knew he'd have to answer to Bruce and likely his brothers later, Spencer was at least grateful Trevor hadn't managed to deflect the anger and disdain coming his way for having the nerve to show his face. Alex and Bruce made their comments about Trevor clearly not being paid enough to stay away or likely having snorted it all away, showing their annoyance was still being directed to Trevor for now.

When they were all in the office l, Trevor's words were ones which sounded like he was trying to put blame on Bruce for Laura's death. Spencer was doing everything he could to stop himself from really letting his pent-up anger out on his father. It wasn't that he didn't want to do it, as he was itching to, but for the moment, his uncle and brothers were in the room. They too had suffered and Spencer felt it only right they had the chance to let any of their rage out. But hearing his mother's name mentioned at all made it difficult for Spencer to hold back. With them all stood in the open space in the front half of the room, Spencer found himself rounding the desk behind them, listening intently to the others as he kept his hands busy rummaging through the drawers. He had a gun hidden in the safe, but of all the ways he'd dreamed of killing Trevor, it had never been that easy a death for the bastard. He deserved to suffer. Spencer's eyes shot to the scene as Alex attacked Trevor.

Trevor was caught by surprise when Alex punched him in the face, dealing a blow on top of the pain he was already feeling from Spencer's initial punch. Trevor had expected Spencer or Bruce to do the smacking, so Alex's actions hadn't been predicted. Trevor had stumbled back a little, almost into the desk Spencer was standing on the other side of. Bringing his hand to his throbbing face again, fresh cuts to his mouth and lip had him wiping away more blood. If it wasn't for him becoming aware of the severity of the situation, Trevor would have made a comment about his sons all being strong, but Alex speaking of his mother made even Trevor aware any comment was inappropriate. Though he was going to disagree with Alex blaming him for Laura's death, he instead looked his second-born in the eyes and very subtly nodded. His attention was then briefly drawn to Billy, acknowledging how much his youngest son resembled Laura. With Spencer and Alex, it was easy to see they resembled Trevor, but Billy reflected a lot of Laura in himself.

Wiping the blood onto his shirt sleeve, Trevor's attention was then made to rest on Bruce. His former brother-in-law and never someone he'd got along with. Bruce was clearly unimpressed with the weak sentiments Trevor had expressed, not to mention the dig he got in about him. When Bruce told him he didn't see anything suggesting he had changed, that he still couldn't accept responsibility, Trevor made a point of straightening his posture and folding his arms. He was about to point out that Bruce had never given him a chance, that he'd been cold towards him since day one, but he knew that was not productive.

For all of the cocky attitude and ego Bruce would had seen from Trevor all of those years ago, masked behind a charm for anyone else witnessing, the man did the unexpected and lowered his head as Bruce continued to address him. Not even the charm was present masking his attitude now. Upon hearing the best thing he did for the kids was disappear, Trevor lifted his head and pursed his swelling lips together. Then Bruce went on to reel off more criticism, calling Trevor a leech who did as he pleased. Trevor quickly nodded his head, as if to urge Bruce to shut up or at least get to the end of his speech. "Yep..." he interjected, not attempting to deny it. But then, when he heard how Bruce said it was his fault for getting Laura addicted to the drugs, dragging her down and keeping her trapped, Trevor's face fell to a grave one. Seeing Spencer step back into view to stand by Bruce's side, Trevor took a step back towards the desk, wanting to have sight all all four of the men in the room with him. Trevor reached behind to grip the edge of the desk with one hand, feeling oddly overwhelmed as his heart rapidly beat in his chest and he struggled to keep calm whilst under everyone's scrutiny. Hell, even Bruce's cracking voice had hit Trevor in a way he never thought possible, having never had any respect for Laura's brother.

When Billy spoke up to tell Trevor they didn't need him, the man was about to speak, but kept quiet as Bruce replied to the youngest of the Kings. A slight scoff unconsciously escaped him as Bruce pointed out it was his ego that made him think any of them needed him. As Bruce edged closer to him, Trevor gripped the desk tighter, trying to keep himself in check so the other man could get his feelings off of his chest. "I don't think anything I could say could give you a reason not to kill me if that's what your mind's set on..."

"Alright. Good. I'll slit your fucking throat now!" Spencer spoke up now positioning himself near the wall where he could see both Bruce's and Trevor's faces. "And take your hand off of the desk - your legs are still working, for now."

Trevor glanced to Spencer before taking his hand off of the desk. "Fair enough," he said, making a conscious effort not to rile his eldest up given he was severely outnumbered. "Bruce, I'm sorry," Trevor said, which was visibly a shock to Spencer hearing the bastard apologise to anyone, especially to Bruce. "You're right, I've always had that ego. I have changed, but seeing you for the first time in so long just stirred up old feelings. That need to rile you up and have the last word. It was a dick move to put any blame on you for Laura's death and I retract that comment," he said, at the same time physically removing himself from having Bruce in his face, taking a swift side step so he could see all three of his sons without Bruce blocking his view. "Technically, I'm not lying when I say Laura was old enough to make her own decisions, at the start. We were both the same then, living in the moment, trying to experience everything and blag whatever luxuries we could. Take whatever we could for fun. We both consented to that lifestyle and she was just as much into it as I was. Until it stopped being fun. She was impulsive and naive, and I admit I took advantage of that. Bruce had me sussed from the start, but Laura was too into me to listen to him."

Spencer began fidgeting on the spot, unable to keep his legs still as he fought between wanting to attack his father and wanting to hear what other shit he had to spew. Perhaps let him get it all out before shutting him up for good. Spencer eyed Alex and Billy, trying to judge what they were thinking. He was sure nothing Trevor could say would change anyone's view of him.

"I won't deny I was always a selfish and cocky bastard, but there was a time when I did love Laura and things went well for a few years, when Spence was first born. We both got clean for a couple of years and tried to do things right--" Trevor was cut short as Spencer took a step forward towards him and Bruce. Holding his hand out, Trevor quickly shook his head. "Will you just listen to me? I'm not trying to save my own arse here - I wouldn't have shown up at all if this was about looking out for myself. I've got my own income and you can have the money back that you gave me to stay away," Trevor assured Spencer. "Just let me finish saying what I have to say. Even if just to give you more time to decide how to kill me, yeah?"

"Speed it the fuck up, because I'm hungry," Spencer dismissively told him, before grabbing the chair from behind the desk and dragging it out into the centre of the room, sitting down and slouching as he waited for Trevor to keep spewing out words. Though his expression reflected bored disdain, Spencer was keen to hear was crazy shit would leave his father's mouth.

"When I came back 12 years ago, I did want to see my kids, but I was also there for selfish reasons. Spencer gave me the cash, without realising he was helping me pay off my debts. Of course I took it - it was the easy way out. Then a few years ago, I was run down by some pissed up motorist and I spent months in hospital, having nearly died." Spencer gave his brothers a look, one which reflected how he wished the accident had been that bit more serious! "I had a lot of time to think about all of my mistakes and the people I'd hurt. All the crap I'd done to hurt others finally caught up to me. I started to get my head straight, attending AA classes to get off the booze and counselling to sort myself out. I'm not saying you should trust I'm a better person and I'm still trying to rein in my cocky attitude," he said, looking to Bruce as he alluded back to his own early cheap shot remarks.

"What started out consensual fun for both of us, turned out to be an addiction for Laura. In the end I was a selfish bastard, too wrapped up in the hedonistic lifestyle to stand by my wife and kids. I could have helped Laura but I did the opposite - I allowed her addiction to get worse. I have changed but none of you need to believe that. I just can't keep living without facing you all and owning up to it." He looked to Bruce, making it clear that despite his cocky remarks at the start, he was accepting the blame. "For what it's worth, your mother wasn't always out of her mind on drugs," he told his three sons. "She loved and worshipped the three of you, but didn't often get to show it. She deserved better than me and the least I can do is own up to it, to make sure all of you knew she would have done better, if I'd stopped being selfish and helped her."

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

 

[Bellz]

Natasha McCarthy
McCarthy Residence
~ Sutton, Dublin ~​

Natasha had pulled a surprised expression when Leo stated that Michelle was getting a divorce or was already divorced. She had been under the impression that the woman's relationship was solid since she'd been so far away from her family for such a long time. "That's awful. I mean, the divorce...not the fact that she's here to get to know you guys better." The blonde stated. Leo had stated it was cool or whatever which gave her the indication that he was honestly unsure what to think of it all before stating that he could never wrap his head around having a half-sister. "Think of it this way, it's one more person you can count on. Especially when having to deal with Conor." Natasha tried to paint a picture of a bright side to Michelle being in Dublin.

Natasha was happy for her mother with her new relationship with Adam but when Leo expressed that sometimes adults making up lead to babies, she made a disgusted face. "Ugh, please don't put that image in my head!" She begged as he went on to say that he was pretty sure that's how most of the kids around the family were conceived. "The make-up gift that kept on giving, the whole lot of you." Nat laughed before saying, "I don't think I was the product of make-up sex. My mom and dad were purposefully setting out to have me from what my mom says. Collin was the happy accident." The blonde said with a smile, glad that the atmosphere was light up until she had mentioned that she was worried about him.

She knew there was a huge chance that he might have been upset about what she said and when the smile disappeared from his face, Natasha's smile faded as well. She tried to cover up the confession by simply just saying that she was there for him and he seemed to take that better, smiling at her as he walked towards her now. The energy between them had changed in a way that Natasha couldn't describe. She felt...nervous. Her mom had joked and teased her about Leo coming over and while she wanted her mother to believe nothing was going to happen...Nat wanted something to happen.

Leo seemed to pick up on it somehow and when he cupped her face, Nat's heart skipped a beat. He stated that he was also there for her, making a point that it would never change and Natasha couldn't find the words to speak as they stood there for a moment. Locked in an intense moment that was only broken when he smiled and moved to kiss her lips. She kissed him softly, a smile that she couldn't control spreading on her face as she did before he broke it and said he was ready for his arm to fall asleep under her head.

Letting out a laugh, Natasha rolled her eyes, "My head can't possibly be that heavy." She said in her defense before handing him his full glass of liquor and grabbing her own. Once she had both bottles of their drinks of choice in her grasp she lead him into the living room. Setting everything down on the coffee table she went to the TV cabinet to find the VHS tape they'd be watching. "Now I just want to reassure you that if you start to cry like a little girl during this scary movie, I won't tell a soul. I know I'm always the little spoon so I'll let you be it this time if you need to be." Natasha teased her boyfriend before moving to pop the tape into the player.

Moving to sit back down on the couch she turned on the TV before pressing play on the VHS player. She then reached for her glass of wine and cuddled up on the couch next to Leo, looking up to smile at him briefly before turning back to look at the TV which was currently just showing other movie trailers.
with: Leo Melanin-Gxdess

 

[Bellz]

Harper King
Le Hospital
~ London, England ~​

Harper rolled her eyes when Jeremy stated that if she fired him, her family would still keep him around. "I swear sometimes I think each one of them has 1/3 a brain that only forms one slow brain when put together. They really have no idea how to deal with women. Sure, they have wives or girlfriends or whatever it is Alex does with women but they have no idea how to treat me. It’s like they’ve been walking on eggshells around me all my life.” Harper shook her head with a sigh. "But I wouldn’t fire you, at least you have some idea of the way I want to be treated.”

The silence that fell between them allowed Harper to kind of think about all the things that had been said between her and Jeremy so far. It was weird because he was acting in a way she couldn’t exactly read. Harper was trying to analyze the situation but the morphine that was making her feel intoxicatingly good clouded her thoughts, making it hard to think about anything else other than how good the drug was making her feel. There was no pain which with the number of things that had been crushed and broken, was impressive. Jeremy’s voice pulled her out of her thoughts and she looked at him with interest as he stated that they should play a game.

Listening as he said she was allowed to ask him anything she wanted to and he would answer it truthfully, Harper was intrigued. But then he said there was a catch that made her frown. He stated that she would also have to answer her own question before he asked his own and answered his own. "Sounds easy enough.” The blonde stated before he gave an example of how the game worked. The way her full name rolled his tongue brought up an interesting feeling and she wasn’t sure what to call it. Her heart fluttered to the point that the heart monitor beeped a little faster for a moment.

She glared at the monitor knowing for sure that any lie she tried to tell would be blatantly obvious as her heart raced and the monitor beeped. Harper turned to Jeremy regardless with a small smile, "Deal!” She said enthusiastically before her smile fell as she started to concentrate on what she was going to ask. It was kind of difficult to think of a question to ask in the haze the morphine had placed her in, and on top of it all, she knew Jeremy pretty well already. It was hard to ask questions she didn’t already know the answer to when she’d practically known the man her entire life.

Scrunching her little nose, Harper thought for another moment before asking, "Do you think if your parents could see you today, they’d be proud of what you are doing? I mean…I hope this doesn’t sound terrible…but this kind of profession isn’t exactly what every parent dreams of their kid doing.” Harper murmured curiously as she looked at him intently.
with: Jeremy BasDorcha

 

[BasDorcha]

​

The sights were beautiful. Jocelyn was easily star struck with the paintings, the gallery, and the woman beside her. The connection she had formed with her companion would be hard sought to be understood by anyone outside of the situation, but it made perfect sense to her. Squeezing her arm lightly, she followed along, gazing at all the wonderful things around them. Instantly she had fallen in love with Sicilian Avenue, and hoped that Tatiana would be bringing her back her often. There was so much she was eager to explore just by taking a quick look around.

The concierge was well dressed and professional, the kind of man you’d expect to see in a shop like this one, but she barely paid him any mind. Her eyes were too busy soaking in the art around her, and she was easily guided around like a blind woman by Tatiana’s arm. She watched the man painting and wanted badly to join him with her paints, but put it aside when Tati asked if she was hungry, to which she nodded whole heartedly and followed her towards.

Looking out over the street was just like a work of art in itself. She watched for a few moments, lost of the beautiful scene below, before looking around and seeing the painting in oil of two women that could have bene them, looking over a balcony, observing the street below. Her fingers wanted to touch it, despite knowing better. When she looked back, Tatiana was watching her, and her face turned the rosy shade of pink again, smiling at being caught so enthralled in her passion for art.

On a spur of a moment thought, Jocelyn suddenly leaned across the table, planting a kiss on Tatiana’s cheek, both for a thank you and for every other reason written on her face. The pink turned a faint shade of crimson as she sat back down, hoping a kiss said more then words could. Then, she handed her journal turned partial sketch book over to Tatiana. She flipped through a few pages of spots where she had been responding or asking something, and the first picture was of Eightball, asleep next to Tati on the cough, in water colors and pen. The smile that graced her face said how much she enjoyed the scene she had painted.

The next picture was of their Chinese food they had ordered one night, the boxes a variety of open and closed with sticks and noodles coming out of them. She tapped the page lightly as if to say, “This.” On the page she wrote favorite food. Another couple of turned pages in and she was pointing at a man, standing next to a woman in front of an old building. Parents was scrawled as she let her view it. The final picture was Tatiana hugging Jocelyn, the latter with her head to Tatiana’s chest. Jocelyn blushed but let her see, as if to say and I like you.

Mentions: Pyroclast - Tatiana

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

McCarthy Residence
~ Sutton, Dublin ~
Leo Sullivan

​

Natasha mentioned Michelle being one more person he could count on and Leo scrunched his face a little before squinting his eyes at her. Leo got along with Michelle, sure, but that was whenever she came around. It was more of a couple of times a year sort of thing and he hadn't exactly spent ample time with her over the years. Confiding in her about the things going on in his head was a stretch, but he would give her a chance. "I don't know about that just yet, but we'll see how it goes. One day at a time and all of that," he said, nodding his head before relaxing his features. "It does take the attention away from the old man, so there's that silver lining you're looking for." He sent her a knowing smile, understanding exactly how optimistic she was always trying to be. Yet another trait Leo found annoying in his childhood but now found to be very endearing and another reason he had fallen for her.

Leo took the glass that was handed to him, taking a sip before responding to her statement. "It definitely is. But I mean, it's normal for sassy, sarcastic, and worry-prone girls to have heavy heads. It's 'cause of all the thoughts you've got runnin' around in there." He joked, following her into the living room. As she got the movie set up he placed his cup on the coffee table to free his hands. There was a blanket hanging from the back of the couch and it immediately grabbed his attention. What better way to get closer to your girlfriend than a blanket? He let out an amused laugh when she teased him about being scared of the movie, something he knew wouldn't happen... Or at least, hoped. Jumpscares were something else these days. "Little spoon," he echoed, a sly smile growing on his face as he shrugged. "I'll take you up on that offer." Leo gently grabbed the wine glass from her hand and set it on the table next to his own drink.

He then beckoned her to lay on her back on the couch before sliding the table a little closer - he still wanted to be able to reach their drinks. Once she had gotten settled and comfortable, Leo then laid between her legs with his head just under her chest. He managed to tuck his arms underneath her back after making sure the blanket covered enough of their bodies. With his head turned towards the TV, he softly nodded his head. "Way better. I feel so safe and secured now," he joked, watching as the trailers played through one by one. With his head close to her chest he could hear her heartbeat and couldn't help but smile. He'd heard it so many times now and yet he could never get over how loud it sounded sometimes. Whenever he was close to her like this his own heart would beat just as loud. There were even times when he wondered if she could hear it and thought about how embarrassing it would be if she could.

It wasn't until now that Leo realized how nervous he felt around her at times - right now being one of those times. He wasn't sure if it were because he was always afraid of messing something up or because their relationship felt like it was growing into something huge. With any other girl, he wouldn't stay up late thinking about them or go out of his way to plan extravagant dates. Double dates? Forget about it, Leo wasn't interested. But with Natasha, he found himself doing things way out of his norm; and he liked it. He liked that she cared enough about him to get upset when he was being an idiot and he liked the way she sometimes grabbed his jacket and helped him in it. It was the little things Leo found himself fixated on. And even now, with the movie playing in the background, the only thing on his mind was his girlfriend.

With his eyes on the TV screen, his fingers crept under her shirt and caressed her back the way he had so many times before, but this time felt different. He had a question, an idea, and he wanted her input on it. But he was nervous to do so because he felt if he did then that would take their relationship to another level - one he wasn't sure she was ready for. Over the past few weeks, he had thought about it but was never sure how to bring it up without it coming off as... Weird or that he was using her in any sort of way. He wasn't, nor would he ever. "Nat," he said softly, eyes still on the tv screen. "You know you're my best friend, right?" It was well known that Thomas and Leo were close growing up, but ever since they stopped talking Natasha had quickly taken over that first place spot, shifting Thomas to second. His hands moved further up her back until her shirt moved a few inches up, showing her midriff. Leo tore his eyes from the screen and kissed her stomach. "And you mean the world to me."

​

Natasha ( Bellz )

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

The Royal Taphouse
~ Bethnal Green, East London ~

Alex King, Darcey Hargraves, and Erik Snowden

​

Alex's arm was cocked back, rearing up for another swing when he felt Bruce's hand on his back. There were a lot of things Trevor could say to him at this moment but hearing him talk about his mother was off-limits. Based on the subtly of his nod Trevor seemed to get the hint and was momentarily spared another strike. Letting Bruce have a chance at expressing his disdain for the man, Alex backed away shaking out his hand. It'd been a while since he last punched someone and he could already see the bruising start to creep in on his knuckles. The moment he heard Bruce's voice crack his head immediately whipped up towards him. His hand was the least of his worries right now, hearing that emotion breaking through his uncle's cool, exterior. When their mother died, the oldest children, Bruce, and Darcey had been torn up about it, but Bruce seemed to take it the worst. It was his sister after all and they had been through hell just to have some junkie be the reason she died.

Billy spoke up, informing Trevor they didn't need him and Bruce soon backed him up. Alex remained quiet for the moment afraid his own voice would crack if he spoke. Seeing Trevor dredged up a lot of memories and feelings he was hoping he had shoved deep down inside of him. He was itching to get away but he knew that he shouldn't run from this - at least not while the man himself was standing a few feet away from him. Spencer spoke up, threatening to kill Trevor right in the office and Alex instinctively stepped forward and placed the palm of his hand on his older brother's chest. "Hey, you've got responsibilities now." He softly reminded him, staring into his eyes. Alex was trying to hide the fact that he was becoming emotionally overwhelmed - the anger tiring him out the most.

The next thing out of Trevor's mouth was an apology, one Alex hadn't been expecting. Standing next to Spencer he glanced over at him, Billy, then Bruce to see if they heard what he had. By the looks on their faces, it was clear they had. Alex, for one, had never heard the man utter the word 'sorry' in his entire life, so hearing it now was more than strange. What followed that apology was what Alex felt was an excuse. The version of his mother he was painting for them sounded like a lie, some false incrimination so he could place the blame on her. It made him ball his already injured hand into a fist, ready to deliver another punch to the man's face. The only thing that stopped him, however, was Spencer doing it for him. He could always count on his older brother to step in when needed and this was no different.

Spencer let Trevor continue talking and Alex shot him a look. He didn't know why he was allowing this asshole to keep on talking - keep on spewing lies from his mouth. The man may have been curious about what he was saying but Alex didn't want to hear any of it. There was nothing - in his eyes - that Trevor could say that would ever make up for what he had done. Not even the fact that he may have truly been there to right his wrongs. "Enjoy the time you have left then, yeah?" Alex stated, leaning against the wall with his arms and ankles crossed. "You're dead after this. Physically, figuratively, whatever floats your boat." His voice was cold and full of disgust, brows furrowed together as he frowned at the man who was unfortunately his father. He went on to talk about how he ended up in the hospital for a few months, a smirk appearing on his face as he shared a look with Billy and Spencer. It was a shame he hadn't died in the hospital. Then they wouldn't be in this situation.

In the end, Trevor owned up for everything their family had gone through. His mother's addiction, her losing her life, being a shitty father, and abandoning them. His apology may have been authentic and had pure intentions, but Alex wasn't letting him off that easy. In fact, he let out an amused scoff and gestured to Trevor with his open palm, glancing to his brother's before landing on Spencer. "Oi! Are you hearing this?" He asked, before looking at Trevor - hate burning in his eyes. "You think you can use mum to appeal to us? Give us a little sob story or two and suddenly we'll forgive you and give you a chance? You've got to be higher than you've ever been if you think it's that easy!" Alex then pushed himself from the wall, storming towards Trevor. Instead of punching him, he grabbed him by the collar again, pointing his finger towards Billy. "If you think we're letting you near him," he started, before pointing his finger to the door outside. "Harper, Callum, or even Eddie you're a dense motherfucker." Alex let go of the man's shirt, slowly backing away from him without breaking eye contact. "Take your apologies, your words, your- your fake sentiment and fucking choke on them!"

Though Darcey was relieved about being able to calm Shona and the baby down, she wasn't too thrilled about the idea of holding him. She'd only ever held six babies in her lifetime - Bruce's children and Laura's children - and even then she had only held them for a few seconds before giving them back. It wasn't that she was afraid of them or didn't like babies but she was just so awkward, even if she had been told she was a natural at it. She liked children enough and they seemed to like her back but she could never get over that awkwardness. "Erm," Darcey started, looking down at Eddie. She looked back up to Shona with a soft smile before nodding her head, "Sure." While Shona got situated to hand her the baby, Erik caught Darcey's eye and gave her a slight smirk. He'd noticed her awkward glances and she scowled at him before replacing it with a smile when Shona handed Eddie to her.

Darcey held onto Eddie with protective instinct, making sure to support his head and making sure he was still bundled. Looking down at him she smiled and slightly rocked her body from side to side. There were some days she wished things were different, that she had married Bruce and settled down and had children but she knew their family wouldn't be happy. She wouldn't be happy and neither would he. The woman knew that if she had kids she would've never become the strong and independent woman she is today. She'd have grown to resent both Bruce and her children and Darcey wasn't the type of woman to let that happen. Besides, she was always grateful for the life that she does have and doesn't regret the way things turned out.

Erik was glad to have been able to relieve some of the tension that was lingering in the air. If he was good at anything it was being a distraction. Shona let out a laugh and commented about her own father, stating she would be lucky if she never saw him again. "I hear ya. Waitin' for the old man to kick the bucket so I can finally pi-," remembering the baby was present Erik paused and narrowed his eyes, changing his chosen vocabulary word. "Pee, on his grave." He smiled, almost as if in triumph of successfully censoring himself in front of the newborn. Sure, he wouldn't be able to understand what he was saying but Erik wasn't going to be blamed for the kid's first word being 'pissed'. Darcey just shook her head at him before watching as Shona reassured Eddie that Spencer wasn't a deadbeat. "Yes, and a mommy who'll kick his butt if he starts to lose his mind," she added in a sing-song voice.

Hearing that the nursery had already been completed was a letdown, Erik always finding joy in fixing things up. It was probably the only good thing he got from Roger was the desire to be tinkering with something. However, at the mention of how much of a mess her home may be Erik shook his head. "New mom stuff. How about this, I'll be your nanny for a bit. Clean up the place while you get some sleep. I go crazy not having anythin' to do after work. Plus, I could use the practice for my future nieces and nephews," he said, remembering Ava had been trying to get pregnant. Though Marcus had been away for weeks now, Erik was sure they'd be back on track to trying for kids. Shona then started messing with the stroller, commenting on how lovely it was. "Ava's got a pretty good eye, being an artist and all, I guess." Darcey looked up at him, opening her mouth to speak. "She's here in London?" Erik nodded his head, explaining how she showed up at his place by surprise and had met Billy.

The moment Darcey heard Ava had met Billy, a sly smile crept on her face. Darcey was aware of Erik's sexuality and had given him advice, though it was only recently that she was aware he had a crush on Billy. Now hearing that he had met the most important person in Erik's life was... Interesting. Shona asked if Erik planned on kids and he nearly choked on his drink. Darcey watched in amusement as he tried to recover, shrugging his shoulders. "I mean- no? Yes? Yes and no. Uh, I do want kids. It's just-," he paused, trying to figure out how to respond without telling her he was gay - he never told anyone he was gay unless they asked. "I think it would be hard having kids. Ya know, the world's sort of screwy." He subtly glanced at Darcey, knowing she would understand what he was saying before he smiled at Darcey. "Maybe one day."

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

​

 

[Bellz]

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

Blake watched nervously as Adam turned to face her a little more, his hand resting on her shoulder lightly as he stared into her eyes. He casually asked why what she had just said would scare him and Blake bashfully shrugged her shoulders. He flashed her a playful smile and Blake let out a small laugh as she smiled at him in return. She froze as he spoke, wanting to make sure she heard every word he said for what they were rather than let her thoughts try to tell her something different. He said that he didn’t want to make her feel rushed or harder for her. Blake’s eyes searched his as he confessed that he was already in love with her, causing her to move her hands to her mouth, a large smile forming on her face that she couldn’t hide behind them.

She let out another laugh, honestly in disbelief that it was so easy to find the connection she’d once had again. He leaned his head towards her and she dropped her hands and immediately met his passionate kiss with one of her own. They stayed like that for what felt like forever, the adrenaline and rush of finally being able to say what they both felt had swept her up and she never wanted to fall from the high. When they did separate, Blake was nothing but happy as Adam said she had the ability to turn him into mush claiming it was witchcraft. "Best not tell the town, they might burn me at the stake. All these prude catholic women will think I’m trying to steal their men.” Blake teased, rolling her eyes before moving to sit closer to him, allowing herself to curl up into his side.

"Do you know how unbelievable it is to hear you say that to me? I mean…I never thought I'd be with someone ever again! You never cease to amaze me, Adam.” Blake complimented him before sighing happily. Despite the war that was brewing between the Sullivans, Kings, and Morettis, Blake didn’t feel impending doom like she had a few weeks ago. The fear of something happening to Adam was still there, but it wasn’t going to dictate her life anymore. She couldn’t control what happened in the past or in the future…but what she had was today. No matter what tomorrow brought her way, she’d always have this very moment to look back on. There would be no more wondering if she’d ever find someone again or if Adam felt the same way about her as she felt about him. That was something that couldn’t be taken back, even if something were to happen, she’d always have this to cling onto for hope.

Although she had always wondered what Jackson would think about all of this, for some strange reason she knew that he would be proud of her ability to move on. He wasn’t someone who lived in the past or the future, her late husband who was someone who lived in the moment and most of the best times they had together had been conceived from that very notion. His ability to not think about the consequences and just enjoy the moment was something that Blake had always envied, as she was a textbook over-thinker but she felt she finally achieved what he was good at.

Blake looked to Adam and flashed him a smile, "I love you.” She murmured softly before a giddy laugh followed those words. ”I will tell you that I was a fool in letting myself get caught up in the fact that I couldn’t lose you…keeping you at a distance these last few weeks has been absolute agony. Believe it or not, I’m a better person when you are around. Way happier and not a sad sack as Collin kindly called me.”
with: Adam Misty Gray