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

[BasDorcha]

Harper's Place

Bethnal Green, London
Jeremy Gray​

Harper’s pain did not go unnoticed, and it only confirmed what he was thinking – he may have sat her back in her recovery and hindered her healing. The guilt was already starting to eat at his chest as he could see light purple blooming on her skin in various places. It made his eyes sting, wanting to make it disappear. She should not have been okay with it; she really shouldn’t have. As her hand caressed his cheek, he leaned into it, his face relaxing to an almost innocent, boy like look. Her arms coming around him brought him close against her, where he rested his head quietly. It was soothing, being held, in a way he never expected it to be.

He listened as she said she thought she understood their connection, and how dealing with her always seemed easy for him. The snort he gave her was an obvious and playful denial, but he didn’t interrupt her. Pointing out that even now, he likely didn’t feel like he was truly one of the brothers brought a shadow to his face, a sliver of sadness as he didn’t deny it or confirm it. Truth was, he was still an employee that, should be mess up, could be outed and turned away. If Spencer, Alex or Billy did something like that, they’d still have a family – Jeremy had to keep up and be better or he wouldn’t. It was part of the reason he always strived to work so hard, to mess up less, to make the right moves every time.

Looking up, he caught her eyes again, waiting for the rest of what she had to say. She wasn’t wrong, it was commonly and normally said that it was the King Boys and Harper – many saying it simply because Harper was not a boy but it still hurt to feel like you were just tagged on at the end. He remembered a lot of the times, probably more than her, that he had spent time with her because none of the family had time, but he had no where to be. He’d babysit, actually babysit, just to have the company. Whenever he was excluded because the guys were doing something family related, something for ‘just the boys’, he’d drop by with any excuse knowing that Harper would ask him to stay. He couldn’t deny that they had an odd history – part of it feeling like they were family before growing into something deeper and much more mature. He knew it must be a little weird for her but he wouldn’t deny his heart and the chance to love her just because it wasn’t normal.

Feeling her lips on his forehead, he sighed softly realizing she was not going to hear his pleas of avoiding him like that. She tried to point out she would have stopped him, and as much as he wanted to believe her, he knew that if he really had lost himself – the way he had during the night he killed a man from a boxing match – she never could have stopped him. He didn’t say it out loud, there was no point trying to make her understand when it would terrify her from every wanting him to touch her again. She had no clue that the man she had seen was just a part of it, being held back by pure willpower. The monster inside of him wouldn’t care who she was, if he hurt her, he wouldn’t even remember her name if he ever broke all the way – there was no human side to it.

Quietly he swore to himself he would just never let that happen, even if it meant he would have to hurt her by putting distance between them, disappearing, becoming no one. He’d never let himself become that thing with her. “I love you Harper, just remember that always, okay?” He murmured against her lips, holding her close. “No matter what I learn about you, nothing will ever change how I feel. Just promise me if I ever get like that, if I ever get to the point where you don’t feel safe, you’ll do the smart thing and protect yourself. Please.” He stroked her hair out of her face, his thumb moving to stroke her swollen lips before kissing it gently. “You’re more important to me than even my own life, I couldn’t live with myself if I hurt you..”

 

[Bellz]

Harper King
Her Apartment
~ Bethnal Green, London ~​

Harper could see just how much this was tearing him apart, and that worried her. Did he really think that he wouldn't be able to stop himself at some point later down the line? Was that something she really had to be worried about? Harper didn't know what would be worse, him actually hurting her...or the thought of having to separate themselves out of the fear of him losing control. They had both lost so much in their lives already and Harper was slowly losing herself now...she wasn't sure if she would make it without him now. He was the only thing in her life that was constant enough to keep her tethered to reality. Everything else was...secondary at the moment.

The panic in her chest was threatening to consume her as she forced herself to take a deep breath. She had come across as so sure that she would be able to help herself...and in a lot of moments, she had been able to do just that. But this was different, he was warning her about a side to him that apparently, she had only caught a small glimpse of. How would she be able to handle it seeing the full side of that, of him? He seemed to read her thoughts, reassuring her that he would always love her. His lips pressed against hers as he said this, pulling her closer. The movement hurt her again, but she didn't react to it in any way as she allowed it, only sighing gently at the closeness.

Hearing his feelings wouldn't change despite what he learned about her was reassuring, but what flustered her was that he couldn't accept the same grace for himself at that moment. Jeremy asked her to promise him that if she felt unsafe with him that she would do the smart thing and protect herself...but how could he ask that? What precautions would she have to take to do that? There were so many questions running through her head at that moment but she was confused about what he was asking of her. Would she have to shoot him if it came to it? Harper wasn't sure she could ever do that. The way he silently begged her, his hand moving a few strands of hair from her face as his thumb traced her too swollen lips...her eyes closed as he kissed them softly.

She couldn't help but mourn what they had before...not because she wanted it to revert back to that...but because she couldn't stand to see him think so lowly of his ability to stay in control. Then he said that she was more important to her than his own life, making it seem like if it came down to it that she would have to do something to protect herself rather than him. Her emotions lost it, tears streaming down her cheeks as she shook her head. "Jeremy...don't say that, please," Harper begged as she sat up in bed now, a low hiss escaping her as her body protested at the sudden movement. "Please don't treat yourself as if you are some secondary citizen in our lives...I can't.." Her voice broke then and her bottom lip trembled as she turned her face away from him.

"This person you claim to be...this other you. I don't believe even in those moments you can hurt me. Call me stubborn, call me foolish...fine. What it sounds like you are making me a promise is that if it came down to it put my life before yours...but it doesn't need to come to that. It should never come to that." Harper croaked, shaking her head. She caught glimpses of the purple forming under her skin. The soreness was exactly what she wanted to feel because she had been completely numb earlier. Feeling pain was better than feeling nothing at all right?

"You're asking me to do something I swore never to do, something I was afraid of doing...the whole fucking reason I tried to stay away. I'm still fucking afraid of it. I can't hurt you...please don't ask me to, Jeremy. Please." Perhaps she was overreacting, but Harper wouldn't do it. "You're telling me to walk away from you at your worst...but I told you to do the same. How come I can decide that for myself? You're not one of my family's lackeys. You've never been...even if fucking Alex made you feel that way. But fuck him." It felt like her lungs were trying to choke her now, but she ignored she stared directly into his eyes now.

"You are a part of this family, you're my everything now, I love you so much it hurts. And I've never said that about anyone before...Please see that."
with: Jeremy BasDorcha

 

[BasDorcha]

Harper's Place

Bethnal Green, London
Jeremy Gray​

Jeremy sat up right after Harper, his arm closest to her reaching out and wrapping around her waist lightly, enough that she could feel his touch but not enough to pull on her sore body. He listened, intently to each and every word she spoke, hearing the tears even when she was looking away from him, streaming down her face. When she turned back to look at him, he looked close to crying himself, though none escaped his eyes. Hearing her confession, her saying she loved him so much it hurt, caused a warmth in his heart that had him dragging her back against him, brushing away the sadness from her eyes, and squeezing her softly to his chest.

“You’re right Harper, it should be your choice; and I agree that I don’t think, even at my worst, I could hurt you, you give me light even at my darkest. I love you too, you crazy woman, and even though you’re crying, I hear you.” He laid back, pulling her to straddle his lap, her head down onto his chest, and his arms wrapped around her. “Let me make you a promise then. I promise that you will always be my anchor, and that I will not make you consider such a task again. I also promise, that no matter what, we will face what comes together – I don’t care how bad it is, we will make it through as long as we have each other.”

He fell silent for a moment, just rubbing her back, nothing sexual or demanding about the touches. He would hold her until she stopped crying, until her chest stopped heaving, until the panic attack had passed. His heart beat gave her a steady rhythm to listen too, his hands a soothing touch, his chest a nest of warmth. “It’s going to be okay. In fact…” Jeremy reached up and touched her face, stroking freshly fallen hair out of her eyes. “I was thinking… Um… I’ve got this house… It’s pretty close to the rest of your family, and it just sits there, unused all the time. There’s no rent or anything to worry about, my uncle gave it to me. Maybe, you know, if you want…”

He stumbled through his attempt to ask her if she wanted to come stay with him in his house. Part of his brain warned it was too much, too soon, that he was going to be rushing her, but at the same time in his mind it felt like it had already been years. Not just years since they started this new stage of their relationship, but because he was beginning to think, somewhere deep in his mind, that he always knew he loved her. When younger, it felt wrong because of their age gap, so he often pushed it off to thinking he just wanted to be protective of her as his friends sister, as his own sort of symbolic family member, but his heart said it was never quite that pure. Something in her soul spoke to him, as if he had waiting for her arrival his entire life, and even though his mind didn’t know it, his heart and soul already did and just gave him the time he needed to make the logical choice.

“I mean… If you want, that is… I even have a spare room, if you’d rather it be that way.”

 

[Bellz]

Harper King
Her Apartment
~ Bethnal Green, London ~​

Harper absolutely hated feeling so vulnerable. She hadn't been made to feel that way since the explosion...having to lay still while doctors hovered over her, her life basically in their hands. Before that...it hadn't been since she was raped at 17, the last time she allowed that feeling to ever surface. The tears that fell couldn't be stopped and seeing just how upset Jeremy was only sent them falling even more heavily. He pulled her back to him, holding her against his chest and Harper allowed it, her face burying into it soaking his bare skin with tears as she squeezed her eyes shut.

Jeremy's words surprised her, saying that she should have the right to choose. He agreed that even at his worst he didn't think he could hurt her, something that she was hoping he would say or things may have had to be different. Hearing him say that he loved her never got old, the newness was still there sure...but she was sure that she could hear it for the next thousand years and the emotional response it elicited would be the same. Harper wanted to laugh in her sadness as he said that she gave him light in his darkness. She didn't see herself being the light in anyone's life right now...but he was in hers. He pulled her to straddle his lap and Harper allowed him to move her, too sore to move at that moment. Her head rested on his chest again and his arms wrapped around her, she felt safe even after everything that had just happened, after the conversation they just had...she felt like she was truly home.

Her heart ached as he promised her that she would always be his anchor, never making her consider a task like that again. The blonde nodded her head weakly in agreement. His other promise brought more tears to her eyes. Jeremy always kept his promises...she did know that much about him, even if the darker side of him had been new. But as he made that promise, she couldn't help but feel like she wouldn't be able to make the same promise. Harper looked better sure, but she still felt so horribly lost...muddled and muted in a sea of damage that sometimes she felt like her old self was buried under that fucking rubble at the Mercury. The old Harper had died that day, leaving only the hollow corpse of a 24-year-old who walked the earth for reasons she didn't understand. The silence after his promise was heavy but comforting as he just held her. The panic attack was leaving her scattered, breathless...in shock really. Harper had felt like she had the weight of a thousand terrible lifetimes on her shoulder and she was still young compared to most people, even the man holding her. How could she continue on knowing that she'd have to live this way forever? Even if the drug use ended...the emotional and physical damage would always remain. Harper was very still in his arms as her breathing eventually stopped being so labored.

Jeremy must have noticed as he spoke once more, telling her it was going to be okay. Harper moved to look at him, her face slightly red and puffy from the crying as he moved the hair from her eyes. They closed briefly at the touch and opened again once more as he spoke of his house. Despite her mood, a small smirk formed on her lips as he stumbled through his words. So articulate at times and at others...he couldn't find the words. Patiently, she waited for him to get them out and realized that he was trying to ask if she wanted to come to live with him at his house. Immediately, Harper wondered if it was too soon for either of them. But her instinctual answer was yes. It was hard to explain...but even though this was all new, their relationship. Harper had felt familiar with it, warm even. As if they had already been through these stages before...territory that had already been discovered. The question coming from anyone else would have been too much too fast. But as she looked at his face, Harper was reminded of just how much she loved him...of just how much she had really always loved him. Even if it wasn't in a romantic way, Harper had always loved him.

He offered her a spare room and Harper in all of her sadness laughed this time, a small sound that collected in her chest as she then smiled. "I hope if you are asking me to move in I wouldn't just be moving into your spare room...unless you are going to make me pay for putting you in my spare room." Harper said softly before her eyes looked around the dark room a moment. She had been thinking about how her apartment had become just a reminder of the terrible things that had happened over the last few weeks... "I don't know what it is about you, Jeremy Gray, but you have me doing things I normally wouldn't do with anyone else." She murmured, her face turning to look at him again as she leaned forward to kiss his lips. After the softest kiss, she leaned back and said, "I hope you know what you are asking for...living with a woman can be bothersome, I've got clothes and make-up and tons of hair stuff. You will have no bathroom space or even closet space." She teased. "If you're okay with all of that, and dealing with my sobbing mess on a daily basis in the comfort of your own home...then I would love to."
with: Jeremy BasDorcha

~ END OF SCENE ~​

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Caspian's Clinic
~Bethnal Green, London~
Erik Snowden, Dr. Caspian, & Alex King

​

Erik knew Billy would try to force himself not to cry and instead of chastising him for not listening, he waited. As tough as Billy wanted to seem sometimes, Erik was able to see through all of it. Maybe it was because he saw him in a different light than others- knew him in ways other people didn't. Whatever the case he watched with concern and understanding as Billy tried to resume cleaning his wounds. A failed effort, of course; the tears falling down his face anyway. It was one thing, Erik thought, to see your brother beat up at a clinic in the aftermath of an attack. It was something completely different to have him teeter on the edge of death in your arms. Though Ava hadn't been on the edge of death when she was attacked years ago, it still did something to Erik he couldn't understand. Looking at Billy now he sensed that same feeling.

Caspian entered the room and Erik shuffled as if caught doing something unsavory. Caspian didn't seem to notice - or rather, care - as he started to inspect Billy's handy work. "Clean enough," he muttered, sliding a tray of tools and essentials he was going to need- including a syringe filled with lidocaine. Erik glanced over at it, a smile on his face. "What? No morphine, doc?" Caspian immediately shook his head before maneuvering to inject Erik. "You lot have sucked me dry of the stuff," he stated, although they hadn't been the only ones to visit his clinic lately. He was keeping up his 'you lot are a handful' bit. When Billy spoke directly to him Caspian was about to give him some sort of snarky response. It wasn't until he saw the look on his face that he let out a deep sigh. "First and foremost, I'm the best goddamn trauma doctor in all of London- I'm very good with my hands. Secondly, I would never let a King die," he then turned back to working on Erik's wound. "Who'll sign my checks otherwise?"

Billy tilted Erik's head to the side- Erik wincing as he did. Thanks to the adrenaline that had been flowing through him, Erik hadn't even felt himself get cut. "If I'd have known don't you think I'd have said something, Bill?" Caspian then set down his needle holder, jumping up to check Erik's head. Luckily for him, Caspian was able to take care of it without having to send him to get any scans. "You are a lucky bloke." He returned to his seat and looked up at Billy. "Uh, do you mind?" With his hand he gestured to Erik's head wound, asking him to clean it as well whilst he worked on the bigger chest wound. "...That's gonna scar ain't it?" Erik asked, to which Caspian just nodded his head. With to man looking down Erik took this opportunity to look up at Billy - a grin on his face. "You think someone will find this attractive," he asked, though it was clear he was talking about Billy finding it attractive.

"Those pricks didn't deserve to walk outta there."

For some reason, hearing those words only ignited the anger that was just starting to subside. Thanks to his distracted mind he wasn't able to think about things that way until Spencer mentioned it to him. While Braden and Tom were threatening the girls' lives, Dermot, Marco, and Chase were trying to take Spencer's. To hell with the fact that Braden was Callum's uncle and Tom was May's brother. He should've killed them both and dealt with the repercussions later but instead, he listened to Harper. Why had he listened to her, he wondered. Especially since he was so sure and so ready to pull the trigger. Maybe because somewhere deep down inside he wanted to believe that she was right. But right now, he was beating himself up for it. "Well, Harper and her boyfriend put a stop to it," he said, not realizing that the couple may not have been out to the family yet. Though he was more than upset with the both of them, however, he didn't want Spencer to be as well for the decision. "But ultimately, I had the gun. I could've pulled the trigger anyway, but I didn't. That'll never happen again."

Alex took the time he had while Bruce and Spencer talked to get his mind together. Everything that was happening, everything that did happen was his fault. Because he couldn't control himself or didn't think about repercussions. He hadn't changed at all- he saw that now. And if he had, if Kerry was telling the truth that she could see it, then all that progress had been ruined tonight. Bruce then excused him and just when Alex was preparing for some speech about how Alex was stupid, Spencer grabbed his wrist. He explained that Sinead and Liam were innocent - something he knew all too well. Despite no physical harm coming to either one the mental and emotional scarring would still be there. And Sinead- Sinead had done nothing to Alex but be sweet and kind and gentle. How could he put her through something like this? Spencer instructed that he needed to call Kit and call it off, Alex nodded his head.

Shona entered the room then, Alex offering her a quick and gentle smile before the solemn one took back over his features. Spencer reminded him that he had a phone call to make, and Alex left immediately to do so. Closing the door behind him Alex made his way to the phone sitting on Caspian's desk. Jeremy and Harper were nowhere in sight- not that he was worried, to begin with. Despite being on the outs with both of them he figured the man had taken her home. May and Kerry were still sat on the couch - his eyes lingering for a moment. He felt bad that Kerry had gone through something like this again- that she'd seen all the progress she'd been praising going down the toilet. Then there was May - the woman he'd blamed for this whole thing. Though it was - in Alex's head - her fault in a way, really it wasn't. Her only fault had been keeping unlocked doors in London and being related to a psycho. He owed her an apology, like everyone else. But priorities first.

With the receiver in hand, he stood in the corner. He was aware Bruce and Darcey were tucked in the back room - hearing the slight sound of her voice. He didn't want anyone to hear the phone call he was about to make. It took a moment to get through and the moment he had, Kit answered with a light tone- as if she had just been laughing. "Let 'em go. They don't know anything." There was a long, pregnant pause on the other end and Alex knew Kit wasn't happy about it. First he told her no touching them and now he was calling it off? His ever-growing list of people he'd pissed off was only getting longer. "I don't give a shit," he harshly whispered, "Let. Them. Go. Drop them back off where you found them, do you understand?" He waited- wanting to get her verbal answer before finally hanging up the phone. He set it back on the table and ran his fingers through his hair and then down his face. He was exhausted and as much as he wanted to go home he couldn't yet. He would, however, settle for a smoke.

Alex then walked over to the couches where Kerry and May sat. Before he was able to address them, however, Caspian emerged from Erik's room having finished stitching him up. The doctor threw the waste in the proper bin before clapping his hands together. "You didn't get hurt this time, did you?" He asked Alex. The man just shook his head no before hearing Caspian let out a sigh. "Great. Now," he turned to May. "We're gonna see Ms. King's handy work and then bandage you up, alright?" He paused, noting that she was more than just upset. "And you can... Tell me what's on your mind." While Caspian moved to get more supplies Alex approached Kerry. He was worried she was going to yell or scream or even hit him - all of which he would happily accept. "Stepping out for a smoke. Will you join me?" Whether or not she did, Alex would step out of the clinic and stand under the awning to avoid the rain. It was pouring- which was a nice little contrast to how shitty the day had been.

Billy, Shona ( Pyroclast )
Spencer, Kerry ( Misty Gray )
May ( BasDorcha )

Somewhere They Shouldn't Be
~Dublin~
Nikita Blake

Sinead yelled at Kit- calling her messed up in the head and the woman just nodded. "So you've read my psych eval. Nice." Nikita's disregard for human life didn't just stop at adults. No, she cared about children even less. Because they grew up into adults she didn't care about. Plus they were naggy, didn't listen, and overall grossed her out. It wasn't fair - in her mind - that she had to suffer simply because people wanted to procreate. Made her grateful for getting all that icky shit pulled out of her. "But, didn't you all drag an innocent child into this mess as well," she said, looking from Sinead to Jocelyn. "That is why we're here. Explain it to them, for me."

Kit didn't move nor flinch when Sinead shouted at her. She only allowed a grin to grow on her face, slowly wrapping her arms around the boy's shoulders. "Oh, but I love this kid! He's got a little spunk to 'im." She stayed like that for a moment, letting it sink in before she pulled back and pat Liam on the shoulder. "Relax, mama bear, if I wanted to kill or hurt him I'd have gotten this shit over within the parking lot." Which was probably true. Torturing people was her favorite pastime but only if she were in a place she knew. She didn't know Dublin too well and it was far too risky anyway. Sinead continued to shout and - for a moment - she considered that the woman could possibly be telling the truth. She'd caused pain to enough people to be able to discern whether or not someone was telling the truth. Despite wanting to continue causing Sinead distress, she was sure there was nothing more she'd be able to get out of the woman.

Sinead insisted that Alex was behind the whole thing and just as she'd opened her mouth to try and deny it, the phone rang. "Sit there and shut up- both of you." With a frown on her face Kit walked briskly over to the phone and answered it. Alex had been on the other end and the moment he told her to let them go she let out a string of curses. She was pissed with him for sending her there in the first place with stupid instructions. She was pissed that Sinead truly knew nothing. But above all, she was pissed that she didn't get to spill an ounce of blood today. "My rates are going up after this!!!" She didn't care that she had an audience watching her lose her shit- she was angry. Slamming the receiver down she took a moment to breathe before standing and turning to face Sinead. "You are one lucky fuckin' broad." Turning to Jocelyn she nodded her head to Sinead while she walked over to Liam. "We're takin' 'em back where we found 'em. Keep their hands tied until we get there- don't want them trying anything sneaky."

Jocelyn ( BasDorcha )
Sinead, Liam ( Misty Gray )

 

[Bellz]

Braden Callahan
Finn Sullivan
In a Safe House
~ Far, Far Away ~ ​

To say Brady was in an bad mood was a sore understatement. By the time they got to the safe house, he was as white as a crisp hotel sheet. Joe and Tom had to carry him inside and when they arrived Finn turned to look at them all, surprised to see that they were actually hurt. "Put him on the table, guys." Finn turned to look at Amy who had been nearest to him. "Go grab a couple towels, love, as well as some fresh tweezers and a suture kit." When Finn walked up to Brady, he let out a low whistle. "I thought you were just looking to startle the ladies, Brady...what the hell happened?" Braden gave Finn an irritated look. "I would rather not talk about it, mate." The man growled out and Finn zipped his lips for the time being.

Looking to Amy when she came back, Finn told her to tend to Braden's facial and head wounds while he worked to get the man's shoe off. Braden was quiet up until Finn had to force his shoe off. "Jesus Christ Finn!" He roared out and Finn gave him a pained look, "I'm sorry! It wasn't going to come off any other way!" He looked to Amy, hoping the woman would try to calm down Braden a bit. Braden looked up to Amy, noticing the look Finn gave him.

"I will apologize now for anything that comes out of my mouth once he starts digging in to that bullet hole. She-I'm mean...he got me good." Braden hoped that his slip up didn't bring any attention to the situation he had to face with Tom. Finn raised a curious brow, obviously having caught the slip up before turning to Braden's foot, cutting off his sock before looking at it. The hole was clean...so clean in fact that you could see right through it. "Well whoever shot you, you are just lucky they didn't catch one of your toes. You would have lost it in that case." Finn shook his head as he moved to grab some peroxide and iodine.

"So I won't have to live life without a toe. Comforting Finn." Brady grumbled as he shifted uncomfortably on the table. "What's a pretty little thing like you doing working for a bunch of rough and tough guys?" He suddenly asked Amy, his voice rough sounding as he tried not to yell at Finn as he poked and prodded his foot. "Amy, is newly employed. I can assure you she can handle herself, Brady." Braden smirked up until Finn poured peroxide on his foot, a low hiss escaping his lips as his eyes watered.

"I don't doubt it." Was all he said, biting the inside of his cheek as he grew quiet. "Want anything for the pain?" Finn asked and Braden just shook his head, "Nah...we'll save the supply for the other guys." Finn nodded his head and looked to Amy, "I got the bleeding to stop for now, but I'm going to let the wound breathe after being disinfected while I assess Tom further." With that, the man walked away and up to Tom. He definitely looked worse for wear, "You alright?" He asked hesitantly, "Sit up on this table for me and I'll take a look at that leg for you." He motioned to the second table, waiting for Tom to take a seat before moving to get to work.

Finn would have to cut the pant leg to get to the stab wound but when he saw it, the man let out another low whistle. "Nice stab wound...but I think you are going to live." The doctor smiled at Tom, trying to be the lighthearted man he was known for being. "So I take it things with your sister didn't turn out the way you had hoped?" Finn asked softly, moving to grab the suture kit he was going to use for Braden as well as the bottles of peroxide and iodine. "Not many people outside of my family know, but I also have a sister."

The doctor moved to grab a stool before sitting before Tom. "I haven't spoken to her since the 50s. Not by choice, of course. But life has a funny way of showing you who your real family is." The man bit his lip as he concentrated on disinfecting Tom's wounds, "Sometimes...the realest family we have isn't blood. Sometimes, the blood family we have lets us down the most because we live in a world where blood matters the most. "
with: BasDorcha
mentions: Melanin-Gxdess Misty Gray Pyroclast

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Blake's House
~Sutton, Dublin ~
Leo Sullivan

​

Leo didn't like opening up whatsoever. His emotions and feelings were his and his alone and he felt like people didn't have a right to be privy to them. But Natasha wasn't just people. She was, for lack of a better word on his part, his soul mate. His best friend and the true love of his life and she deserved to know. It was a struggle to find the words to say and make them make sense, but for her, he would do it. He would do anything she asked - within reason, of course - and he wanted her to know that. So though he laced his true feelings with childish jokes and innuendos, his words held nothing but the truth to them. Including the one about being friends with benefits. "Hey! Honestly. If you want to use me, use me. Don't go anywhere else for it," he joked, his laughter dying out.

She spoke next and Leo made sure to focus on her entirely. His heart started beating rapidly in his chest- breath matching the speed. He wasn't sure where Natasha was about to go with this and her pausing to gather her thoughts didn't exactly help to ease his mind. The moment she made it clear that he actually did make her happy, he relaxed. The was a soft smile on his face as she poured her heart out to him. He found relief in her words and it was all over his face. A few years ago, Aliana explained how she and Conor had gotten back together after his stint in prison. She told him how relieved she was that they were able to get over something like that, but Leo could never really picture it; now he could. Leo shook his head as she tried to take responsibility for them breaking up. "Nah, I don't think you were bein' stupid," he explained, holding her face in his hands. "I know that I can't promise that I won't get hurt again. But making sure I come back to you has and always will be my driving force."

Leo then wrapped his arms around her, rubbing her back with one hand and her head with another. Truly it didn't feel like anytime had passed at all. It didn't feel like they'd broken up nearly two months ago and hadn't talked since then. Everything felt normal and back on track and Leo was more than relieved. Though he knew he could keep his promise to always be there for her, he didn't feel like his heart would be able to take seeing her with someone else. But now, he didn't have to think about that because the only man she'd be with was him. "I do need one thing," he said. "Could you write down that you were wrong? Thomas won't believe me when I tell him you said it." Preparing himself to be hit for ruining the moment, he pulled back and kissed her forehead. He raised a mischievous brow when she mentioned making it up to him. With a quick glance at the pool, he looked at her. "I can think of a couple of ways you can start," he grinned, placing a kiss on her lips.

Natasha ( Bellz )

 

[Pyroclast]

Caspian's Clinic
~ Bethnal Green, London ~

Shona King​

Shona hadn't meant to get in the way of whatever conversation Alex and Spencer had been having, and part of her had taken comfort in Alex's presence - being surrounded by family in general when tragedy struck was important to her and no doubt Spencer, too. Still, she didn't mind being left alone with her husband in the least. Spencer's relationship to her was different to anyone else's, and from the look of him, he seemed to not have fully taken in what happened yet. As was usually the case in tough times, it was likely he was waiting to be alone with her to let everything catch up to him. After all, if he couldn't show her how he was really doing, how could he show anyone?

As the damp cloth cleared the blood from his face, it began to reveal just how pale his skin was underneath. The blood loss had quite obviously been heavy, and while she always wanted to be there for her husband in times of need, Shona was relieved that she hadn't seen the blood pouring out of him. Seeing the aftermath alone was enough to stay in her mind forever.

Spencer began to describe what had happened. The fact he mentioned the shopping he was supposed to bring home for her almost made her laugh - it was only due to how much he cared for her that he could be thinking of such trivial things after what he had just been through. Yet, it also brought her close to tears. The irony of it struck her; that throughout all the business-related jobs he had been doing, it was the simple errand he had been running for his family that had seen him get abducted. "I don't need bread and milk," she softly answered through a smile as she stroked his forehead with the wet cloth. "Only my husband home safe."

She came to realise just how lucky they were that he had returned home at all, as he went on describe the violence inflicted on him by Chase and Dermot, two men whose names she knew but she had never met. Spencer suddenly seemed to feel the loss of his favourite knife, which Shona couldn't help but consider trivial once again - but the whole thing sounded traumatic, so she reasoned that it wasn't her place to pick at what was upsetting him and let him express himself freely. The weight developing in her chest grew heavier as Spencer explained how he had been left for dead in the back of the burning van and how he thought he was going to die. It sounded like he would have if Billy and Erik hadn't got to him in time - and she would be grieving right now instead of hearing his voice, and the hand she was holding would be limp. But he was there, alive, and he gripped it tight as tears began to spill from his eyes, leaving tracks on his blood-stained cheeks. That was all it took for her own dam to break and she let her tears fall freely as she gripped his hand in return.

"I'm the lucky one," she whispered back to him. She set the cloth to the side for the time being and instead leaned in close to him, placing a hand on his cheek and wiping away his tears. "You came back to me and that's all I ask for. You're gonna be just fine, my king, and as soon as Caspian allows it, I'm gonna get you back home with little Eddie and I'll take care of you myself, okay?" Making sure not to touch his tender wounds, Shona leaned in and rested her forehead against his, closing her eyes. It pained her to see him so upset and if he wasn't hooked up to so many tubes she would want to climb onto the bed and hold him until he fell asleep. For now, all she could do was offer her company, her assistance and some cautious affection.

"I love you so much, babe," she whispered, moving only to kiss him on the lips. "I'm just so happy you came back." More tears escaped her eyes at the overwhelming thought of how close she had come to being widowed, how close Eddie had come to losing his father. However, she didn't want him to have to comfort her at that moment so she took a deep breath and sat up to look him in the eyes. "Erik and your brother are gettin' all the cakes and home cooked meals I know how to make," she smiled, wiping her tears away. "A fuckin' lifetime supply, I swear. Whatever they want, I'll give 'em." With his face now mostly clean of blood, Spencer's wounds were more visible, further illustrating the traumatic events he had just recounted. "But what about you, love, is there anythin' you want?" she asked, tapping his nose with her fingertip. "Are you cold? Thirsty? Eddie's stayin' with our neighbour, so I ain't got no reason to leave your side tonight."

Interactions
Misty Gray Spencer
Mentioned: Melanin-Gxdess Alex, Erik, Caspian

 

[BasDorcha]

Caspian’s Clinic

Bethnal Green, London

May Thatcher

May lay curled into the fetal position on the couch, her head on her arm, facing the back so she didn’t have to see anyone. Internally, she was in a firefight with herself, lost and confused over the events of the night and struggling to remember she wasn’t alone now, even if it felt like it at the moment. Around them, the hum of people speaking could be heard, but the pill Harper had given her started to kick in. Normal people probably would have allowed the pill to let them sleep, but instead May fought through it, scared to sleep in case she had nightmares. The doctor was busy, tending to those in much worse condition than her - she wasn’t that important.

Kerry sat at her feet, but hadn’t said or moved much, and May assumed that tonight would be the last time she saw her. She doubted the woman who had been a friend, albeit a distant one in recent times as her life had outgrown May to include much more important things, would want to be around someone who may have been the reason she was attacked. She didn’t known a terrible lot about Kerry’s past, but she knew that the woman had been through it, just from reading her body language when something came up that made her uncomfortable. She wished she could comfort her right now, but she couldn’t bring herself to move.

Alex came over a few minutes later, ignoring her completely. Why she thought for even a moment he might treat her differently after this, after she openly chose against her brother, effectively severing the ties she had remaining to Dublin. Her life there hadn’t been the best, but it was all she knew before coming here. Tears began to fall silently, May thinking at first no one would acknowledge her, only to be startled a few moments later when the Doctor came over. May rolled to a sitting position, then leaned the opposite direction, keeping the stitched wound upwards but now facing outwards towards the man and the room. Her eyes were puffy, her nose swollen, her broken self all over her face.

“It’s alright… I know you’re just doing your job, but you don’t have to bother over me.” May was forcing her voice to stay as steady as possible, but it was failing. Pretending she didn’t feel like shattering into a million pieces was especially hard, because that emptiness longed for someone to chase it off, but she also didn’t want to pretend that person was the man in front of her. Staring past him, her eyes unfocused, the tears slid silently, refusing to stay in her eyes where she begged them to stay. Try as she might, she attempted to cover her face, hold her body still, and pretend that she was fine, but the gentle shake of her shoulders told the whole story.

Suddenly out of nowhere, May became so nauseous that she bolted off the couch and grabbed the nearby trashcan, emptying what little she had on her stomach into it. Being that she had only had part of her drink and hadn’t even been able to eat yet, it pretty much amounted to nothing. After the first or second heave, it became a rough dry heave, leaving her drooped over the trashcan, half the pill she had taken shortly before now in the slimy bottom. May chalked the sickness up to the night, though as she stood shakily, remembering the nausea she had been having for a few days now, it began to occur to her that it had been happening more frequently. Swiping her mouth with the back of her hand, she took a step back towards the couch, mouth open as if she were about to say something before she turned – if possible – even paler. A second later, she fell towards the floor, crumpling next to Caspian as she did so.


Somewhere They Shouldn’t Be

Dublin, Ireland

Jocelyn Justice​

Jocelyn, unable to carry on a full conversation without feeling like an idiot, had listened in quiet earnest, eyes scanning the two of them and dipping over to Liam in a pattern. She knew that the woman had no clue who she was, but Jocelyn would never hurt a child for anything. It wasn’t within her to do so. In fact, if the woman paid any attention, she would see Jocelyn watching Liam was a somewhat hidden look of pity. She didn’t think Alex wanted to do this with the child, but when the woman would not leave his side, they had to make a choice and that choice led to both coming.

When Kit began to use her recent situation to taunt the two, she had a brief moment of feeling embarrassed and used, but she shook it off, realizing that while it was mentally hard to handle, if she was a mother, she would rather that then physical pain against her child. Truth was, everyone knew that Kit could likely handle this alone, and why Jocelyn had been invited was still something of a mystery, but her just being there was intimidating enough she supposed. Two versus a child and one adult would be a case of being outnumbered, so maybe that’s what they were counting on. It could also be because Alex knew that Jocelyn had no interest in hurting any innocents.

At the prompt to explain their point to them, Jocelyn walked over, squatting down in front of Sinead. She screwed up her face, trying to force the words to the surface. “Y-you… Love?” She pointed from the woman to her son. Waiting for the obvious answer. “He loves. She took.” It was no mystery what Jocelyn was speaking about. “How-ow you f-feel… gone?” She again pointed to Liam, not intending to say he might be deceased but just simply if he was missing, the way Callum was from Alex. “She start. We, just react.” Jocelyn was flushed by the time she finished trying to force the words to the surface. She hoped the woman understood her, not that Kit or any of them cared in the long run. As she stood back up, Sinead shouted her partner, prompting Nikita to egg on the nerves again. In the next room the phone rang, and from the sounds of it, it did not turn out to be a good call.

Kit returned to inform them that their mission had been scraped, leaving them in a dangerous area with no back up. When told to keep them tied, Jocelyn nodded. A few moments later, she was helping Sinead stand, helping Liam after. Keeping her pistol on hand but not directly on them. Jocelyn began to horde them back to the street.


Safe House – Dublin Affiliated

Far, far away

Amy Capaldi & Tommy Thatcher​

The trip to the safe house was her first major job with Finn Sullivan, the doctor who had found her in the homeless shelter, tending for free to people there in any way she could. Most might be nervous, as if they had something to prove, but Amy was not that kind of person. There wasn’t much in this world that scared her, she had seen to much from the day she was born to let fear be a part of her. Most people would forget the things they had seen from their childhood, but the brutalization the nuns had performed had scarred her for life, and she would never forget.

They had been at the safe house for a while, waiting for the return of the men that had come with them to London when two men walked in, one carrying the other. The red head instantly went to work, grabbing things from around the room and setting them up, her eidetic memory kicking in as she remembered exactly where everything was from stocking up the room when they arrived. As she made it to the bedside just as the two men reached it, she immediately pressed her gloved hands into the middle of the mess, not painfully or uncaringly, but she was obviously not bothered by the sight in the slightest. Once Finn came over, she moved the towel under Braden’s foot, opening the suture kit and setting each tool out in a line beside her boss on a rolling silver tray, ready for use.

As the doctor started to look Finn over, she handed Tom a towel as well, which he pressed around the knife in his leg – not yet sure it was a good idea to remove it. He nodded a hello to the woman, but nothing more, sulking in his angry black cloud of attitude. The fellow redhead looked well enough for the moment, so when Finn asked her to work on the handsome man, taking care of the wounds above the shoulders, she complied with ease. As Finn yanked the shoe off, Braden looked as if he might jump off the table, so Amy immediately threw her arm out like a strap across his chest, her side resting against him from the otherA side, keeping him from sitting up too much.

The man now somewhat trapped beneath her smaller body began to apologize but Amy smiled a brilliant smile, her eyes closing partly as she looked entirely out of place among the complaining men. “Don’t worry, there’s nothing you can say that I haven’t heard. I’m sure, if necessary, she – I mean he of course – can hold you down and keep you from getting blood anymore on the table.” The words sounded incredibly cheery, as if she were speaking to someone about how great a day she was having.

Across the table on the chair beside Braden, Tom sat grumbling, “Should have taken one of their toes – especially those pricks who showed up at the end.” Amy beamed at him, laughing,

“I don’t think they would have appreciated that very much. Hope you gave them what for, sending them running to their doctor, or whatever the outcome was supposed to be.” As Braden settled back down now knowing that Finn wasn’t going to be doing any digging after all, Amy removed her arm, instead leaning over in a way that placed her awkwardly close to his face with her chest beneath his chin. “This shouldn’t hurt to much, but if you need to cry let me know, I’ll get you a tissue, okay?” What should have sounded like a condescending statement rang with a tone of innocence that was undeniable. She legitimately seemed to think he might cry and would need a tissue. She even grabbed the box from the side table and brought it to the tray to be within close reach.

Laughing, she started wiping blood away, cleaning each wound carefully with tender but steady hands. She dabbed at some of the cuts, placing butterfly band-aids over the ones not needing stitches, her touch traveling over what must have felt like every inch of skin checking for knots, broken bones and stopping occasionally to clean a new scratch, cut or gouge in his skin. “I don’t know about a pretty little thing any more than I know about a bunch of rough and tough guys seeing as how right now I’m the tough one and you’re the pretty thing laying on the bed.” Her nose crinkled teasingly, “Finn recently put me on the payroll, turns out you guys need constant attention and he needs a break from you.”

Behind her, Finn continued to torture Braden, letting him know that she could handle herself. Braden shot back in response, bringing another bright smile to her face as she picked up another needle and thread while patting his chest in a comforting move, “This might hurt more than Finn, maybe it’ll distract you from kicking him in the face.” A slice in the short shaved section of hair above his ear had a cut that was shallow, but the skin was drooping do to how soft it was. She nodded to Finn as the man moved to work on Tom, her calm hands carefully working the skin back together, the occasional new pinch added ot the pain and disappearing a moment later as she pulled the thread through.

Tom moved up onto a second table, carefully pulling his leg up so it was flat in front of him, silent when the man asked if he was okay. Tom did not feel okay, for the first time in his life, he felt like his heart was broken. His sister had betrayed him, chosen a bunch of arsehole Londoners she barely knew over him, and all because a group of women somehow managed to take them down. Finn removed the pants leg, observing the knife before removing it and Tom pressed the towel back down against it, “Not sure I’m happy to hear it, doc, but I guess that’ll do.” As the doctor pressed on, asking about how things went with his sister, his silence must have been enough of an answer because he continued on, explaining that not a lot of folks were familiar with his sister.

The words that hit him most though were the words about family. The man made sense, at least in this moment. Just because he didn’t have his sister, didn’t mean he couldn’t make knew family, and he had actual family right here in Dublin. With that thought in mind, Tom decided he wanted to see his uncle, a man he hadn’t seen in several years. He had come by a bunch when he was a kid, Tom always admiring him for the way he carried himself, but now Tom was a man too. He was no longer a child running around underfoot, trying to imitate his cool and mysterious distant uncle. Suddenly it struck him that Finn was also family. If Conor was cousins to mom – albeit something like thrice removed – wouldn’t that make Finn something of an uncle or cousin as well?

“I don’t know if you know this… but my mom is a Sullivan. That makes me a Sullivan, and therefore related to you, doesn’t it? I think mum said something about her and Conor being second or third cousins, meaning they shared great grandparents or something. It never made much sense to me. I think my mum only got what little help the firm er.. family gave her because of her grandmother. Once she pissed them all off, aside from letting her keep her job, I ‘spose they cut her off. She never mentioned how many Sullivan’s were about, or that most of them are not just sharing last name without a blood connection.”

Falling silent, he thought again about his sister, watching Finn work on his thigh and the knife wound. “I know it doesn’t mean much. Family has always been just another word to me, mostly anyways. Still, this is what I have left, so I’ll have to make the most of it.” There wasn’t a lot of emotion in his voice for someone talking about something sad – it was almost as if he was acting the way he thought someone should act in this situation, making all the right moves and saying all the right words but it missed something that made it complete. It was hard to put a finger on, but for what it was worth, he didn’t seem to be lying. Could be shock, could be he was as broken as a coocoo clock.

Mentions Misty Gray Melanin-Gxdess Bellz Pyroclast​

 

[Misty Gray]

Caspian's Clinic
~ Bethnal Green, London ~

Kerry Patrick​

Kerry had been taken to the clinic in the car with Darcey and Alex. Seated in the back of the vehicle, she was quiet for the journey, struggling to fully process everything that had just happened along with how the home invasion had dragged old memories and fears back to the surface. Having been Savannah's friend up until recently, she had come to know her and Sinead over the years. In that time, she'd also come into contact with Braden enough to believe he was a decent person. She'd been sure he was a good guy but even with the hesitation he'd displayed when he set eyes on her at May's house, she was still worried that she may have misjudged him. If she'd got Braden wrong, who else did she need to be concerned about trusting? Another shock was learning that the other man was in fact May's brother, Tom. How could anyone do that to their own sister? Did May have any idea what her own brother was really capable of?

On top of the Irish attack, Kerry was then stunned as harsh words were flung around between Alex, Harper and Jeremy, along with the former throwing some in May's direction. It all felt quite overwhelming, especially to hear the venom spat out between Alex and Harper. It ended with them comparing each other to their parents, which Kerry knew was one of the lowest blows the King siblings could deliver. Considering what Alex had confided in her with about Trevor, Kerry was sure it will have seriously offended and upset him to be told he was basically his father.

When they reached the clinic, there was even more awaiting them there and with everyone spreading out to get medical attention, see an injured loved one, or seek comfort from each other, Kerry sat at one end of the sofa, her arms folded around herself as she tried to switch her mind off from one thing only for it to be replaced be another unpleasant thought. Whilst Harper tended to May with Jeremy alongside them, Kerry had given them some space and took some time alone in the bathroom to gather her thoughts. She eventually returned to the main room to see May curled up on the sofa. Perching herself on the sofa arm, she got lost in her own thoughts. The longer she sat there, the more out of place she felt. She wasn't family and Alex had already shown he didn't need her around. Yet, despite telling herself she didn't belong there, it felt wrong to leave when so many people were physically and emotionally hurt. She just wished she could get past her own re-emerging walls to be of some use.

Kerry glanced ahead as she noticed Alex nearby apparently making a telephone call. She looked away and anxiously toyed with her long hair. Her eyes and attention eventually landed back on Alex, noticing he looked to be in a serious call but she couldn't begin to figure out what the call was about. When Alex ended the call, Kerry averted her eyes down towards the floor. Only when she noticed him approaching did she look back up. Any awkwardness was prevented when Caspian joined them so he could tend to May.

When Alex said he was going outside for a smoke and asked her to join him, Kerry looked at him in silence and let him walk away. Knowing she would struggle more if she went home without speaking to him than if she did, she decided she needed to join him outside. Turning to May, she sent her a soft smile and gently squeezed her shoulder before standing up to follow Alex outside.

Kerry stepped outside, making sure to stay under the sheltered area. With her arms folded, she positioned herself to face Alex directly. "How are the guys? Is Spencer going to be okay?" she gently asked, having caught a glimpse of how messed up he'd looked. She then let out a sigh as she thought back to what had happened back at her friend's house. "That all got out of hand, didn't it?" she rhetorically asked. "A lot of harsh words were thrown around back at May's. None of the others are here, so I don't need to think about why they said what they said. But what about you, Alex? The things you said to Harper and Jeremy... how do you feel about that now?" She paused as she remembered something else Alex had said. "When you brought up Sinead and Liam to Braden, what did that mean? Sav shouldn't have taken Callum away, but what did you mean about the others?"

Melanin-Gxdess (Alex)
Mentions: Bellz BasDorcha

Beachside Steakhouse
~ Burrow Beach, Sutton, Dublin ~

Sinead and Liam Callahan​

Sinead quickly shook her head when Kit suggested she'd dragged an innocent kid into their mess, having never once wanted to hurt Callum throughout all of the problems with the Kings. Every second the woman was close to Liam, Sinead felt herself getting more angry and upset, taking it very personally for them to involve her son. Thankfully, she soon left Liam alone, making a comment about killing them in the car park if that's what she'd intended to do to them.

Sinead glared at Jocelyn when the woman squatted down in front of her. The woman asked how she would feel if Liam was gone, getting her to compare it to how Alex felt not knowing where Callum was. "My daughter left to protect Callum. Protect him from this! This right now is why she left. Kidnapping, violence and torture!" she spoke through gritted teeth. "Alex and his family started this by making Savvy feel so intimidated and threatening to take her baby away from her," she said, referring to them seeking legal custody.

When the phone rang, Kit told Sinead to shut up, prompting the redhead to frown but keep her mouth closed nonetheless. The woman soon returned, looking and sounding annoyed, even using profanity in front of a child! If it was Alex behind the abduction, then it was clear he'd changed his mind and was letting them go now. Liam maintained an irritated expression on his face but remained silent as he and Sinead were both led out of the building with their hands still tied.

After another uncomfortable drive, Sinead and Liam were eventually back at their car near the beach they'd been taken from. Sinead stayed silent as she stood close to Liam with a hand firmly on his shoulder. Only when the two women had driven off did Sinead let out a deep, relieved breath, pulling Liam in close to tightly hug him and repeatedly kiss the top of his head. "I'm so sorry you had to go through that. Are you okay, sweetheart?" she anxiously fretted.

"Mam, I'm okay. I'm not hurt," Liam protested, his face remaining serious as he waited for her to release him. His mother then ushered him into the passenger seat of her car before climbing into the driver's seat alongside him. "You can't drive us home with a flat tyre, remember?" he pointed out. Despite how shocked and upset he was about them being abducted the way they had been, Liam knew full well how sensitive a soul Sinead could be, so he found it easy to put on a brace face. "We should called Dad," he suggested, pointing to the payphone across the street. When Sinead relented, she told Liam to wait in the car as she climbed out and rushed to cross the street. Shaking his head, Liam reached across and under the driver's seat where the felt the pistol that was taped underneath. He tugged the weapon to pull it free and tore away the tape. Shoving the gun into the back waistband of his trousers, he rushed out of the car to catch up to Sinead.

Sinead's bottom lip trembled just as her hand was shaking trying to fit the coin into the slot of the payphone. She choked back the tears as she managed to get the coin in the hole. She then began pushing the numbered buttons with her dainty index finger, dialling her home phone number. As she heard the phone ringing, she suddenly burst into a sob, tears streaming down her cheeks. She was exhausted, frustrated, and heartbroken. So tired of fighting to survive for a whole lifetime, she wasn't sure she had the strength in her to do it for much longer.

With his mother struggling to speak, Liam took the receiver from her and brought it to his ear. He'd got there just in time to hear Peter's voice. "Hey, Dad. Can you come get us? Uh... we've got a flat tyre, but it wasn't Mam's fault. Some people... something happened. We're both okay - we're not hurt - but Mam's just upset. Can you come get us?" Liam looked over his shoulder to make sure there wasn't anyone around he should be concerned about. "We're in the car park near that Beachside Steakhouse, yeah?" he told him.

Once the call ended, Liam looked to Sinead and sighed. "He's coming straight here. Let's wait in the car," he suggested. Liam stayed closed to his mother's side as they returned to the car, her being so upset and him carrying a weapon made him feel overprotective in that moment. Once they were both in the vehicle, he locked the doors from the inside. "It's okay, Mam. We're safe now," he reminded her. He then brought the gun into view, keeping hold of it as he rested it on his lap.

"Liam, no! Put that away," Sinead protested leaning across to open the glove compartment for him to put the gun inside.

"Alright. But if anyone comes near this car and I'm grabbing it. Nobody's coming near us again," he assured her.

Bellz (Petey)
Mean Ladies: BasDorcha (Jocelyn) Melanin-Gxdess (Kit)

The Speakeasy
~ Dublin City Centre, Dublin ~

Olivia Sullivan​

Olivia rounded the car so she could drop her bag into the trunk. As she did, she listened to Sam asking her about Thomas being in Dublin. She nodded along, waiting for him to finish getting his surprise out of his system. "We've been here a few months now," she said, shrugging her shoulders nonchalantly. "We had to get out of New York on account of the megalomaniac Italian freak over there," she remarked, assuming that he knew about the Morettis. She then smiled at him. "Well, if you've only been back a week it's no surprise you haven't seen him. He's had a lot going on, to be honest, not to mention he's all loved up with Adam's daughter... Seriously though. Why don't you guys ever just think to call or write each other," she teased, shaking her head.

Once in the car, Sam insisted on speeding down the streets. It didn't bother Olivia in the slightest but she still wanted to tease him. "Are you in a rush?" she commented. "The speed limits here a definitely optional. Just like the traffic lights are a mild suggestion." As the journey went on, Olivia listened as he told her various stories, and she was particularly encouraging him to dish any dirty on Thomas. Neither of them mentioned the more traumatic things Thomas had been through, nor did Olivia mention how it was still affecting her adopted brother now.

When they reached their destination, Olivia climbed out of the passenger seat whilst Sam held the door open for her. She looked around the alley, listening to the loud music as she struggled to appreciate the place around them. Olivia stood with an amused expression on her face when he knocked in a very specific way only to have someone knock in return before the door was opened. Stepping inside, Olivia looked around, taking in the fancy club and the way people were dressed. "I feel severely underdressed," she informed him.

Olivia smirked when he explained about the kind of people who came to the club. "Oh well, a couple of dodgy folk like us will fit right in!" she drily remarked. Having not been planning on a night of heavy drinking, Olivia ordered a simple white wine before she was led towards the last free booth. Sitting across from him, she leaned forward with her elbows rested on the table. "You don't waste time, do you?" She then watched as he emptied out his pockets in front of her, prompting her to raise a curious eyebrow before looking back to him. She let out a playful scoff at being called 'doll face', but continued to smile back at him. "Hmmm. Well considering I was planning on going home to curl up in front of the TV, I wasn't looking for trouble at all... But maybe if a little comes my way I won't be too averse," she suggested. When Sam mentioned he'd already seen three guys eyeing her up, she instinctively looked around before turning back to Sam. "Well, if I didn't notice them they can't have been that attractive to me. You don't like sharing? I'll remember that about you," she assured him.

When Sam offered her some cocaine, she hesitated before shaking her head. They'd only just met, and considering Sam was Thomas' friend, she wasn't sure if he would tell him what they'd gotten up to. She didn't know Sam enough yet to be sure he wouldn't confide in his friend. If it got back to James and Lucy, she wasn't sure she could take the headache, not after what they'd been through with Gwen's addiction. For now, until she knew for certain such a thing would stay between them, she declined. "I'll take you up on the nicotine and alcohol, though," she said, reaching out for a cigarette. Wasting not time in lighting it, she took a drag before blowing out the smoke. "So what have you been doing with yourself in all this time that meant you were too busy to call your best friend for a catch up and a gossip?" she asked. "Plenty of skeletons in your closet, I bet," she playfully teased.

BasDorcha (Samuel)

 

[Bellz]

Braden Callahan
Finn Sullivan
A Secret Safehouse
~ Far, Far, away ~ ​

Braden let out a low chuckle at Amy's response though the movement hurt as he winced. His mind was still reeling from the mission but all of those thoughts started to slow down as he looked at Amy. She reminded him of his mother, quiet possibly the sweetest woman on earth. Amy might be taking the cake for that the way she was acting. "Constant attention sounds about right. This family is nothing but a problem for the poor man, all this free healthcare...he really should start chargin'." Brady said in a low voice.

"Don't worry about it, lass. I'm a tough one..." The man told Amy as she worked to stitch the cut on his head. The wince on his face couldn't be helped but he remained silent for a while. "So...Finn trusted you enough to put you on the payroll...what do you think of all this? Doesn't seem to bother you any." He asked lightly before staring up at the dimly lit ceiling.

"My mother is going to kill me when I get home, I can already feel it. Told her I'd have nothin' to do with that hit on Spencer so I could keep her from worryin'. Now I have to explain to her and my little Hattie how I got the snot kicked out of me by a bunch of women." The little bit of information slipped out accidentally in Braden's distracted head. He normally wasn't much of a talker but he needed a distraction from what his thoughts were trying to tell him. Things could have gone a completely different direction with Alex tonight...the man was out for blood.

Braden wasn't going to pretend to understand why Harper had done what she did. Especially with the aftermath he saw between her and Alex now, but perhaps the woman hoped that Braden would remember the mercy she showed him. A smart move, really. Brady would remember it and if the opportunity arose he would repay the debt he owed, at least...that's what he would tell himself for now. No telling exactly how a situation would go down to where he could let someone live for her.

Brady let out a hiss then, feeling the prick of the needle in his skin again. "That's a feeling I think I'll never get used to. Stitches. I think I'd rather be shot again than continue to have to watch that needle from the corner of my eye."

"That definitely makes you a Sullivan and related to me, mate." Finn said with one of his usual smiles, continuing to clean Tom's wound, working to clean the rest of his leg as well. "Conor, Sinead and Lucy are my cousins as well. 1st cousins actually. But we act more like siblings."He said lightly, nodding his head as Tom explained his mothers situation. The Sullivan family was...incredibly large. The list of relatives always grew and new relatives they never knew existed were always popping up into the picture.

"Even if your sister chose a side you weren't expecting them too...she'll always be your sister. That's not something you can change or want to change, in fact. I've watched many siblings fall apart because of the wars my family has been apart of...the idea of family tends to get muddled along the way. My sister and I don't speak, I don't know where she ended up or what her life is like...but I've never stopped loving her." Finn sighed, moving to grab the suture kit he'd brought over.

"Siblings can be...difficult. May drive you crazy with what they do...but supporting them even from a distance can make all the difference. I know it is difficult to do that in both you or your sister's positions. But even trying is better than not." Finn never was one for all the violence, never wanted his family to continue to be involved. But it was something that he couldn't change himself so he supported them where he could and helped them when they needed it. "Making the most of a situation is all you can do sometimes." Finn said in response to Tom, moving to start stitching his leg up.

"I don't support all this violence, but I love my family enough to continue to help. To be that hope for the ones that want it to end or to show others that you can have a somewhat normal life outside of all this gang stuff. Sometimes that's all you can do, lead by example."
with: BasDorcha

 

[Pyroclast]

Caspian's Clinic
~ Bethnal Green, London ~

Bruce King​

It was another of those nights - one of long embraces and silent understanding. There was nothing in life that Bruce and Darcey had been through without the other at their side to help them through it, and he had long associated the sort of hug she was giving him now with pain. It wasn't comfort for the sake of comfort, it was a way to unite in times of sadness, grief, shock or fear. He stroked her hair as he held her, feeling the tension in her frame as she buried her face in her chest. There was still so much he didn't know about what had happened at May's place - why and how the young woman had been shot, what had happened to put Harper in such an catatonic state - not to mention what Spencer, Erik and Billy had been through. As usual, he was there to deal with it all at once - including, very importantly, the effect it had had on his Darcey.

He could tell she needed to cry before he even heard her voice break, and as she took him by the hand he gave one last glance around the room to make sure nobody was looking for him yet before following her into the back room. Knowing that what she was about to tell him was of grave importance, Bruce made sure to take in every detail, quickly matching faces to the names of Braden and Tom, both of whom he had seen in photographs if not in person. He frowned upon hearing that they had apparently come to scare Alex. "If they were lookin' for Alex, why go to May's place?" he wondered aloud. "Well anyway, I'm glad you're not hurt. Though May must be pretty rattled - meetin' her brother on the other side of this war, gettin' shot at. I'd better sit with her in a minute, make sure she's alright."

Telling him what had happened didn't appear to have lifted the burden off Darcey's shoulders, as fresh tears began to sprout from her eyes. It became clear that there was more to the story when she went on to speak of how much pain his nephews and niece were in and of the vicious argument Harper and Alex had got into. It wasn't like Darcey to break down in tears like that, which gave Bruce some idea of how long she had been worrying about them. She always had, of course - while she may not have had a title put on her, Bruce had always seen her as a mother figure to the four siblings, and although no one could replace Laura, he was sure they all saw her in that way, too. So it was natural that she would be worried about them now, in a time of great turmoil. Harper was fighting her way through a tumultuous recovery, grappling with her place in the family; Billy was struggling to come to terms with his identity in a society designed to punish him; Spencer had lost one of his primary businesses whilst navigating early parenthood and had now suffered a near death experience, and Alex was beside himself after losing all contact with his son. Of course they were hurting. Of course Darcey would see that. She had been there for every stage of their lives.

"Darcey, my darlin', come sit with me," he offered, reaching out to take her hand. Leaning against the wall, she looked almost weak from trying so hard to keep her sobs quiet and he didn't want her to slide down to the floor. He led her over to an armchair and invited her to sit on his knee so he could keep an arm wrapped around her. "Hindsight is a tough thing, innit," he said. "You think you're doin' your best, but later on, you'll always think you coulda' done better. And you know, maybe we could have - they all had different experiences but each of 'em have their scars. And those scars are always gonna be there, just like you and me have ours. And they'll always have parts of their mum and dad in 'em, too."

It concerned Bruce to find out how Darcey really felt about Alex and Harper inhibiting their parents. "I think it's time we gave 'em both some credit, you know," he said, still running a soothing hand up and down her back. "Alex ain't nearly as irresponsible as he was. I'll admit, for a while I was worried he would do to Callum what Trevor did to him…but he's been growin' out of it lately, ain't he?" A sigh escaped him as he thought about Callum. Just like he considered the four siblings as his own children, Callum was like a grandson to him, and to think that he was taken from Alex just as the man was starting to properly ease into parenthood seemed deeply unfair. "He'll be a much better father, just you see. And as for Harper, she may be the spittin' image of Laura but she's got a personality of her own and a mind of her own. So strong and independent, in ways my sister could never be." Another wave of regret sank in as he was reminded of how broken down Laura had become after meeting Trevor. But instead of letting thoughts of her upset him, Bruce instead focused on Darcey and raised a hand to wipe her tears away. "I think they both just need us to keep encouragin' and supportin' them, don't you?" he asked. "And that goes for May, too. You can't think of yourself as bein' a bad mother to these kids, my love. Without you, they'd be nowhere. They all have always needed you and they're lucky to have you still." Keeping his weary eyes fixed on hers, he tucked a strand of her damp hair behind her ear and caressed her cheek. "And so am I."

Interactions Melanin-Gxdess Darcey

Mentions:
Bellz Harper
Misty Gray Spencer, Trevor
Melanin-Gxdess Alex
BasDorcha May

 

[Pyroclast]

Blake's House
~ Sutton, Dublin ~

Elena Velazco​

When Elena next opened her eyes, she was sitting on the toilet lid, gripping onto the sink beside her for extra support as she sat shivering violently. The room was spinning and she could hardly understand what Thomas was saying for the rapid pounding of her heart. It had come on so quickly - not a minute before, she had been eating her father's delicious tapas, engaged in conversation with a smile on her face, whereas she was now fighting the urge to throw up or pass out.

The cool, wet cloth against her cheeks brought her some relief, and she reached out with a trembling hand to touch Thomas - a tactile reminder that he was there with her, and that she was in control. She noticed him demonstrating deep breaths and so did her best to copy him. It took her a while to get into the rhythm but eventually she could breathe enough to answer him when he asked her what had happened. Still stuck on the haunting memory, however, tears continued to spill down her cheeks.

"I-I…lt was…" Elena attempted. "It s-start the same w-way, como en el casino - and then I leave and I see a m-man and he -" The haunting stench of the chloroform suddenly filled her nostrils and vomit shot up her throat - she only just managed to drop to the floor and lift the toilet lid before she found herself expelling her barely-digested food. The shock of throwing up only added to the panic attack and she started to cry even harder. "I just want to be with everyone," she sobbed, her voice thick with tears. "I do not w-want to think about it every time that I see them…I love Nat and Leo, Tomás…I don't want this. H-how do I do it?"

Interactions
Bellz Tomás

Mentioned:
Bellz Nat
Melanin-Gxdess Leo

 

[BasDorcha]

The Speakeasy

Dublin
Samuel McKinsley​

“Just because you didn’t see it, doesn’t mean it didn’t happen,” Sam laughed, picking up the small vial, tipping the straw up his nose and sniffing quickly. He left it on the table in case she changed her mind, lighting them both a cigarette before he handed one to her, his fingers holding it so she could take it with her lips, where his fingers stopped before her. If she did use her lips to take it, he’d brushed them gently as he pulled his hand away, smiling. She was going to be a bit of a challenge, he liked that. Most women rolled over too easy for him, and it was no fun. He wanted someone willing, but not so willing they jumped out of their clothes at the first chance.

“If you’re worried I’ll tattle on you, you could always just keep me from meeting your brother since I haven’t seen him in the last few years. But I honestly would not tell him anything, what happens between the two of us is our business, same as what happens between me and Thomas is his business and mine. I get it though, no pressure.” He gave her a lax smile, confident but not cocky. “As for me, I spent the better part of this year in my hometown, taking care of my sister. She had a motor accident in March and was in a cast for a few months. It was hard for her to get around and she couldn’t work, so I took care of her and helped her out until the cast came off. Before that, I was working, I tend to throw myself into it a bit much when I don’t have a qualified distraction.”

He looked at her, admiring how lovely she looked in the low light of the club, the sound of jazz and lounge music filling the space between them. “Looks like I found one though, so maybe I wont work so much this time around.” He didn’t want to mention that it was mostly Thomas that hadn’t tried to contact him. He had written him a few times and he had also called, but Thomas always seemed to avoid him. He had a good idea why, what with what they went through, months and days and weeks of trauma built into their head, doing things you thought you’d never do to protect those around you and yourself, just trying to survive. He had plenty of those types of skeletons. What other kinds could he have? He scratched his chin, thinking. He wasn’t exactly the boy next door, but he wasn’t too bad.

Sliding out of the booth, he offered her his hand, nodding his head towards the dance floor. “Come dance with me, and I’ll let you ask me anything you wan to.”


Sullivan Safe House

London-ish
Tommy Thatcher and Amy Capaldi​

She couldn’t help the shy smile that came to her face when he laughed with her, butterflies floating in her stomach. What a weird reaction. She shook her head, focusing on finishing the stitches. Taking a break, she cleaned the edges again, then bandaged over it, rubbing her hand across the tape several times to ensure it would hold. “I don’t think you guys could afford Dr. Finn if he were to start charging ye. Maybe ye should just be happy he lets your boss pay for it all.” Her nose crinkled as she teased him, her smile causing even her eyes to crease.

When he called her lass, a shiver ran through her. She had been called lass many times in her life as she grew up in Scotland where it was much more common, but something about the way he said it was different than she had ever heard. His last question popped a thoughtful look to her face, Amy pausing long enough to create a slightly awkwardness due to her closeness to his face. After a second, she seemed to realize, and sat back, blushing lightly as she waved her hands in front of her. “Sorry, I was thinking of how to explain it. I didn’t mean to zone out in your space. You’re right that this doesn’t bother me, I grew up in an orphanage full of evil nuns that constantly attacked the children. I started off very young trying to help patch up fellow kids and learning from books in the library. I became pretty desensitized at an early age. “

Listening to him talk about his mother, she laughed again, a small laugh, “I tell you what, how about I go with you and you can pretend you got it saving me from some outlandish scenario. Who is Hattie? Is she your daughter? Aren’t you worried what your wife or girlfriend is going to say about you getting shot. Don’t forget the rest of the cuts and gashes I have had to clean up.” As if to make a point, she lightly pushed on the band-aid over the stitches just enough to hurt but not enough to really hurt. She didn’t comment on the fact he let slip that it was in fact a group of women, not that Amy needed to explain that women were just as likely as men to do harm with a gun in their hands – gender had no affect on a flying bullet. Men needed to feel macho, so she let it go.

She pulled the last stitch, tying it off and cutting it and finally sitting back. She offered him a pain pill and a glass of water, even lifting the cup to his lips so he wouldn’t need to sit up. “Here, let me take care of you. You silly boys, whatever would you do if someone didn’t do?”

*****

Tom listened to Finn, nodding as he understood what he was saying. He couldn’t see agreeing with him, he didn’t know if he could see himself supporting May from across the whole of England, supporting her being with some other stranger’s family in London instead of home in Dublin. It was a hard concept to wrap his mind around, because right now all he could feel was the betrayal of knowing their relationship would never be the same no matter what he did and how much he begged. From this day forward, his sister would never be his sister again. She might as well be dead.

“I guess everyone needs someone like you in the family Finn, I’m just glad it’s not me. I don’t think I have your head for being cool, calm and collected. I… I don’t feel anything unless I’m in that moment of pure adrenaline from responding to an attack or starting one. I’m not even sure I know what love really is. I’m pretty sure I love May… I’m angry because I feel betrayed. It’s the first time I’ve cared about loosing someone. May use to tell me that she knew I had love deep down, but maybe I don’t, if I was okay doing this tonight. I don’t know, I don’t know the word for this feeling. I’ve never felt it before.” Tom huffed annoyedly, throwing himself into a laying position on the table and allowing Finn to finish.

“Maybe one day I’ll understand the example you’re setting Finn.” Tom let his mind drift. A girl came to mind, the one from a few days prior that helped him work on his car. He smiled a bit, thinking about her. The other feelings died away, as just thinking about her made him happy. “I don’t know a lot about this bunch, maybe you could tell me about them while you’re working? That way if I ever met someone, I won’t be caught off guard by being unaware they’re family. I’m pretty good with names, so I should remember it if I’m ever introduced to any of them.”

Mentions
Misty Gray - Olivia
Bellz - Finn/Braden

 

[Misty Gray]

Caspian's Clinic
~ Bethnal Green, London ~

Spencer King​

There were times when Spencer wondered if it was too much pressure on Shona to be the one who had to see him at his most vulnerable and emotional state. In his lifetime, he'd learned that had to maintain a brave exterior not only to avoid looking weak in front of his adversaries but also to set an example to his family and friends. For the business, he had to put up a strong front and show no weakness, to remain professional when in the office and fearless in the more unsavoury side of his family's organisation. He couldn't break down in front of Bruce, both to show his uncle he was capable of handling things and to minimise the burdens he might place on an already stressed man's shoulder. For his siblings, he had to maintain that unaffected, resilient front. He'd done it since he was a boy, wanting to set an example that there was nothing to be afraid of and he was able to protect them. It might not have earned him the affection most normal siblings would share, perhaps even causing them to resent him at times, but he'd hoped they still knew he loved them. Spencer regretted that Billy had to be the one protecting him tonight, but he was immensely grateful for it and he believed after everything their family had been through lately, Billy was by now strong enough to overcome any trauma the evening had brought them.

The one person Spencer felt both permitted to and comfortable in letting his guard down completely with was Shona. She was his wife and the love of his life. She was the one person who witnessed or at least knew about every aspect of who he was. The good and the bad. She's seen him with his walls down, with however he was feeling able to naturally show. Not only was she the reason he fought to return home every day, but she was the piece of him that had been missing for so many years. They may have only met a couple of years ago, but Spencer had no doubts she was the one.

Seeing Shona begin to cry as he had, he wished in that moment he was in a position to get up and pull her in close to reassure her. He managed a soft smile when she whispered that she was the lucky one whilst softly wiping away the tears from his face. He subtly nodded when she told him he was going to be fine, saying she wanted to take care of him herself. Since being left for dead in the back of the burning van, he'd believed the complete opposite, that he wasn't going to survive. Even as Caspian was tending to him he wasn't convinced. But now, seeing his wife next to him, he believed he was out of danger and seeing her face, along with reminders of Eddie, meant he had to pull back to the surface the strong survival instinct that had faltered as the hellish fire crackled around him. "Caspian's spot on, but I'd much rather have you at my bedside," he agreed.

"I love you too," Spencer told her, fresh tears escaping his eyes as he returned her kiss. He could see how overwhelmed she was and he wanted to get up and be strong for her. He glanced to the needles in his hand and arm, the morphine drip continuing to make him feel uncomfortable at the thought of. His free hand instinctively moved towards the back of his other, almost ready to drag the needle out of his hand and stop the painkiller being administered. Reluctantly, he stopped himself, knowing it was only concern Shona more knowing he was in pain, not to mention annoy Caspian. He moved his hand back to hold Shona's again, just as she mentioned Erik and Billy, distracting his thoughts to something lighter. "Ah, you're going to fatten those lads up," he hoarsely told her. "As long as I get to share the food, I'm cool with that."

Shona soon turned her concern back onto Spencer, asking if there was anything he wanted. Before he could answer, she mentioned Eddie was staying with their neighbour so she didn't have to leave his side for the night. "I can't wait to see him," he said, his mind focused on Eddie for a moment as he was relieved he would get to hold his son again. He then looked Shona in the eyes, lightly nodding at the thought of her not leaving his side. "Caspian needs to get double beds in here," he remarked, wanting his wife to be able to lay beside him.

Thinking of what he wanted, he studied her before deciding to try his luck. "Could do with a cig and a pint, if you're offering. Heard they're good for treating... stab wounds?" he suggested. He then cleared his throat before gazing around the room. "I guess a glass of water would do. My mouth's as dry as a nun's..." he trailed off.

"As long as you're here, I don't need anything else," he told her. He closed his eyes for a time as he tried to let his mind relax and catch up with everything. Despite the painkillers, he was still aware of the injuries and so was admittedly grateful the morphine was doing its job so he didn't have to focus on blocking out the pain. As he tried to recall what had happened since he got to the clinic, he remembered those who had been at his bedside as well as the voices he'd heard outside his room. It didn't escape his attention that neither Jeremy nor Harper had checked in on him, but perhaps they'd do so before the night was out. "Is everyone else okay?" he asked. Erik and Billy hadn't seemed to be too hurt, and Alex assured him Harper and the other ladies were okay. He was sure Bruce was handling the situation, but he didn't want to be kept in the dark if he should be worried about anyone being hurt.

Pyroclast (Shona)

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Caspian's Clinic
~Bethnal Green, London~
Dr. Caspian

​

Caspian couldn't help but chortle at May's response. It was a response he had grown accustomed to hearing from the soldiers he put back together in the field. Most would be crying out to their mothers, asking them to take the pain away. As a way to distract them from both the pain they were feeling on the in and outside, Caspian would ask about their lives. He knew more about the men he'd come in contact with than even their COs. They always responded by saying Cas didn't give a shit and when he told them about himself they understood. It had nothing to do with the bedside manner he was taught; Cas was just a genuine guy. So when he saw that all the Kings had basically paired up with each other and that May was alone, he felt a duty to give her some company. "Apologies," he said, gently grabbing her leg. "You just remind me of the soldiers I used to put back together. They said the same things. But the truth about the matter is this." He looked up at her with a friendly smile on his face. "Everyone needs someone to talk to and some kind of support. Even if it's temporary and from a stranger. I mean, who better to tell all your woes to than someone you may never see again?"

Though, there was always the possibility that she would see him again. If that event were to ever occur he wouldn't say anything on the matter anyway unless it was brought up. Caspian was a vault of secrets he'd kept for many; some alive and others now passed. And never one to judge, either, despite what most people thought. His upbringing had been the cause of many stereotypical words and whispers. That just because he came from a wealthy background that it made him snobbish. He was nothing of the sort. Caspian moved to open a packet of gauze to put over the stitched-up wound. "Harper actually did a good job. Sure if she went to school for it she'd make a good doctor or nurse," he was muttering to himself, trying his best to create a comfortable environment for May. "Ah, but she'd make a terrible doctor, don't you think? She's so mean" He looked up at her, acting as if he'd been talking to her the whole time.

Once the tape was wrapped around the gauze to secure it in place, Caspian clapped his hands together. "See me in about two weeks? If you go to clean it and it starts lookin' weird come back. It might be infected." Caspian stood to clean his mess and though it may have seemed like he was about to leave her alone once more, he wasn't. He might not have been able to relate to being alone - he'd had people around him his entire life - but he did know that it made people feel better. He wasn't aware of what had transpired- May finding out she was a King, a Sullivan, and disowning her brother. He simply assumed that the events surrounding the night were a bit much for her to deal with. Returning from throwing away trash he sat on the table directly across from her. With his fingers laced together, he tilted his head ever so slightly and looked at her. "My job includes making sure people are okay- inside and out. And while, thanks to Harper's handy work, you're okay on the outside clearly something else is going on. I know we don't know each other, but I've found it easier to tell strangers about my issues than those I know. Unless you'd rather me shut up. That I can-,"

Just before he continued speaking, May launched herself up and went for the trashcan. Caspian lept up to hold her hair back and rub her back. The moment he heard dry heaving he knew what to do. He explained that he would return to her in a moment. In the corner had been an IV drip, with a cabinet against the adjacent wall. Once he had the things he needed for an IV drip he went to grab the solution for it. When he returned he was shocked to see how pale she'd gotten. There was no time for him to ask questions as the moment she opened her mouth she began to fall to the floor. Caspian had been quick enough to catch her and settle her on the couch. "Okay. We're gonna get you hooked up to this lovely IV. You're dehydrated." He said, working to get her all set up. "Anything I should know?"

May ( BasDorcha )

Alexander King​

A part of Alex was relieved that Kerry had taken him up on his request. He'd royally fucked up in so many different ways that he wasn't expecting her to give him any sort of response. She asked about his brothers and it took everything in him not to break down then and there. Images of Spencer flashed in his mind and the thought of losing his older brother once more was at the forefront. Everything that was happening, everything that had happened was his fault and that was something he had to own up to. Steeling himself with a drag of his cigarette, Alex nodded. "Yeah. They're gonna be fine. King's are a lucky bunch, huh?" He let out a dry chuckle, shaking his head. Was it really luck? Or was it something else? Their lives had been played with more times than he could count and he was sure that luck was slowly running out.

Alex leaned back against the door, hoping no one was due out anytime soon. He crossed his ankles looking over at Kerry and the moment she mentioned May's home, his breath caught. How exactly had things gotten out of control? At what point did things take a turn for the worse? Even as he stood thinking about it, wracking his mind and searching through his memory he couldn't seem to figure it out. With his cigarette nestled between his middle and index finger, he scratched his forehead with his thumb. "I-..." He couldn't even find the words for Kerry; couldn't even find them for himself. Of course, he felt like shit for what he'd said; to Jeremy, May, and especially Harper. She was his baby sister- the youngest of the King kids. As her older brother, he was supposed to protect and love her unconditionally. Agree with her in public and chastise her in private. Be there when she needed him and in this brief moment of reflection, he'd been doing a shitty job.

"Like shit," he started to explain. "The last thing I've ever wanted to do was hurt Harper and I did that. In a span of ten minutes, I hurt one of the people I'm supposed to protect." He pinched the bridge of his nose as if it were going to help him hold back his tears. "And I never should've- I shouldn't've called her Laura." It was one of the lowest blows he could've dealt, he knew that, and that's why he'd said it. He knew that it would hurt her and that part of Alex that went to hell when others went low seized an opportunity. Alex saw it all over Harper's face and saw in her eyes and heard in her voice the way his words had hurt her and it broke his heart. But it was too late. Words could never be unspoken and there was a consequence for not thinking before he spoke. What that consequence was he wasn't sure. But when it came, he'd have to accept it on the chin. At the mention of Jeremy, Alex paused. The mixed feelings there were different from the ones he had towards Harper.

"I shouldn't have said that about Jeremy. He's been there for the guys and Harper in ways I couldn't be; especially when I was young and dumb and selfish. He's been around for years; of course, he's family." He paused, trying to figure out why within himself he had spoken those words, to begin with. "I just... The whole thing. It felt like I was being ganged up on. It's one thing to have your sister nagging and bitching at you but someone you saw as a friend not being on your side? Even for a moment?" His voice broke, and Alex shook his head. No, that still didn't warrant him saying he wasn't family. "Plus I didn't appreciate what he said. You're not just some woman I picked up and threw down, Kerry, you know that, right?" If there was anyone that seemed to believe that Alex was changing and had encouraged his progress it was Kerry. She was his biggest support when it came to be a better person for not just his family and son but for himself as well. He knew he'd done damage the past month and Kerry was one of those people he didn't want to hurt. He loved her; was in love with her. It didn't matter if she never forgave him after the way he'd treated her the past month.

Alex would never see her the same way as his exes.

Taking a deep breath he flicked the now-finished cigarette butt onto the ground. She asked about Sinead and he was hoping- praying that no one else would bring it up. What would she think, he thought, if he told her what he'd done? That he was a monster? That there was nothing more that he could do to be a better person? Or that he is simply incapable of being one? Regardless, there was no reason to lie to her now. "You have to understand," he started, his eyes full of regret. "I was desperate." He paused and let the silence take over for a moment. It was difficult to admit something so heinous, but he didn't have a choice. "I sent Kit and Jocelyn to Dublin to kidnap Sinead and Liam. Their orders were explicit - the two of them were not to undergo any physical harm. They were only to get the location of Savannah and Callum and that was it." Hearing himself say it aloud he felt disgusted. A small wave of nausea crashed into him but he wouldn't dare. He wanted to suffer and feel the effects of his consequences. "I just called Kit and told her to let them go." Though he'd told Spencer what he'd done, it felt like a weight off his shoulders confessing to Kerry. "All I wanted was to fix my mistakes and I only made them worse. Am I destined to be in my own way forever?"

Kerry ( Misty Gray )

Darcey Hargraves​

The first time Darcey and Bruce met, Darcey had been in tears. At just 8 years old she'd lost both her parents because of the war. She'd been pretending none of it bothered her for months until one day she just finally burst. While everyone stood around, unsure of what they should do for her, Bruce was the first to make a move. He'd hugged her, made her feel safe and understood and comforted. From then on Darcey rarely ever showed her emotions to anyone who wasn't Bruce. He was the only person - only man - she trusted with such a fragile thing. So now, as she sat on his lap with her hand in his, she started to relax as he tried to comfort her with his words. Hearing that Laura and Trevor would always be present in their kids worried Darcey. There were good things in both Trevor and Laura. That much she agreed with. But what worried her was whether or not the bad would win over the good. And so far, it seemed to be winning.

Bruce's words offered insight and a different perspective from the one she was currently under. Where Darcey was seeing the situation as half empty, Bruce had seen it half-full. Harper and Alex were more than capable of not ending up like their parents. And up until maybe a month or so ago, they both had been doing pretty well. Jeremy was no Trevor. He wasn't getting Harper addicted to drugs. He wasn't leaving her to die in the mess he created. In fact, Darcey had observed the man doing everything he could to help and protect her- from dangers unknown and from herself. Harper had already made a step in the right direction with Jeremy, meaning perhaps she'd continue to diverge from the path Laura found herself on. She was aware Harper had difficulties both known and unknown to the rest of the family. Darcey could only hope that Harper didn't let them drag her down and ruin all the progress she'd made.

When it came to Alex, however, Darcey was completely unsure. It seemed that Alex would take several steps forward, surprising them all, only to end up back several more. The young man just didn't seem to be able to get out of his own way. The more he tried not to be like Trevor, she thought, the more he seemed to end up like him. Alex screwed up more than Darcey could count. But, if one thing could be said, he made up for it. She saw it when he had Callum for a weak then again when Savannah dropped him off for a surprise visit. From the way he had confided in Kerry and was taking his job a lot more seriously, she could see that he was trying. But tonight... All of his efforts had gone out the window. For the first time in her life, she felt disappointed in him. His words towards May and Jeremy and Harper - especially Harper - destroyed what little hope she had left for him. Life tested him in so many different ways and she held her breath each time to see how he would react- to see if there was a change. And there wasn't.

The comfort of Bruce's hand on her back felt warm. She had been listening to him sing both Alex and Harper's praises, reminding her of the ways they were different from Trevor and Laura. For a moment Darcey had forgotten to look at it that way and let out a shaky sigh- remnants of her sobs lingering. She nodded her head in agreeance, pushing her hair back from her face. "I know," she finally said. "I- You all mean the world to me, Bruce." As he reached up to wipe away her tears, Darcey gently wrapped her fingers around his wrist to keep his hand placed on her cheek. She then let out a contented sigh, closing her eyes as she realized truly how much his touch meant to her and her sanity. She nodded her head once more in agreeance with his words as he continued to reassure her that things would be okay. May would be okay. The children she'd grown to love as her own would be okay. She would be okay. When she opened them again her eyes connected with Bruce's. He looked so tired and she felt bad for adding to that emotional exhaustion. However, the moment he told her he was lucky to have her, her mind went elsewhere.

No matter what either of them had gone through the other was always there. Rarely had they ever gotten upset with the other but even if they did they'd put that aside. Darcey would drop everything when it came to him and after the children were born they were included in that. Darcey had loved Bruce for years. Had been in love with him for years. But because of what they wanted in life she never told him any of that. And when Olga came along she thought she would never have to. Maybe it was the way he was looking at her or the emotions she was feeling that made those words come out of her mouth. Maybe it was because she'd seen time and time again that nothing was ever guaranteed and she needed to be more forthcoming with how she felt. Whatever the reason, Darcey found herself pressing her forehead against Bruce's and saying things her heart had been dying to release. "And I'll always be there for them," she said, willing herself to continue. "And you, my love. Thank you. For I truly don't know where I'd be without the love of my life." Without further hesitation, she softly pressed her lips against his. And though they'd given each other friendly kisses before in the past, this one meant something more.

Bruce ( Pyroclast )

 

[Bellz]

Peter Callahan
Hattie Callahan
Callahan House
~ Sutton, Dublin ~ ​

"Grandpa! You can't lay on the floor again! We gotta fight!" Peter had been playing Batman vs. Superman with Hattie for the last hour and would be the first to admit that he was exhausted. The kid had endless amounts of energy that Peter just didn't have any more in his old age. "Superman lost, Hattie! Batman won!" Hattie let out a huff of breath before sitting next to Peter, who was still lying on the floor. "I miss Callum." The little redheaded girl said suddenly, causing Peter to look at her with surprise. "Why did he go? Was it me?" Hattie asked and Peter immediately sat up, taking his granddaughter in his arms. "No, Hattie, it wasn't you. Why would you think that?" Peter asked as Hattie snuggled into his arms, "Cause mammy left...Callum left too.." That broke Peter's heart into a million pieces as he pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"Callum will be back someday love. He didn't leave because of you, he just went...on vacation." Peter didn't know how else to put it to the girl besides that. That would have to do for now as the phone rang in the corner of the room. "After I answer this we'll go get some ice cream okay? Just don't tell Grandma or she'll kill me." Peter set the girl on the ground before running slightly to reach the phone. "Hello?" He asked and Liam's panicked voice caused him to stiffen. "Liam, slow down. Something happened?" Peter asked, "Of course, I can come to get you. Beachside Steakhouse, got it. I'll be on my way right now, it's okay kiddo, just sit in your mam's car...I'll be there soon." When the call ended, Peter scooped up Hattie in her little Batman costume and headed to his car with her.

The car seat was already in his car so strapping her in was quick and easy. "Why are you driving so fast, Grandpa?" Hattie asked, looking at the cars he was zooming past. "Because Grandma and Uncle Liam need us." That seemed to quiet her down for now as he focused on driving and getting there in one piece.

When he arrived in the car park, the tires squealed as they came to a halt. "Careful Grandpa!" Hattie scolded as Peter turned the car off and moved to grab her from the car seat. When they both reached Sinny and Liam, Peter set the girl down on her feet before opening the door to help his wife out of the car. "You okay?" He asked quickly, moving to hug her tightly and kiss her before stepping back to look her over. "Did they hurt you?"

Hattie had moved her way over to Liam, "Don't worry, Uncle Liam! Batman is here!" The redhead squealed as she moved to hug the boy. After hugging him the little girl took a step back, moving her black cape to her face as she covered part of it, "I'm vengeance!" She said in her most resounding, raspiest voice before she dropped the cape and smiled. Peter rounded up the kids before bringing Liam in for a hug. "You did good my boy. Are you hurt?" He asked.
with: Sinead +Liam Misty Gray

 

[BasDorcha]

Caspian’s Clinic

Bethnal Green, London
Maeve Thatcher



As Caspian helped her get sat down, the nausea washed over her again, but in smaller waves. She rubbed her stomach trying to get it to calm down. She had just been listening to the doctor and could hear the concern and caring in his voice, and had she not just thrown up everything she had ate or drank that day, she may have gone into much more of the situation than she previously had. At this moment now, she just wanted to stop feeling like her insides were on the ocean. Looking up at Caspian, he asked her if there was anything he needed to know, and May furled her brows wondering what he meant. It took a moment but it dawned on her he was, in fact, a real doctor and not just the guy who patched everyone up, it would make perfect sense that he’d ask her that.

“I… I don’t think so. I’ve just been thinking the stress has gotten to me. I’ve been dealing with a lot of upset stomach and nausea for the last few weeks.” May took a deep breath, steadying her stomach a bit more, wishing she had something like crackers to nibble on. When the doc looked at her with a hesitant look, May sat forward, the motion helping none. Just as she was about to ask him what he though it was, he spoke to her instead, “Is… It possible you could be pregnant? Sounds personal but I have to rule it out.”

May turned several shades of red from the tips of her nose to the tips of her toes. Her flush was deeper than the aggravated red around the stitches even. “Um… I… yes… but it’s only been a few weeks, wouldn’t it be too early for symptoms? Besides, I can’t even keep anything down, much less eating for two.” Her voice had lowered to the softest possible decibel to still be heard, hoping that no one had over heard their conversation. Christian was an employee of the King’s and their family, her family, she knew so little about gave her no confidence they wouldn’t get angry with him the way he saw Alex do earlier today. To be fair, Alex didn’t give two shits about her, and she wasn’t sure how everyone else felt, but it could still be an issue – she was always an issue. As they continued to speak, her eyes misted, unsure why she crying again as the doctor went on.

“Typically six weeks, but honestly it’s different for everyone.” Caspian appeared to think for a moment, quiet as May said nothing, hoping that he found another answer or possibility to question her about. “But it doesn’t necessarily have to be that. I don’t think I have any tests laying around for us to check. Did something happen before you started feeling this way?”

Struggling to remember everything for the last month was hard. She mostly remembered sleeping, throwing up and work, with the occasional visit Christian. To be honest, aside from seeing him more frequently, nothing had really changed. “Well… No. Just work, home, home, work. It just started coming on every few days then daily and worse to the point where I smell something and it makes me sick, or I eat or drink something and suddenly I’m rushing to the loo. I haven’t done anything different lately except… go on a few dates.”

As she spoke, the realization of what he was saying became more and more apparent, even as she tried to find any excuse for it to be anything else. She was already a problem, what would they think now? Young, unmarried – just like her mother – and pregnant. She was just repeating the same broken cycle. May tried to steady herself as Caspian watched her. She hadn’t done anything except make him more certain she was sure, as she now was starting to convince herself he might be right. Swallowing hard, she went on. “I’ve been pretty tired. I keep falling asleep everywhere, even at work one day.” She hoped this wasn’t a typical pregnancy symptom and might trigger something else to ask about.

“That… Sounds like pregnancy. And maybe longer than you think. Last womanly cycle?” Like a child trying to stop an adult from saying a dirty word, May’s hands shot up and covered his lips – whether it was because he said the word pregnancy again or womanly cycle was uncertain, but one of them definitely flustered her. May felt like she was choking on air, counting back in her head before her eyes widened and the words tumbled out of her mouth barely above silence.

“Six weeks.”

Mentions Misty Gray - Christian
Melanin-Gxdess - Caspian​

 

[Bellz]

Blake McCarthy
McCarthy House - Dining Room
~ Sutton, Dublin ~

Pairs Well With: PillowTalk by ZAYN​

Blake let out a laugh as Adam said that she was getting him all excited. "I think it is a perfectly appropriate time." Blake hummed sweetly, a smile on her face to rival his straight face. "I hope those kids are hungry, the length of the dinner really depends on how fast those kids can scarf down their own food." The blonde said as she followed him into the kitchen. They were both just joking about rushing through dinner, but in all honesty, she was ready to just eat Adam for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. A dirty thought popped into her head but she tried to push it back as they walked back inside.

"Well it doesn't smell like we need to call the fire department." Blake teased lightly, watching him stir the paella before following him to the dining room. She raised her eyebrows in surprise as they both found it completely empty. Collin and Lucas were still chatting in the other room. Blake laughed at Adam's comment as she moved to sit beside him again. "I'll take some more of that too please." She asked politely, lifting her plate as she watched him serve her some more of the starter as well.

"We are the coolest adults in this room, perhaps they thought that we ditched them so they just decided to venture out. I mean, I know Natasha is around here somewhere...the others have to be too, the cars are still in the driveway." Blake took a bit of her food thoughtfully, "You know...since they thought we ditched them already, or at least that's what I'm assuming...would it really be bad if we," Blake turned to Adam as she smiled mischievously, "Finished this dinner upstairs."
with: Adam Misty Gray

Natasha McCarthy
McCarthy House - Pool
~ Sutton, Dublin ~ ​

Pairs Well With: Late Night Talking by Harry Styles​

Natasha's cheeks blushed as he told her that he thought she wasn't being stupid. Even though she hurt him badly he was still on her side. She didn't know what she did to deserve such kindness. Natasha understood that he couldn't promise her that he wouldn't get hurt again, she understood just how much she would be asking of him if she did demand that. He would try to make it back to her, and that was all she could ask for.

When he wrapped his arms around her, Nat buried her head in the crook of his shoulder. Her eyes burned with the all too familiar tears as she wrapped her arms around him. It had been two long months of not talking to the person she could always turn to, the one who would always catch her if she fell. Two miserable months that seemed to be erased completely from her mind as if no time had passed between the last time they were together. Leo had managed to take all of that pain and suffering away in a matter of seconds.

That was why she loved him so much. The way they could just continue on as if everything had been alright, to begin with. The unwavering loyalty to their friendship as well as their relationship now. Even if they couldn't be together, he would have still been her number one, even just as friends. Natasha would have been the same for him, and that was what made this relationship so much more than others she had. She would always have him in some capacity. Her thoughts were broken as he spoke up, saying that he needed one thing. Leo then asked for her to get a letter in writing admitting to him that she was wrong. Thomas wouldn't believe it was his reasoning and Natasha scoffed, swatting his bicep as she pushed away from him. She didn't get too far as his arms held her close still. She was serious about making it up to him, and Natasha was riddled with guilt.

Natasha's eyes closed momentarily as he kissed her forehead and when they opened, he was smiling at her like the Cheshire cat. "Oh no, I don't like that look.." Nat said, unable to hide the smile on her face. Her brow raised as he glanced at the pool. "Oh...so what you are saying is...?" The blonde moved to grab the hem of her shirt, pulling it over her head and flinging it in his face before unzipping her jeans and pulling them off along with her shoes and socks. By the time he pulled the shirt off, she was cannonballing into the pool.

Natasha gasped at how cold it was, her teeth immediately chattering as she looked at Leo. "C-come on i-in! W-water is f-fine!" She tried to not look as cold as she felt, knowing her body would adjust to the water soon.
with: Leo Melanin-Gxdess

Thomas Porter
McCarthy House - Bathroom
~ Sutton, Dublin ~
Pairs Well With: Fix You by Coldplay​

Thomas waited patiently, dabbing her cheeks with the damp cloth until she was ready to talk. Her small hand reaching out to touch him broke his heart, he remembered feeling the same way, as if he was still stuck back in that dark basement in Iran. Needing to know if the person with him was real. Thomas listened intently as she tried to speak. When she spoke of the casino, he felt stupid for not realizing that perhaps if she had been in a room with just the four of them again that she would get triggered.

"Lena, it's not the same." He said softly before she was sent turning to the toilet. He moved to gently move her hair out of her face. "It's alright...I'm here." Thomas whispered to his girlfriend, trying to hold back his own tears at her internal suffering. He stroked her back in soothing circles until she was able to just sit by the toilet instead of hovering over it. Her large eyes with tears in them were going to send him into tears, his lower lip trembling as he moved to bite it.

She expressed that she just wanted to be with everyone and that she didn't want to think about that night at the casino every time she was with Leo and Natasha. Her heartbroken voice as she said she loved his best friends caused a single tear to fall down his face as he caught it. "It's going to take some time, Lena...but you will get through it. Just like I have gotten through my own shit." Thomas moved to sit beside her, pulling her close if she allowed him to.

"Everyone in that room loves you enough to be patient with you, they understand what you went through...some more than others, and understand that you are going to need time." He reassured her, "Nat and Leo are the most understanding people I know...they will understand if you can't be in a room with them alone for a while." Thomas knew how hard that would be for him considering they were his family and friends but he knew they would understand without a doubt.

"You need to give yourself some grace, and love. You don't need to rush things. I am here for you and I know what you went through was a beast of its own, but if you ever need to talk about it...if you ever need someone who understands and has survived the feelings you are having. I'm here, love. I'll always be here." Thomas kissed her temple before saying, "I love you."
with: Elena Pyroclast

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Blake's House
~Sutton, Dublin ~
Leo Sullivan​

Feeling his window for vulnerability closing, Leo decided to say one last thing before it had. "You're probably the love of my life, Nat. And I can't think about or even imagine a life- a future without you in it." For the first time in his life, he was deathly serious. Natasha McCarthy had been his everything for a long time and he wanted her to know that. Considering how difficult it was for him to open up and express himself we wanted to say something whenever he could. Now that the serious mood had been killed, however, Leo could go back to his jokester personality. He could be a little looser, less anxious, and get back to fixing his relationship with Natasha.

Leo watched Natasha take off her shirt with a reminiscent look on his face. Had it really been two months since they last slept together? Last spoken to each other? It felt like so much longer. But then again, not being able to talk to your loved one whenever you wanted to has a funny way of distorting things. He caught her shirt and set it on the chair before taking off his own shirt. While she came back up to the surface he was unbuckling his belt to take off his pants. "You know, I've never seen a woman make cannonballs look as hot as you," he said, kicking his shoes off. She beckoned him to come inside and based on the way her teeth were chattering, Leo started to change his mind and decline.

"Mmm, if it's that cold I think we can pass on it, then," he joked, slowly making his way to the edge of the pool. For a split second, he thought he was going to freak out over it. Water, a huge container. It was all very reminiscent of his drowning attempt, however, he reminded himself where he was and who he was with. He was at Blake's house. Adam and Thomas were inside if he needed them and there were guards posted out front. They were all safe, so he could just relax. He was careful not to get close enough so that she could pull him in before he was ready. She urged him once more and Leo shook his head at her. "Nuh-uh. I didn't realize it was going to be that cold," he admitted. Then again, maybe if he just got in and got it over with his body would get used to it? After staring at her with a smile for a few seconds he relented. "Alright fine." Walking to the opposite end of the pool Leo dove in head first. The cold water rushed over his skin, shocking his body. As he swam closer to Natasha he could feel his body slowly adjusting.

Once he resurfaced he shook the excess water from his hair and dragged his hand down his face. "This was a bad idea," he said. "Stop agreeing with my bad ideas." Leo let out a playful chuckle before swimming towards the more shallow end until his feet could touch the ground. Leo then pressed his back against the wall of the pool, pushing the water enough so that it splashed Natasha. "Come here." His voice was low, the grin on his face growing wider. He tried to bite his lip to suppress it but ultimately it failed. Lewd thoughts and images played in Leo's mind and they all involved his girlfriend- a title he never got over using. He glanced over his shoulder for a moment; not only to check for strangers but for their dinner buddies as well. He looked back at her and the moment she was close enough, Leo reached out to grab her wrist and pull her close to him until they pressed together. "If you tell anyone I was a big softie tonight, I'll deny every word." He cradled her cheeks in his hands before leaning down to kiss her. And not the soft and gentle one he'd given earlier either. This one was filled with more passion and hunger and heat than before. Not being intimate with the one person he wanted to be intimate with was playing a toll. "I missed this," he whispered.

Natasha ( Bellz )

 

[Misty Gray]

Caspian's Clinic
~ Bethnal Green, London ~

Kerry Patrick​

Kerry managed a weak smile when Alex told her the guys were going to be fine. "I guess that means I'd best show up on time for my shift tomorrow then," she commented, mostly to match Alex's dry chuckle so his tone didn't fall flat. These occurances were happening more frequently lately and she hope the Kings' luck wasn't going to run out any time soon.

Kerry stayed silent as Alex mulled over what had happened at May's house. Although he was clearly struggling to get his thoughts together or to form the words to respond, she knew not to interrupted him or be quick to give him a cue. It was something she'd learned from her counselling sessions with Maddox when he would often allow a silence to fill the room to give her time to formulate how she was feeling. More often than not it had worked and he hadn't had to give her any prompts. He'd been patient in those sessions and it had rubbed of on her to make her more patient with herself. Now she was able to be more patient with others too.

Alex eventually spoke up to say he felt like shit. Kerry stayed silent as he spoke about how he'd hurt Harper when he was meant to protect her. She was glad he was acknowledging what he'd said and that he felt bad about it. She wasn't sure how she'd feel if he was now still standing behind his words and been cruel about Harper. It was clear things were said in the heat of the moment, including what Alex had said to his sister. Being friends with both Harper and May, Kerry didn't want to be put in an awkward position, not when she cared about Alex too. Even after how he'd treated her over the last month, she realised that deep down she did still care about him.

Kerry didn't interrupt as Alex spoke of how he felt ganged up on, with both Harper and Jeremy having a go at him. He was clearly upset that someone he considered his friend had rushed to take Harper's side on the matter. Kerry was about to suggest Jeremy might have just wanted to stop him from doing something extreme or that he'd regret, but then Alex addressed her directly. He wanted to assure her she wasn't just someone woman he'd picked up and thrown down. She glanced downwards before looking Alex in the eyes. "I know... that I'm not just some woman you picked up. I believe that," she assured him. She then shook her head. "But it does feel like you threw me down. I've been here to support you for a while now, but since Callum was taken away, you've shut me out. I don't really know how I feel about it. I might not be Savvy's friend anymore, but I've known Callum since he was born. I would have been here for you," she told him.

Kerry folded her arms as Alex hesitated to answer her about Sinead and Liam. When he did speak, he made a point of telling her he was desperate. He went on to explain how he'd sent Kit and Jocelyn to abduct the two of them. Kerry brought her hand to her forehead, covering her eyes for a moment. "Alex..." she said in an exasperated tone. Letting him continue to explain, she moved her hand away from her face and instead folded her arms again. How could he think kidnapping Sinead and Liam would help? Why would he involve them when Sinead had been one of the most open-minded towards him over the years? Alex assured her his orders were not to physically hurt them, which came as at least some relief. She wasn't completely comfortable with it though. She nodded her head when he added that he'd since told Kit to let Sinead and Liam go, glad he'd at least come to his senses already. "And do you trust that Kit didn't physically hurt them? I imagine they were both pretty scared and upset by the whole thing, regardless, but I hope they weren't hurt," she told him. Whilst it wasn't quite the same, Kerry had been abducted back in New York and her kidnappers had physically hurt her. They'd beaten and tortured her on top of the psychological damage they inflicted. She wouldn't wish it on her enemy and certainly wouldn't want Sinead and Liam to suffer a fraction of the pain she did.

"Damn it, Alex..." she began, quickly shaking her head. "I get that you're desperate and you're worried about losing Callum. I'm sure I'd be going crazy in your position too. But you can't pull anymore shit like that," she firmly told him. She paused as she caught his question about whether he was destined to be in his own way forever. After a moment, she shook her head. "You have control over your actions and that means you can choose the direction of your destination. You're not a bad person, Alex. I've seen truly evil people who can't change. I also know people who did terrible things - worse than what you did," she told him, thinking of Maddox's part in pushing Syd to the brink of suicide. "But they saw how terrible their actions had been and they did change. They took a better path and set about making up for the bad things they'd done." Kerry pinched the bridge of her nose, wondering if she was being too soft or clouded by the feelings she had for Alex. However, when it came down to it, she cared about him because she saw the good in him and that he had been trying before Callum's disappearance halted his progress. "You can still fix your mistakes, Alex. Keep your head together and focus, because when you do get Callum back he'll want the dad he loves."

Melanin-Gxdess (Kerry)
Mentions: Bellz BasDorcha

 

[BasDorcha]

Chez Hans

Dublin, Ireland
Michelle Romano

​

Michelle enjoyed the dinner, her and Edwards chatting back and forth about their lives and what they liked, the food they ate, and funny stories about themselves. It was nice, just talking to someone. Michelle enjoyed the adult conversation and just being able to relax and be herself with someone. Between the two men she’d been seeing – Edwards and Dermot – she was having two needs met. If only she could get both from one, she’d be happy. Edwards was catering to the side of her that wanted to be wined and dined, treated like a proper lady and romanced. Dermot was meeting the side of her that wanted passion and sexual release, something she had long since lost with her husband and gave up on during the fallout.

When the waiter came back around, Michelle ordered them a tiramisu cake for dessert, splitting it with him as she offered him a fork and kept one for herself. The sweet cake was decadent but also had a nice rich coffee taste to it. As she took her last bite leaving the rest for him, she sat back, full and a bit drunk. “Well sir, this has been a wonderful dinner. What do you have planned for next? I seem to remember something about under the stars.” She smiled, though she suddenly had a nervous feel in her stomach. Maybe it was that she had grown slightly attached to Dermot and being alone with another man put her in a position that felt like she was cheating, something she cursed her ex for, but she had to remind herself Dermot had made no indication that he wanted anything more than a fun time. It wasn’t cheating if there was no established relationship, right?

Shaking the nervousness away, she focused her attention back to Edwards and their date. Edwards so far seemed like a decent man, but she was fearful that her judgement was not the best after choosing such a poor husband. In her bag, her pager beeped, causing Michelle to furl her brow. “One moment Jomes.” She pulled her pager out, seeing a message from home asking her to call. “Excuse me, I’m going to go borrow the phone.” Michelle stepped away, coming back a few moments later, looking a bit disappointed.

“Lauren fell and hit her head, she’s on her way to the hospital, Michael stayed home to be able to tell me what happened, but now I need to get back and pick him up, and meet them at the hospital. I’m sorry, I know we were going to go out under the stars… Maybe you’d like to keep me sane during all this instead?”

BloodThunder27 - Edwards​

 

[BloodThunder27]

~James Edwards: Date Night~Chez Hans | Dublin, Ireland

As the night went on, Edwards, for the first time in almost sixteen to seventeen years, felt happy, refreshed even. Perhaps a date night was what he needed after working so hard. Then again, this was just the first date. Would there be a second date soon? Only time would tell. Nonetheless, Edwards continued to enjoy his time with Michelle. From the wonderful food, to the wine and taking turns telling stories about themselves. However, Edwards did have to tread carefully when it came to his life in the service. Not to mention he thought it would put a damper on the mood. Overall, dinner ended up being lovely and soon it was time for desert, which he didn't have all that often. Compared to Europe, Americans had significantly more when it came to meal portions. At least that's how he felt. Maybe that was why a reasonable majority of Americans were overweight. Well, one of many reasons why. As this thought crossed his mind, his attention turned to the Tiramisu Cake that the Waiter had brought out for them. Michelle proceeded to take about half of it before it was offered to him. "Well, first time for everything. I don't think they have these back in the States." He said before slicing off a piece with his fork.

“Well sir, this has been a wonderful dinner. What do you have planned for next? I seem to remember something about under the stars.”

"I'm glad you enjoyed dinner this evening. After this, I was thinking about driving to the countryside and laying out in the grass, stargaze after dinner." He responded as he proceeded to start eating the other half of the Tiramisu Cake.

It wasn't as sweet as the Chocolate Cakes he had back in America, but that coffee taste was lovely. Or at least, he thought so. Dessert was a rarity and who knew when there'd be another opportunity. Before he could say much more, he heard a faint beeping noise. Michelle would then pull her pager out of her bag to see what was up, before excusing herself from the table to go find a phone. Although he wondered why at first, Edwards remembered that Michelle had children from a previous marriage. Edwards didn't really know what it was like being a parent, let alone a single one, so he was a little lost on how to respond. Before that train of thought could even finish though, Michelle returned, and the mood completely changed once he saw the look on her face. Why did she seem so...disappointed?

Lauren fell and hit her head, she’s on her way to the hospital, Michael stayed home to be able to tell me what happened, but now I need to get back and pick him up, and meet them at the hospital. I’m sorry, I know we were going to go out under the stars… Maybe you’d like to keep me sane during all this instead?”

Upon being informed that her Daughter fell and hit her head and was now en-route to the hospital...and her Son had strayed home to call her and tell her what had happened, Edwards felt the mood plummeting. But even there, he understood. For all parents, their children come first. At least, that's how it should be... "It's alright, I understand. Your children come first. And they always should." He responded. "Just let me go pay for our dinner and we can go get him. I'll take you both to the hospital myself." He said before grabbing a napkin to clean off the food residue off his face and then going to pay the bill for their dinner...which thankfully wasn't all that bad.

One thing was for sure. Using euros was definitely strange to him compared to the US Dollar. It was gonna be a little while longer until he adjusted to being a citizen of Ireland versus being a Citizen of the US. Either way, it didn't take long to pay the bill and he swiftly returned to Michelle. "Alright, let's go." He said before leading her out of the restaurant and back to the car.

After helping her into the passenger seat, he quickly got into the driver's seat and started the car up before putting on his seatbelt. After seeing Michelle buckle up as well, he disengaged the E-Brake and shifted the car into gear. Once they were on the road, he proceeded to pick up the pace and they began driving back to her house.

En-Route to Michelle's...​

---

Interactions: Michelle Romano BasDorcha

 

[Bellz]

Braden Callahan
In A Safehouse
~ Far, Far, Away ~
Pairs Well With: Until I Found You by Stephen Sanchez​

Hearing that Amy grew up in an orphanage reminded Braden of home. His own father was raised in an orphanage, never having gotten adopted until he grew old to live there. He got on the wrong side of the law and his Uncle James and Uncle Conor saw something in Peter that others didn't. At least that was the way his father had always told the story. To Braden, his father was one of the best people he knew. He did what he had to for his family, but nothing more than that. Guess that was why Braden went today...he wouldn't hurt anyone unless he had to. The Kings didn't seem to share that same sentiment.

Amy's laugh caused him to smile in his tired and vulnerable state, it sounded like wind chimes...tinkling in the warm summer breeze. His eyes closed and listened as she told him that she would gladly be the reason for why he got hurt, saving her...he would do it in a heartbeat. The questions came one right after the other and normally, Braden would have been irritated by such questions...but with Amy, they came off as innocently as his daughter's questions did. A Hattie loved to ask questions. "Hattie is my daughter...she's five." The question of his wife being worried did bring that familiar pain in his chest.

"Uh..no wife...or girlfriend. Hattie's mom left us...after Hattie was born. I haven't seen her since." Braden's voice dropped in volume a bit. It was about the one and only time he had really let any sort of woman in, and not only had she broken his heart, but he knew his daughter thought about her a lot too. Hattie was getting old enough to start asking questions, wanting to know where her mom is. Braden had failed to really answer her.

How was he supposed to tell a little girl that her mother abandoned her? Didn't even think about what leaving would do to her? Growing up without a mother, especially for a little girl...there were things that Braden couldn't teach her. But he would try with the help of his mother and all the other women in the family.

Braden let out a wince as Amy pushed a band-aid over one of his cuts. It hurt but surprised him more than anything else. Things were silent after that, until Amy finished the last of her work and offered him a pain pill and water. Braden was ready to sit up but Amy insisted. After taking the pill, he popped it into his mouth and drank the water with her help. A laugh bubbled past his lips at her comment, "Silly boys? You definitely sound like my mother now." The man grumbled, moving to look at Amy.

"What about you? Any husband or boyfriend worried about you being here with us thugs? I'd have to say, he's a fool for letting you around such attractive men. I mean Finn is.." Braden let out a low whistle, clearly teasing considering that man was like an Uncle to him. "He makes the rest of us look like we have faces for radio."

Finn Sullivan ​

When Tom said that he guessed every family needed someone like Finn, the doctor smiled lightly. That was not the first time someone told him that, and definitely wouldn't be the last. But Finn hoped he could impart some of his wisdom onto the ones who chose to listen. Even his own children, he hoped, would live normal lives. They were doing that so far, and he was immensely proud. If they were to be pulled apart by this war, he would say the same thing to them as he was saying to Tom now. "It's often we feel things that we can't name. It's all about how you handle them, how you...show others those feelings, that counts." The doctor said, letting the man lay into a complete laying position as Tom huffed.


The redhead said that maybe one day he'd understand the example Finn was setting. "It comes with age, trust me, I was never this understanding when I was younger." The doctor chuckled, continuing his work before Tom asked him to tell him about the family. "That's an awfully long list of names, kid. We have connections everywhere. If the situation with you and your sister hasn't proved that...I should write you a list."


Finn started to stitch up the cut on his leg, thinking about who to start with. "Well...we should probably start out with the original Sullivans. The ones who are living anyway. Lucy, Conor, and Sinead are the original three. Lucy is Syd's mam. You know her yes? Conor too? Do you know Sinead? She's the sweetest of the bunch. Don't tell Lucy, I love her to death, but that woman is a spitfire if you piss her off. Sinead is just...sweet."
with: My beloved BasDorcha

 

[Pyroclast]

Keys Warehouse
~ Sutton, Dublin ~

Syd Porter​

It was no insecurity of Syd’s to be musically hopeless. His sense of rhythm was about all he could claim, and even that wasn’t much to brag about. He was so hopeless, in fact, that his lack of musical ability was only good for giving people something to laugh about, and that made it worth it for him. Roxie played along by suggesting he give the same performance on every piano in the shop to test them all out, even pulling the receptionist into the conversation, who had heard everything.

“I’ve always been a rockstar,” he joked, putting his sunglasses on for effect. “I just don’t perform. You’re getting an exclusive, one-night-only, VIP access show right now, so make the most of it.” With a smile, he removed his shades again to properly take in the cherry tree Steinway that Roxie was admiring. He followed her over to it, but stopped short of pressing the keys as Roxie took a seat on the piano stool instead. He watched in anticipation, a coy smile on his face.

With his attention focused on the woman before him, Syd hadn’t noticed the music playing in the shop. He only realised when Roxie started playing along to The Beatles’ The Long and Winding Road, and was instantly mesmerised. It was a beautiful track, made even more special by Roxie’s comforting voice singing the lyrics. At first the soft smile remained on his face - but when he caught what he thought were tears in Roxie’s eyes, the lyrics came into full focus and he couldn’t help but interpret them differently. She had been alone, suffered heartbreak and grief - and maybe he could have spared her all of that if he hadn’t messed up their relationship the first time around.

He took his eyes off her for a second as he collected himself. He had been through too much therapy to start thinking like that again; they were where they were, and there was nothing either of them could do to change the past. Roxie helped him to shake it off when she looked up at him with a smile - the tears had gone from her eyes and she appeared her normal self again, just talking about the price of the pianos, and how she would be careful not to break another…

Had she just said ‘next time’?

Syd began to blush just in time for her to bring up what had happened at JJ’s birthday party. Really, it was no surprise - it was an elephant in the room, and he knew it was only a matter of time before one of them would mention it. He had to laugh when she brought up how his mother had been giving her expectant looks, as if waiting to hear the gossip. “Say something about…” he hesitated, a boyish smile spreading across his face. “You and me?”

Those three words hadn’t passed his lips in years. Surely that’s what she had meant though, as there was no way he was going to give his mother the details of how exactly they had broken his piano. Syd passed a hand over his reddening face, looking around to the room to check if anyone was hearing them. He didn’t care if anyone heard his terrible singing, but he wanted to be conscious of any shop assistants or customers overhearing their current conversation. Maybe she had just meant the piano. Maybe he shouldn’t have said anything. Failing to hide his blush, Syd cleared his throat and leaned over her to press a key in one of the middle lower octaves. “It does have a nice sound, this one,” he commented, his voice turned soft and deep in her close presence. “When you played it, anyway...that was beautiful.”

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