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

[Pyroclast]

Caspian's Clinic
~ Bethnal Green, London ~

Billy King​

“I don’t know, Mr. Macho, maybe you were just plannin’ to call it a scratch and move on,” he off-handedly remarked, gently parting Erik’s curls to see the gash more closely. His hair was matted with blood, and though the cut wasn’t too deep, it definitely needed treatment. Billy stood back when Caspian came over to have a look at it, allowing him to tend to the wound. Even though Billy had managed to rescue his brother and keep him alive, he still felt useless - so many people were hurt and he was just standing there, completely unscathed besides an aggravated wound that he already had.

As soon as Caspian returned to stitching up Erik’s chest, Billy came to reclaim his spot beside his boyfriend’s pillow. He eagerly took up his cleaning duty at the doctor’s request, sliding a hand beneath Erik’s head so he could wipe away the blood. After Caspian confirmed that his chest wound would leave a permanent scar, Erik turned to look up at Billy with a teasing grin on his face, asking him if 'someone' would find it attractive. “Always tryna’ impress, you are,” he answered vaguely, though he couldn’t help but imagine a shirtless Erik, looking tough and rugged with a large scar on his chest. Feeling his cheeks redden slightly, Billy frowned at him. “Now, quit turnin’ your head round - I know I'm a looker, but right now I’m tryna’ mop up the bits of your brain that fell out."

Though it wasn't reflected in his voice, his touch was nothing but tender, rubbing the dried blood out of his hair with as much care and attention as he could. “It’s a pretty big gash, you know,” he teased, knowing that Erik couldn’t see it. “Maybe this one will scar, too, and you’ll end up with a permanent bald patch.” A grin formed on his face. “But don’t worry, I can always get you a toupée. Or a deerstalker - you could pull anyone with one o’ those.”

When Caspian was done stitching Erik up, Billy thanked him and waited until he was out of the room. There were still so many people that could walk in at any moment, and he figured he would be able to hear more warning if he kept the door ajar slightly, so as much as he wanted privacy with his boyfriend, he didn’t close it after Caspian left. Nor did he dare to kiss Erik again - once was risky enough, and it was pure luck that they had been caught by Bruce, who already knew about and accepted them. So, instead, he perched on the bed and placed a loving hand on his abdomen, just below the scar. “How d’ya’ feel now?” he asked quietly, concern in his eyes. “My turn to look after you again, already. We do take it in turns, don’t we?” Reaching for Erik’s hand, he put their palms together as if about to measure them against each other, and allowed their fingers to naturally interlink.

"Thanks for what you did for Spencer tonight," he said, with a soft smile. "I'll never forget it. I don't forget none of the things you do for me and my family...I can't even imagine what life would be like if you hadn't come to London." Restricted by the sling he was wearing, Billy leaned down to kiss the man's fingers. He was about to ask him what he would do if Gabriel Moretti asked him to return to New York, but decided he wasn't in the mood to hear the answer. After all, it wouldn't be Erik's choice. "I hope you'll always be 'ere, with me...I love you, Erik Snowden."

Interactions
Melanin-Gxdess Erik

 

[Misty Gray]

Blake's House
~ Sutton, Dublin ~

Adam Harper​

Adam had a dirty mind and a high sex drive which often got him into trouble. Blake, however, did nothing to discourage him. If anything she could be just as bad and that was one of the many things he loved about her. Thankfully, he had enough self-control to straighten himself up, to hide the fact he wanted to be ripping his and Blake's clothes off in that moment.

Although he'd sat back at the dining room table looking completely natural, he hadn't needed to hide what he was really wanting to do as it was just him and Blake at there anyway. He passed Blake the food she requested before sitting back to eat some more himself. He draped his free arm around the back of her chair and softly stroked her shoulder, light enough to tickle her skin. Although they were joking about being abandoned, Adam was concerned about Elena. She was still clearly troubled and he was sure she wouldn't have just left the dining table for no real reason. He nodded his head when Blake pointed out the cars were still in the driveway. When she went on to suggest they finished dinner upstairs, Adam let out a dry, dirty sounding laugh. His expression showed he was clearly tempted and considering it. He then flashed a coy smile and shook his head. "You're a bad influence, Blake. I fucking love it," he playfully told her. Leaning back in his chair, he moved his hand to her thigh and gave her leg a squeeze. "But I should check that lot are alright." he said, letting out a sigh.

Letting Blake remain at the dinner table, he got up and called out Elena's name, loud enough to be heard throughout the house. As he walked towards the doorway, his focus moved to the window that looked out onto the garden and the swimming pool. He soon caught sight of Leo and Natasha embracing in the pool, causing him to smirk to himself. "Blake, I don't think Nat--" he began, but was suddenly interrupted by the sound of Lucas' voice as the boy entered the dining room behind him.

"Was there mention of ice-cream earlier? I'm sure there was and it would really help Collin and me focus on the film we're watching," Lucas questioned, clearly trying his luck.

After quickly closing the blinds, Adam turned to face Lucas and Blake. "This kid right here is a blagger," Adam informed Blake. "You Sullivans are a bunch of chancers. I never mentioned ice-cream, but yes, there is ice-cream. Go knock yourselves out," Adam suggested, pointing to the kitchen so Lucas could get the dessert himself. Adam then sat back in his seat beside Blake and thumbed in the direction of the window he'd just looked out of. "So, Nat and Leo are in the swimming pool... I think we really were ditched, love. I'm disappointed that we didn't think to ditch them first."

Bellz (Blake)

 

[Misty Gray]

The Speakeasy
~ Dublin City Centre, Dublin ~

Olivia Sullivan​

Although Sam left the case on the table and within reach, Olivia had no intention of changing her mind. She'd inherited her stubbornness from her mother, as well as learning it from the Porters who took her in after Arlene's death. She did take him up on the cigarette he offered her, taking it between her lips which he proceeded to gently brush with his hand. She grinned at him but didn't say or do anything else, wanting him to work harder to get a reaction out of her.

He seemed to read her mind as he assured her he wasn't going to go snitching on her to Thomas or her parents. "Oh, spoken like a true gangster. The code of silence and all that," she teased him. She took a long drag of her cigarette and blew out the smoke as he told her about how he'd been taking care of his injured sister. "Is she alright now? Where is your hometown?" she curiously asked.

Watching Sam slide out of the booth, Olivia rolled her eyes as he held his hand out towards her. After another drag of her cigarette, she stubbed it out in the glass ashtray and took his hand. Standing up, she looked around before allowing him to lead her to the dance floor. As they danced, Olivia thought over the fact he'd said she could ask him anything. "So. How many girls have you brought dancing here before? Do you do this often?" she asked, tilting her head to the side as she looked directly to him and awaited his answer. There was no wrong answer. Or at least, a lie would be the wrong answer.

BasDorcha (Samuel)

Beachside Steakhouse
~ Burrow Beach, Sutton, Dublin ~

Sinead and Liam Callahan​

Upon seeing the headlights in the rearview money and hearing the screeching tyres, Sinead visibly tensed up, ready to take the gun back out of the glove compartment. Although he was anxious himself, Liam maintained his composure for his mother's sake. Despite the fact he didn't like his family's lifestyle, he'd been around his father, brother, uncles and others his whole life, so he'd picked up on how to compose himself. How to appear confident when deep down he was just as afraid as his mother was. His calm demeanour allowed him to focus enough to recognise the car that had stopped close to theirs was his father's. "It's alright, Mam. Dad's here," he reassured her, placing his hand in front of the glove compartment to show they could leave the gun alone and out of their way.

When Peter opened the car door, Sinead rushed out of her seat to tightly embrace him. She pressed her face into his chest but still nodded when he asked her if she was okay. "No, I'm not," she cried, her words contradicting the nod she'd just given. "They didn't hurt me or Liam, but they took us an tied us up and I'm..." she whispered, stopping herself to catch her breath. "I can't take much more. How could she leave us to--" she began to speak of Savannah, but stopped herself as she realised Hattie was standing with Liam. Sinead's large eyes looked into Peter's with a sense of desperation. "Thank you for rushing to us," she said, relief in her voice despite all of the upset.

Liam had climbed out of the car in time for Hattie to greet him with a hug. He returned the embrace and smirked as she referred to herself as Batman. He was about to tease her about her and Callum being obsessed with Batman, but stopped himself as he figured mentioning her absent cousin would upset her. "Well, am I glad you got here, Batman," he played along, mostly so his words would stop his niece from overhearing how upset Sinead was. "Do you even know what vengeance means?" he lightly teased her, flashing a smile.

When Peter approached him, Liam hugged him back, letting out a deep breath as if he'd been holding everything in to appear strong for his mother. He then broke away from the embrace to answer Peter's question. "Thanks... I'm not hurt... I think Alex sent them. Like we even know anything!" he grumbled.

Sinead had quickly wiped the tears from her eyes before stepping into Hattie's view. She was quick to pick up her granddaughter and hold the girl close, planting a few kisses on her cheek. "Just because you're a superhero, don't think you can always stay out this late, missy," she lightly told her. Holding the girl close, she looked over to Peter. "Let's go home," she said, though it sounded more like a plea as she looked around, umcomfortable with their surroundings.

Bellz (Petey, Hattie)

 

[BasDorcha]

The Speakeasy

Dublin
Samuel McKinsley​

As it turned out, Sam was no beginner at dancing. With an ease that belied his size, he moved gracefully, turning her out, in, his hands gentle and roaming but never pushing past an acceptable flirtatious limit… yet. He couldn’t believe Thomas had been hiding such a beautiful sister all this time and he didn’t know it. This woman was an angel, and he suddenly had the thought that he would be sad if he couldn’t see her again. As the song slowed, he pulled her against him, his hands sliding low around her hips and resting at a testing spot. If she didn’t seem bothered, he’d leave them there, his digits occasionally moving downwards even more with a step. If he noticed even the slightest discomfort, he would immediately raise them, keeping them in proper places. He was a dog, but he was still a well-trained one.

“She’s alright, she got the cast off and can move around on her own now. She’s still got some recovery, but nothing like what it was. I’m originally from Ballycastle, spent some time there before I went to America as an exchange student for university, and that’s where I decided to join the military and met your brother. I came back here after we both got out. This is my home now though.” He hadn’t felt that until this moment, surely it wasn’t due to the girl in his arm. Chalking it up to a sentimental moment, he watched her eyes, he lifted a hand and touched her cheek, his thumb stroking over her skin.

“I have never brought anyone here, man or woman. This is my place of solace. I come here, I sit alone, I listen to music. I write here. I bring books and read here. I even work on paperwork here sometimes. People? Never.” He kept her gaze, fighting the urge to stare at her lips wondering what they would feel like. “So, consider yourself special, Ms. Olivia, because very few people ever even now this place exist.” Pushing away the mushy feelings, he winked, the confident attitude coming back. “Gotta be a special kind of badass to get in here.” He winked, turning her in his arms.

At the edge of the dance floor, one of the men he’d seen looking at her when they came in stood up and moved towards them, acting as if he thought he might get to cut in. Before he could even open his mouth, Sam, without ever breaking her gaze and his smile still on his lip, called out, “Don’t even think about it, friend. It would be the biggest mistake you ever made.” Something in his voice came across as chilling but was gone as soon as the man took a few steps back and stood there looking awkward. “If the lady wants to dance, she’ll come to you, why don’t you go back to your table before you hurt yourself.” The man cleared his throat and walked away.

His face softened instantly, leaning in closer to her to whisper in a playful manner, “Told you, I don’t like sharing.” Their lips were hovering inches apart, he could smell her scent in the air, and it pleased him. She was intoxicating, even more than the things he had already partaken in. This was going to be dangerous, feelings led to complicated things, to hurt and heartache. Already he was planning to see her again and hoping against hope that she would agree. “Can we meet again, after tonight? Whenever you want, I’ll be there.” The tone had turned deeper and gruff, more sensual and private, his lips moved to whisper directly into her ear, hoping it tingled the senses as much as it did him being so near to her.

Misty Gray - Olivia

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Caspian's Clinic
~Bethnal Green, London~
Alexander King ​

​

Though surprised that Kerry hadn't offered up any sort of comment about the argument, Alex felt relieved. He wasn't sure if he could take anyone elses' echoes about how shitty he'd been. The man was already beating himself up for it and didn't need help. He was also relieved that she understood how he felt about her, though he had been expecting her comment. For the past month, he'd neglected her. Avoided phone calls and visits and treated her poorly. Kerry had been the first woman he'd cared for since Savannah, though in a completely different way. She didn't deserve what she got from him and he understood that.

So when she explained how she felt he could only nod his head. "And I-," he started. His voice cracked and to try and cover up the emotions he coughed. "I'm sorry for that. And I don't really have some sort of excuse to give you," he shook his head. He did, actually, but he didn't want to use it as a crutch. He'd been doing a lot of it lately. "You've been there from the beginning- Callum's birth. The breakup." He paused, locking his red, puffy eyes with hers. "And helping me change. I shouldn't have shut you out, Kerry, and I'm sorry you got caught up in my shit," he said, referring to the events at May's. It hadn't really occurred to Alex how May felt about the situation until just then. Remembering the detailed conversation they'd had about that night in Sinead's club, he nodded his head at her. "You alright?" He pressed two temples to his forehead as if asking how she was mentally.

Alex watched, with a knowing look on his face, at Kerry's reaction to what he had done. Again, an expected response. He looked down at his feet thinking about it once more and how foolish he'd been. Sinead Callahan - despite everyone else hating, disliking, or barely liking him - had been the only one to truly make him feel welcomed in Savannah's life. The sweetest woman he knew who had been through more than enough. And yet, he disregarded all of that. The moment he'd come to his senses his heart broke at the realization of what he'd done. "Kit's all wired weird. Can't go against orders no matter what," though as he said it out loud, he didn't know if he really could. Looking back up to Kerry, he forced himself to believe that the psychopath they had on payroll listened. "Jocelyn went with her. And despite me not knowing much about her, I don't think she'd let her hurt them anyway." Alex then thought about the emotional toll the whole thing must've taken on Liam and Sinead and he sighed. He squatted to the ground, covering his face with his hands before shaking his head.

'Dammit, Alex.' There it was again. That reminder that he'd fucked up. And he was going to take it, too, because that's what adults did, right? Own up to their mistakes? But fuck if he wasn't beginning to get tired of hearing it. Dragging his hands down his face, he pressed his hands together against his lips. Kerry continued to chastise him and all he could do was look up at her from his squatted position. Somehow, he thought, it was always Kerry who really drove certain points home for him. Whether that was because she was someone he wanted to see more change in him than anyone or because she didn't look at him with that, "You'll always be a disappointment," look in her eyes that he felt everyone else had when they looked at him. Once she finished, he nodded his head and took everything in. "I know," he reassured. "I know." His voice was soft and for a moment he didn't say anything else. The only sound around them was the rain falling- sirens in the distance probably cleaning up yet another mess left behind by the King family. Finally, Alex let out a groan, standing to his feet and giving her a sad smile. "You're truly too good for me, you know." He shook his head taking a step closer to her. "God, I love you."

Kerry ( Misty Gray )

Erik Snowden​

Somehow Erik and Billy always ended up taking care of one another. Erik when he killed in front of Billy and it freaked him out. Billy when Erik was getting clean. Billy again when Erik had gotten hurt in the explosion. Erik when Billy was hurt at the restaurant. And now with Billy tending to Erik. Each event brought them closer than last- Erik for sure being reminded of how lucky he was to have Billy in his life. How lucky he was to have someone who actually cared and loved him. Whoever had gotten him here. Whatever unconscious deal he'd made with Lady Fate. He wanted to thank them for it. "Oh, you're not that cute," he teased in a drowsy, husky voice. At the mention of him possibly going bald, Caspian chuckled and Erik frowned. "Oh fuck off. That's not gonna happen!" He paused, suddenly worried that it could actually be a possibility. Erik was quite attached to his hair. "Is it doc?" Caspian just shrugged his shoulders and continued to work. "I don't even wanna know what a goddamn deerstalker is. I ain't losin' my hair, okay?!"

Once Caspian was finished and left the room, Erik gently turned his head to face Billy. He chuckled, the realization of them always being hurt once again crossing his mind. "Whoulda thunk it would bring us closer, hm?" Glancing down at their hands he watched with curious eyes to see what Billy would do. Lately, he'd gotten a lot more comfortable with certain displays of affection in public. Though they were small, it still felt like a step in the right direction. Their fingers naturally linked together and Erik tore his eyes to look at Billy. The concern in his eyes was clear as day and Erik wished he could do something to reassure him that things would be okay. Words did little to nothing these days - especially with them continuously being attacked and at the clinic. "You holdin' my hand, King? That's sort of gay ain't it?" He joked, hoping to at least illicit some sort of laugh from him.

Billy then thanked him; something Erik didn't want him to do. "Don't. Not only is it my job to protect my boss' investments," he said with a playful smile on his face. It wasn't the real reason he did what he did anymore. "Your uncle and your brother accepted me, Billy. That makes them the third and fourth person to do so in my entire life; not even Roger- the man whose fuckin' sack I came from accepts me. I will do anything they ask of me." Though he chuckled at the end of his statement, he was both serious and hurt. Serious about protecting the King family for as long as he needed. Hurt by the memories suddenly making their way to the forefront of his mind. Pinching the bridge of his nose with his free hand, he tried to push them away. Luckily Billy spoke about how happy he was for him to be in London, distracting him completely. "Me too. Good thing Ava married a mobster, huh?" Erik watched with adoration and love in his eyes as Billy kissed his fingers - reminding him of the first time he'd done so in the hospital. "Oh, Billy King," he started, a smile on his face. "I hope you're as utterly devoted to me as I am you." He paused, letting the moment settle in before he ruined it. "If you really loved me though, a bj when we get home would be lovely."

Billy ( Pyroclast )

 

[BasDorcha]

Safe house

Far, Far Away
Amy Capaldi & Tommy Thatcher​

Hearing he had a young daughter that he took care of warmed her heart, though she wasn’t sure why. Maybe it was due to so few men caring about their kids, or that fact she had never had a father or even a father figure. It was endearing to see a man doing twice the word without giving up on it. Without realizing it, she had sat back on the edge of the table, propped with one foot off the floor and one foot on, holding her next to him. Her hands fell beside her, accidentally grasping his hand as she went to balance it on the table. Startled that she had grabbed his hand so brazenly, even if it wasn’t on purpose, she blushed deeply, jolting forward while trying to apologize. Instead, she ended up loosing her precarious balance on one foot and started to slide off, only for his hand to reach out and grab the one that had just grasped him, pulling her back. If someone could turn as red as their hair, it was Amy.

Thinking back through her flustered mind, she tried to remember what he said, but only kept coming back with the static electricity she felt at his touch. What had he said? Oh right, no currently lady in his life, she had left, but did she not have someone that was worried about him being around a bunch of thugs. When she replied, her voice came out as peppy as ever, but something else darkened in her eyes. “Oh me, no. I’ve uh… I’ve never had a boyfriend.” Never had anyone who cared about me, boyfriend or not. She didn’t include that last part, just keeping her bright front up.

“Finn is handsome and all, but totally not interested in women, I could tell that a mile away when I met him. I don’t think you have anything to worry about, he won’t be stealing anyone’s ladies. “ She laughed, looking across the room to Tom and Fin who were in conversation about the Sullivan family, Tom occasionally asking about who a specific person was or trying to remember the connection and who they were related through – from this distance it was almost as if he was trying to memorize the family tree all in one sitting. She shook her head, turning back to Braden. “Besides, you’re much more my type, at least I think so.” She quickly stood and put some distance between them, coming back with a few alcohol pads to finish cleaning the minor cuts and scrapes.

She had flustered herself, and now she didn’t know what to say. Why had she said that to him? She didn’t even know if she had a type. She had never even been with a man, or a woman. In fact, aside from medical necessity she feared others touch, trauma that remained from the multitude of beatings both seen and received growing up. Once she moved out on her own, she focused mostly on making something of herself, spending all her time pushing to get through school. Graduated early, went to university early, got out of there early. Since then, she had traveled from doctor to doctor, some in official positions, some not. She found her niche in helping those that couldn’t be helped due to laws or limitations of standard medical practices – those with money, insurance, or that needed something labeled as illegal or unorthodox.

She’d done it again, gotten lost in her thoughts. Completely finished with him, unable to find anything else to treat or clean, she stood awkwardly at the end of his bed, not wanting to walk away yet but unsure how to continue. “Um… You’re all done! Please try to keep from ending up back on this table bleeding, I have done my best to keep that pretty face from getting more scars.” Turning away quickly, she ambled around the bed cleaning up, procrastinating on moving.

Bellz - Braden/Finn

 

[Bellz]

Braden Callahan
Safe house
Far, Far Away​

Braden had felt her hand around his and before he could say or do much. She had pulled it away. The color on her cheeks was darling and if Braden had been in a much lighter mood he would have told her as much. But the blood loss was making him dizzy and it was hard to concentrate. Despite that feeling, when she lost her balance, Braden's hand was quick to reach out to help her, grabbing her hand once more, and pulling her back with all the strength he could muster. Amy's cheeks turned even redder if that was possible and Brady lazily smiled at her.

She seemed distracted when he talked but Amy answered when he asked her if she had someone in her life. Never had a boyfriend? That was hard to believe. Braden had noticed the dark look in her eye despite the sweet voice and kind face. He wouldn't push her to say anything more than that, but he was curious.

"Oh Finn? Yea he's as gay as they come. Lovely husband too, Georgie is the best." The man chuckled along with her looking up at the ceiling as he drifted off in his head a little bit. When she turned back to him, saying that he was much more her type, Braden's cheeks warmed, bringing some color back to his pale cheeks. Before he could say much more in response, she got up to grab some more supplies.

"You're type, huh?" Braden asked when she finally sat down. She didn't respond, he just let her work on him some more. Getting lost in his own thoughts as well. It had been a long time since he went out with another woman, what was he doing? Something he probably wasn't ready for. That was for sure.
BasDorcha

When she turned back to him, telling him that she was all done. Her compliment made him blush again and the man let out a husky laugh. "Ah well, thank you for trying. Might need to get a whole face transplant if I end up getting into something like this again." The man teased before watching her work from his laying position. When she caught him staring the man cleared his throat, "So...when we get back to Dublin...maybe once I'm not out of commission you and I could go grab a coffee. Unless you have some sort of 'no going out with your patients' rule."

 

[Misty Gray]

The Speakeasy
~ Dublin City Centre, Dublin ~

Olivia Sullivan​

As they danced, it was clear to Olivia that Sam knew what he was doing. "Ohhh, you've done this many times before, haven't you?" she asked him, flashing a knowing smile. When he pulled her in close, she naturally moved into him and continued to dance to the slower music. She felt his hands slide low on her hips but didn't brush him off, continuing to take in the moment and move to the music with him. Although she was completely aware of him gradually moving his hands lower, she wasn't uncomfortable by it and just smiled back at him as they enjoyed the moment. Of course, they'd only just met, so if he thought their night was going to end with her removing any of her clothing, he would be very much disappointed. What they were doing now was tame and perfectly fine as far as she was concerned.

Sam looked into her eyes as he stroked her cheek. He reassured her he'd never brought other women to the club before and she nodded to show she believed him. He went on to explain it was a place for him to have some time alone, listening to music, reading, and writing. "Oh, I already consider myself special," she playfully assured him. "I'm glad you were able to come to that realisation so quickly." She let out an amused laugh as at his comment about needing to be a special kind of badass to get into the club. "And you happen to be one such badass, huh? Aren't I a lucky lady, then..."

Olivia noticed the man approaching, apparently wanting a dance with her too. However, the way Sam kept his gaze on her prompted her to shift her own back onto him rather than the unknown man. She listened as Sam warned him not to even consider cutting in. She picked up on the tone in his voice, but having grown up with the mob, it didn't disturb or scare her. She was more than familiar with such a tone. Once the man had taken the warning and left, Olivia noticed the way Sam's face softened when he addressed her again. "Good. I don't like to be shared," she assured him with a small laugh.

Olivia noticed the way their lips hovered inches apart and it would be easy to give in, to kiss him in that moment. Something about the way their evening had quickly progressed from them only speaking to each other for the first time made her want to savour the moment. She knew enough about her late mother to know Arlene would have made a man work for even a kiss, so she wasn't about to hand it to Sam on a plate. No matter how attractive and enticing he was. Although she maintained their close proximity, it would become clear to Sam that she wasn't going to kiss him in that moment. When he asked if they could meet again, she didn't hold back a bright smile at his question. Admittedly, him whispering into her ear made it much harder to resist kissing him there and then, but she stood her ground. Nodding her head, she moved back a little so she could see his face again. "Yes. I'd love to meet again," she told him.

BasDorcha (Samuel)

Caspian's Clinic
~ Bethnal Green, London ~

Kerry Patrick​

Kerry folded her arms around herself as Alex apologised to her. It wasn't because she was cold, but that after the evening's events, along with how Alex had pushed her away recently, had made her feel vulnerable and exposed. With the way she felt, she wanted to maintain a strong front in the present exchange, rather than distract Alex from facing up to his own problems. She nodded when Alex acknowledged she'd been there from the begin, even before Callum's birth. He apologised for her getting caught up in his shit and Kerry let out a sigh. "I knew what I was getting myself into. First by being friends with Harper and even more so getting involved with you. I wasn't oblivious to the troubles your family faces, but I chose to stick by you guys. It's you shutting me out that I didn't sign up for."

When he went on to ask her if she was okay, she realised he was asking more about the evening's events rather than the usual issues that followed him and his family. "I um..." she began, briefly shuffling her feet on the spot before looking back to him. "It stirred up a lot of things, having two gunmen break in like that," she admitted. "The fact I already knew Braden didn't make me feel any better. The Morettis, the Sullivans... I know what they're willing to do to get what they want." Kerry shook her head, wanting to shake off the old memories that had been dragged back up. She hadn't needed Maddox to help her in a professional capacity for a while, but the way she was feeling she expected that was about to change.

For now, Alex was enough to distract her from her own problems to focus on his and those he'd now inflicted on the Callahans. Although he thought he understood Kit and Jocelyn wouldn't hurt Sinead and Liam, he clearly wasn't convinced Kit would do as she was told. She hoped for everyone's sake that he at least had a handle on Jocelyn and that she wouldn't harm their victims. Despite what he'd done, Kerry found it hard to be angry with him as he squatted down on the ground covering his face. He was clearly regretting what he'd done and in the best way possible, she was glad he felt that way. It had to mean he acknowledged his mistakes and that his conscience was still in place. Besides, after the evening's events, she had no doubts he was going to catch it in the neck enough by his family without her jumping in to attack too. Though she remained standing with her arms folded, she held back from lecturing him or laying into him.

It was difficult not to feel bad when she saw Alex looking clearly distressed as he dragged his hands down his face. He then looked up to her and reassured her he understood. Eventually, he got back up to his feet, Kerry instinctively outstretching her arm in case he needed a hand. She looked to his face as he offered her a sad smile. She relaxed her arms and body as he changed his tone to say she was too good for him. She offered him a smile in return but didn't reply. She glanced to the side as he took a step closer to her, but soon looked back to him when he followed up by saying he loved her. Her eyes met his as she searched within him to see how serious he was. Whilst she believed he meant what he said, she also knew he was going through a lot and had experienced many emotions in the last few hours alone. Without a word, she stepped closer to meet him and reached out to place a gentle hand on his face. Moving in, she brought her lips to his and closed her eyes as she passionately kissed him. After a short time, she pulled away but kept her hand on his cheek. "Tell me you love me tomorrow," she asked of him, adding a gentle smile. When the emotions of the evening had calmed down and Alex had slept on the events, Kerry wanted him to be sure he was interpreting his feelings for her correctly. She already knew she was falling in love with him, but she didn't want to put her own heart on the line if Alex was misinterpreting his own feelings in this moment.

Melanin-Gxdess (Alex)

 

[Misty Gray]

Chapter 17: To Die For
Saturday 7th September 1985
...2 weeks later...
Dublin: Early Evening - Dry, Hot, Clear Skies
London: Early Evening - Overcast, Cloudy, Mild
New York: Evening - Chilly, Humid, Clear Skies
Corfu: Late Evening - Warm, Humid, Clear Skies

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

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

The Porter House
~ Sutton, Dublin ~
​

Olivia Sullivan

Since Olivia and Sam had gone to the club a couple of weeks ago, they'd been on a few more small dates. Be it a relaxing drink in a coffee shop or a night out in some of Dublin's clubs, they'd been getting along very well. Although she had been making him work to prove himself to her, she couldn't deny she was attracted to him and wanted to get closer. Stubborn was what her family did and she wasn't the kind of person to just fall at a guy's feet, no matter how attractive and charming he was.

When James and Lucy told her they were going out on a date, Olivia immediately thought to invite Sam over and take advantage of having the house to herself for once. It wasn't that she thought she needed their permission to invite a guy over, but she didn't want them scaring him off nor cramping her style. Whether intentional or not, she knew how embarrassing the Sullivans could be and she wasn't ready for that just yet. So, to avoid James and Lucy being embarrassing as well as any potential of them warning her against dating a gangster, she avoided telling them she was inviting Sam over.

As soon as they'd left the house, Olivia was on the phone to Sam telling him to come over. They would have a good few hours to hang out before the oldies would return home. She wasn't oblivious to the guard stationed by the house and the likelihood he'd tell James that Sam had been over, but she'd rather just explain herself after than risk him refusing if she asked first. Besides, Sam was employed by Conor, so it wasn't like he couldn't be trusted in the house!

Olivia had set some snacks and drinks out on the coffee table, as well as found a few horror movies they could watch. Whist she waited for Sam to arrive, she laid across the sofa cuddling the latest addition to the Porter household - a rottweiler puppy named Zeus.

BasDorcha (Samuel)
Bellz (Thomas)

The Callahan House
~ Sutton, Dublin ~
​

Sinead Callahan

Sinead had been struggling since she and Liam were taken by Kit and Jocelyn. Even before that ordeal, she'd been having trouble staying positive and keeping her spirits up, so that evening had felt like the final straw. She'd had her medication increased and reluctantly been to see her counsellor a week ago. Although she was doing well and had been able to smile around her family, she was still struggling. What was hurting the most was that she couldn't stop herself from resenting Savannah for leaving the way she had. Whilst she didn't have the heart to blame her daughter for what had happened to herself and Liam two weeks ago, she was hurt that her daughter had left and taken Callum with her. Sinead felt like she was being punished for Alex's and the Kings' behaviour. Three days ago, Sinead was meant to take a pre-planned call from Savannah, arranged to come through to a business on the outskirts of Dublin. Sinead had refused to go, sending Peter to speak to their daughter instead.

Sinead did have one distraction from worrying about Savannah and Callum, but it wasn't exactly a pleasant one. When Braden had returned from his job in London, she soon learned he'd managed to get shot in the foot. Regardless of the fact he'd been tended to by Finn and Amy, Sinead still found herself fussing around him. The fact he'd been shot in the foot made her wonder how close he'd come to being shot somewhere fatal and that in turn made her worry about losing him too. This concern naturally spread to Emery who had proved to be as stubborn as ever and gave Sinead no reassurance she'd stay away from risky jobs. Really, Sinead wasn't surprised she'd been forced back towards treatment for her mental health. She was sure they would all make her crazy any day now. Liam and Hattie gave her no cause for concern, so she found herself praying that wouldn't change.

Although she didn't usually cook anything special on a Saturday evening, having Peter and Braden both home rather than working had inspired her to make them a meal. Emery had declined because she still insisted working for Conor was more important than spending time with her family. Liam and Hattie had been quick to leave the dinner table after they'd eaten their food, but the three adults remained at the table. With Peter next to her and Braden across from her, she wasn't in a hurry to leave the table. "There's more stew if you guys are still hungry enough," she suggested. More than anything, she just wanted to savour the time she had with them both together. "Maybe we should watch a movie when the kids have gone to bed. A few drinks and nibbles. Y'know?" she suggested, forcing some enthusiasm despite feeling downbeat deep down. Reaching out, she grabbed the opened bottle of wine and filled her glass again. "I remember when this table used to be busier," she sadly recalled.

Bellz (Braden, Peter)
BasDorcha (Amy)

Around Dublin City
~ Dublin City Centre, Dublin ~
​

Conor Sullivan

Conor had been back in charge of the business for three days, after almost two months of being out of action. Even if he wasn't feeling up to it, he knew he couldn't stay away from his responsibilities for too long. He needed to make his presence known not only to his employees and business partners, but also to his enemies and the competition. The Sullivans were known to be a powerful family, but as long as their leader was out of action, it could only damage that reputation.

Grateful for him stepping in, Conor was at least happy to relieve Syd of the burden of running the business after two months. He'd assured Syd, Aliana and anyone else that he was up to getting back to work now. Other than more headaches than he'd like and having to wear his glasses more for reading or driving, he felt physically fit and able to get back to normal. Psychologically, he wasn't so sure, but he'd been hiding it well enough not to concern anyone, including Aliana. There were times were he felt like he was having to consciously distract himself from getting angry by something someone had said or done. He'd maintained his composure when faced with the Kings demanding to know where Callum was, but really had wanted to smash Spencer's and Alex's heads into a brick wall.

Having spent too long catching up with paperwork, Conor had decided to spend some time out of the house and checking in on his businesses. Given Leo's desire to follow in his footsteps, Conor had told his son to join him for the evening. Having just checked in on the Oak Tree Restaurant, Conor drove them to The Sullivans Pub. Although he was fully up to date with his favourite pub, he decided it was a good place for a brief break. "Benjie seems to be doing well now. You and the others should invite him to join you out sometimes. Lorelei too, of course," he suggested. Parking up the car, Conor climbed out and as he waited for Leo to join him, he shook hands with the security guard on the door. After briefly catching up with his employee, he pointed Leo to one of the tables outside, deciding to take advantage of the nice evening and chat to his soon without the rowdy drinkers inside drowning out the conversation.

With the security guard going inside to fetch them their drinks, Conor sat back in his seat and looked to Leo sitting across from him. "How's it going then?" he asked his son. "Have you and Nat patched things up now, then?" he asked. Though his voice sounded casual, there was still a stern tone to it. Conor was fully aware that Leo had recently upset Natasha. Given Conor had promised to look after Blake and her kids, it put him in a tricky position when it was his own son who had upset Blake's daughter. "How the bloody hell did you manage to upset her like that?" he curiously asked.

Melanin-Gxdess (Leo)

Beachside Villa
~ Corfu Town, Corfu ~
​

Savannah Callahan

30 minutes ago...

Savannah found it peaceful living so close to the beach and as she tucked Callum into bed, she couldn't help but look out of the window where she could see the moonlight reflecting across the sea a distance away. As she read Callum a bedtime story, the boy gazed towards the window, fascinated by the stars in the clear night sky. He'd asked her a few impossible questions, like how many stars there were, but soon enough his mother's soft voice had sent him off to sleep. After placing a kiss on the boy's forehead, she closed the book and placed it back on the shelf. She looked out of the window for a little while longer, then closed the blinds and switched off the lamp, leaving only the nightlight on in Callum's room.

After carefully closing the door, so as not to wake the boy, she walked into the open plan kitchen and lounge. "He's fast asleep already. Must have used up all of his energy swimming today," she informed Danny. Stepping into the kitchen area, she retrieved two wine glasses from the cupboard and then lifted a bottle into view. "Would sir like a drink?" she offered him. Regardless of Danny's answer, she poured herself a glass and walked into the lounge area, placing the drinks on the coffee table.

Closing the blinds, she shut out any view through the patio doors and full-length windows, wanting to feel cosy for the rest of the night. With some classical music playing in the background, she sat beside Danny and took a small drink of wine before setting the glass back down. "Are you doing okay?" she softly asked him, crossing her legs as she leaned back comfortably into the sofa. "No regrets about coming out here with me?" she seriously asked. She knew he'd taken a sacrifice leaving behind Dublin and the work he'd been doing for Conor, so she hoped he was happy with his decision. She hoped he understood just how grateful she was that he'd joined her. She was certainly glad he had come with her. Savannah loved him and felt secure in his presence.

Pyroclast (Danny)

*****​

Damian Nicolosi

Presently...

Having sent one of their men ahead to scope out the villa and check the perimeter to report back on any potential obstacles, Damian remained with Tatiana and Teddy on the jetty where their motor boat was docked, their driver remaining on the boat ready to speed off whenever the time came. They'd travelled by boat from mainland Greece and had been working on surveillance from their concealed spot for the last hour or so. It had been thanks to the information Trevor had provided that Gabriel had been able to have the false identities traced, eventually leading them to Savannah's location on the island of Corfu. As soon as Gabriel had been given a precise location, he's sent his team to Greece to work on retrieving Callum so he could be returned to the Kings. As he was relying on his own allies in Greece and the agreements they had in place, he couldn't have any of the Kings tagging along. It would have been difficult to get clearance for the London gang to operate in the area. It was because of that that he'd made the decision to return Callum to London without feeling obliged to consult Bruce and Alex first. Whilst he respected Bruce, he wasn't willing to compromise his plans by including Alex, who he'd deemed likely to act on impulse and emotion.

"The kid's been asleep for thirty minutes now and no movement from Savannah and Danny towards the boy's room," Damian informed Tatiana and Teddy as he lowered the binoculars from in front of his eyes. This was then confirmed over the two-way radio from the man on surveillance close to the villa. "Are you both ready to liberate the brat from the Irish rats?" he asked his two colleagues, flashing a smile. The orders had been clear, to extract Callum from the villa with minimal disruption and to bring no harm to the child in the process. Gabriel had been less concerned with the well-being of Savannah and Danny. As long as they stayed out of the way and unaware, it was likely no harm would come to them. If they happened to get in the way, then that was another story, as far as Damian was concerned. "Doesn't this remind you of the days in Miami? The beach, the hot weather. The sweet taste of danger?" he asked Teddy and Tatiana as he slotted his gun into the holster ready to follow their lead. "Not that this one offers much danger..." he reasoned. The fact he'd known Gabriel for so long reassured him that his boss wasn't going soft in his old age wanting to reunite a father with his son. Damian saw this as Gabriel securing another bargaining chip. Another way to get the Kings into line and in debt to the Morettis. Having scoped out London for long enough, Damian certainly saw a lot of profit and potential in London, so he understood why Gabriel was keen to get a stake in the city.

Melanin-Gxdess (Teddy) Pyroclast (Tatiana)

Currently Active Cast: Misty Gray Bellz Pyroclast Melanin-Gxdess BasDorcha​

 

[Bellz]

Chapter 17: To Die For...
Saturday 7th September 1985
...2 weeks later...
Dublin: Early Evening - Dry af, hot af
London: Early Evening - When it rains, it pours
New York: Evening - Clearer than my head
Corfu: Late Evening - Warm, Humid, Clear Skies

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


Harper King
and the whole King Gang
Bruce's House
~ Bethnal Green, London ~


The Invisible Wounds that Bleed...

Suicidal Thoughts by Josh A. iamjakehill​

Recently, Harper had been doing a lot of personality mirroring just to get by. 2 weeks ago, after everything was said and done, Harper just switched off whatever was feeling pain inside of her head and hadn't looked back. Healthy? Not at all, but she was just trying to survive the day at this point. Each day was more excruciating than the last since it all happened. The thoughts that did run through her head were intrusive, taunting, and teasing at what was left of her sanity. Today, just before dinner, before she had gone to see May downstairs, had been the most recent episode of intrusive thoughts. The woman had been cutting some veggies to eat and the thought of just stabbing the knife through her chest never left her. Today, she had been close enough to do it. What good are you doing wasting everyone's time? Everyone's breath on you? Her thoughts hissed to her, soft and deadly whispers in her ear that nearly made her do it without looking back. Luckily, Jeremy had been there to find her before she could plunge it through herself.

Their conversation about moving had come to fruition, most of her apartment was empty minus the bigger pieces of furniture. She was going to give almost all of it to May, who she knew needed new stuff to forget about the last place she'd been in. Harper had been late to helping May get ready, having been writing in her journal on her bed. Maddox told her journaling would be a good way to get the stuff she couldn't put into words or even thoughts out. This page in her journal was ripped off, her just scribbling what she needed to on it in order to get the thoughts out of her head.

When Jeremy came to remind her that she needed to go help May downstairs, Harper folded the paper in half and moved to stand. Clutching her journal and the piece of paper on top of it, Harper had gone to the kitchen to grab a drink of water, feeling nauseous again and figuring she was just dehydrated. The withdrawal symptoms had subsided somewhat, bringing her relief. Though when it did come back it would be in full force that woke her up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat. Setting her journal down on the kitchen table with the folded paper, her clouded mind forgot about both as she chugged down a glass of water. When she was done, she walked to give Jeremy a kiss, telling him she would be back.

*********
The News which brings the Blues

Stained Glass by Madison Beer​

May have been stressing for a while now. After seeing Caspian due to the attack on her house, May confirmed she was pregnant. Sitting in her new-new place, and apartment in Harper’s building so that the guards out front would work as a protection for her as well, May was sitting on the floor of the empty place, looking at five different tests before her. Each one had come up positive. The tears broke and streamed down her face as she tried to grasp what was really happening. So far the only person who knew anything was Caspian, who she had sworn to secrecy the night he told her what he thought was happening. She had waited until she couldn’t bare it any longer than bought the test, and since then had taken several more.

May wrapped her arms around her knees, the tears running down her face and dripping onto her pants. She had failed, just like her mother. Christian was a good man, but she feared he’d think she was just attempting to trap him, another scheme for Alex to accuse her of. They were going to hate her, probably run her out of town. Tonight was a family dinner, would anyone even want her there? She wasn’t going to tell anyone yet except Christian, he deserved to know first. Harper was supposed to come down and get ready with her, but May couldn’t even hold it together to try to get ready. She just hoped that Harper would run late, giving her time to get her head straight and her face clean before her sister arrived.

On top of everything, she had changed her number for her pager and her house, taken herself out of the books and ghosted the best way she knew how. If the people in Dublin were going to find her going forward, she’d make it as hard as possible. Still, her heart had yet to mend from the pain betrayal had dealt her. No, she was miserable. She had called out to work almost every day, only a few times able to drag herself in between the morning sickness and the depression that had fallen over her. May was even scared to leave her house. Darcey had been understanding, but she didn’t know how long that would last. Eventually, even that saint of a woman would give up on her. Everyone always did.

Time slid by from morning to lunch with May never moving. The lack of motivation was still winning. She had brought nothing from the old house yet, not having the strength to enter the place. She had been ordering takeout whenever she felt like eating, but that wasn’t very much. Her wardrobe consisted of a single bag of clothes she had bought at the store. It had been a while since May felt this bad, struggling with this much of the sadness that had darkened her.
Finally, her exhausted body laid down on its side, the five pregnancy tests laid out in a half circle before her face. Somewhere between the crying and the exhaustion, she fell asleep like that, head on her arms, just staring at the small plastic destroyers of life before her.

Harper was in fact, running a bit late. It wasn’t on purpose, she had been devoting her time to May the last couple of weeks so that she didn’t have to think about the monster clawing at her own psyche. That was part of the reason she was so open to helping, but Harper saw a lot of her own behavior in May and as her sister, she wanted to be there for her. Her brothers were dicks and if they didn’t want to get to know May more as another sister then that was their loss. May had actually moved into her building, which would have annoyed Harper any other time in her life. But she was actually relieved. The girl needed someone there for her and if Harper had to put her own shit aside to be that person for her, she would. Having a key to her place, Harper let herself in. “May?” The woman called lightly, shutting the door behind her as she walked further into the house. It was pretty much empty, which Harper had been working on filling for her sister when she could. There were a lot of things that Harper wasn’t going to need when she moved into Jeremy’s place so she was happy to give May most of it.

Harper looked around before finally walking into the bedroom. Finding May laying down asleep, the blonde wondered if it was best to just leave her be. This dinner they were headed to was surely going to stress her out. If she hadn’t been so out of tune with her own emotions, Harper would have felt anxiety about it too. Biting her bottom lip lightly, the woman walked closer. Her eyebrow raised curiously as she looked at several things by her sister's head. When she got closer she could see they were pregnancy tests. All of them positive. Harper’s eyes widened in the silence. Shit.

Crouching down with some effort, her muscles stiff, Harper gently shook May. “Rise and shine, doll. We’ve got a terrible dinner to get to.” The woman said, her tone sounding as gentle as possible. When May did open her eyes, Harper could see they were red and puffy. Crying. The blonde was watching May go downhill so quickly and it was starting to stir whatever semblance of panic was left in her. “Hey, you. We gotta get goin’ soon. I brought you some clothes of mine to wear. Figure since we are sisters now we can start doing that. And then one of us can fight about it later.” The smile on Harper’s face was an unnatural feeling, but it at least looked good

May woke up rubbing her eyes to the sound of Harper’s voice. When had she fallen asleep? She wasn’t sure, the last thing she remembered was looking at the test before her. Sitting up, she nodded, still half asleep and suddenly feeling ravenous. She hadn’t been hungry in days but now she was feeling starved. Harper mentioning dinner made her stomach rumble as her hands fall to the floor to prop her in a sitting position and instead landed on the test. She looked down before the panic filled her eyes as she realized Harper must have seen already. Looking up at Harper she was an open book to read from the fear she was feeling to the panic. “So… I guess you saw them already.”

She picked them all up, grasping them in her hand as if she could make them disappear. A sigh escaped her lips as her head dropped.”What am I going to do, Harper? I’m already a burden on everyone, and here I am, an unwed pregnant woman who doesn’t even know if the guy she got pregnant with wants a serious thing. I’m as bad as my mom.”

Harper nodded her head when May addressed that she had seen the tests. She stayed silent as she watched the woman swipe them all up in her grasp. Feeling like they were gonna be there for a minute, Harper moved to sit down on the floor with her, sitting her back against the wall as she looked around the room again, and its bare walls. May asked for advice and Harper felt that maybe she wasn't the best person to give it to her.

Harper's brows furrowed as May said that she was as bad as her mother. Being her own mother's twin in both form and habits, Harper understood the issue with that statement. Looking to May directly now, the blonde said, "Well...it could be worse couldn't it?" The question could have sounded cruel depending on how May looked at it, but Harper wasn't meaning for it to be that way. "First off, you aren't a burden on everyone. If I'm being perfectly honest, you are better off than all of the King siblings in that department. We are all just fucked up." A hollow laugh escaped her lips as she shook her head.

"Second, being unwed and being pregnant isn't a bad thing. We aren't in 1885, we are in 1985 and we have fuckin' choices. You also have a whole support system now too. No one is going to shame you for this, May. I won't allow it." Her words had a bit of a bite to them as she tried to process what she was feeling. "And the guy...whoever it is, is a fucking twat if he doesn't want to be with someone with you. You're the sweetest person I know. You don't need a man to raise a kid. You have family who can help you." Harper smiled for her, though it didn't meet her eyes.

"I know it might not look like it, but I can be a pretty cool Auntie. You can raise your kid and I'll make sure to buy them booze and condoms for their own adventures. Tell them to listen to you when they are giving you hell. Teach them that everything except weed is bad for them." Harper lightly shoved May's shoulder, the semblance of a genuine smile forming. "Maybe don't let me be an influence on their lives and they'll turn out just fine."

"Whatever you do choose...even...if it's abortion. I won't judge. But if it's any consolation...I think you'd be a great mum."

May sniffled, leaning into Harper as she shoved her, leaving her head there as she listened to her talking. “Looks like I fit in just fine huh, I’m fucked up too.” She tried to laugh a little, still slowly coming to a stop to her crying. It was weird hearing she had a family because except for Harper and Darcey, it still didn’t feel like she had a family. Harper was even a little slow to come around at first, it felt like anyways. She blushed, thinking about Christian when Harper started calling names, knowing she was only doing it to make her feel better.

“He doesn’t know yet… I’m scared to tell him.” May sighed, handing a few of the tests to Harper while examining the rest in her hands. “I don’t suppose I read these fuckers wrong, did I? Maybe if I just turn it a different way.” She twisted the test around as if it would magically solve the problem or change. “You would be an awesome aunt, and I hope I would be a good mom. I just… I don’t know what to do. Kids are amazing, but I didn’t think I’d be having one yet. Christian’s going to think I laid some plan to trap him. He’s a great guy, but I think I may be a little more attached right now than he is.” May had stopped crying, but her head still sounded stuffy and her nose was still running. She picked up a box of tissues from near where she had been laying, dabbing at her face.

“I still have to find a way to tell him. I don’t know how I’m going to do that. He already has so much going on, he doesn’t need this. Ugh, I can’t keep going like this if I’m going anywhere. Common, help the pregnant lady up, and let's get dressed. Honestly, I’m hungry for the first time in weeks, I want to take advantage of it.”

*********​

Harper wasn't really sure she was processing May's news besides just being the sister she could turn to. For someone who had been the youngest in the family her entire life, being a big sister seemed to be natural for her. Some maternal instincts she had never been taught or knew she possessed had been shining through the last few weeks. While Harper didn't feel a thing at all at this point, she at least could express certain feelings. Sadness was easy, the strength she normally possessed was also easy to express. But it had been weeks since she'd smiled, at least in a 100% genuine way. The blonde had been trying to do it for Jeremy, who worked hard to try to keep her from falling over the inevitable cliff, but it was becoming near impossible to pull her out of her depression.

The shadows that she had seen a while ago had returned, mostly at night when she woke up feeling sick. The figures disguised themselves in the moonlight, looking like the silhouettes of people who had hurt her in her past. Harper had been able to talk herself through those mental breaks, but she was drained. Dinner sounded like the worst possible idea with her low mood, but she would do anything for her Uncle to make him happy...to make him think that they were all still okay.

The pain of having to enter his home and face the man who had said such horrible things to her brought an ache in her heart that she wished she could have ignored. Alex was her brother...even if she had said she lost him two weeks ago. The pain she had felt was quickly squashed once more by her mind forcing her to protect herself. The wall between her emotions and feelings was thickened, making her feel nothing once more as they sat at the table...

*********

Family Ties and Family Lies

Dollhouse by Melanie Martinez​

Once Dacey had the final dish in hand she made her way back into the dining room. “Darling, will you take this?” She asked Bruce, “It’s hot on the bottom so be careful.” Before she sat down she made sure everything was there, though really she was procrastinating. The air was thick with tension and she was just barely able to breathe. Knowing there was no escaping the family dinner tonight, however, she moved to take her seat at the opposite end of the table. She couldn’t help but glance at Alex, who’d been sitting directly across from Harper. Darcey wasn’t a religious woman but she prayed Alex wouldn’t say anything that would start a fight. The moment everyone started to dig in and make light conversation it seemed like that tension was starting to dissipate. Until, of course, Alex chose the worst moment to try and apologize. Clearing his throat he managed to look in her direction after avoiding it all night. “Um… Harper, after dinner. Can we-... Can we talk? I’ve got some stuff I wanna get off my chest.” He was frowning, unintentionally, as he tried to process his thoughts.

Harper wasn’t in a terrible mood, in fact, she wasn’t feeling anything at all. When Bruce had suggested dinner with the family, it had only been out of the kindness of her nearly hardened heart that she decided to attend. That and well, Jeremy wasn’t going to give her a choice in not going. She also wanted to be there for May, who she was starting to worry about more and more these days, much more than she worried about her own well-being. Dinner started and things were going as expected, awkward and uncomfortable. Harper didn’t have much of a stomach for food, instead just pushed it around on her plate as she kept her eyes down. It wasn’t until Alex spoke directly to her that her eyes slid up from her plate. The look she gave him wasn’t a kind one, her icy blue eyes staring at him with hate. Did he want to talk to her after dinner? Fuck that. The startling transition from her feeling absolutely nothing to feeling this blinding hot anger was something she wouldn’t pretend to have a handle on, not in the present company. The only person in the room she would hold back for was her little nephew Eddie, even then, she had her limits. “Anything you have to say to me, you can say it in front of our family, Alex. They can help me understand what you’re whore mouth is trying to say, you know, me being a naive junkie and all.”

Jeremy had been relatively silent, still angry at Alex, knowing they were all on edge, and being concerned about how smart an idea the family dinner was. He glanced down the line, and then around, stopping himself from shaking his head. This was going to be bad. May looked much the same, only she seemed to be eating with a good bit of energy. Couldn’t blame her, Darcey was a great cook. Both Jeremy and May visibly froze when the siblings started talking. May began edging away slowly as if trying not to be seen, while Jeremy was frozen mid-bite looking at the two of them like he couldn’t believe either of them had thought it would be good to talk to the other about this right now.

Even Bruce, whose idea it had been to bring everyone together over dinner, had to admit that it was too soon to expect everyone to get along. They had to want to, for a start, and given that stubbornness was a dominant trait within the family, it wasn’t surprising that tension had already crept into the atmosphere. It was only a matter of time before it would break; from the head of the table, Bruce could keep his eye on everyone, and it was obvious to him who would be the one to break it before she had even spoken. “Harper, please,” he said, inwardly cringing at her strong language. “Now’s not the time. If you two need to talk, you’ll wait ‘til dinner’s over.”

Although he was aware of tensions surrounding his family, Spencer was on board with attending the dinner Bruce had arranged, if only because of how close he'd come to never get that chance again. Considering he'd been stuck at home recovering for two weeks, he also appreciated the change of scenery. As he cradled Eddie with one arm, he used his free hand to hold his fork so he could still eat dinner. He'd not taken his eyes away from Eddie whilst he listened to Alex next to him asking Harper for some time to talk after dinner. However, when their sister responded in the manner she did, Spencer's eyes shot up to look at his sister but he soon shifted his vision to Bruce as the man addressed her. Holding his tongue, Spencer lowered his eyes again to look at Eddie. His son was so far proving to be a great influence on keeping him calm and helping him to hold his tongue.

Alex should’ve known better than to think Harper would just outright agree to his request. He was hoping she wouldn’t cause a scene - that they could be adults about things. But of course, Harper had turned on the dramatics instead. Alex glanced at Darcey for help, who was already working on pouring the bourbon just to the rim of her glass. The moment they locked eyes she shook her head as if telling him he was on his own. Gritting his teeth he looked at Harper once more. Bruce tried to get the both of them under control, Alex momentarily relenting. But that only lasted a few minutes before Alex spoke again anyway. “You’re such a brat. I’m trying to apologize and you’re just adding fuel to the fire.”

Harper could see just how uncomfortable she was making people and for a moment, she wondered what the fuck she was even doing here? The regret was seeping into her head but the part of her that was in the driver seat now just shut it out. No one would miss her if she just burned all the bridges in one go. Her hand gripped her fork so tightly that it started to bend, as she ground her teeth. Bruce was telling her to wait until after dinner, Jeremy and May were silent as if they had just dissolved from the room altogether. Surprisingly, Spencer and Billy were silent. Erik and Billy must have been playing footsies or something. It felt like Alex and she were the only ones in the room. If that’s the way it was gonna be, fine. Alex was smart to stay quiet, but Harper should have known better. Her hand slammed against the table, the bent fork making a loud clanging sound as the glasses on the surface shook. “Me? A brat? You’ve had two fucking weeks to apologize. And for me to add fuel to the fire, there would need to be a fire in the first place. Which would require me to give a damn about you, which I don’t. But if you want to apologize, what’s stopping you from doing it now? Hell, you owe Jeremy one too. And May!” Her voice grew hoarse and a little louder. “Come on then, Alex. Apologize!”

May listened to them fight and couldn’t help wanting to try and help them out. Her voice was soft, and she tried to speak up between the two, already about to try again at the angry feeling filling the air. “Common, Harper, Alex…” Only to be drowned out by Jeremy as he looked between them, shaking his head. “Both of you stop with the name calling, common, Eddie is right there. Harper, it’s not worth it, I don’t want his apology. If that’s how he truly feels, then let it be. I’ll be fine. Who needs friends, much fewer brothers, who think so little of you that you can’t even have your own difference of opinions.” Jeremy had dropped his silverware, looking at Alex as if to quietly plead for him to let it go. He knew Harper had been out of sorts and calming her down wouldn’t do any good. He gave a barely visible shake of the head, trying to warn the man. He had been around her enough lately to know this Harper was volatile and he’d have a hard time defending her from anyone, much less anyone else from her. He’d be damned if he’d admit it, but that woman was a hell cat that even he couldn’t hold onto if she went wild.

Alex’s retaliation was in poor taste, with the man clearly knowing that it would only provoke Harper further. Finishing his mouthful, Bruce gave a sharp inhale and set his fork down. “Alex, I said now’s -” But he was interrupted when Harper slammed her fist against the table. Shona flinched and instinctively reached over to stroke Eddie’s cheek, concerned that the noise would upset him. Billy, trapped between Alex and Bruce, continued to shovel food into his mouth as if it was just an ordinary family dinner - perhaps wanting to assure his uncle and Darcey that the apparent oncoming fight hadn’t ruined the get-together after all. But Bruce wasn’t fooled.

The tension in the air was palpable, and it only got worse when Harper fired more hostile words at Alex. “Maybe we should put Eddie down,” Shona whispered to Spencer, but Bruce held out his hand to her. “No, Eddie can stay,” he insisted. “Jeremy’s right, the name callin’ stops ‘ere. Alex, Harper, both of you will shut up and act like adults, or else you’ll take this argument to another room. I ain’t havin’ none o’ this at my dinner table.” He pointed at Darcey, who sat on the opposite end of the table with an almost overflowing glass of bourbon in her reach. “Darcey’s cooked a delicious meal for us all, and if you lot have an ounce of respect for her you’ll shut up and eat it. Am I makin’ myself clear?”

Hearing Alex call their sister a brat caused Spencer to look at his plate of food and silently place the fork down on the side, perhaps accepting the fact he wasn't going to get through dinner in peace. Of course, Harper soon responded in a frustrated manner and demanded an apology for Jeremy and May as well as herself. Jeremy spoke up to ask the two siblings to stop arguing, but also to make a point of not wanting an apology himself from Alex anyway. Spencer sucked in a breath as he tried to inhibit his growing irritation at the whole thing. He looked to Shona as she stroked Eddie's cheek and when she quietly suggested they put Eddie down, Spencer was about to agree. However, Bruce spoke up to say Eddie could stay. Spencer looked to his uncle as the man told Alex and Harper to shut up. Despite Bruce's call for calm, Spencer still turned to Shona so he could carefully pass Eddie to her, kissing his son's head as he did. With both arms free and Eddie no longer acting as a barrier, Spencer sat up straight, looking between Alex and Harper for a moment before he reached for the handle of his fork. Anticipating how they'd respond to Bruce, he didn't actually commit to putting more food into his mouth in case he was given one more reason to speak up.

Alex pinched the bridge of his nose, regretting even trying to make peace with his sister. Why had he even said anything? Despite this being a ‘family’ dinner, it hadn’t been a safe enough place to air out grievances. He knew he’d fucked up with Harper- especially with taking so long to apologize - but he’d felt so ashamed that he wasn’t sure she would want to see him anyway. "I was getting to Jeremy and May if you'd shut up for once, but you took priority. Jesus, how did anyone stand having to listen to you constantly talk and yell and always have to be right all the fucking time?" The moment the words left his mouth, he yet again regretted them. Darcey’s eyes darted to him, the rim of her glass between her lips. Had she started drinking she’d have choked. The moment Jeremy started talking, she closed her eyes. Once again Alex felt like he was being ganged up on- by a man who was supposedly his ‘brother’. Annoyed by his condescending words, Alex rolled his eyes. "Oh, for fuckssake. It had nothing to do with a difference of opinion! But if you didn't have your head so far up my sister's ass you'd see that." In an angry huff, Alex reached across his plate for his own drink, which had unfortunately been water. He was shaking with anger and annoyance and frustration. Why couldn’t she see that he was trying to apologize to her? That he realized he’d fucked up and was trying to remedy it? He hated where they stood and it was one of the most hollow feelings he’d ever felt. Yet, his anger and words always got the best of him. Noticing the look on Jeremy’s face and the subtle ‘warning’ he tried to give was the thing that truly set him off. And just when he was trying to take his uncle’s words into consideration. As if sensing the disaster about to happen Darcey braced herself- as in, downed her entire glass until she had to hold some of the liquid in her cheeks. "I don't need any advice from you on how to deal with MY little sister- let me remind you of that fact. Fuck. You start sleeping with my sister for two seconds and already you know so goddamn much."

Harper looked to May who spoke up, her eyes only softening slightly as she tried to tell them to stop. It was escalating quicker than Harper could keep track of. Jeremy spoke and she looked to him, knowing he was right, as he was most of the time. Eddie was in the room. "Oh that's a real apology, you dick." The woman spat.

Jeremy was telling her it wasn't worth it, though his own words betrayed him with the hurt laced in them. That made Harper even more angry. He was clearly hurt, clearly upset but he was just going to let Alex sit there and not demand an apology from him that he deserved. Her heart thudded so hard in her chest that it felt like she was having a heart attack. Alex's next words were about to send her reaching across the table.

But Bruce told them to shut up, Harper bit her lip, trying to force herself to just end it there. She wanted to listen, she didn't want to be the person who ruined family dinners. Not with the look, everyone was giving her right now. The disappointment in their eyes stabbed her in ways that none of them would truly understand. Alex always thought that he was the disappointment, it was one of his biggest insecurities...but right now, she was the biggest one in the room. And it made her feel so incredibly small.

"Yes, Bruce," Harper said meekly now, unable to get much out as she tried to pull it together for the rest at the table. Her small frame was shaking as she fought to control herself. Nothing but anger pumping through her veins. Forcing herself to look down at her plate once more, she huffed out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

Everything seemed to go quiet for a millisecond and just when she thought that maybe she could make it through dinner without another incident, Alex opened his big fat trap again. Harper's head snapped up and her cheeks turned bright red, from anger or embarrassment no one would be able to tell. "YOU FUCKIN' TWAT!" She growled out, slamming her hands on the table as she pushed her chair back, letting it fall to the floor as she pointed at him. "It's none of your fucking business what I do with my personal life, you idiot! Clearly, you don't know how to deal with me because you would have known not to fucking say something like that! Just because Kerry is holding out on you doesn't mean that the rest of us have to suffer from your dry spell!"

Jeremy had started to shake with his own anger. It was one thing for Alex to treat him like shit, but Harper didn’t deserve it. “Look, just because I think not killing your kids' uncle in a moment of insanity might help you actually get him back, doesn’t fucking mean I didn’t have your back or your side, so fuck you, Alex. All I wanted is to help, and Harper was making sense at the time. Besides, YOU may not care about May’s feelings, but everyone else did. What if you saw Spencer killed? What would that do to you? May wouldn’t even handle it as well as you. It was a kindness to not do that in front of her. You’re so convinced that you’re the only one with problems that you don’t see that!” May was withdrawing, visibly shutting down in front of everyone. Her face had paled and she had stopped eating at hearing how much her name was being thrown around. She didn’t want to be one of the reasons they were fighting. On top of it all, she couldn’t even drink.

The dinner had gone smoothly for a while at first, with light, inoffensive conversation. It was no memorable event, but Billy supposed that was the point. When things started heating up, he still remained hopeful that there was a chance for things to simmer down before it all came to a head, and so had been keeping quiet so as not to add to the tension. However, when Alex implied that everyone else must have just been putting up with Harper’s attitude her whole life, he found himself unable to hold back. “Oi,” he cut in, pointing his knife in Alex’s direction. “You don’t speak for the rest of us, Alex. Don’t fuckin’ talk to her like that!”

“Billy, don’t,” Bruce warned him.

Billy shrugged. “You tell ‘im, then!” But Bruce didn’t need to. Alex’s next words were met with silence - not even Harper quipped back at him. In fact, she lowered her head and agreed to return to the meal he and Darcey had made, which gave him a sliver of hope that they could salvage what was left of the evening. Of course, he should have known they weren’t done; the silence didn’t last long before Alex made another dig at Jeremy - and he wasn’t sure if it was the fact he had started the argument up again, or his suggestion that Jeremy was sleeping with Harper, but Bruce threw his cutlery down. Just as he opened his mouth to send Alex out of the room, Harper got there first and shouted at him, swearing and slamming her hands on the table. Throughout it all, Bruce couldn’t help but notice that she hadn’t denied sleeping with Jeremy. Her chair gave a loud bang when it fell back onto the floor, and Eddie started screaming in Shona’s arms. Shona gave Bruce and Darcey an apologetic look as she got to her feet. As rude as it seemed to leave the table, she was desperate to get the baby away from the aggression and noise - especially since everyone appeared too blinded by anger to care how it affected him. “I’m gonna take ‘im outside for a minute,” she whispered to Bruce, who quietly asked if she was okay. Shona nodded, bouncing Eddie in her arms, but having noticed how pale May’s face had turned she decided to try and help her escape, too. “May, do you want to come and get some air with us?”

The bickering continued between Alex and Harper. Spencer took a deep breath as he prepared to speak up, trying to summon a calm way to do so that wasn't his usual direct tone. However, he found himself feeling tenser as Alex and Jeremy shot words at each other. But then Alex made a comment about Jeremy sleeping with Harper, which led to Spencer shooting a glare in his friend's direction. This prompted Harper to yell out in front of everyone, prompting Spencer to briefly turn to Shona and Eddie. The additional noise of the cutlery being slammed down and Harper's chair falling to the floor caused Eddie to cry. "Jesus Christ!" Spencer loudly grumbled as he looked back to the others around the table. He fell silent as Jeremy took the opportunity to respond to Alex in an attempt to get him to see things from Harper's and May's perspectives.

With his brothers and Harper all shooting words at each other, Spencer was beginning to feel tense. He'd already been intending to get Alex, Billy, and Harper together, having felt the four of them had grown apart and not been getting along well for a while. Spencer's attention was directed to Shona as she excused herself, prompting him to send his wife an apologetic look that things had come to her having to take Eddie out of the room. Spencer looked to Darcey, the same apologetic expression remaining on his face. "I'm sorry you went to all of this trouble, Darcey. The food was spot on, even if we don't look grateful," he assured her, feeling bad that he would have to leave half of his meal.

Aware Harper had stormed off in a room on her own, Spencer wasn't willing to let his siblings all rush off without trying to resolve the clear shitstorm that had developed between them. "Alex. Billy. Come on. We're all going to talk this out like fucking grown adults," he commanded them, the look deeper in his eyes reflecting how to hurt he was seeing his family falling apart around him. Getting up from his seat, he gripped the back of the chair to momentarily steady his balance. As he passed his uncle, he briefly placed a hand on his shoulder. "Sorry, Bruce," he apologized for the dinner he'd arranged having been ruined.

May heard Shona get up and leave, inviting her to join them. She grabbed her plate, and her water, and rushed off after them, eager to get out of the line of fire. She couldn’t add anything to this, and would not be there for them to use as ammo. “I’m sorry about all this Shona…” May meekly called out as she followed the woman and Eddie. “It really was a nice dinner… Poor Darcey must feel so upset over the waste.” She slowly started relaxing a bit away from the commotion, still shaking next to her sister-in-law and… Nephew. It suddenly dawned on May that she had a nephew! “Can I… Can I hold him?” May asked, with the news she had contained in her head on a high spin, this would be the first time she had ever held such a small child.

*********
The Final Four
Liability by Lorde ​

Harper hadn't stuck around long enough to listen to any more shit at the table. Her head was suffocating her and if she didn't get some sort of moment alone she was sure she would snap completely and it would be ugly. The woman walked into the family room. Standing there a moment as she heard Spencer tell Alex and Billy to follow him, no doubt coming to see her. When they were in the room, Harper moved to take a seat on the same couch that she had once been upside down on reading. That was the day Jeremy had given her all those books, the woman rubbed the fabric absentmindedly. When she looked at the carpet, it was still the same old one that Billy and she used to wrestle on. Remembering when he took her stuffed rabbit as a kid all the time. For a while, she had been bested by him every time...but as she grew, Harper started to get the upper hand. She remembered the first time she had. The older boys laughed as Billy got sat on by her, pinning him to the floor as she grabbed her stuffed rabbit from him.

The woman forced herself to focus, to pay attention to anything but the painful memories of how things used to be. How she felt they could never be again. The blank look on her face was permanently fixed and the hollow stare she gave her brothers now as she looked at each of them showed just how out of sorts she really felt. The feeling of sadness drowned out the feeling of anger, at least for the time being as she simply waited to be told what a horrible sister, niece, and Aunt she was. The old her would have argued...but she wasn't there. The new her would argue but not with facts that were true. The guilt she felt was deep, like invisible lacerations on her body that were only opening more and more, allowing more guilt to spill out. "Go on then. Say what you need to and I'll be on my way, I really don't want to ruin this dinner more than I already have. I know that I am insufferable, Alex made that much clear. So just fuckin' out with it." Harper's voice was raw from shouting at the table, in the distance she could hear poor Eddie still crying which made her feel even worse.

Harper fit the mold of what Alex said to her, confirming her darkest thoughts about herself. As she sat down, her head looked in her brothers' direction but she felt like she couldn't meet their eyes anymore. Any strength or fight she had left in her was just gone and with it, a giant void that left her body tingling with numbness.
with: The Mediator Misty Gray
The fucking asshole bitch ass bitch Melanin-Gxdess
The Favorite Brother who Harper will miss Pyroclast
Was with:
The Doting Dad Pyroclast
The miracle Mum Melanin-Gxdess
The Favorite Sisters BasDorcha , Shona Pyroclast
The best lover BasDorcha
The Gayest Guy Harper Knows Melanin-Gxdess

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Chapter 17: To Die For
Saturday 7th September 1985
...2 weeks later...
Dublin: Early Evening - Dry and Hot
London: Early Evening - Raining drugs
New York: Late Evening - Warm, Humid, Clear Skies

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

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Oak Tree Restaurant
~Dublin City Centre, Dublin~
Aliana Sullivan & Marco Jimenez

Hearing about Sinead and Liam's abduction had Aliana on edge. She'd been one of the people who agreed to Savannah taking Callum and disappearing. The idea, at the time, was a sound one. Protect herself and her child from that family of ill-intending people. She was prepared for the backlash that would be received by those who rejected the idea, but she wasn't prepared for her sister-in-law and nephew getting snatched up. Never in a million years did she think Alex would stoop to such a low level. If anyone in the Sullivan family didn't deserve the terrible things that'd happened to them it was Sinead. And now, Liam. They hadn't been hurt physically, but Aliana knew better than to think they'd be fine. The psychological effects were long-lasting- she knew that as much as anyone else. Her own unfortunate kidnapping had been a few months ago and she was still having the occasional nightmare about it. Ali reached out to Sinead in any way she could while also balancing her own life.

Leo hadn't exactly talked about what happened at the cabin- she knew he wasn't going to and despite knowing her son, she still held out hope. What he did tell her, however, was how he and Natasha had gotten back together. The light in his eyes had gotten brighter - something she knew he needed - but she still worried. Seeing how much Nat meant to him, seeing how much he lived for her, reminded her of how she felt about Conor. Having thought about such a parallel, she started to think about how she'd felt seeing Conor in the hospital and how not knowing if he was or wasn't going to wake up had nearly destroyed her. How Natasha seemed to react to seeing Leo hurt. If the two of them were anything like herself and Conor then they had a long road of trials and tribulations ahead of them. However, she would never hinder their current happiness - especially as they'd just gotten back together. She'd wait for an opportune time when she could talk to them; encourage them to support each other.

Saturdays were supposed to be a day of rest. The whole weekend was, really, and yet Aliana found herself up at 8 o'clock in the morning. Not of her own volition, either, but because someone thought it'd be a good idea to blast, "Heart of Glass". That someone, of course, being Sydney and Rhiannon. Ali thought that with school having started that Monday that the two of them would want to sleep in - she was wrong. Because they'd been getting their internal clocks together, their bodies no longer allowed them to stay in bed past 7. Aliana would've preferred it if they had, but that was okay; it meant nap time for Sydney was going to go smoothly and Rhiannon would go to bed early. Unfortunately, that also meant she would have to get up earlier than she wanted, especially after all the running around she'd done during the week. With Leo and Conor having gone out for some bonding time, the three girls and Allen were left to figure out what to do with themselves for the rest of the day - Rhiannon until it was time for practice.

"I know what we can do," Rhiannon said. She and Ali were in the kitchen - Allen, and Sydney in the sitting room together. "How about you, me, and Michelle go shopping together? She can help pick out dresses for the programs this season!" Rhiannon clapped her hands at the thought, having missed competing. Though technically she had back in March it was nothing like the real competitions she did during the actual season. "That actually sounds like a good idea," Ali then started moving over to the phone, about to ring Michelle. "Oh, but the kids. Who will watch them?" Rhiannon shrugged her shoulders, pointing to the sitting room where Allen was. "Daideo." With a smirk, Ali started dialing Michelle's number and waited for her to pick up. "And who'll watch him?"

***

The rest of the day had been spent in and out of stores. With her husband's handy-dandy checkbook the three women practically went on yet another shopping spree- the first having taken place for back-to-school shopping. "Dad's going to be shocked," Rhiannon said, watching as Marco and another guard worked to put their boxes and bags into the back of the truck. "The price you pay for having daughters," Ali commented. "And he had three!" Glancing down at her watch she sucked in air through her teeth. "Darn, I thought we'd have time to go look for new skates. Did we really spend 3 hours in the dress shop?" She looked between both Rhiannon and Michelle then back down at their spoils. "...We did." Marco then turned to the other guard, Sully, as they talked about who would stay where. It was decided that Marco would stay with Aliana and Michelle while Sully took Rhiannon to practice.

After saying their goodbyes, Ali and Michelle got back into the car. "How many people are with her exactly?" She suddenly asked, Marco, looking at her through the rearview mirror. "Dos coches, quattro hombres," he reassured. "Four. Ice skating is very dangerous, no?" It was a joke- Marco smiling as he drove them to their next destination. "On Conor's wallet, perhaps." She then turned her attention to Michelle. "She'll be there for a few hours. How about we use that for happy hour at the restaurant?" Ever since the two of them had patched things up, Aliana wanted to start bonding more with her stepdaughter. They were going to be in each other's lives for years to come and it meant something to her to build on their relationship. Without having to be told Marco drove to the Sullivan-owned establishment, glancing at Michelle in the process. It was subtle; almost as if just checking to make sure the two women in the backseat were doing okay. But of course, it was for a different reason completely.

Marco pulled up to the restaurant, hopping out to help both women out and make sure they made it inside with no issue. As he was helping Michelle, however, his hand lingered on hers while offering a secretive smile. "You ladies enjoy your night, hm? Drink for me too." Once inside and at the bar, Ali immediately turned to Michelle with a smile on her face. "Spill. Marco has been eyeing you all day. Are you secretly hooking up with him? A little post-divorce carnal delight? Tell me!"

---

Storybook Art Gallery
~Uppereast Side, Manhattan~
Elvian Moretti & Ava Snowden

It'd only been two weeks since Ava returned home from London and she already wanted to go back. Being back in New York, seeing her former in-laws and her own family had been refreshing, but something in her still yearned for the city across the sea. Maybe it was the amount of fun she'd had with her cousin and Billy; the distraction they provided during her time of mourning. Or maybe the fact that Erik had been attacked, yet again, whilst she was out sleeping with strangers. She didn't want to leave him whatsoever during this time, but she had an art show to finish preparing for. "You putz; if you miss that, I'll kick your ass," Erik warned, followed by an apology for having to miss it. Ava understood that he had work and responsibilities in London, therefore he couldn't just up and leave whenever he wanted. What she was bummed out about, however, was leaving Klaus behind. In one singular night, he'd managed to consume her thoughts for the next two weeks.

Which was awkward, to say the least, considering she'd been getting ready for her exhibit. 'Mourning Glory' was a project she put together about a week after Marcus died. It was supposed to be her way to heal and get over his death. When she realized how much it was making her feel better she reached out to other widows or those who had lost their partner in the art world to participate. So painting how she felt about Marcus' death while also receiving random flashbacks of Klaus was not helping. Granted she figured it would translate in an interesting way in her art, she felt horrible for mixing the two. "The best way to get over someone is under someone else," she remembered the curator saying. But that was easier said than done, right? This was her husband and Klaus was some random hook up... Or, was he? Random hookups left her mind when she left them; Klaus hadn't. Deciding not to think about him for the rest of the night, Ava focused her attention and energy on telling not just her story but others as well.

Elvian had been the first one she'd sent an invite to. Personally, of course, she'd been supportive of her venture from the beginning. She sent one to the rest of the family, though she was sure business would pull them away. Despite not technically being a part of their family, the Morettis hadn't shut her out. Elvian was still kind to her, she and Val still had lunch, and even Teddy checked on her once or twice. Elvian constantly reassured her that she was still family but Ava wasn't quite so sure. Would they be upset if she moved on? If she changed her last name? Would they remain in her life after she started a new one? It was all so weird to her and she constantly thought about it. In fact, standing in front of a painting she'd been so lost in thought that she didn't hear Elvian and the others approaching her.

Elvian had worked to get both Gabe and Valentina out to come to support Ava with her new exhibit. Teddy was gone on business and Elvian thought it to be a good way to ease both her daughter's and her husband's mind about what he was doing. They often sat at home, stewing and waiting and worrying and Elvian thought it was bad for their health. While she also worried about her son-in-law, she thought him to be more than capable of handling himself and business. With her right arm linked with her daughter's and left hand holding on to Gabriel's, Elvian spotted Ava not too far from the exit. "Ava!" She shouted, but the woman didn't even budge. As they got closer she called out to her again. Nothing. It wasn't until she placed her hand on the woman's shoulder that she jumped, placing her hand over her chest at seeing the older woman. "Sorry! I-... I was lost in thought for a moment." Elvian glanced at Gabe and Val before offering a soft smile to Ava. "That's alright."

Taking a few moments to collect herself she greeted the trio with a nervous smile. She always found herself to be nervous around them despite them being family. "Thanks for coming! Um," she paused, pointing around the building and explaining things. There were waiters dressed in black and white carrying trays of food and drinks. She explained how every painting had the name of the artist underneath and if they wanted to purchase something to let her know. Her own collection, she explained, was going to be revealed a bit later. "Er, it's... Sort of like a grand reveal. So until then, you can mingle to your heart's content!" She paused, realizing it was quite possible they didn't know anyone there. "With me, of course! How have things been lately? How's business?" She asked both Gabe and Elvian, turning to the former. "He's got a new collection of injuries ever since he started working for you," she joked.

---

King Family Home
Darcey Hargraves ​

For the first time in decades, Darcey had allowed herself to be vulnerable and emotional and it had been exhausting. Shoving down her emotions for years hadn't actually been the best thing for her. She'd been sobbing uncontrollably that night, unable to give May the proper attention she needed after offering her a place to stay. However, she was able to put the tears on pause while making sure she was okay. The young woman seemed so distraught - and for good reason. The only family she had left that truly knew her was Tom and now all of that was over. Darcey figured May would need them more than ever at this point. Once she had settled down and relaxed, Darcey returned to her own room where Bruce had been waiting. And all she wanted him to do was hold her while she cried in his arms. She knew that they'd have to talk about where their relationship was going after this, but for now, she didn't want to talk anymore.

Over the next two weeks, she tried to regain some sort of normalcy in her life. Things were incredibly tense following the argument between Alex and Harper. She'd made sure to check on all of them and even if they didn't explicitly tell her what was going on, she picked up on it. Alex had been the hardest. How to tell him he fucked up without telling him he did was difficult. Everyone had been saying the same thing to him and he'd come to her for guidance- not to be beaten up. And even though her words were more, "You need to apologize," the look on her face showed how disappointed she was. He'd done a lot of stupid shit in the past and she'd heard about his progress from Kerry. But, he'd blown it all in just five minutes. He explained that he had planned to, but he was trying to find the right time and the right way. "I have a tendency to piss people off, remember?" In the end, he decided to let things cool off before he approached May, Jeremy, and Harper.

When the idea of having a family dinner struck her Darcey hated it. Would bringing all the siblings together for a night of family closeness actually be a good idea? Well, her optimistic side surely thought so! So she'd planned it out with Bruce. They would have it at his place and all of them wouldn't have a choice but to attend. She'd spent all day cooking - something Darcey hadn't done in such a long time. But it did well to help hide her nerves and give her something else to focus on for the time being. She was optimistic, hoping that things would be solved and apologies would be exchanged and forgiven and they could all get back on track. At least, that's what things seemed like right before it all went straight to hell.

Darcey hadn't even bothered to cork the decanter the moment the yelling started. The other side of her that knew it wasn't going to be as smooth had shaken her head, constantly filling her glass with bourbon. Everyone was shouting and throwing around profanities. Pointing fingers in defense of. She felt whatever was happening between Alex and Harper and Alex and Jeremy should've stayed that way, but alas it hadn't. Billy and Jeremy both jumped in - and for good reason too - as Alex spilled that Harper and Jeremy had been sleeping together. Yet another round of bourbon. And Darcey had every intention of staying out of it and letting Spencer and Bruce take care of it until May had been brought up. "HEY," she shouted. "You keep her out of this little screaming match the three of youse got goin' on. She's not a pawn you use to make your fucking point." She wasn't sure who'd brought her up, so she glared at all three of them equally. Whatever was happening - the bigger portion, at least, - was happening between the three of them.

Shona and May excused themselves from the room as Spencer demanded Harper, Alex, and Billy have a chat in another room. Jeremy, Bruce, Erik, and herself were all that remained. Glancing at the nearly empty decanter next to her she used it as an excuse to leave the room. "I... Am almost out of bourbon." She announced, clearly upset by what had just occurred. But, really, what more could she do at that point, she wondered. On her way back into the kitchen she placed a gentle kiss on top of Bruce's head. "Maybe Spence'll get them all straightened out. Otherwise, a head bashing is in order." Once in the kitchen, she placed the decanter down on the counter. She walked over to the sink, back turned to the kitchen entry, and wrapped her fingers around the cold, metal. Silent tears had begun to fall from her face but they only lasted for a second. She had still been working on reeling in her emotions and every day was a little bit easier. "These goddamn kids," she whispered to herself, shaking her head.

 

[BasDorcha]

Porter House

~Sutton, Dublin~
Samuel McKinsley
​

Sam was just finishing up at work when Olivia called, a voice he was happy to hear. It had been a few weeks since their first night out and they had gone on several dates since then. The girl brought a smile to his face every time he thought of her. There was a spark in her that ignited something inside of him, and every time he had to walk away it went out. He was beginning to look to her calls or seeing her almost daily like a lovesick teenager. When she had invited him over, he of course jumped at the chance. This girl hadn’t even kissed him yet, a challenging woman indeed and that made it even more fun. He made it his goal today to get one, single, simple kiss from her, even if it was just on the cheek. He finished up what he was working on and headed off, snaking down the roads from the warehouse to her home.

He thought about the night at the Speakeasy, and how she had glowed under the lights. She wasn’t bothered by his flip switch attitude, and even seemed to find it normal – but it was there. Almost every time they had gone out, Sam had caught someone looking at her, but luckily no one else had tried to approach her. Would she find him jealous and controlling? Or see it as a way of him showing his admiration and adoration for her? Only time would tell. At the very least, she must not be tiring of him yet because she was still inviting him around. What he really needed to do was see if she could put him in touch with Thomas, instead of getting lost in her every time she got near him.

As he pulled up, he came to a stop, sitting in the car with it running. Thomas had been the man who helped save his life. They worked together to get out of there, but he never could have done it alone. The flashbacks crossed his mind, taking place of his vision for a moment as he remembered the screams from their cell, the splitting of rotten food and the broken and busted limbs they seemed to always be hoping healed without infection. Just as it was starting to drag him down to their depths, he shook it away forcefully, hand reaching to turn the car off. A few more moments and he could push those thoughts completely away once he saw her face. He was just getting ready to climb out of the car when another one pulled up behind him. Thinking it might be her parents, he waited a moment, looking to see who it was. He wasn’t quite ready to be put on blast in front of her parents without her knowing, despite how much he liked her. Parents typically didn’t like him, thinking he was going to be a bad influence on their daughters – not that they were wrong.

When none other than Thomas appeared, Sam couldn’t believe his luck. He hurried to finish getting out, catching up with Thomas just as he got to the door. He instantly slung an arm around him, knocking on the door at the same time. “Thomas! Long time no see. Didn’t figure I’d be running into you here mate, lucky coincidence.” He knocked a second time even though it had only been a second, raising his voice loud enough to call to someone inside, “OI, OLIVIA! LET US IN, EH LOVE?”

Misty Gray - Olivia
Bellz - Thomas

 

[Bellz]

Thomas Porter
Porter Residence
~ Sutton, Dublin ~​

It had been a rough 2 weeks for Thomas. Elena was not doing well and he felt helpless to it completely. He was doing everything he could, every possible thing, and yet...he still feared every single second of every single minute of every single day that he was going to lose her completely. Thomas understood what it was like, knew how it felt to be trapped inside of your own mind and not be able to escape to realize that you were okay. He just wished Elena never had to go through it. When she was hurting, he was hurting, even if he was doing better now than ever before.

Elena was with Adam tonight, spending some quality time with her father while he went out to run some errands. It had been arranged that way for weeks now because the woman didn't want to be alone. After dropping her off at her father's place, Thomas had gone around town to pick up some groceries and other things for their apartment that needed a restock. He also picked up some flowers for Elena along with some sweets in hopes that it would make her smile. He missed her smile these days.

On the way back to his place, Thomas decided to make an impromptu trip to his parent's place. His mother would likely want to hear everything from him, but she had this recipe that Thomas wanted to make Elena for dinner. It had been a long time since he cooked and he'd never done it for anyone else besides his own family members. Lucy had made sure to raise him to know how to cook, clean...basically, everything that boys shouldn't know how to do. At least by societal standards. But it was paying off, that much was sure.

When he pulled into the driveway, he was shocked to see his mother's car missing and his father's must have been in the garage. In fact, the only car in the driveway was Liv's and another one he didn't recognize. The hairs on his arms raised immediately and when he parked his car he froze. Thomas wasn't sure if he was spooked because there was danger ahead or something else. He got out quickly making his way to the door in a rush when a voice he never thought he'd hear again greeted him, his arm wrapping around the man's shoulders.

Thomas froze and stiffened, his shoulders tensing despite the warm greeting Sam gave him. The memories were ready to flood back but Thomas fought them, shaking in his effort. "Well, considering this is my parents' house...I'm more surprised to see you here, Sam." The man said through clenched teeth as he balled his fists to keep from freaking out completely.

Thomas couldn't meet his eye, and he wouldn't. But when Sam called out his sister's name, his head snapped up to look at him. "LOVE?!" The man growled out, suddenly uncontrollably, his hand went to his friend's throat, pinning him to the wall against the door. "What the fuck is going on, Sam? Are you messing about with my sister? She's not one of the girls you can just cross off your fuckin' list, mate." Thomas glowered at him, his eyes dark.
with: Olivia Misty Gray ; the man getting choked the fuck out BasDorcha

 

[BasDorcha]

The Callahan House

~Sutton, Dublin~
Amy Capaldi​

It was time to check on her handy work over at Braden’s place, as well as time to remove the stitches. Having a feeling he was going to be stubborn about it, she had packed up her little medical bag and took it with her to work. The day had passed pretty standardly, her and Finn working together at the hospital, always at his side. She had informed him over lunch she wanted to go check on the man, talking Finn into giving her the address. Now that she stood outside, she was nervous. The last time she had seen him, he had asked to see her again, yet she hadn’t spoken to him since then.

Amy had wanted to call him, but she didn’t have the courage. Despite her ability to handle medical emergencies with ease, people outside of those white walls were completely different. Just the other day at work, some greasy old man had grabbed her behind while she was triaging him, causing her to have a panic attack that Finn resolved with a pretty little pill that made her loopy the rest of the day. It was hard even with people just touching her casually outside of necessary contact for her job. Finn she had gotten comfortable enough with at this point he didn’t bother her, but he had a sort of warmness about him that would make it hard for anyone to resist.

Braden was a different type of mountain all together. If it wasn’t the drugs talking and he really wanted to see her, she was going to have to face her fear eventually. She had been so caught up in the moment at the time, she hadn’t hesitated to say yes, but later her nerves got the best of her, and she had been a little grateful not to hear from him yet. Still, it was time to get past that. She walked away from the bus stop, shifting from foot to foot in front of his door for long minutes, not yet working up the courage to knock. There was a bustle of noise on the other side of the door, so she knew they must be home. Taking a deep breath, she raised her hand, knocking softly.

She waited a few minutes, realizing that she must not have knocked loud enough, though in her head it had sounded incredibly loud. Steeling herself against her nerves, she lifted her hand again, this time giving a decent knock. Immediately she backed away in case whoever answered was upset by how loudly she had tried to get their attention. As soon as the door opened, before she could even see who it was, her eyes closed and a smile plastered across her lips, her hand raising to wave while the other held the bag at her waist.

“Um, hello! I’m here to see to the stitches! Ah, Braden’s stitches… OH, I’M AMY, I’m the nurse, he might not remember me, he was pretty heavily medicated…” Slowly she opened her eyes, peeking to see who had answered.

Misty Gray - Sinny
Bellz - Braden

 

[Misty Gray]

Bruce King's House
~ Bethnal Green, London ~

Spencer King​

In the days following the attack, Spencer had been under strict instructions to rest and that meant he was confined to his bed for longer than he appreciated. Despite this, no injury or doctor's order was enough to keep him from visiting his mother's grave on the third day of his recovery. It was a struggle to get himself there, especially as he'd been skipping taking some of his painkillers, so he'd roped Jeremy into taking him. He'd been to Laura's grave every year on the anniversary of her death. Since the 26th August 1961. Although he'd just come close to finding permanent residence in the same graveyard, he still hadn't been put off from visiting there by choice. In all of the years he had been going, he'd never seen Trevor and he'd been perfectly content with that. This year, his father had been there, much to Spencer's frustration. In his injured state, Spencer was too tired to waste his energy on telling Trevor where to go, but thankfully the man had taken his cue to leave before any words had needed to be exchanged.

Other than his trip to visit his mother's grave, most of the last few weeks Spencer had spent at home recovering, getting plenty of Shona and Eddie time in the process. He'd managed to busy himself with as much paperwork as he could manage between the headaches and nausea, but other than that he had felt useless. He'd been updated on various aspects of what had happened two weeks ago at May's place, but he felt like there were still gaps in his knowledge or things people had been keeping from him. He hoped once he was back up on his feet and with his head back in the game he would be filled in on everything that was going on. Between Harper, Alex, Jeremy and May, he understood harsh words had been exchanged in the heat of the moment.

When Bruce and Darcey informed him of the family dinner they'd arranged, Spencer's apprehension was outweighed by his need to have all his family together. Having come so close to death, he was keen to have all of his loved ones in one place around the table. Even before the attack, he'd felt his siblings distancing themselves from him, like he was losing the bond he'd had with them when he was younger. Hearing about how Harper and Alex had fallen out with each other had made him even more keen to have his siblings together. He was meant to look out for them - he promised Laura he would - so it hurt to see they were all breaking apart around him.

Despite his optimism, the dinner had turned into chaos, with Harper and Alex yelling across the table at each other. This was going to be the first full meal he'd had in weeks, having only just got his appetite back. However, when Harper stormed out of the room it became apparent he was going to have to abandon the meal Darcey had kindly prepared. Not willing to let his siblings go their separate ways without trying to resolve their issues, he commanded Alex and Billy to accompany him to the family room where Harper had stormed off into. The lack of blood sugar and the pain in his abdomen had caused him to be unsteady when he rushed to his feet. He had to briefly grip the back of his chair as he gave his head a few seconds to stop spinning. After extending an apology to Bruce, he accompanied his brothers into the the same room Harper was in.

When he entered the room, he motioned for Billy to sit next to Harper on the couch whilst he and Alex would occupy an armchair each across from them. Once the three of them were seated, he closed the door behind them. Spencer had barely sat down when Harper started talking at him, dwelling on Alex's comments to assume he thought the same and seemingly expecting him to start having a go at her. When his sister had stopped, Spencer allowed a silence to fill the air for a moment as he tried to gather his thoughts and think back to everything he'd just heard being thrown out around the dinner table.

After running his hand down his face he let out a deep sigh. "One thing we can all agree on is that dinner was a mess. When things are calmer, we need to make sure Darcey knows how much we appreciate her effort. She's real patient to have put up with us lot all these years," he pointed out. Sitting back in his seat, he looked between his siblings. "No matter what I say here, I need you all to know I love all three of ya, no matter how much we piss each other off. I came real close to not seeing any of you again and that gave me the kick up the arse I needed to sit with the three of you. Us lot together, like the old days. But I get this isn't the past anymore and what just happened around that table confirms shit has changed between us. We've changed. But that doesn't mean we have to be fucking strangers."

Spencer sat forward and shook his head. "My head's still a mess and I've had to be filled in on what's been going on lately from different people. I want to hear it directly from you three what's been going on and why you're at each others' throats," he told his siblings. "I know some shitty words were said at May's place and the only way we can fix this is to talk it out." Spencer looked to Alex as he recalled the order in which the argument had unfolded around the table. "You were going to apologise to Harper. What were you going to apologise for?" he prompted him.

Melanin-Gxdess (Alex) Pyroclast (Billy) Bellz (Harper)

 

[BasDorcha]

Spencer King's Home

~Bethnal Green, East London~
~Monday 26th of August, 1985~
Jeremy Gray and Spencer King​

Jeremy had dropped by while Harper was at therapy to check in on his friend. Things had been tense since the day of May’s party when it seemed like everything was starting to fall apart. He wasn’t sure if anyone had told Spencer yet about him and Harper, but he was glad he had spoken to him before the party and told him about how their relationship had progressed. He knew that Spencer was trying to be a supportive friend while also being a protective brother, and the position it had put him in. He figured the least he could do was keep the man informed, he respected him after all. Knocking, he waited for Spencer to call him in.

It had been three days since Spencer was almost killed by the Irish. Since being released from Caspian’s clinic, he’d been under strict bedrest. As much as his stubborn mind wanted to protest, his body was making it very clear he had very little choice in the matter. He hadn’t slept much and begrudged that he was having to take various medications. He was aware that a lot had gone on at May’s house whilst he was being attacked, but he hadn’t been filled in on many details.

Hearing the knock on his bedroom door, he called out for whoever it was to come in. Unable to reach it himself, he asked Jeremy to switch off the television, also buying himself a moment to sit up and gather his thoughts. “Look who finally decided to pay me a visit,” he remarked. “You good?” he asked.

Jeremy snorted. “I’m doin’ better than you mate. Shona hasn’t let me come by before today, so you can thank your wife for that one. I would have been by sooner if she wasn’t such a strict warden, scares even me. I just wanted to check in and see how you were coming along. See if you needed anything, or if anyone had filled you in on the other side of that day yet.” He shifted awkwardly. He had previously told Spencer that his and Harpers relationship had already progressed, but he hadn’t been specific in how because even though Spencer was his best friend, he’d be a fool for making it sound like he was bragging about sleeping with his sister.

“Shona probably figured you’d be a bad influence on me,” Spencer remarked. “I’ve been told about how Braden and May’s brother let themselves into May’s place and threatened the ladies,” he confirmed. He paused to drink some water, his throat still feeling sore and dry. He then placed the glass down and eyed Jeremy for a time. “I heard you all let the two wankers walk outta there too.” Of course none of them knew at the same time they had Braden and Tom in their grasp, Spencer was moments away from being killed by other members of the Irish Mob. Still, after what had happened, Spencer would rather have been told at least one of the Sullivan pricks had been killed.

“Yeah, seemed like the right thing to do at the time, you know? May is kind of soft, I didn’t think killing that prick in front of her would do any good for her. Harper was talking some sense in that killing his nephews uncle wasn’t going to be good for the custody battle going on. It’s not like I wouldn’t have done it Spence, you know I’ve got no qualms over doing what needs to be done. Just didn’t feel right at that moment, and I’ve learned to listen to that, thanks to you.” He gave him a gentle nudge, teasing him for teaching him to be a responsible adult. “I’d take it back now, hind sight and all. Still, sorry I let you down Spence, those pricks deserved much worse than they got. At least we didn’t let ‘em leave completely unharmed.” He gave a small grin, trying to add that silver lining.

“Hey, steady on, will ya? Using my own words against me,” Spencer scoffed. “Remember… Do as I say, not as I do,” he drily joked. Despite his comment, his lack of argument meant he wasn’t going to push the subject of why Tom and Braden were still alive. Not after he’d had Conor in his grasp before and failed to kill him. “We’ll just have to make sure we get ‘em next time. Sullivan fuckers ain’t getting away with attacking the lasses nor with doing this to me,” he assured him. He took a moment to steady his breathing, the smoke damage still affecting him. “Is there anything else I should know? I get the feeling nobody’s telling me much yet.”

Jeremy nodded, agreeing that next time, the Irish were done. There was no way they would let them go after the last attack. He grinned but also looked very boyish as Spencer asked the last bit, wondering if there was something he needed to know. “Alex thinks he’s the first one to know that Harper and I’s relationship had become moved forward. Thanks for not spreading it about, Harp still recovering has been… rough. I’ve been making sure all the necessities are right, eating, sleeping, the likes Spence, but… I just hope Maddox is working out for her. It’s not anything specific, mate, just a feeling you know? I’m doin’ my best, you know that, but with Billy and her not talking, Alex exploding and calling her Laura, and the tension with you, I feel like she’s feeling out of sorts but I don’t know how to help it. It’s a tougher position than I thought, not that I’m regrettin’ it now, being on both sides of these issues.”

Hearing that Alex was now aware of the relationship between Jeremy and Harper caused Spencer to let out a groan. He wasn’t sure he’d been kept up to date with how far forward things had moved. Part of him didn’t want to know but a bigger part knew he had to. “You’re going to have to tell Bruce soon. He don’t like being kept in the dark,” he pointed out. Spencer very rarely kept secrets from his uncle and the one he had kept about Trevor came back to bite him in the arse eventually. However, this was on Jeremy to come clean about, unless it got to the point where Spencer would have to do it for him. He nodded in understanding when he was updated on Harper’s current state. He wasn’t the best at talking about feelings - certainly not with a sister who had lately been putting up a barrier between them both.

Thankfully she had a professional now and one Kerry seemed to endorse. “It’s more than a feeling, mate. Harper’s gradually shutting the lot of us out,” he admitted. “And frustratingly letting Trevor in…” Spencer looked away briefly upon hearing Laura’s name mentioned. “Why’d Alex go an’ say a thing like that?” he asked, clearly shocked. He tried not to give an ‘I told you so’ look, but hearing Jeremy acknowledge it was tough being on both sides came as no surprise. “You have to be prepared to say or do something that Harper might not like if it’s for her own good, remember?”

“Aye, I do. And I have a few times already. I know I need to talk to Bruce, I’ll get to him next. I didn’t want to tell anyone too early, worried I’d freak her out and all. As for Alex, well, he weren’t the only one who said some bad things. Harper called him Trevor. Truth be told, they just need to sit down and get the shit out of their system and work through it but you know how stubborn they both can be. Alex also told me to stay out of family matters, so I guess he doesn’t…” He cleared his throat, averting his eyes because it felt for a moment like they might threaten to leak tears down his face. He decided to leave it at that, pushing forward. Jeremy rubbed a hand across his face, knowing he still had something he needed to tell Spencer and knowing this might be the straw to break the camel's back.

“Spence, there’s more. I… I asked Harper to move in with me. I think a change of scenery might be good for her. She has mentioned a few times how the apartment just makes her remember all the bad things that have happened while she’s lived there. So… I offered to let her stay with me. For the record, I even offered her the spare room to keep it above board, if that’s what she wanted.” He couldn’t look Spencer in the eyes in case the man were going to shut him down. He knew there would come a point where he might have to defend his choices with Harper, but that didn’t mean he wanted to go against his friend. He chewed on his thumb looking away.

“Which brings me to my next question. I… I’d like your blessing to marry her, if she’ll have me, one day. No I don’t mean to ask her tomorrow, or even next week or nothin’. All I know is, one day, I want her to be my wife, when the time is right. I love her Spence, I finally understand that look you get when you look at Shona. I know it may not always be easy, but I’m willing to fight for it, if she’ll have me. ‘Course, I’ll talk to Bruce too but you’re my best mate, I wanted to ask you first.” Jeremy, much like Spencer, was not used to talking about his emotions and blushed deeply. It seemed so easy with Harper, but so much harder with anyone else.

Spencer shook his head as he heard not only had Harper been compared to Laura but Alex had been called Trevor. After what their father had done, Spencer could only imagine how badly Alex took being compared to the man. He nodded his head when his friend suggested the two siblings just needed to talk it out. “We’re Kings. Stubborn comes with the name.” he reminded Jeremy. Spencer let out a sigh when he heard what Alex had said to Jeremy. “It was probably in the heat of the moment. You’re family, mate,” he assured him. “I’ll have a word with him when I’m back up and running.”

Spencer wasn’t prepared for what came next. Jeremy said he’d asked Harper to move in with him. “What the fuck?” he quietly muttered to himself. He listened in a stunned silence as his friend went on to assure him he’d even offered a spare room. He didn’t respond yet, getting the feeling there was more he needed to be told, and there it came. Jeremy asked for his blessing to marry Harper. “This is why I didn’t want that morphine fed into me the other night. End up smacked up, hearing shit like that junkie Trevor when he thought he heard he was welcome back in London.” Spencer shuffled to sit upright again, having gradually slouched down during their conversation. “Are you telling me this now because I can’t knock some sense into ya just yet? Have another word with yourself, would ya? Harper’s all over the place and you’re meant to at least date her before marrying her, ya know. How do you know you’ll want to marry her even a few weeks from now?”

Jeremy couldn’t help the grin he gave Spencer when the man asked if he intentionally waited for him to be bedridden and unable to knock him about. “That might have something to do with it. Spencer, I’ve done a lot of thinking on it, and I don’t intend on jumping so fast it’ll seem out of place, but things happen, this happened-” He gestured at Spencer's bandages to make a point, “and I’m not sayin’ we’re going to let anyone get that close again, but on the off chance it does, I’d like your permission while you’re still talkin’. Truth is mate…” Jeremy yelped as he bit a little too deep at his finger, wiping the blood on his pants, “I’m pretty sure I fell for her back when I got home from University. The night of the party. I tried for a while after that to keep my distance, hoping it would fade, but it never did. Every time I saw her, it came back full force. Catch myself doing and saying things that I never would to anyone else. That was six years ago, you know? While this is all new, I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life. It’s not like I have ever been moved by just a pretty face before, have I? I wasted a lot of time, many years, trying to do the right thing as a friend, wanting it not to be so because you’re my best mate, my brother.”

He shifted awkwardly, knowing it needed to be said but also not comfortable talking to Spencer like this as it wasn’t their norm. They talked without talking, most of the time, like typical men. “My heart just had another plan. Didn’t matter how long I took, it was always there waiting.” He shrugged, meeting Spencer’s eyes finally. “I just know I can’t live without her. Besides,” The joking gleam came back as he winked at Spencer, “If you say yes, and we ever actually do it, then I’ll really be your brother by law.” He playfully scootched a few more feet away, making sure to be out of Spencer’s range. He knew it was serious, but the truth was, the woman made him so happy, it was hard to stay serious when he was talking about her. There was a glow about him, and a truly happy look every time he said her name.

Spencer stayed silent as Jeremy told him about how he was sure he’d fallen for Harper six years ago. He massaged his temple as his friend continued to explain himself. Jeremy seemed convinced he knew what he wanted and how he felt. Spencer just wasn’t sure how he felt about his best friend being with his sister, especially not whilst she was in the erratic state she was lately. “Brother by law? You say that like it’s a good thing,” he sarcastically teased his friend. “I… Listen. I will give you my blessing but it comes with conditions. First… Only when Harper is out of this headspace she’s in can you ask her to marry you. This isn’t the right time to be doing anything like that. Secondly, I said it already, but you’ve gotta tell Bruce what’s going on.” Although he’d noticed Jeremy back away a few feet, his friend wasn’t getting away any time soon. Pushing himself to sit upright, Spencer let out a pained groan as he set about moving to stand up. “Give me a hand, would ya? Third condition is that I need you to take me to the graveyard. Seeing as I didn’t get my own one-way ticket there the other night, I need you to drive me there.”

Jeremy eagerly accepted the conditions with affirmative nods. They were reasonable, and along the lines of what he was already thinking. It wasn’t that he wanted to ask her right now, hell even any time soon with what she was going through, he just wanted the option in case there ever came a day he no longer could speak to his friend. When Spencer started moving to stand up, he quickly stood and offered him his arm, easing him up and to a standing position. Once he was up, he lent his head down to let Spencer sling his arm around his shoulders. It took a moment for Jeremy to process why he wanted to go to the graveyard, when he remembered the date and blanched.
“It’s… Yeah, common Spence, I’ll take ya’. Do we need to stop for anything along the way?” As he spoke, he carefully helped move them towards the front door with all the ease of a live-in nurse surprisingly. For a large guy who was known for being kind of brutal, he was also very gentle when he needed to be.

Melanin-Gxdess - Alex
Pyroclast - Bruce/Billy
Misty Gray - Spencer/Kerry
Bellz - Harper

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Around Dublin City
~ Dublin City Centre, Dublin ~

Leo Sullivan
​

Ever since he and Natasha had gotten back together things felt... Better. There wasn't a huge hole in his chest and uncertainty in his thoughts. He was no longer staying up late thinking about what could've been; instead, he was thinking about what was going to be. A future with Natasha in it seemed so much more possible now, even if they did have some obstacles to get over at a later date. He'd spent a lot of time with her as if trying to make up for the time they'd spent apart. When they weren't together, Leo made it a point to see Thomas and Elena. Her kidnapping and the events surrounding it had, in a way, brought them closer. Some nights he'd be plagued with the look on her face when they'd finally found her. The next day he'd be there to check on her and then Thomas. When asked if he were okay, he simply responded with, "I'm processing," though it was a lie. Something to say instead of, "I'm fine," to avoid getting a lecture.

He had plenty to keep him busy, too, so he didn't have to think about things too much. Helping get the girls prepared for school, the small jobs he was allowed to do, and even working at the garage. Plenty to do so his mind didn't race to places it shouldn't be. Conor had decided he was going to get back to work and though Leo was just as wary about the idea, he understood it was time. It'd been about two months since the man was 'put down' and that was long enough, he figured. Leo still wanted to help in any way he could just to keep his stress levels low. So when Conor suggested he come out with him, Leo agreed.

The father-son duo drove around town, checking in on the businesses and Leo made it a point to pay close attention. If he were going to take over, it was important right? As the two of them pulled into the family-owned pub Conor suggested inviting Benjie and Lori out more often. He lifted a brow in curiosity at the sudden comment. "Where's that coming from," he asked, following the man out of the car. "I mean, sure, we will; Nat and I have before, but- Did he say something?" There was a slight pause in their conversation as Leo watched Conor interact with an employee. He made sure to note his face, name, and purpose for future reference before the two moved to an outside table.

Leo found himself tensing up a bit; making sure he took note of his surroundings and where they were. The number of people on the streets and the cars sitting on the sides and which ones stood out. He'd become a lot more apt at paying attention - especially after the last kidnapping. He started to get a bit restless, knee bouncing under the table and fingers tapping the top. With his father across from him, he was trying to keep a cool and level head. For though he was an adult now and Conor had never given him a reason to be, Leo was very much intimidated by his father. He let out a nervous chuckle as he asked about Natasha- checking to see if they'd finally worked things out. Scratching the back of his neck out of habit he nodded. "We did, actually," he said, pausing to reminisce that night in the pool. Clearing his throat he continued. "We're a couple again, which has been amazing."

It was hard to keep the smile from spreading across his face while he spoke of her. He couldn't believe it had taken him so long to ask her to be his girlfriend but was happy she nudged him in the right direction. When asked how he'd messed up, Leo shrugged his shoulders. "According to the women in our family it's a common Sullivan gene, so..." The tone of his voice was light, testing the waters of his father's mood before he told him what actually happened. "She broke up with me. Rightfully so, I think. She, um... She doesn't this life. Doesn't want to be up late by the phone waiting for that call that I've been hurt or worse." He avoided his father's gaze, picking at his cuticles. Doesn't want me to end up like Jackson."

Conor ( Misty Gray )

Beachside Villa
~ Corfu Town, Corfu ~

Theodore Wycliff
​

It'd been a very long time since Teddy had needed to get his hands dirty; had been a part of something that others would deem heinous, but he deemed necessary. Taking a sleeping child from their mother had been one of those things. However, it wasn't like they were taking him just because. No, this was more a rescue mission than a kidnapping. Technically Savannah had taken Callum away from Alex first. Which made her the kidnapper. At least, that's what Teddy kept telling himself. When he agreed to pull more of his weight - to do more for the Moretti family business, he didn't exactly know that it included more missions with children. However, he shouldn't have been surprised. Savannah wasn't the first Sullivan to kidnap a child. Must've run in their blood.

Standing alongside Tatiana and Damian, Teddy found himself softly pacing in anticipation. He wasn't nervous nor worried, he just wanted to get this over with. Something about the whole thing was making him itch and he was sure it was his conscience. Unfortunately, the pact made with the Kings as well as Moretti's desire for a bargaining chip was more important than his mind right now. Damian spoke, Teddy turning his attention to him as he'd stopped pacing. Things were moving better than expected right now and he could only wonder for how long it would last. "And they say the Irish are supposed to be lucky," he said, shaking his head. "Doesn't seem so right now." Teddy nodded his head towards the villa, holstering his gun in his waistband. When he'd gotten so comfortable carrying such a weapon he hadn't a clue.

As they moved along Damian commented on how the whole operation reminded him of Miami. Teddy shook his head, unable to keep the grin from appearing on his face. "Speak for yourself; I live on the beach again." The grin slowly disappeared as Damian mentioned that this one had little to no danger happening whatsoever. His tone grew serious, he gave him a reminder. "And you better remember that Damian, I'm serious. You and Tati can play when we get back to New York, not here." He knew that his sister-in-law held a little more self-restraint but he remained firm on his stance. It was unfortunate children had to be involved anyway. He wanted to at least make sure the kid had little to no psychological issues afterward.

Once they were closer to the Villa, Teddy led the three of them under the window of Callum's room. Reaching into his back pocket he pulled out a bottle of chloroform and a cotton rag. For a second he deliberated within himself who he would rather take care of the kid. Of course, seeing how she was with his own, he handed the materials to Tatiana. Looking to Damian with a slight smirk. "Not that I don't trust you. You scare even me sometimes and I'm sure you'd freak him out if he woke up. Plus, Tati's got a kind-ish face," he teased before turning back to her. "Just douse the thing and press it lightly over his face. He's a kid and already asleep so you don't need much pressure. Maybe for a few minutes? Hand him to us and then pop back out."

Tati ( Pyroclast )
Damian ( Misty Gray )

 

[Misty Gray]

The Porter Residence
~ Sutton, Dublin ~

Olivia Sullivan​

Olivia heard the car park up outside, prompting her to get up from the sofa. She carried Zeus with her as she rushed into the conservatory where she placed the puppy into his bed. "You are so adorable," she gushed, playfully stroking the top of the dog's head. "Now, you be a good boy else old man Jimbo will get you."

As she made her way to the front door, she stopped in front of the hallway mirror to check her hair and make-up. Smoothing out her dress, she quickly turned her head as she heard the second sets of knocks at the door. She smirked to herself as she heard Sam call out her name and ask to be let in. She was quite tempted to make him wait a little while longer, however, it soon became apparent to her that his was not the only voice coming from outside the door. Awkwardly biting her lip, she walked towards the door to see what was happening outside.

Olivia reached the door just in time to recognise Thomas' voice and when she pulled it open, she saw her brother pinning Sam against the wall with his hand around his throat. "Thomas!" she called out. She heard as Thomas demanded to know what was going on, asking Sam if he was messing about with her. "Let him go, would ya?" she assertively commanded her brother, stepping up close to the two in case she ended up having to try separate them. "What are you doing?! I'm a grown up and I invited Sam over here. He's not messing me about!" she asserted, sending Sam an apologetic glance.

BasDorcha (Samuel)
Bellz (Thomas)

 

[Bellz]

Braden Callahan
Peter Callahan
The Callahan Residence
~ Sutton, Dublin ~ ​

The last two weeks had been full of way too much attention for Braden's liking. His mother was fussing over his every little move since he came home injured from London, despite his insistence that he was perfectly fine. Knowing who his mother was, he knew it was a waste of breath so after the first few days he was just rendered to his silent broody self. Peter, his father, did his best to deflect any worry Sinny had, seeing that his son, who was much like him didn't want the attention but it was useless at times.

It didn't get any better into the second week but Braden at least got more used to it. Hattie was an angel as always and Liam was doing an excellent job at keeping her preoccupied when Braden needed some sort of rest. Tonight was the first night he felt like himself again, at least with minimal pain. But his mood hadn't lightened any. He had been stuck thinking about Amy for weeks but he was far too afraid to actually initiate the outing that he had mentioned. Whenever he got close, wanting to find a way to escape the house, his heart closed up again, not allowing Amy to even be an option on his table.

Dinner was nice tonight, Hattie and Liam as well as his mother kept up most of the conversation. Braden was in his usual silent mood but things were looking up. It wasn't out of the ordinary for him to not talk so much. "Thanks, mam." Braden murmured as Sinny said there was still more stew if they were hungry enough. Peter looked to his wife, offering the woman a kind smile as he reached for her hand. Lifting it up to his lips, the man kissed her tiny fingers gently. "Delicious as always, dear. Thank you." Braden made a face but Peter rolled his eyes. "You are in your 30s, this should not gross you out." Braden's expression softened as Sinny mentioned watching a movie after the kids were asleep.

Brady searched her face and could still see the sadness there. She was missing Savvy and Callum. He was as well, and he couldn't remember the last time he'd seen Emery either. It felt like they were all drifting apart. The family had always been the most important thing to his mother and here they were, all letting her down. Braden's eyes caught his father's who wrapped his arm over his wife's shoulder, pulling her close and kissing her temple. "Have hope that it will be full once again, love. It won't be forever."

Braden was about to mimic his father's words of encouragement when there was a knock at the door. Peter moved to stand, "I'll get it you two. Gimpy over there can't get to the door quick enough." Braden quickly grabbed his dinner roll and threw it at Peter who caught it with ease. "Thanks for the snack, son." His smile was teasing and Braden gave him a smirk, watching him walk away before turning to look at his mother. "Dad's right, mam. It won't be forever. We should invite Lucy and them over for dinner. That rowdy bunch will make this table feel a little too full."

Peter had walked to the door, his smile fading slightly as he opened it to find a pretty redhead with her eyes closed. The man tilted his head in wonder as she started to speak. When she explained why she was standing at his front door, the man's smile only grew. "Well hello, Amy. I'm Peter Callahan, Braden's old man. Brady isn't a man of many words but I'm sure he wouldn't forget you." The older man chuckled before opening the door wide enough for her to come in. "Come on in, he's just in the dining room with my wife."

Leading her in, they made small chatter until they walked into the dining room. Braden had just been telling his mom about Hattie's over-obsession with superheroes when he saw Amy with his father. The smile that hadn't been on his face in days returned, "A-Amy? What are you doing here?" He asked, but then frowned as he realized that must have sounded rude. Clearing his throat, Braden shook his head and said, "I-I mean its nice to see you here, I'm just surprised..." The man reached a hand to rub the side of his neck. The blush was threatening to appear on his cheeks. In front of his parents. How embarrassing. "Are you hungry? My mam makes a mean stew." Braden looked to Sinead then, "Uh, this is my mam, Sinead. Mam, this is Amy, she works with Finn. She patched me up in London." He explained, hoping to distract his mother from the blush that was clearly forming on his cheeks now.

"And you've already met my dad it looks like." To which Peter smiled mischievously, nodding his head.
with: Sinead Misty Gray ; Amy BasDorcha

 

[Misty Gray]

The Sullivans Pub
~ Dublin City Centre, Dublin ~

Conor Sullivan​

Conor hadn't expected Leo to overthink his suggestion of inviting Benjamin and Lorelei to hang out more. When he questioned the suggestion, Conor explained that he wanted Benjamin to feel like he had more people for support in Dublin. Although the young man was back at work and Kurt was home now, Conor could imagine what kind of impact it would have had on him seeing Aidan die and covered in blood. Leo, Thomas, and the others were all in the same age group and in some ways would understand how Benjamin was feeling.

He was pleased to see the smile on Leo's face when he spoke of Natasha. It was clear he cared about her. Did it make up for him recently upsetting her? Conor hadn't decided yet. He snorted at mention of messing up being a common Sullivan trait. "That's right and the women won't hear otherwise, so it's easier to just admit us Sullivan men are wired all wrong! Take it from someone whose second home is the doghouse."

Conor listened as Leo told him Natasha had broken up with him because she didn't like his lifestyle. That was all too familiar for Conor. He let out a sigh at mention of her not wanting to be waiting for a phone call with bad news. Then when he mentioned Jackson, Conor's eyes widened and fixed on his son. "Jackson wouldn't have made rushed decisions and thrown himself into a situation unprepared," he said, his tone turning more serious. "What the fuck were you and Thomas thinking going off to that cabin without a clue what you were doing? No wonder Nat is so concerned when you jump in head-first like that. Did you even have a plan?" he asked.

Melanin-Gxdess (Leo)

The Callahan Residence
~ Sutton, Dublin ~

Sinead Callahan​

Sinead moved in to rest her head on Peter's shoulder when he wrapped his arm around her. She let out a sigh when he told her to have hope their family absences wouldn't be forever. Emery was always too independent and in a way Sinead expected she'd be keen to do her own thing as soon as she was old enough. Savannah, however, had tried to do her own thing in the past, but in the end she always wanted to come home. She came home from London. This time, Savannah had intentionally left. She'd been desperate to get away and Sinead wasn't sure she'd ever want to return, even if she could.

The conversation was disrupted by the knocking at the door. Sinead sat up straight so Peter could move his arm from around her and stand up. She lightly slapped her husband's leg when he used the name 'Gimpy' to tease Braden. "Petey!" she softly berated him before looking to her son and shaking her head. With her husband answering the door, Sinead listened as Braden echoed Peter's reassurance. She softly smiled when he suggested having Lucy and the others over for dinner. "Yes, that would be really nice. They could bring Syd and the kids too."

Sinead listened as Braden spoke about Hattie's love for superheroes. "Liam with Star Wars... Hattie and Callum..." she trailed off, pausing at mention of her grandson. "Them with the superheroes. What happened to the days of princesses and sparkles?" she mused, thinking of both her own and Savannah's childhood interests. When Peter returned to the dining room, Sinead couldn't help but notice the smile that grew on Braden's face. Looking over her shoulder, she noticed the redhead with Peter, then Braden said the woman's name before Sinead even had to wonder. Looking back to her son, Sinead raised a curious eyebrow as he seemed a little flustered. His blushing cheeks resulted in Sinead flashing him a knowing look before she stood up from her seat. "Oh, there's plenty of stew left to go round," she brightly informed Amy.

As Braden introduced them, Sinead couldn't help but study the younger redhead's features. "Oh, you work with Finn? Well, aren't you lucky, because he's just the sweetest!" As she spoke, she was still looking the woman over, finding something very familiar about her but in the moment too oblivious or distracted by Braden's manner to figure out that Amy and her looked similar. "So you helped patch up my darling, yet foolish boy? Come on... sit," she invited Amy as she pulled out the empty chair next to Braden and motioned for Amy to sit beside him.

Sinead didn't hesitate to start serving more stew, not giving Peter or Braden any choice in the matter. "Would you like some, Amy-who-works-with-Finn?" she asked. Whether it was the welcomed distraction and the fun of a new face, or the way Braden had been smiling since Amy arrived, Sinead was keen to savour the moment. She soon sat back in her seat beside Peter and looked across the table to Braden and Amy. "So, what brings you here, Amy? I'm very certain it wasn't my cooking."

BasDorcha (Amy)
Bellz (Peter, Braden)

 

[BasDorcha]

Oak Tree Restaurant

~Dublin City Centre, Dublin~
Michelle Romano​

Michelle had a pretty mellow few weeks, even borderline boring if she was asked. The kids were getting ready for school, she had finished enrolling them, she had attended a few job interviews but so far nothing had panned out and she was starting to feel useless. Soon, she’d need to work if she wanted to pay the bills, her saving running thin and her refusing to ask her family for money. She knew she’d figure something out, she just hoped it was sooner rather than later. When Aliana and Rhi had called to see if she wanted to go out with them, she jumped on it. The kids had flown to their fathers for a week of visitation before school started, so she didn’t have to worry about them today.

Going to shop with the girls was the bonding experience she had been hoping to have, finally feeling like at least that part of her life was going right. Aliana and her were finally on equal ground, no longer feuding and that’s what she needed more than anything. Laughing and enjoying the time with them lifted her spirit and brightened all the darkness out of her mood. When Ali realized that it was time for Rhiannon’s practice, she sat back and let them figure it out, her eyes casually watching them though they often found their way back to Marco. His voice reminded her of the better times in Portugal and brought a smile to her face, enjoying what felt like her native tongue used so fluently here.

The idea of a drink sounded right up her alley so when asked if she was up for going to the restaurant, Michelle eagerly agreed. It had been a while since she had been out to eat, and even longer since she’d done so without the kids. As they drove, her and her stepmother chatted about things going on in the family, the drama, the romance, all of it. Michelle gently probed for information of situations she was unfamiliar with, trying to remember for later when she was around people. Occasionally, she’d feel like their friendly driver might be looking back, but she’d look up and his eyes would be on the road.

The car pulled to a stop and they slid out, Ali first, then Michelle. With a light blush she took the offered hand, feeling it lingering even after she stood and stepped just past him. When she looked back and saw his smile, it deepened even as she returned it. “Tendré más de uno para ti, guapo.” She rushed forward after that, giggling as she caught up with Ali and took her seat. Her stepmother turned on her, jumping straight into the meaty questions she was dying to ask, resulting in Michelle laughing and blushing while trying to deny it.

“Marco? No, I’ve only seen him around a few times. He is muy caliente though if I must say so myself.” Michelle ordered herself a gin and tonic with a twist of lime, unable to hide the girlish face she sported as if to say she had another secret. After a long drink she turned and with a bit of shyness continued, “Though, there is someone I have seen a few times… Por el amor de Dios, don’t tell dad though. It’s that very tall drink of aqua called Dermot.” The blush turned more… flushed as she spoke, and Michelle laughed waving a hand in front of her to brush it off. She hadn’t realized it, but listening to Marco today, she found herself speaking more mixed language then before. When she first arrived, she had made an attempt to only speak English so she wouldn’t feel out of place. Before hand though, she had always moved fluently between the two as was common practice.

Melanin-Gxdess - Ali/Marco[/h][/h]

 

[BasDorcha]

Porter House~Sutton, Dublin~
Samuel McKinsley

Sam just laughs while coughing against Thomas hand, throwing his own up as a sign of surrender I'm not messin' about, mate! Never even kissed! Not that I'm not trying, mind you. Olivia, she's something special though, and I promise to treat her as such. Besides, she's a bit old for you to be telling her who to date, sarge."

Thomas narrows his eyes at Sam, squeezing his throat a little bit tighter. "Jesus, you really are dense if you are trying to tell me that you want to kiss my sister! She's grown up all right but that doesn't mean I can't kick someone's ass for her." looks to Liv as she interjects, after a moment he sighs Fine...releases Sam "Quit calling me Sarge, ya dickhole. I don't go by that anymore."

Sam grins, rubbing his throat as he got comfortable back on the ground, clearing it for good measure. As if to salt the wound, he dipped into a low bow, pretending to take off a hat to greet Olivia, "Madam, you are looking absolutely magnificent today. Thank you for the invitation, though I apologize for the old Army buddy. He's a little rough around the edges, but he's a good man." He winked. "Bumped into him on the way. Lucky for me, he wasn't here to leave you his favor." Standing back up, it was easy to see Sam was just digging at Thomas while trying to amuse the beautiful woman before him. When Thomas told him not to address him like that anymore, Sam just scoffed like he thought his friend was crazy.

"Okay, private, you got it. Does that make me the sarge today?" Sam playfully barred his teeth in a wide, fake frown and rushed inside before Thomas could capture him. Guessing at which doors to take, he ended up just inside the room where she must have been hanging out as there was a horror movie playing and snack with drinks on the coffee table. He waited inside the door for Olivia to come in, sweeping her up in a hug as he did a quick spin. “Hey there, doll face. It’s nice as always to see your beautiful face again.” He smiled at her, setting her back down on the floor gently.

He turned, releasing her as he turned to offer Thomas his hand, this time offering a more proper hello. “Sar- Thomas, its nice to see you again, it’s been a long time. I didn’t even know you were back in Dublin, last I heard you were still state side. How…” His eyes drifted to Olivia for a moment, then away. “How are things going since I last seen you.” The prankster seemed to have become serious for a moment, his eyes saying what his mouth would not. He didn’t want details or to open old wounds, he just wanted to know how his friend had been, if he was okay in his civilian life.




Misty Gray Bellz - Sorry its ugly, I just got pulled into a meeting

 

[Pyroclast]

Bruce's House
~ Bethnal Green, London ~

Bruce King​

With Shona having had to leave, inviting May to go with her, and now Spencer having to usher Harper and his brothers out of the room, there didn’t seem much point in continuing to eat. The dinner was over, ruined, and the only people left were himself, Darcey, Jeremy and Erik, all of whom looked uncomfortable about what had just happened. Though there was still food on his plate, Bruce didn’t believe he could salvage the party. “Darcey, why don’t you go and rest, love,” he suggested. “Leave me to sort the table.” He hadn’t missed the amount of bourbon she had poured into her system to get her through the argument as it played out - it was clear she was stressed and looking for some sort of escape.

As Darcey passed him to leave the room, Bruce gave her hand a light squeeze in exchange for a kiss on the head. Later that night he hoped to talk about it to her. The pair often shared late night conversation, especially during hard times - that was when they needed each other the most, after all. They had been mistaken as a married couple for years due to their closeness and the way they treated each other, yet he never really saw it that way; she wasn’t a wife to him, she was more than that somehow…a lifelong partner. A partner in business and in crime, a co-parent, a best friend, his closest confidant. Darcey was a part of his fabric, a defining piece of his identity and someone without whom he would be nowhere. His love for her had always been there, both deeply set and also right beneath the surface, and so when she had kissed him at Caspian’s clinic and declared him the love of her life, all his love for her came shining out of him as if a light had finally been switched on. Of course, it hadn’t changed their relationship a great deal - he would still do anything for her, tell her anything on his mind, just as he had done since they were children - but simply knowing that the deep love between them was in fact the romantic kind inspired him to take care of her more than ever before.

For now, however, he trusted that she would be able to keep her head up while they had guests to look after, and so instead turned his attention to Jeremy and Erik. “This food’s gotta’ be eaten at some point,” he uttered, barely looking at the two men. “Don’t feel you have to stop already.” To encourage them - although, more so to give himself time to think - Bruce speared some more food onto his fork and took another mouthful. All he had wanted was to unite the family and to try to get them feeling close again. He knew he was being optimistic, but he believed that Spencer’s recent brush with death and the anniversary of their mother’s death being around the same time ought to be enough for them to sympathise with each other a bit more and want to hold their family close. It disappointed him - almost broke his heart, in fact - to find out that that still wasn’t enough. What was it going to take, if not that?

“You know, boys,” he started, setting his cutlery down and linking his hands together beneath his chin. “With all this turmoil in the family right now, it’s been a load off my shoulders to know that Billy and Harper have you two…lookin’ out for ‘em.” Erik’s relationship with Billy, he had come to terms with enough - while their being together did worry him somewhat, his concerns pointed to nothing within the relationship itself. They seemed good for each other, and the two lads had been through a lot together without breaking up, so they seemed to have stood every test of strength so far. Ultimately, he had faith that they would help each other through anything. When it came to Jeremy and Harper, however, he was far more perplexed. “But there’s a difference here,” he added. “I put a lot of trust into you two. Erik, when you first came to work here, I had only Gabriel Moretti’s word that you were someone I could rely on. You’ve proven yourself since then, a hundred times over. When it came to light that you and Billy were together…well, it was somethin’ to get my ‘ead around but I figured you two make good partners. You always worked well together, had each other’s backs and you’re best friends. What could go wrong there?”

Darcey had taken the decanter away to refill it, but there was still wine on the table, so Bruce went about pouring himself a generous measure before offering it out to the two men sitting with him. “But Jeremy, see, this…this is different,” he moved on, addressing him with an accusatory point of his finger. “Because I trusted you to look after my niece. That’s what I’m payin’ you for, ain’t it? To protect her, while she’s goin’ through everythin’ she’s goin’ through?” Keeping his stern eyes fixed on Jeremy, Bruce took a hefty swig of his wine. “So in what part of that job description does it say you can sleep with her?” he asked. “Harper is troubled, deeply troubled, and she don’t need a man gettin’ in her head and messin’ her about. I want to say I trust you, Jeremy - you’re a troublemaker, that’s for sure, but you never get nicked for it. The fact you can get away with what you do has always impressed me. This? This don’t impress me, Jeremy. At all. The fact you kept it from me, thought you could get away with it, is deeply disrespectful to me. Erik and Billy, I can understand - there’s a real danger in bein’ homosexual these days, so I couldn’t take that personally. But you had no excuse. So now I’m thinkin’, maybe I ought to hire someone else to protect her, get you on a different job. Clearly I trusted you more than I should have.”

Interactions
BasDorcha Jeremy
Melanin-Gxdess Erik
Mentioned: Bellz Harper

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Around Dublin City
~ Dublin City Centre, Dublin ~

Leo Sullivan
​

Leo hadn't exactly been prepared for Conor's reaction to his words about Jackson. He forced himself to look into his father's eyes, face growing serious. Suddenly feeling like a reckless child being chastised, he started picking at his cuticles again. A nervous habit in any situation, but definitely when he was being yelled at by his father. He hadn't run in with the intention of getting hurt but he also wasn't about to leave Thomas, Elena, and Adam on their own. In fact, a part of Leo felt like the man would be proud! But hearing the tone of his voice and the expression on his face was showing him the opposite. Leo rubbed his forehead, slightly annoyed with having to explain himself once more but willing to do so to clear his name. He looked back to Conor. "Dad, it wasn't like we could just sit by and do nothing. Adam was walking headfirst into a trap and we couldn't just let him; they'd have killed him and Elena without a second thought."

For just a moment, his mind went back to that night. The bodies. The sound of bones cracking and knives piercing the skin. Watching bullets pierce through a human body leaving a gaping, bloody hole in its wake. It had been the first time Leo had ever killed someone. And though he knew he had no choice - it was either him or them - it still felt so strange. To watch the life drain from someone's eyes. Knowing that you were the reason why someone ceased to exist was a weird feeling and he couldn't help but wonder who he left missing the people he'd killed. The sound of their drinks hitting the table snapped Leo out of his thoughts, though his eyes still felt distant. He immediately lifted his to his lips, trying to calm his nerves, before continuing to explain himself.

"Well, Nat's always been a worry-wort, okay? It's not just the whole Adam-Elena that worries her," he said, trying to at least lighten things up a bit, only to find himself growing serious once more. "Anyway, we did have a plan. It may not have been a couple-days-in-the-making plan but it was a plan nonetheless, right? Look. Adam was there and so was Thomas. And they both have experience," he said, suddenly regretful once more about not joining the military as he should have with Thomas. "Thomas took care of me- we took care of each other. And that's what matters. Besides, you're telling me if it weren't mom or Rhi you wouldn't have just gone to get them and take care of whoever was in your way? Because I don't believe that whatsoever."

Conor ( Misty Gray )

Bruce King's House
~ Bethnal Green, London~
Alexander King​

Alex hadn't exactly expected things to get so out of hand after requesting a simple conversation. However, he knew he played a role in the escalation of it; hell, he was probably

the reason for it in the first place! He sat stewing at the table, staring at his plate in annoyance and frustration. All he wanted to do was apologize and yet he couldn't even seem to manage that. Spencer commanded both he and Billy to join him and Harper in another room and for a brief second Alex was going to rebel. Though he was also worried he would only make matters worse, it could have come off as him not wanting anything more to do with his sister; which wasn't the case... Yet. He roughly slid his seat back, his napkin thrown on the table. As if a teenager whose mother had just yelled at him he left the dining room until he found himself in the family room.

The moment the four of them were inside Harper started up again. Alex clenched his jaw, trying his best to bite his tongue. He hadn't meant to call her insufferable and hearing the way she said it made him feel even worse than he already was. Tensions had been high and when it came to his own emotions he hadn't exactly sorted through them all just yet. He threw himself into the chair as instructed, placing his elbows on his knees. His fingers ran through his hair but remained on the back of his neck as Spencer began to speak. His older brother reminded them all of how close they used to be and immediately Alex thought back on it. The nights out, the secrets they had between them, and the tough times they'd all helped each other out in. They argued, sure, but never like this and Alex didn't like it.

Alex was then asked to explain why he wanted to apologize - Alex hesitating. How did he explain to his older brother that he'd made his baby sister feel less than? That he'd said words he shouldn't have? Nasty ones, at that. He glanced up to Harper. There were still signs of him being frustrated and annoyed, but they were mixed with the regret and disgust at himself for treating her so low. He finally sat up and slouched in his seat. "For... Being a dick," he said pausing. "Actually, no. I meant to be a fucking dick. She let Braden and Tom go after the shit they pulled." He sent a glare her way before closing his eyes, remembering the reason they were in this mess to begin with. Taking a deep breath, he changed his tone and shook his head."I wanted to take it back," he said, finally looking into her eyes. He wanted her to know how sincere he was about his comment. "You're nothing like Laura and I shouldn't have said that." There was another paused as he looked away, clenching his jaw.

Harper ( Bellz ) Spencer ( Misty Gray ) Billy ( Pyroclast )

Oak Tree Restaurant
~Dublin City Centre, Dublin~
Aliana Sullivan

The moment Michelle's face turned red Aliana leaned back in her seat. A sly grin crossed her lips and she excitedly tapped the bar counter. Maybe it was because it was juicy gossip. Maybe because it was something normal, a change from the crazy events that kept occurring in her life. She needed something like girl talk in her life right then and she was glad Michelle had been the one to give it to her. "Well, based on the way your face looks I assume he's your next option, then?" She threw her a wink, taking a pause as the waiter came over to get their drink order. "Ah, Mrs. Sullivan," he said to Ali before turning to Michelle. "And... Smaller, Ms. Sullivan." Ali couldn't help but smile at him before ordering a margarita. Once they were alone once more, Ali turned the excitement back on.

Immediately after hearing Dermot's name Ali paused. She knew she probably should've warned her off - that would be the smart, adult thing to do right? Dermot was Conor's employee - as was Marco - she should have been telling her to steer clear. Except, Aliana couldn't bring herself to. Michelle had gone through a rather traumatic divorce as well as all the other unfortunate attacks happening to their family. She felt like she deserved a little bit of risky fun. Besides, Michelle was old enough to know how important separating love and work was. And she was sure it was more of a hook-up than an actual relationship anyway, so who cared?

"Well, I, for one, approve. Climbing trees is a very fun activity," she teased. "Just, be careful." Though having decided she would let Michelle do whatever, she still wanted to at least give her a warning for prosperity. "Your old man is a bit of tight ass, even more than me lately," she said, the hypocrisy thick on her tongue. "He finds out you're hanging on branches of one of his best guards and he may pop a blood vessel. I'm confident that you can be discreet with your adventures, but I wouldn't be a good mom if I didn't say something, right?" She hadn't even noticed that she said the word mom before moving on. "But of course, I reserve the right to hear about these spicy exploits. Now, tell me. How are you settling in now?"

Michelle ( BasDorcha )

 

[BasDorcha]

Bruce King's House

~Bethnal Green, London~
Jeremy Gray​

Jeremy attempted to keep eating, normally one to devour Darcey’s food like it was day old bread and he was starved for a week. Tonight, he was just trying to finish a single plate, the anger and unease in his stomach not helping a single thing. Instead, he found himself watching as Darcey left the kitchen, stopping by Bruce to kiss him on the forehead. Jeremy felt some of the anger in his chest dissipate, remembering all the small moments that had made him believe in love in the first place. Jeremy’s own uncle had been an eccentric and life-long bachelor, traveling and enjoying women, but never settling for long. Bruce and Darcey had accepted him as one of the kids and he had spent more time in this house growing up than his own.

After that, he began to eat a little more in earnest, calmed by the site of the two people most resembling parents in his life displaying such a moment of warmth. He thought maybe, with everything else going on, Bruce was going to have either hopefully missed or decided not to ask what happened between him and Harper. Almost. Then he started talking and Jeremy knew the gig was up. Attempting to look extremely interested in his food, he kept his mouth full the entire time Bruce talked to him, nodding occasionally even though his ears were only half tuned to him, the other half listening for any noises from the room Harper and the boys had disappeared into. This was, in fact, not a smart idea, because the moment that Bruce turned a finger on him, he almost choked.

He smacked his chest a time or two, dislodging the wayward death trap. His face turned shades of crimson never before seen, all the way to the tips of his ears and over every inch of his body. He avoided Erik’s direction with his eyes, even though he felt if anyone could understand his situation, it was likely Billy and him. He grabbed his glass of wine and drank it all, the full cup empty when he returned it to the table. He also found himself hurting a bit, a pinching on his heart that was just barely outweighed by the mortification he was feeling. Bruce pointed out that he was paying him to look after his niece during everything that was going on, not to sleep with her. For a moment, Jeremy felt a petty and immature comment rising in his throat, ready to blast Alex again. Jeremy had never been the kind of man that went through women, even when the others were. He rarely took home women, just enough to keep down suspicion, he never had girls come round heart broken, and he had always been smart in his choices, albeit overly passionate at times.

Even with all that, he didn’t deserve to be trusted? If anyone in this house was not to be trusted with women, it was Alex fucking King, not him. Alex seemed to be changing, but if track records proved anything, Jeremy was a much better choice of men between the two. So why was it everyone looked at him as if he was likely to break Harper’s heart? If anything, Harper was going to break his. She could do no wrong in his eyes, at least not yet, and he couldn’t see himself ever not being with her. If one of them was to decide it wasn’t going to work, it would be her, not him.

Still, Jeremy was never one to speak out without thinking when he could help it, and thankfully the few seconds was all it took to get his brain thinking of a better answer than the one that first came to mind. Clearing his throat, he calmed himself, took a deep breath then lifted his eyes. He looked at Erik with a slightly apologetic look, then looked at Bruce with a confidence towards what he had to say. “Bruce, are you telling me you never kept something that made you happy to yourself so no one else could tarnish it? If the Sullivan's or someone else found out how much she meant to me, they might try something stupid. The longer it wasn't public the better. Besides, it hasn't been...” Jeremy cleared his throat, trying to find a respectful way to put it that wouldn’t sound lude, “very... tangible until recently. Before then, I wasn't sure she'd even have me, or cared about me. I guess I just wanted to know first in case I ended up heartbroken instead.” His eyes scanned the two of them again, pausing once more on his friend. He was certain on that they could relate, then he looked past Bruce to the way that Darcey had gone. When Bruce saw where he was looking, Jeremy met his eyes again, pointedly but silent.

"I've been in love with her since the first night I seen after leaving Uni. I spent roughly six years trying NOT to feel anything for her because of my love and respect for everyone here. But what I thought was going to be alright after all this time, slowly changed after I was assigned to her. When the Mercury happened... I just... I knew then. Even then though, I just bottled it up, accepting that there was little chance of a relationship forming. I just wanted to keep her in my life at that point, alive." Jeremy looked back at Erik, a small smile on his face as if he was about to say something Erik would connect with, "but love had different ideas, Bruce. I'm sorry. I wasn't keeping a secret to be... to be... devious, or intentionally deceitful. It's only been just over a month... We just wanted more time before the outside world started tearing it apart." The more the talked about her, the more the man started to glow. His normal cloud of doom and gloom receding.

Jeremy continued looking down, a happy little smile on his face as he thought about all the good times with Harper, but it went back so much further than that. Thankful that Bruce was always willing to let Jeremy get everything off his chest in one go, somehow always knowing when he had said his peace, he took a moment to decide if he had more to say, before turning back to the man that he had admired growing up as much as Spencer, "Yet it also feels like it’s been a long, long time. It doesn't feel new, uncertain, and fragile. It feels like... finding something I've been missing my entire life. It's peace. I've never been more certain of anything in my life. Maybe you're right, because if I had told you about both the confusion I was feeling back then, as well as how deeply I felt for her, maybe I could have also told her sooner."

The grin that broke across his face was one that beamed out the truth behind everything he said. From an outsider’s perspective, this would be a side no one had ever seen before. The normally aloof and stoic man looked like a man who had just been given three wishes. It was still a bit dialed down compared to average folk, but it spoke volumes for him. He suddenly realized that while had started off feeling a bit awkward talking so emotionally in front of the two men, he now seen that wasn't so. Instead, he felt comfortable. A sudden remark came to mind, a joke that burst from his lips before he could stop it, "You know, if Harper were the boy, and Billy were the girl, you'd be getting this talking to instead Erik. You know Bruce, I only think it's equal rights and all, if I get the boyfriend talk, so does Erik.”

Pyroclast - Bruce
Melanin-Gxdess - Erik
Bellz - Harper
Misty Gray - Spencer