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

[Melanin-Gxdess]

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

Having Billy and Spencer being the mediators between himself and Harper felt... Wrong. He shouldn't have been arguing with her in the first place and he shouldn't need his siblings to help him talk to her. Alex felt that he should've been able to speak to her and apologize to her, with no issue. Yet here he was, eyes glued to the ground, needing two people to help him understand his sister and vice versa. He felt the regret in the pit of his stomach grow as he watched Harper stand up - going on a tangent about the dangerous jobs they'd been on. "Yeah, and what would you have us do, Harp? Lay down and get fucked every which way?" His tone was genuine as was his question. She was so adamant about them staying safe and not retaliating and now he wanted to hear her suggestions.

As she went further into to detail about why she stopped him from killing Braden he looked up. His eyes were starting to puff up, trying to hold back his tears. It broke his heart to see her so downtrodden and to know that he was the cause of the majority of it. She was his little sister and causing her pain wasn't something he was supposed to do - wasn't something he meant to do. "I don't understand," he started, voice cracking. "How you can protect someone who nearly killed you." Alex hadn't spoken about that night at the Mercury and for reason. He was there when Harper had woken up in the back of that ambulance. He was the one who'd taken her out of the building. And it hurt him thinking about it. "Do you know how hard that night was? To see you fighting for your life while there wasn't a damn thing I could do?" He paused, turning his attention to Billy. "Or how hard it was knowing that while I was on a date you were at risk of losing your life? I'd risk whatever I need to to make sure that doesn't happen."

Alex loved Callum more than words could express. The things he would do and hoops he'd jump through for him were endless. The same went for Spencer and Billy and Harper. If he had to kill for his son or his immediate family then he would; no one would hurt his family and get away with it. He understood what Harper was saying, the consequences of him killing his son's uncle. It would affect him and perhaps his relationship with Callum. But, that was if he told him. And when it came to his conscience and having to look into Callum's eyes knowing that he had, he was sure he'd be able to get over it. He continued to listen, watching as Harper continued her ranting and for a moment he thought his anger subsided. The more she spoke the more he understood her reasonings and her side of things. But the moment she stated he called her a slut her frowned and sat up in his seat. "Hey! I never slut shamed you for that," he pointedly said. "I'm not a fucking hypocrite; I don't care what you do and who you do it with. That dig at Jeremy had nothing to do with you." He then realized that making such a jab at the man made her feel like some whore, which was never his intention.

"Okay, look," he stood up, starting to grow frustrated with her yelling. "I shouldn't have said what I said and outed your relationship with Jeremy and for that I'm sorry," he said genuinely, "But that had nothing to do with you and everything to do with him." Though he tried to keep his tone neutral that internal anger he felt at himself and her for berating and yelling at him was bubbling up. It wasn't until she brought up Laura and rejected his words that he finally had enough. He snapped. "You don't think any of us feel fucking trapped?! Like the weight of what happened to mom isn't as suffocating?!" Alex had never realized nor admitted how Laura's death had affected him in the long run. How making a promise to protect his sister had led him to make stupid and rash decisions, leading to Harper feeling suffocated herself. "I'm so sorry that everything we did. Every measure we took to protect you was so awful, Harper," he said, pressing his hand against his chest. "I really, truly am." His voice, though angry, was genuinely sincere. "So what do you want from us, huh? You want us to back off? Done. You want us to stop butting into your life? Done." Hot tears started falling down his cheeks, unable to keep them at bay.

Alex stormed over to her, gently placing his hands on her cheeks. His eyes had gone puffy, and red - the tears not stopping. "But remember this. We do care about you, Harper. More than you could ever possibly understand. More than you could ever accept. You're a pathetic mess? I'M a pathetic mess. And just like Trevor, I made a mess. But you- you are nothing Laura and if you are that's the bright part of who she was." He fell silent, searching her eyes for any sign that she understood and believed him. Spencer spoke up once more and Alex dropped his hands - moving back away from her. His eyes hit the floor listening as the man suggested they came back later to their conversation when they'd all had a chance to calm down. Alex wasn't sure, at that moment, how much good that would do but he was willing to try. He was willing to do anything he could or needed to in order to fix what he felt he had gone and fucked up. When his older brother was done talking, he sniffled and nodded his head, but said nothing more. What more was there to say?

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

 

[Misty Gray]

A Peaceful Place
~ Corfu Town, Corfu ~

Savannah Callahan and Damian Nicolosi​

Savannah became aware of the prolonged silence that filled the air and she glanced to Danny as he took a drink of wine. When he suddenly said her name and turned to face her directly, she briefly lowered her head as she anticipated what he was going to say. She wasn't sure why or even what he could possibly say, but she felt like he was going to tell her something she didn't want to hear, perhaps even say he didn't want to be stuck in Corfu with her. When he said he had to tell her something, she lifted her head to look at him, wanting to figure out what he was going to say.

"What is it?" she softly asked, watching as he put his glass down. When he looked to her, she met his gaze, her large eyes urging him to say what was on his mind. A gentle smile was etched on her face when he told her it was an honour to have been trusted to keep her and Callum safe in Corfu. Her smile faltered when he began telling her he hadn't been up front. "Wh-what is it?" she asked, a lump forming in her throat as she struggled to think of what he could possibly be trying to tell her.

When he continued to build up to what he had to tell her, Savannah quickly nodded her head, encouraging him to speak up. "What it is, I'm sure I'll understand..." she reasoned. Meeting his eyes again, her heart skipped a beat as he admitted he'd been falling in love with her since they reconnected. Her face turned a deep shade of red as he continued to speak and her mind got stuck on his admission of love - that he'd always loved her. "Danny, I..." she began, falling silent again as she lowered her eyes. Hearing him say he understood if she'd feel safer with someone who didn't have those feelings for her, she quickly shook her head and looked back to him. "No, Danny. Shut up... I feel safe with you and I wouldn't want to be here with anyone else."

Savannah already knew how she felt about Danny - she had for weeks. Still, she took a moment to gather her thoughts and make sure she wasn't simply get getting caught up in the moment. But she'd thought about it enough without explicitly thinking about it. Danny was the love of her life and nobody had made her as happy as he had when they were first together. Danny was good with Callum and despite her never intending to replace Alex as the boy's father, nor Callum's understanding of that, her son liked Danny. There was no reason why she couldn't give in to her feelings. No good reason why she should allow herself to be prevented from seeking her own happiness. "Danny..." she began, lifting her hand to gently caress his cheek. "It means the world to hear you tell me how you feel, because... I've already fallen in love with you all over again," she admitted to him. "I love you," she whispered before moving in to passionately kiss him. She briefly pulled away, resting her hands on his chest as she smiled brightly at him, unable to hide how happy she felt in that moment. She then moved in again, resting her hand on his shoulder as she began to kiss him again.

Despite being caught up in the moment, she was sure she'd heard a sound. A creaky floorboard or a door opening. "Hold on," she said as she moved back from Danny. "Callum must have woken up again. I'll go settle him down again," she said, figuring he was restless as he had been a couple of nights ago.

*****​

When Teddy reminded him that they weren't allowed to 'play' on this particular job, Damian pouted in an exaggerated manner. "Oh, Teddy... Theodore... What happened to you since you got married? You used to be so much fun," he drily remarked. Despite his teasing, Damian turned serious. He hadn't climbed the ranks of the Morettis the way he had without taking Gabriel's orders seriously, but it sure was fun to tease his colleagues. "Sadly for me, I will be on my best behaviour," he assured him.

When they reached the villa, Teddy removed the chloroform and rag, prompting a curious eyebrow raise from Damian. He couldn't help but chuckle as Tatiana told Teddy to calm his 'titties'. There was no part of him that thought Teddy would have him deal with the kid and he went on to confirm as much. "You don't think I'm good with kids? I'll try not to take that personally," he joked. In all honesty, Damian was perfectly content with the plan. The one person who was completely off-limits from being harmed was Callum, so Damian would rather be free to potentially deal with the adults, who weren't so much off-limits.

Damian waited patiently as Tatiana set about opening the window and climbing into the sleeping child's room. All seemed to be going well and soon enough, Tatiana was carrying Callum towards the window. Seeing her motion to him, he approached the window and took the boy from her, only, as he did he saw the light enter the bedroom as the internal door was pushed open. Quickly ducking to crouch on the ground out of view, Damian kept hold of Callum as he looked to Teddy and cocked his head towards the window. "Tati has company," he whispered to Teddy, waiting to see how he would choose to act considering he was now holding the kid.

Stepping into the room, Savannah saw the female figure standing at the window and noticed Callum was out of his bed. "DANNY! HELP!" she screamed out as she rushed at Tatiana. "Where is he?!" she cried out, moving to push Tatiana away from the window so she could look for Callum...

Melanin-Gxdess (Teddy)
Pyroclast (Danny, Tatiana)

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Around Dublin City
~ Dublin City Centre, Dublin ~

Leo Sullivan
​

Leo was naive to think that things between Adam and Conor were over. He knew it wasn't, but thought that at least tonight it would be put on pause. Conor informed him to sit and while hesitant, Leo listened. However, the moment he had Conor immediately went for Adam again and landed a punch. Leo was slow to react as he scrambled to get up from his seat - chair hitting the floor. "Dad!" He shouted, headed for him once again. Before things could escalate even further, Dermot appeared. Leo let out a breath he didn't even realize he was holding. What would have happened had the bigger man not appeared and stopped this fight? Would Leo have been able to? Should he even attempt to? He worried that if he didn't then he'd get yelled at by Ali, Blake, and even Natasha. However, if he did would he get yelled at by Conor for interfering?

But he didn't have to think about that. Because Dermot had come to save the day. Leo was more than relieved at not having to settle a fit between his old man and Adam. As strong as Leo knew himself to be, he knew for sure both Adam and Conor's experiences would make him look small. Whilst Dermot spoke with Adam, Leo turned his attention back to Conor. Concern filled his eyes and he furrowed his brows looking at him. He didn't want to bring attention to the condition his father seemed to be in giving Adam another reason to make any sort of comment. He watched as Adam finally left, feeling as if things were in a much worse place than when they first started. Dermot asked if they were okay and Leo nodded, watching the other security guard disappear back inside.

Once the two of them retook their seats Leo didn't know what to say. The older man sat across from him, cloth pressed to his nose and visibly trying to regain his composure. He turned to Leo stating fighting with his employee wasn't a part of the training and he just offered a slight smile. Out of nervousness, of course, and not amusement at his joke. Conor was quick to admit to his wrongdoings - something he was slightly shocked upon hearing. He couldn't help but wonder what was going through his father's brain and wanted to ask him about it. As if sensing it, he explained that his head hadn't felt right ever since the attack. And it made Leo feel horrible. Though he'd been slowly coming to terms with the fact that there wasn't anything he could do, he was still struggling to really accept it. "Mom'll be fine," he reassured, trying to focus on him. "Do you..." He trailed off, unsure of how to talk to him. "Um, want to talk about it?" Leo felt like he and Conor hadn't talked as much as he would have liked to these past couple of months. Because of that he was unsure of how to approach him and show that Conor could talk to him.

When asked why Leo wanted to be in this life, he looked down at his hands. He'd thought about it for months now - especially after his break-up with Natasha. It wasn't until they were able to get Elena back that he finally pieced it all together. "I was 10," he said clearing his throat, "When I experienced this life for the first time. There was an explosion at a hotel mom and the others had been looking at. She told me she'd gotten into a fight that night," he said, chuckling. "I knew she was full of shit but I didn't say anything." His face grew serious, this time looking up at him. "The next time she was attacked was during a play Sav was in. You were supposed to be there," he quickly put his hand up, "Not accusing you, or anything. I'm just saying no one was there to protect her." He paused, suddenly rubbing his hands together before he continued. "And then... The attack. Her throat was slit and I couldn't do anything. And then you were attacked and I couldn't do anything." Shaking his head, his leg resumed bouncing up and down under the table. "And then Elena was taken." Swallowing the lump in his throat he forced himself to get to the point. "For more than a decade I haven't been able to protect the people that I care about and I don't want to feel that way. I know that there are ways for me to do that without being in this business, but for me... It's the best way I know how."

Hearing that Conor was proud of him caused Leo to smile. "No, actually, I didn't. But it's nice to hear you say it every one in a while. Ya know... If no one has said it, dad, we're all grateful for the things you do to keep us safe. And I know it hasn't been easy and I know you've been stressed but it doesn't go unnoticed."

Conor ( Misty Gray )

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Bruce King's House
~ Bethnal Green, London~
Erik Snowden & Darcey Hargraves​

​

The sound of Bruce's voice quickly wiped the grin off Erik's face. Despite the lighthearted comments between himself and Jeremy, it did little to ease the tensions between the two men. Bruce explained his side once more - that his feelings toward the man hadn't been about his feelings for Harper whatsoever. But before he explained that attention had been brought back to him. Fuck. Erik was warned again that if he did anything to mess about Billy or even give him AIDS that he'd be in a world of hurt. Erik's eyes grew wide at his words as he nodded in understanding. "I- Well-," he stammered over his words. "Of course, Bruce. I know that." He swallowed the fear that had been bubbling up before settling into his seat, wanting so badly to disappear.

The conversation between Bruce and Jeremy didn't seem to be going as well as the latter thought. Erik found himself glancing at him just to observe his reactions. He couldn't help but admit that he felt a bit bad for him, too. Though the two didn't hang out as much as he did with Billy, the few times he had he thought he was a pretty okay guy. Crazy for thinking he could tame someone like Harper, however, but okay nonetheless. He didn't get any sort of malicious vibes from him and Erik felt like he'd had enough experience to be able to tell. Jeremy, based on his words, seemed to genuinely love Harper and care about her well-being, yet he understood where Bruce was coming from.

Harper had been through a lot the past couple of months and no doubt had her mind all over the place, meaning she needed to decipher her own feelings let alone someone else's. When Erik was getting clean he felt like he was going crazy. Memories he thought had been shoved away made themselves known once more. Feelings he didn't know he had bubbling up to the surface. He felt like he was losing himself every second of the day and even now he struggled. Yet, it was Billy who helped him get through it. It was Billy who stopped him from making irrational decisions and using drugs again. Maybe, he thought, that's what Jeremy was for Harper. Though Erik wanted to speak up and speak his mind on the matter, he knew it wasn't his place to do so. This wasn't a conversation he'd been invited to share. This was between Jeremy and Bruce and he had no say regardless. Once Bruce retorted, Erik couldn't help but feel there was a lot more to what Bruce was feeling than he was letting on. No way, he thought, that this was just about Jeremy confessing his feelings for May. Because what really was different about his relationship with Billy? Maybe it was because Billy was sane? Erik's head was starting to hurt trying to figure it out so he just stopped for the time being. Trying to understand both perspectives was causing him more confusion than he wanted to feel. Momentarily he glanced at the wall, hearing Harper shouting at her brothers before their own muffled voices were shared. He couldn't help but wonder and worry about how Billy was fairing, though he knew he would probably want to talk after.

The moment he heard Jeremy bring up Darcey, Erik placed his elbows on the table and covered his face. Even Erik knew not to bring up the man's situation with Darcey. He continued and the words spewing from his mouth he couldn't believe. Maybe because Erik had never been in a situation like this or because he forgot Jeremy wasn't just an employee. Either way, it was shocking to witness altogether. He placed his chin in his hand, covering his mouth. It was at that moment that Bruce seemed to have had enough and kicked Jeremy out, the man in question leaving. He'd stated his case, and explained his reasonings. Bruce would either accept them or not. What else was there left to say? The man then turned his sights on him, apologizing and asking for him to go see May and Shona. For a second, Erik just stared at him. Ever since Bruce accepted who he was and that he was dating his nephew, a place for Bruce had grown in his heart. The two may not have spent time together personally, but Erik was beginning to see him in a completely different light. He understood his hesitation when it came to Harper's relationship with Jeremy, but also knew that she should decide on what she thought was best for her.

Clearing his throat, Erik stood up to leave only stopping in the doorway. He rapped his knuckles against the door frame and looked back at him. "When I was gettin' clean, Billy was there for me," he admitted, knowing and understanding that Bruce had no clue he'd been an addict. "I could've gone to Ava - the only family I've got - and had her help me, but I didn't. I chose Billy. Harper went to Jeremy for a reason, Bruce, and even if you don't understand it, even if you think a line was crossed and a boundary ignored there was a reason." He offered a soft smile, shaking his head. "She may be as reckless as they come but trust me. When we reckless people make a decision like that it's very calculated. We don't just choose anyone to love." He did as told after that, going outside to check on Shona and May. The moment he set eyes on Eddie he grinned looking to Shona, lip poked out. "Me next?" He stood in front of the two women, hands in his pockets before nodding his head at his female best friend. "Your new family is quite dramatic. I almost wanna say they make mine look sane, but only barely."

Darcey, meanwhile, had been standing in the kitchen listening to Bruce's scolding of both Erik and Jeremy. She'd heard every word of the conversation - including Jeremy's comment about her relationship with Bruce. She scoffed to herself, shaking her head as if she were in the room. Though she was sure he didn't mean disrespect she was still slightly annoyed with him for bringing it up in the first place. Their situation was completely different, she felt than his with Harper. But she understood he was trying to find a point to make. So, for this once, she would let it slide. Then, she heard Erik's final comment to Bruce. She'd always felt like something was a bit... Off about Erik, but she could never put her finger on it. Now that he'd basically admitted to having a drug problem it put things in perspective. A part of her agreed with what he'd said - that Harper knew what she was doing but she didn't think Bruce would see it that way. She had her own suspicions as to why Bruce had been reacting the way he had, but she would speak to him in private about it first.

Which, apparently, was right then. He walked in with plates in hand. After setting them on the counter he turned to her and she could see that he looked so tired. Darcey let out a small, 'tsk' sound before holding his hand in hers. With her other hand, she rubbed the top in comfort and tried to calm him. She hated seeing the man so worked up, hearing him shout and reprimand people. "You don't have to apologize," she said, shaking her head. "The children do. I don't cook very often these days and when I do expect it to be enjoyed," she said seriously. However, it was more of a comment to try and break the ice than anything.

She could tell, based on the sound of his voice, that he was at his end. If anything else happened she was sure he'd have broken. With her free hand, she caressed his cheek and shook her head. "It's alright, darling. You- We've been doing the best we can, can't we? Perhaps this is the part where we allow them to make their own decisions." She suggested, shrugging her shoulders. "What do you need from me?"

 

[BasDorcha]

The Callahan House

Amy Capaldi​

Amy was enjoying the family interaction, it was much how she liked to dream her family might have been if she knew them. It was heartwarming and sweet, bringing a beaming smile to her face. Each joke brought a chuckle to her lips as they all teased each other. When Peter and Sinead commented on his smile, Amy looked at him with a super serious face, as if trying to decide if they were right. “Well, I don’t think I have much comparison to make it too, that’s how he’s looked most of the time I’ve known him, all two times of it. It is cute though.” She reached out and pinched his cheek playfully.

“I guess I’ll have to come over more often then, because this is amazing.” She had finished her bowl, pushing away the empty container as she sat back. She was fuller than she’d felt in a long time, and the food was the best she’d had here in London. When Braden went on to mention not letting his mom feed her to much, she laughed out loud, pouting her tummy to indicate it was full. Before she could answer though, he rushed on, for some reason making sure she knew he wasn’t calling her fat. It was so cute watching his face turn redder as he tried to save himself. The further on the group of them went, the harder she laughed until tears teased at the edges of her eyes.

Amy glanced down at her chest, shrugging, trying to talk between her laughs. “I guess I’ve got a pretty healthy helping of all of the above. God just decided that I needed a little more curve than the rest of the ladies, not that anyone’s been interested.” Her face turned pink as she realized she had maybe said a little too much. She had never been with a man, not that she was ashamed, but it was maybe not something to admit to a table full of parents and possible future dates. Clearing her throat, she cast a quick, embarrassed look at Braden, before looking back at her empty bowl, still smiling but easily feeling the warmth still lingering in her cheeks.

“Um, thank you for the food, it was really good. Braden, do you want to take your stitches out now? I don’t want to keep you all night.” She realized this meant she would need to get close to him the way she had during the stitching and made her feel a rush of butterflies in her stomach. “You guys are all wonderful, thank you for inviting me in. I’ve never had a family dinner.”

Misty Gray - Sinny
Bellz - Braden/Peter

 

[BasDorcha]

Pinewood Care Home

~ Cambridge Heath, London ~
Philip Stewart​

Philip watched his brother with careful eyes as he explained it for him again. It was hard, trying to see someone as different then you had spent most of your life thinking. A part of him really wanted to believe his brother had changed – after all it had been a lifetime and that much time could change anything, even steel bended after so much pressure. When Trevor had left, he was a kid, younger than his own right now. People did stupid things at those ages before they grew up, Trevor just took the extra long way around. It was true his mother had said that she really believed he had changed and he believed his mother was a smart woman capable of reading people better than him most days.

He lifted a hand, scratching his chin, the cigarette hanging from his lip as he listened to what his brother had to say. He had already been tossing around the idea of giving his mother her wish of them one day finding a way to reconnect, of giving him a shot and just preparing for him to blow it so it would hurt less, at least giving his mother one more wish before she died. He also knew that Trevor had a habit of getting easily riled no matter what Phil said to him. When he finished, pulled the gaf from his mouth, leaning back against a pillar holding up the entryway awning. For the first time ever, Phil sighed, deciding Trevor needed a bit of credit. “Look, you were a kid, common punk is the worst you can be called. Stupid, young idiot sounds better. Still, you were a kid, just like my kids are now, and I find it hard these days to stay angry when it was so long ago. That doesn’t mean you’re forgiven, and that doesn’t mean I’m going to trust ya, but I don’t blame you any longer. Our childhood was not easy, Dad was a right mean prick some days, beatin’ on us and what have you. No, for me it’s the how long it took for you to wake up and realize the truth of everything, and that it was time to grow up.”

Flicking his cigarette butt onto the ground, he stamped it out, shoving his hands in his pockets as he looked once more to Trevor. “Look, you want to prove yourself to me, you can start by helping with Mam’s bills, doctor appointments, all of it. No lying, stealing, hustling, or drugs Trevor. I wont have that around Mam, she’s got enough to deal with.” He pushed off, ready to go inside with his wife. “You do that, maybe come round and explain to me what’s happened, what really brought you round and got through that incredibly thick skull of yours, and we’ll see what happens. Lucky for you, I believe people are capable of learning from their mistakes, even if it takes them a lifetime to do it.”

He stopped as he went to walk away. Slowly, he lifted his hand, clapping Trevor on the shoulder for a brief moment, before he lifted his hand into a peace sign and turned to the doors. He wasn’t sure if he had made a smart move, opening himself up even a little bit to his brother, but he would honor his mothers wishes, if only to make her happy before her time came.

Misty Gray - Trevor

 

[Bellz]

Thomas Porter
Porter Residence
~ Sutton, Dublin ~ ​

Part of the man felt bad that he hadn't really noticed that Sam was gone for so long. Sure he knew he was gone, but in Thomas' mind it hadn't been as long as Sam made it out to be. "I'm sorry about Bella." The man mumbled softly, ignoring the part about Sam not missing any assignments now. Thomas had yet to face the Kings head on, but he wouldn't hesitate if asked to go out on a job in London this time around. There was a lot of pent up feelings there that he was ready to release.

Thomas narrowed his eyes at Olivia first when she said that Sam and her were just hanging out. Okay sure. He wasn't a fucking idiot but it seemed like his sister thought he was. Just because he'd never...you know what, that didn't matter right now. Clearing his throat, Olivia went on to explain that their parents didn't know Sam had come over. Thomas had lied plenty to his parents, but not when he was living under their own roof. Which made him uncomfortable. "You know they are just looking out for you, Liv. As embarrassing as they might be, and the terrible jokes Dad makes...they are just wanting you to be safe." Thomas shot a pointed look at Sam.

Olivia tried to convince Thomas further saying that he knew how overenthusiastic they could get about any of them dating. This was true, it was the main reason why Thomas had kept his shit under lock and key. His mother was...a lot sometime. The woman was an absolute angel, there was no doubt about it, but she could come on strong when new people entered her children's lives. Especially those they were interested in romantically. Sam said he wouldn't mind meeting their parents and Thomas couldn't help but crack a smirk, "I don't think you know what you are askin' for there, mate. Our mother is the smothering kind. She means well, but she would want to know your entire backstory." The man said, shaking his head.

When Sam claimed that he would be on his best behavior around him, Thomas' smile faded, "Keep that good behavior up around my sister too, will ya? It would be a damn shame to have to get rid of you after I saved your ass back in Iran." The man's voice was teasing but his face was uncomfortable as he looked at Sam. His muscles twitched under his skin, he was trying to fight any sort of memory from appearing in his head. He had worked so fucking hard to work past his trauma and now his... could he even call him a friend? Had threatened to bring it all back. Just by showing up at his parents house, just by dating his sister.

When Olivia asked if he wanted to join the couple, Thomas bit the inside of his cheek. Part of him felt like he had to stay, if only to keep an eye on them. But the other part knew that Olivia was old enough to make her own decisions and that smothering her was not going to do her any good. The poor girl probably got enough of that with Lucy always being around. Still...maybe he would just stay for a little while just so he didn't feel any residual guilt when he left.

"Maybe for a moment, I do have to get back to the apartment and tidy up before Elena comes home." Thomas said softly before moving to sit in one of the armchairs. He wasn't a huge horror film guy, but he wasn't going to be watching it. He was going to keep his peripherals peeled on the happy couple a few feet away.
with: Sam BasDorcha Olivia Misty Gray

 

[Misty Gray]

Pinewood Care Home
~ Cambridge Heath, London ~

Trevor Stewart and Sarah Stewart​

Trevor watched as his brother removed the cigarette from his mouth and leaned against the pillar. Having just told Philip what he had, he anticipated how the man would respond . Based on how his sons and Bruce had reacted to his explanations, Trevor already had ideas in mind of how Philip would be about it. Having been shouted at, mocked, punched, and threatened, Trevor by now figured he had a thick enough skin for how his brother would behave. Much to his surprise, Philip reacted in none of the ways he was getting used to, instead being reasonable about the fact Trevor had still been a teenager when he walked out on their family. Still, he made clear his understanding didn't mean he trusted or forgave him, but the fact he was being reasonable at all felt like a positive sign, at least. Trevor briefly looked away as he was reminded of their childhood and how their strict father was liberal with the physical punishments. It was a behaviour Trevor was aware had influenced how he disciplined Spencer back when his eldest was a kid. Looking back to his brother, Trevor nodded his head, not denying that it had taken him far too long to wake up to himself. Trevor had woken up a few years ago and acknowledged the selfish, despicable things he'd done to his family and those he was supposed to love.

For once, Trevor kept his mouth shut, expecting Philip still had more to say. When his younger brother stamped out his cigarette, he confirmed as much as he continued to speak. Surprisingly, he was willing to give Trevor the opportunity to prove himself. There were many conditions, unsurprisingly staying honest and off the drugs were some of them, as well as helping out where their mother was concerned. "Scout's honour," Trevor said, by way of assuring him he would adhere to Philip's conditions. "I'm not about any of that anymore. I want to be a better man. As for Mam, I have no intention of making things harder for her. I'll help out wherever I can with her care. Lord knows, I have a lot of years to make up for and she's been kind enough to give me another chance."

When Philip also suggested in the future he could come round and explain his past, what had led him to turn over a new leaf, Trevor nodded, albeit with a hint of shame in his expression. "I've made a lot of mistakes over the years - some you've got no idea about. But I've acknowledged them and will be as honest as you need me to be. I can tell you what made me want to get my shit together and be better too," he assured him. Whilst only minutes ago he'd been ready for a slanging match and to put his brother in the box of lost causes, where Spencer and Bruce resided, he'd had a much quicker turnaround than expected. Whatever the motives or reasons behind it, Philip hadn't been quick to shut Trevor down. That apparent open-minded response made Trevor believe he didn't need to write off the idea of being on good terms with his brother.

Philip had been about to walk away when he placed his hand on Trevor's shoulder before giving him a peace sign. Trevor was surprised by his brother's actions, but he still sent him a nod in response, acknowledging the small breakthrough they'd made. Despite that, he was under no illusion his brother could trust or forgive him, but he was at least motivated by their exchange not to write off the potential of some kind of reconciliation.

Trevor turned away from the building and returned to the parking lot where he'd left his car. He got in his vehicle, sat in the driver's seat and put the key in the ignition, but didn't rush to start the car. Despite the interaction with Philip going well, Trevor still felt the heavy weight on his shoulders. He still had a long way to go and fighting to stay clean only added to the pressure of trying to make up for his past. Contrary to Sarah's snide inference about where he could be on a Saturday night, he had no intention of going to the pub. The thought of going home and sitting with his own thoughts didn't appeal to him either. Since visiting Laura's grave over a week ago, sitting at home by himself caused him to get lost in his regret for what he had thrown away. That he'd been too selfish and dishonest to actually appreciate the the woman who had been there doting on him. He couldn't go home. Not yet.

*****​

When Philip entered the building, Sarah approached him from waiting out on the corridor. She smiled warmly at her husband as she met him halfway. "The nurses are just tending to your mother at the moment," she informed him, having left the room to give them some space and privacy. Putting her arm around him, she pointed to the empty visitors lounge so they could talk alone while they waited. "Sounds like she's been settling in well," she reassured him as they walked.

Inside the lounge, Sarah got them each a paper cup of water from the cooler, placing them down on the coffee table before sitting on the couch beside Philip. After leaning in to give him a peck on the lips, she rested her hand on his leg. She'd briefly studied her husband to try detect how things had just gone with Trevor. He didn't seem like he'd been in a fight or an argument, which was a positive sign, regardless of her distaste for her brother-in-law.

"What did he have to say for himself?" she probed. "Did you tell him to sling his hook before he gets bored of this?" She barely knew Trevor in person, but having heard enough for Philip and his mother, she was going to defend her husband on this.

Resting her head on his shoulder, she relaxed beside him. "Shame we don't have the house to ourselves tonight to catch up. I've missed you this week," she said, aware of how busy work had been keeping him. "Wonder if they've got a spare room for us here," she playfully joked.

BasDorcha (Philip)

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

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

Ali couldn't help but hide the slight smirk growing on her face. "Mmmm, it's more an employee banging the boss's daughter thing. I don't think it'll be that big a deal - especially considering Dermot keeps his private life private. Just be careful, don't kiss and tell anyone but me, and you'll be fine," she said, throwing her a wink. Her fingers delicately wrapped around the stem of her glass, taking a sip of her martini. At the mention of Conor's younger days, she choked on her drink, and when she recovered she let out a laugh. "I'm sure it's a Sullivan gene, although I don't think I can say much. My favorite thing about your father when we were younger was how easy it was to get in his pants," she joked, shaking her head. "You know, that's a good question." Ali paused for a moment, suddenly curious about what it was that made him want to settle down with her. She was a headache in more ways than one and couldn't imagine anyone wanting to put up with it. Shrugging her shoulders, she smiled. "Although, we did get married after Leo was born so I think I trapped him."

Hearing the different options Michelle was trying to work through, Ali tried to think of something as well. "Hmm, that sounds interesting." Propping her elbow up on the bar top, she rested her cheek in her hand. "Conor's basically got everyone on his payroll. But that doesn't exactly mean they're loyal to him. I don't know, maybe go after a job in the mayor's office. You've got your mother's last name and you can always sneak your records so they can't tie you back to the Sullivan name. Be a spy," she suggested. "I do it with the restaurant. People say the darndest things when they think no one is listening." Ali winked at her shrugging her shoulders. "But of course, it's up to you."

Their conversation then moved back to the men once more, this time Marco. A slightly giddy smile appeared on her face as she laced her fingers together. "Let's see, what do I know about Marco? Other than the fact that he's single, childless, and never been married, he's some sort of ex-merc. Been with us for a couple of years now. I think he's from... Spain? Or somewhere in that area which is where that lovely accent is from," she said, giving a playful shiver. Although, she couldn't deny that she loved accents. "Other than that, Marco's just as good at keeping his private life private as Dermot is. So good luck getting any information out of him." She raised her glass to Michelle before knocking back the rest of the contents. "In any case, he chauffeurs as well as do big guy protecting stuff. So if you ever need any protecting..." She trailed off, hinting at her being able to call on Marco whenever she wanted.

Michelle ( BasDorcha )

 

[Bellz]

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

Braden should have died of embarrassment right then and there. He literally just put both feet in his mouth and he wondered if maybe just dropping dead would get him out of it. That wasn't going to happen so the man's cheeks just continued to get hotter and hotter. He moved to take a drink of his water just as his mother went to say that his father was a breast man and he nearly choked on his water. "I could have gone my whole life without knowing that." Braden muttered as he wiped at his mouth, clearing it of the water that had splashed in his surprised reaction.

Peter looked mortified from across the table, looking like he also wanted to die in that moment. When Amy said that she had a healthy helping of all of the above, Braden had to fight to not look at her to verify that. What the fuck was wrong with him? Amy looked his way, the pink gracing those beautiful cheekbones, making her seem to glow at the table. The man couldn't so much as smile, he felt on edge now. He'd just opened his fat mouth and was now afraid to say anything more. "Well, you're quite welcome, Amy. It's nice to have company over, unexpected or not." Peter said, noticing Sinead was taking a long sip of wine and his son seemed to be rendered speechless.

When Amy looked to Braden, he had to force himself to put on a friendly face. Not that it was hard to be nice around her, because he found himself being a little too nice...but he was just, confused. When she asked if he wanted to take the stitches out, the man nodded his head once. She then said thank you for inviting her in to his family, mentioning that she'd never had a family dinner before. Peter looked to Sinead with a solemn expression suddenly, knowing that she was going to be quick to invite her over again.

"Well, you should meet the rest of our family. If you thought this was a hoot, the rest of the rascals will be surprise to you. Way more rowdy than little old Finn." Peter said before looking to his son. "You guys can go into the music room if you'd like. Lots of lighting in there." Braden looked to his dad openly for a moment before nodding his head. "Okay...come on, Amy." The broody man stood from his seat, grabbing his crutches from the side of the room and hobbling towards the music room.

Despite being the one in crutches, Braden opened one of the double French doors to allow Amy inside first. Ever the gentleman, as he avoided looking at her figure and just focused on the door. When she was inside, the man shut the door behind them and hobbled over to the sofa. Once he took a seat, the man cleared his throat, "I just want to...uh...apologize for what I said back at the table." The man licked his lips lightly and shook his head, "I normally don't stick my foot so far in my mouth like that...but I just wanted to make sure that I didn't offend you or anything." Braden bit down on his bottom lip to keep from saying anything further.
With: Misty Gray BasDorcha

 

[BasDorcha]

The Callahan House

Amy Capaldi​

Amy was still chuckling over the way Braden acted with his parents, unable to hide the entertainment on her face. “You’re very lucky Braden,” she mentioned as they made their way to the music room. “I wonder if my parents were like them. That would have been really nice if they were.” She got quiet for a moment, just watching him, her eyes attracted to his broad shoulders as he hobbled along before her. When he opened the door for her, even with his crutches, her face pinked in crimson again, hands clasped behind her before her like a giddy young girl. Once inside, she held the door for him so he could get through before it closed on him. She listened to his explanation as he made his way to the couch, waving a hand as if to dismiss it. “There’s nothing to be sorry for. I’d rather amusing honesty then a polite lie any day.” She put her medical bag down on the floor as she sat next to him on the couch.

“Let’s take a look first.” She said, lightly touching his chin to manuver his head the way she needed to inspect the stitiching. It looked good, the stitches had loosened a bit, and were definitely ready to come out. She grabbed the scissors and tweezers out of her bad and moved to sit on her feet and knees directly beside him, her bosom and hips pressing on his side. “Sit still for a moment, this might pull a bit but it shouldn’t hurt.” Concentrating on the job at hand and not the fact she was almost sitting in his lap, she carefully began removing the stitches one at a time until he was string free.

“There you go, all cleaned up and good as new. Lucky for you, I’m good at stitches. You wont be able to really see it once its healed. Look at you doing such a good job healing up and stuff.” She wrinkled her nose at him, bouncing it like a bunny’s nose. “Don’t worry Braden, I’m very hard to offend, basically impossible. I will always laugh along or tell the next joke, it doesn’t bother me for people to joke or talk about all this,” She pointed to the entire body area “so even that doesn’t bother me. “

 

[Bellz]

Nikolaus Jager
Wesley Roberts
Storybook Art Gallery
~ Upper East Side, Manhattan ~​

"You lookin' a bit nervous, Klaus. I don't think I've ever seen you glisten in the light before." Wesley smirked at his mentor, watching as the German rolled his eyes, "I am not nervous, Wesley, it's just a bit stuffy in New York, this humidity is suffocating." The man said, knowing damn well that wasn't what he was sweating about. Wesley looked at the man as they continued to walk down the busy street. "Is it this lass, youse was tellin' me about? What the fuck was her name again? Ava? You nervous about seeing her again?" Klaus glared at Wesley then, who was all smiles as he moved to light a cigarette. "That's what happens when you mix work with pleasure, mate. I keep my pen out of the company ink." Wes chuckled, taking a drag from his cigarette before shaking his head as he released the smoke. Klaus looked to the man with narrowed eyes, "When is the last time you were on a date, mate?" The German said in a mocking Northern Irish accent. Wesley let out a good natured laugh, "The right girl will come along. I'm not a big fan of sleeping around anymore...at least not like I used to be." The young man shook his messy hair, running a hand through his dark locks as they approached the art gallery.

"All I'm sayin' is. It's a bad idea...ain't there another way we can get close to these people?" Wesley asked and Klaus stopped him outside of the gallery. "If there was, we would have done it already. This is the best way..." When he started moving towards the entrance again, Wesley stayed in his spot. "Oh come now, don't tell me the rookie is all of the sudden scared." Klaus teased and Wesley narrowed his blue eyes at the man, "Me? Scared? Never. I just have to prepare to be around so much stuff I don't care about. This is about to be a boring evenin'" Wes said with a sigh and Klaus felt a twinge of irritation for Wesley already being bored. "Come on, Rook. Maybe you'll meet Mrs. Right one in there." The man teased. Wesley wanted to punch him in the arm, but decided to put his cigarette out right before stepping inside.

Both men surveyed the area, Wesley taking the left and Klaus taking the right as they looked around, as if they were interested in what they were seeing. Well, Wesley was faking interest anyway. Klaus had already spotted Ava, along with Elvian, Valentina and Gabriel Moretti.

"Isn't that the guy we are...?" Klaus shushed Wesley as he started to ask the obvious. Wesley looked to Klaus who just nodded his head. "Yes..." And when Wesley asked which one Ava was, Klaus ignored him as he started to walk towards her.

Wesley couldn't help but feel just a tad bit nervous, his Irish accent was sure to rub some nerves. Klaus was so natural as he walked towards Ava, not looking as nervous as he had been. Wesley flanked behind him stopping a foot behind Klaus as he looked to Ava, who had her back turned to him. "Excuse me, Ava? I hope I'm not interrupting anything...but I hope you remember me from London?" Klaus knew for a fact that Ava would remember him, how could she not? He hadn't stopped thinking about her since the moment she left England.

Wesley looked between the two of them for a moment, wondering if this was going to turn awkward or even tense. This family was a mob family after all. Wesley knew enough about them now to understand that events like these could turn upside down.
with: Melanin-Gxdess Misty Gray

 

[BasDorcha]

Oak Tree Restaurant

~Dublin City Centre, Dublin~
Michelle Romano​

Michelle laughed, surprised to hear that Ali supported her in the idea of enjoying herself, even if it was her fathers’ employees. They weren’t hers, and therefore, Michelle considered them free game. If her father ever heard about it and wanted to start a fuss, she would just have to take the blame and tell him something like she made them do it. Hopefully she wouldn’t have to pull that card though. She liked hearing that Dermot kept his private life private, she didn’t have to worry about her name being casually used and thrown about. She preferred it that way. Chelle didn’t need to be told twice to keep the kissing and telling only to herself, never one for gossip.

“Ahhhh, so you just wore him down, got it.” She laughed. “It surely is a Sullivan gene, I’m just a late bloomer that’s all.” Jokingly she winked, tipping back the rest of her drink as a light buzz filled her head. “I think I will try for a job in the mayor’s office though, it would be a good place to get myself established and once I am here for the requested time limit, officially an Irish citizen, then I’ll try again. In the meantime, maybe being a mayoral aid will let me help where I can. It certainly can’t hurt to start learning people in high places.”

Hearing that Marco was from Spain made Michelle smile. It made since as he spoke beautiful Spanish, and fluidly moved back and forth between the languages with ease. It was also a comfort to know she could expect the same kind of privacy with him that had been mentioned with Dermot. Michelle flushed, a little embarrassed as if Aliana could hear her weighing out the options of dating two men. Michelle had never done that. “I-I’ve never dating anyone other than Malcolm, but I’ve heard of people seeing more than one person if it wasn’t serious, or hadn’t been established as a relationship. If something does happen – hypothetically – should I tell both of them? Or should I just turn one down for now and focus on one till I see if they’re wanting something more serious?” The pink in her cheeks grew. “I don’t know if I want anything very serious at the moment. I just want to go out and enjoy myself, hell get to know myself again. I don’t know if I’m ready for something long term. I also don’t want them to think badly though, or hurt anyone…”

Michelle picked at one of the ice cubes in her drink and crunched away on it. “Maybe I’ll just keep them quiet from each other until I have a better reading? You, um… You won’t think badly of me, will you?”

 

[BasDorcha]

Bruce King's House

~Bethnal Green, London~
Maeve Thatcher​

May listened to Shona carefully, smiling a bit as she explained what it was like for her growing up at her own family dinners. May had stuff like that in her past too, but lately everything felt harder. She wanted to cry easier, got angry easier, got worn out easier – though she figured at least now she knew why. Part of her wanted to blurt out right then and there the news she had, but she stuck with her feeling that Christian deserved to be the first one to know – except Harper who had found out on her own. Technically she still hadn’t told anyone.

When Shona handed over little Eddie, and May instantly began to glow with him in her hands. A gentle smile came to her cheeks and the nerves seeped away, especially under Shona’s arm. The fear she’d had the last few days was suffocating under the joy she felt holding the little one in her arms. As butterflies filled her belly, she was suddenly excited to tell Christian and impatient, even though she knew he had been busy on several jobs, most important of them Callum. She’d tell him soon, very soon. Darcey had mentioned a big party and invited her to come, maybe Christian would be her date.

Eddie began babbling and making baby noises as May cooed to him. It felt right having a little one in her arms. How any parent could hate their child, or any person could hate any child, was beyond her. Such innocent souls, she wanted to protect them all. She laughed when Shona mentioned feeding Eddie. “Yeah, I don’t think he’ll be wanting mine, they aren’t ready for all that yet.” She booped his nose just as Erik walked up.

The woman asking her how she was doing though made the tears start up again, not that Shona had done anything wrong. She felt so confused lately, her emotions were all over the board and she couldn’t handle it. “I’m alright, I think. I never meant to cause anyone problems… but Alex can’t stand me, Harper doesn’t like that, it feels like my fault the attack happened that even started them two fighting. If my b-… If Tom hadn’t done what he did, none of us would be here now. Everyone would be alright. Plus, I know Harper has been trying to help me, but I’m worried about her myself.” She didn’t cry but the tears definitely brimmed her eyes as she tried to push it away smiled at her best friend.

Making room for him to sit next to her on the bench, she waited for him to get comfortable then, with Shona’s nod off approval, handed him over to Erik carefully. “They are an interesting bunch… Everyone is so stressed out lately, everyone is emotional… I just want them all to be happy. I want us all to be happy. This has been so hard, and I haven’t even been dealing with it as long as you all have. I’m not sure how you do it. It seems like ever since I asked Darcey for her help tracking down my family – the first time – its been downhill since. I know there’s lots that don’t involve me and I shouldn’t feel like that, but its like that was where the bad luck started. Maybe I’m a bad luck charm.” She tried to keep her voice light and aloof, but inside her heart, it hurt deeply because she truly believed she might be the one who brought bad luck down on everyone. They had all been so happy before that.[/imagefloat]

 

[BasDorcha]

Pinewood Care Home

~ Cambridge Heath, London ~
Philip Stewart​

Philip wrapped his arm around his wife’s shoulders as she informed him that the nurses were helping her at the moment. He placed a soft kiss on her forehead as she navigated them to the visitors rooms, finding them a nice bench to sit on where they could sit with him holding her as he was. “I’m glad to hear that she is getting the care she needs here, and that she seems to be settling in. I know this isn’t how she wants to be, she’d rather be with us, but we can’t provide the type of full time care she needs, so I hope she’ll forgive us for it.” Letting his wife get up, she got them both a drink, which he happily took a few sips off as she returned to her seat.

Her gentle kiss brought a smile to his face, reaching out to grasp her chin and pull her back for a second kiss, just a bit more than the peck she had given him before letting her go and leaning back to rest. “He is still insisting he changed. He’s stuck with that story longer than any I’ve ever heard, so I guess maybe he might mean it this time, I’m still deciding. People can change, I’ve seen it. I just never figured Trevor to be one of them. Aging has a funny way of affecting people though – once you realize you’re not immortal and going to live forever.” He loved that his wife always took his side, was always defending him. She was amazing that way.

He held her close, hand casually stroking her arm up and down. “Then we don't go home, we’ll get a hotel room and just enjoy the night to ourselves. The kids are old enough to hold down the fort for a night.” He smiled, squeezing her close. “I don’t think they’d appreciate such young folks making such loud nose in their home.” He teased back, kissing her again. He had been away so much lately, and Sarah had always been so understanding of work being important and needing to be a priority so when he was home, he tended to spoil her rotten with anything she wanted.

“Once we’re done here, we’ll go get a room, then enjoy dinner, drinks, dancing, and a night to ourselves. We can call the kids from the hotel and update them.”

Misty Gray - Sarah

 

[Pyroclast]

Bruce's House
~ Bethnal Green, London ~

Billy King​

The question Harper threw at him was one that Billy had asked himself many times recently: how many more times would they have to almost lose someone? Between each of them, the attacks had been so frequent. The scariest moments had been seeing his unconscious sister be loaded into the back of an ambulance and not know whether she was going to make it; it was listening to Spencer tell him to look after Eddie and Shona, as he bled out in the back of Erik’s car. Even Billy himself had come close once or twice - a centimetre lower and the bullet would have hit his brachial artery, not to mention the time Erik had saved him from being strangled to death in his own car. Even when he was caught up in the excitement of his newfound romance with Erik, or absorbed in the details of the Mercury Nightclub reconstruction project, or visiting little Eddie, there was always that fear in the back of his mind…what would this war really cost them? Business? Power? Or someone he loved?

Billy watched as the inevitable tears coursed down Harper’s face. There was nothing he could say to make her feel better and he knew it. She was hurting because she cared too much about her brothers and didn’t feel that they valued their lives as much as she did. It sounded painfully familiar, and Billy remembered how upset he had been after Jeremy tried to take the fall for killing Aidan. Harper clearly held a similar feeling towards him, and all of them. But as much as Billy wished they could stop fighting with the Irish and go back to being safe, he knew it wasn’t as simple as that.

Until now, Billy hadn't seen just how strained Harper and Alex's relationship had become. She raved about her right to find love, and how hard it had been for her to find someone who wasn't put off by the family's violent business. Billy supposed that he might have had the same problem, had he actually cared whether or not his previous girlfriends broke up with him or not. Obviously, it mattered to her a whole lot more. It hurt to hear that Harper thought of herself as an outsider in her own family, too. Billy wasn't naive - he was conscious that she had grown up in a male-dominated household, in a male-dominated business, and that she had therefore ended up being overprotected in many ways - but he had never thought of her as being secondary to the rest of them. With both of his brothers retaliating to the points she was making, he couldn't get a word in edgeways, but he really wanted to express what she really meant to him. Whether or not he could find the words that would convince her, however, he wasn't sure.

All he could do was watch in despair as she continued to scream at them. Even watching her deteriorate since the bombing, he had never seen her so distraught - and if that wasn't enough to convey how bad situation was, his brothers were now crying, too. Her tirade was a wake up call and equally frustrating to listen to. Every word stung; Billy couldn't help but feel hurt at how little their close relationship seemed to mean to her and how little she seemed to think he cared for her after all they had shared with each other and lived through together. But he knew this wasn't the time for him to take it personally - she had obviously reached a breaking point and whether she meant every word she was saying or not, Billy had to take it seriously and properly listen to her.

After Alex had stepped away from their sister, Billy got to his feet and moved over to her. "Harper," he tentatively addressed her, inviting her to take his hand if she wanted to. He took a deep breath, just hoping that she would be receptive now that she had released her pent-up anger. "Listen, sis'…what happened to mum was awful and of course I wish she was still with us so we could have got to know her," he began. "But I was too young to cherish her when she was still around. I barely remember her, and the memories I do have aren't exactly…nice. But you, you were my best friend. You always have been. And I want my best friend around so I can cherish her, okay?" He moved in closer then, sliding an arm around her and kissing the side of her head. "I don't want you to be nothin’ other than what you wanna be, Harp. You're my sister - I love you, and I'm sorry I didn't do enough to make you feel it.”

Interactions
Bellz Harper
Melanin-Gxdess Alex
Misty Gray Spencer

 

[Bellz]

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

Everything said just felt like another blow to her heart that Harper wasn't sure she could take. Her brothers were hurting in a way she hadn't seen before and it was clearly because of her. But she was like a freight train with no brakes, there was no way to stop her. Even if she tried, it wasn't stopping. Or at least it didn't feel like it would. It wasn't until Alex stormed across the room to her, his hands grabbing her cheeks. Suddenly, time stood still and the red hot anger she felt, ended up being dowsed with an ice cold realization. Harper had called her second eldest brother man things, told him he wasn't good enough for Savannah, told him he was like Trevor...just terrible things. But when she looked into his eyes now, puffy and red, full of tears, she could see nothing but the honest truth in them as he told her they cared about her more than she could understand, or even accept.

Harper's shaking hands moved to cover his as she slowly shook her head, unable to get the words out as he called himself Trevor. Her eyes caught Spencer's eyes, feeling the pain of them so loosely throwing their mothers name around like it was a sin. What the fuck had she done? The men around her had been put through hell at the hands of the Irish but it seemed like she was putting them through far more anguish than those assholes ever could. That made her a terrible person. Her ears picked up on her Uncle's raised voice outside of the room but her brain couldn't even begin to register what the hell that was about. It felt sluggish as Spencer talked to her directly. He was saying something about talking about this when they were all a bit calmer...when she could talk about the boundaries she wanted to set.

Billy spoke then, moving to her as he tentatively took her hand. She took it, her hand trembling as she did. The screaming was over, she didn't have any energy to continue it. Her favorite brother was telling her that he was too young to remember their mum, and anything he did remember was a nice memory. He then called her his best friend. That she had always been his best friend and the tears continued to pour down her face. He wanted to cherish her, why? Why did any of them want that? What had she done to deserve that kindness at this point in her life? Billy was apologizing for not doing enough to make her feel loved and Harper wanted to shake her head. "No..Billy..." She started.

Everything they were saying, it was exactly what she wanted to hear, the validation she needed to know that her point was reasonable. But why did it feel so wrong now, when it should have been music to her ears? The woman stared almost vacantly at her brothers, looking each one of them in the eye as she went quiet. Her chest heaved, lungs trying to stop its spasming as the sobs started to subside. "I'm sorry." She croaked suddenly, her eyes clouded with tears again as she looked up, staring at Alex. "I've never been...the sister I should have been to you. To any of you really." Harper's eyes glanced to Spencer for a long moment before her eyes and head turned to look at Billy again.

"I've been fighting my own battles behind closed doors and I've refused to let you all in. If only to protect you in case, I don't know. I end up...like mum." Harper's lower lip trembled as she shook her head, "I miss us, I miss our family. I miss me." Her voice broke again, causing her to wince at how hollow she sounded. "I look in the mirror and I don't even know who's staring back at me now. But all of my actions are my own, up until recently I've been in the drivers seat and now...it's like, I'm on autopilot." The blonde frowned. "I don't know how much Jeremy tells you, Spence. But, I can't shake this dependency on the morphine pills. I mean, I've been clean for a month now and he's honestly been the only reason I've been so...adamant to do it. But I can't sleep, my skin itches like crazy, I hear things and see things that aren't there. I just feel like I'm losing my mind and I don't know how to fucking stop it!" Tears started to fall down her cheeks once more and the woman moved to wipe them away harshly, pressing her hands painfully into her cheeks as the sensation helped to ground her. She wanted to chase that feeling of pain, it was the only thing helping her. It was the only thing she could feel besides the intense sorrow and regret, but even those feelings were beginning to numb themselves again.

"I've spent all of my life, trying to prove to you all that I won't end up...like her. That I am stronger than any generational trauma but I'm fucking not. And that's what makes me angrier than anything you guys could ever say or do to me. Alex, your words hurt because they're true. More than any of us are willing to admit." Harper looked to her brothers again, taking a deep breath before standing. Moving to hug Billy first, she kissed his cheek before smiling, "We are still best friends, yes? I mean...I know I can be a real pain, but I hope you know you can't get rid of me that easily."

Walking up slowly to Alex, hoping he wouldn't shove her aside, Harper wrapped her arms around him. "I'm sorry." Her voice was small, "For all the things I said about you. Everything. You aren't like our father and you've never been. I've been a witch for years preying on that insecurity and I'm not going to do it anymore. We can just be a mess together, yea?" Harper's head moved from her brother's chest, doing her best to crack a smile before kissing his cheek as well. It was just as hollow as she felt. Her mind was already made up about what she wanted to do, but she wouldn't give it away for anything.

Finally, after unwrapping her arms from Alex, she moved to Spencer. Without saying a word, she wrapped her arms tightly around him. "I know you've done your best and had to grow up fast to take care of us...I know it might not seem like I appreciate what you've done for me, but I do. I'm sorry I can be such a handful." Standing on her tip toes, she gave her eldest brother a final kiss on the cheek before stepping away.

The woman tried to sound okay, tried to smile wider. She would only have to fake it for a few moments longer. Harper wasn't faking her apology, she did feel like it needed to be said and she truly was sorry. But the feelings she had weren't going to go away. After seeing the amount of anguish she had put her entire family through tonight, it solidified a feeling she had already been having in small increments.Harper drew in a shaky breath. "I should probably go apologize to Darcey and Bruce..." The woman said softly before moving to the door. Her hand reached for the handle, slowly starting to turn it before her eyes moved back to look at her three brothers. Harper's blue eyes searched their faces for a long moment before she turned her head away, opening the door and moving through it.

When she walked back into the dining room area, no one was around and when she heard Bruce and Darcey talking, she was having second thoughts about interrupting them. Biting her bottom lip hard, she turned find Jeremy. Seeing the keychain with his car keys on her purse, she wondered if he'd left. Harper had been hearing a confrontation of some sort coming from the dining room and her heart dropped. Maybe Bruce had gone off on him? Fuck. The woman thought. Harper wanted to be upset at Alex but this was her fault. She had been so insistent about keeping their relationship under wraps that now Jeremy had to pay for it.

It was instinctual, to keep things from her family. Hell, almost all of her relationships had been kept on the down low from them. But Jeremy wasn't some random person she'd hooked up with. In her moments of turmoil and insanity he had been the only clarity she felt. The only bridge she hadn't burned. Until now. Fuck. Everything was just unraveling all at once, too quickly for her slow brain to keep up with. Knowing she had just made her peace with her brothers, Harper grabbed the keys and purse before rushing out the front door, telling whoever could hear her that she was going to look for Jeremy. Her shaking legs miraculously carried her to the car. A flashback dizzied her as she stopped in front of the passenger door...


She let out a breathless laugh, which echoed through the quiet house as he tried to grab her. She leaped out the door, hitting the sidewalk in her giant stride before practically having to skid to a stop at his car in order to avoid slamming into it. The laughter formed in her belly as she tried to catch her breath. "You're just complaining because your old age is finally starting to catch up with you, old man." Harper practically sang, her voice full of excitement, still winded as she watched with curiosity as he opened the door.

She looked over the books, peering at each title. He said he'd tried to come around me and Harper looked up from her half of the stack to give him a tilted grin. "Save me from my imminent solitude locked away in a house like some terrible fairytale. You are welcome around any time. I've got a book addiction as you know, clearly. You supply the books, I supply my presence." Harper said teasingly. "You are better company than my rowdy brothers, that's for sure...but you've always been that way."


When she shook herself out of the memory, she was in the drivers seat, already driving down the road. How did that happen? Did she even tell anyone she was leaving? Where was she going again? Jeremy...where was he? The woman blinked a few times, trying to sort out the thoughts that were tangling into a big knot in her head. The woman looked for him, driving down their street before turning down the other. Her arms shook as she held the steering wheel steady, trying to swallow any sobs that threatened to wrack her body again. It was too much. Sure, had she apologized to her brothers, yes, but she hadn't done so for anyone else in that house. Especially Bruce. And even as she searched for Jeremy, she wondered if he even wanted to see her right now.

The man had been apart of her brothers lives before being apart of hers, what right did she have to just...ruin it all for him? The woman knew he loved her, he had said it over and over and over. And she loved him, that was the only clear thought she had as of late. But maybe the reason she had been so reactive to what Alex had said to him was because...she felt like the woman getting in the way of brothers. Making him have to choose. What right did she have to do that? He said he would do it, but that wasn't fair of her to demand that from him. While she didn't verbally demand it, her actions were destroying the relationship he had with her brothers. Harper had never seen him fight with them like they did today, like they did in the past few weeks...

"How can I talk to someone that won't listen to me, Billy?" Harper asked when he suggested she talk to Bruce. "My whole life...my entire life, I've tried to be the good kid, I've tried to get good grades, go to university...to not stick my nose in the family business, and yet, no one includes me in these decisions." Harper ran her hands through her unwashed hair, pulling slightly at it as they shook uncontrollably. "I feel like I'm screaming into a room and no one is hearing me! For years, it's always been what everyone else wanted but what the hell!? what about me, Billy? I'm a person too, I'm just as much a part of this family as any of you boys are." Harper said, her voice gradually getting louder as tears threatened to stream down her face.

Billy went on to say that they had decided that they were going to give May a chance to decide and Harper felt her heart shatter into a million pieces. So they were giving her choices now? Choices that Harper never had. The tears that were barely hanging on fell down her face quickly and Harper wiped them up just as fast. It was all she needed to hear from her brother, that May was getting a choice and that she wasn't. Billy went on to say that there was probably going to be some meeting with May to tell her everything before reiterating that she needed to talk with Bruce.

She wasn't sure where her mind had gone again but suddenly, she was sitting in front of her apartment building, parked out front. The woman looked around her, had she found Jeremy? Had he allowed her to just leave to go home without him? He wouldn't do that would he? Harper bit her trembling lip, pushing out of the car to head inside...

Harper had refused to let go of the baby in her arms from the moment Alex handed his son to her. She hadn't said a word, just peered down at the tiny thing with so much admiration in her eyes. Occasionally, she would coo to him, smile widely at his sweet face but other than that she remained completely silent. Someone sat down next to her on the sofa and Harper looked up for a moment to see Alex smiling at her lightly. "You know you are going to have to give him up to me soon, right?" The man asked and Harper just smiled. "I don't think I've ever seen a more perfect baby in my entire life." The young teen said, "I think that's all from Savvy though." She teased and Alex lightly punched her arm. "You do anything to upset this kid, Alex and I'll run you out of town." Harper threatened lightly, moving Callum up to kiss his head sweetly. "I bet you will, Harper, I bet you will..."

Harper let out a small laugh as she watched Spencer do a comical Dick Van Dyke impression. "You do that much better than poor sap that I have to share the stage with. Ever think of taking up a career on Broadway?" The girl asked, her teasing tone also laced with a little bit of sass. It just wouldn’t be Harper without her usual sassy attitude peeking through. Smiling and rolling her eyes, she said, "Do you know how little I believe that you and the other morons wouldn’t give me a hard time in front of all of those people. You all live to embarrass me." The girl huffed once more. He then told her that Mary Poppins was good at cooking and cleaning, unlike her who was messy and the girl pouted her lips, her brows furrowing as she took offense to the comment.

"I am absolutely not!" She growled halfheartedly, not really having the energy for an attitude or caring what her older brother thought of her ability to keep a house clean. That was for women who cared about what people thought of them and Harper was certainly not one of those women. If someone came to her place and it was messy, oh fucking well, she didn’t have the time to worry about if that painting was straight on the wall, or if there were plenty of blankets for people to practically grab. She had better things to do with her life that didn’t involve other people.

Harper's Apartment
~ Bethnal Green, London ~​

Blinking...Harper looked around to realize that she had somehow managed to get home after having just been at her Uncles. There was no movement in the house, leading her to believe that she had also managed to make it here before Jeremy. Harper had no recollection of just how long she had been around the house by herself for, as if she had blacked out in her psychosis. Her mouth tasted like that god awful liquor she had once shared with Billy when he told her he was gay and a mixture of blood. Something caught her eye and as she looked down, she realized the baggie of pills she had hidden in the bathroom was scattered across the floor and the liquor bottle was shattered, completely empty.

Her head was killing her, as she realized that blood was now pooled where she had been laying. Did she fall? How long had it been? Trying to sit up, the entire world spun around her. When she lifted her hands to cradle her skull she noticed the slash marks down her wrists, bleeding profusely now causing her stomach to turn. What the fuck did she do?

The stomach pain was blinding, causing her to cry out as she doubled over. She was on the floor? How did she end up on the floor? There was a piece of paper near her, one that she couldn't read as her vision tunneled...what had she done? The woman let out a weak cry, "Hello?" She called hoarsely. Where was she? This was her bathroom wasn't, it? The light above her flickered, surely a figment of her imagination. That was until the door slowly opened, creaking until a person she couldn't make out stood in front of her. The shadow walked towards her and Harper tried to stand, but the hand wrapped around her neck tightly, causing the oxygen and strength to leave her completely. When she reached to pull it off, she grasped nothing, no one was in the bathroom with her, no hand wrapped around her neck. But it felt so real, in that mental break. The gasps she let out felt real, the oxygen leaving her felt real. It all looked and felt real.

Suddenly, it was all starting to be pieced together in her head, why the pills were on the floor, most of the bag gone...why the bottle was empty and shattered. Panic set in as her limbs began to shake out of her control. Her jaw clenched shut as the tremors got worse and Harper desperately moved to try and stand. She managed to make it nearly standing but her legs gave out, making her crash to the glass covered floor. The room smelled like burning gasoline, her vision couldn't focus as it felt like her entire brain was being rattled to hell. Again in vain, she tried to stand only for her head to spin and send her slapping against the tile again slipping in the blood draining all too quickly from her wrists.

A cry escaped her as the pain in her stomach only continued to get worse. "Jeremy!" She cried out, hoping that he would just show up. That he would be there and save her from what she had done in her blank state. He couldn't have been to far. None of them could have, she was just with them. "Bill-y!" She screamed, "Spence...Alex...Bruce! Darcey!" Anyone, someone had to save her, someone always did. "Hel-" The room continued to smell like burning gasoline, a buzz in her ears that she was sure wasn't actually there. This time, she'd successfully made it up off the ground, standing as she walked clumsily towards the kitchen, grasping the wall for balance as her legs trembled underneath her.

Her vision started to blacken around the edges as her breathing became restricted, the tremors she was having suddenly rendering her lungs useless. The pain in her head was like someone whacked her over the skull and it sent her sprawling to the ground again before she could step into the kitchen. "No!" She groaned out. Turning on her stomach, Harper clawed her way across her floor, reaching out for the kitchen phone cord as she shook, screaming out in pain with each movement she made. Mustering up the last bit of life she had in her, Harper reached for the cord, tugging the receiver off the wall as it fell next to her head.

Face blue, Harper had tried to dial the only number she could remember, finishing it but unable to voice anything as her eyes looked up at the ceiling. If there was any voice on the other end of the line, she couldn't hear it over the roar of her heart or her body seizing. "Plea-" Her breath was nearly gone as she tried to plead with someone who could help her. "I-can't-." Her vision started to blur darkness falling around her as the sound of her own gasping for breath eventually ceased, one partial word escaping her. "Jere-" Last bit of oxygen leaving her as she realized no one would save her.

The regret was the only thing her oxygen deprived brain could think of as her body finally relaxed in its seizure, her breath leaving her completely but her eyes never closing....

with: Misty Gray Melanin-Gxdess Pyroclast BasDorcha

 

[Misty Gray]

Harper King's Apartment
~ Bethnal Green, London ~

Trevor Stewart​

When Trevor had finally set off, he found himself driving in the direction of Bethnal Green. A lot of emotions had been stirred from visiting his mother and then speaking with his brother. Now more than ever was he aware of the importance of family and his regrets around how awful he'd been to them in the past. He felt compelled to check in on Harper. She was one of very few who had given him a chance to prove himself and after being there the day when she stabbed herself in the leg, he'd been genuinely concerned about her well-being. Granted, she had a lot of loved ones around her who would be there in a heartbeat, but he was aware she hadn't been entirely open with most of them about what she was going through. If she needed to talk to someone who had some understanding, he wanted her to know he was there.

After finding a space across from Harper's apartment block, Trevor parked up and left his car. He looked to where her windows were and could see the lights were on, so he figured he hadn't had a wasted journey. However, when he reached Harper's door and had knocked a couple of times without answer, he began to wonder if he really should start calling first. Given that he was certain on a previous visit that he'd turned up at a time where he was disturbing Harper and Jeremy, he suddenly realised this could be inappropriate timing too. His knuckle hovered in front of the door before he lowered his arm and decided against disturbing her by knocking again.

After turning and walking away from the door, Trevor reached into his pockets to retrieve his keys. He was soon out of the building and about to cross the road when he was sure he heard a woman shout out. Instinctively turning to Harper's window he tried to focus his listening in case it happened again. Of course, it could have been anyone and he could have just been hearing things. But then, he was sure he heard his daughter scream Billy's name, followed by more yelling, where he was sure he'd picked out Alex's and Bruce's names in the midst. Given what he'd been learning about Harper's struggles and the family's dodgy business, it felt natural for Trevor to think the worst in that moment. He turned to rush back into the building, but in his haste, he collided with a young woman and caused her to drop her shopping bag on the ground. "Shit! I'm sorry," he apologised, quickly bending down and rushing to help put the groceries back into the carrier bag before handing it back to her. Not giving the woman chance to respond in any way, he quickly nodded his head. "Sorry!" he apologised again before rushing off back into the building.

Frantically knocking on the door, Trevor called out Harper's name. The few seconds he gave her for a response felt like much longer before he tried the door handle and was relieved to find the door unlocked. Rushing into the apartment, he first looked in the lounge but found it was empty. Then, as he walked in the hallway, he heard Harper's gasp for air. There was blood smeared on the wall and doorframe leading into the kitchen. A lump formed in Trevor's throat as he approached the kitchen, looking around for anything he could use as a weapon in case Harper had been attacked. However, the moment he stepped into the kitchen and saw his daughter bleeding from the wrists, he realised she had done it to herself. "Oh God... HARPER?!" he called out. A wave of nausea overcame him, more at the thought of her dying than the bloody scene around her. "Harper..." he choked out. He reached down to place his fingers to her neck, getting confirmation of a pulse.

Despite being aware of her bleeding risks, the fact she was blue in the face and clearly oxygen deprived was enough to take precedent over that. With her laid on her back, he placed his hand under her chin to tilt her head back and check her airways. He was given no choice but to assist her breathing and replenish the oxygen to her in the form of mouth-to-mouth breathing. After doing so a number of times, he knew he needed to see if more direct action could be taken.

After placing Harper in the recovery position and balling up his jacket to placed between her bleeding wrists, he quickly began rifling through the drawers and cupboards for anything he could use, grabbing a couple of hand towels along the way. Having already searched through the kitchen drawers, he rushed into the bathroom, apparently following the blood trail until he was met with the sight of the red pool and smears on the tiled floor. Also on the floor, he noticed the piece of paper and broken bottle, but it was the pills that confirm what he suspected - she had overdosed. He searched in the bathroom medicine cabinet and there he found it, the hidden box containing the syringe and bottle of naloxone. "Thank God," he gasped, his heart racing in his chest. He was at least grateful that for all her struggles, she was aware enough to keep a safety net. He picked up the note, but for now left it on the edge of the bath so it couldn't get spoiled by the nearby blood. Whatever she had written, he didn't believe it was intended for his eyes.

By the time he got back to Harper's side, his own hands were shaking. "Harper..." his voice croaked. He took deep breaths to calm himself as he tried to steady his hands enough to carefully fill the syringe with a safe dose of the liquid. After briefly struggling to stretch the neck of Harper's top, he instead pushed the needle through the fabric of her clothing and directly into the muscle of her shoulder. He used his thumb to press down on the end of the syringe and administer the naloxone directly into her system. Pulling out the needle, he set the syringe down on the floor. It would take a couple of minutes to fully kick in, but he hoped it would block out the effects of the drugs she'd taken and get her breathing properly again.

Before he could turn his attention to focus on her wrists, he heard a sound that made him acknowledge the phone by Harper's head. The line was ringing out as whoever she had tried calling, it had ended before she could put the receiver down properly. He set the receiver down in its place, ready to lift it back up and dial 999, however, the phone suddenly starting to ring, startling him briefly. Lifting the receiver, he balanced it between his shoulder and ear. "Hello? Who's..." Recognising the familiar voice, he swallowed hard as he prepared to speak to Bruce. "Harper's hurt..." were the first words he said, figuring that would be enough to stop Bruce from wasting time kicking off at him. Assuming the man would recognise his voice, he avoided stating who he was so he could focus on the matter at hand. Taking Harper's right arm, he lifted it and tightly pressed one of the towels against the bleeding, open gash on her wrist. He wrapped the cloth around her wrist and tied it, pulling tightly to put some pressure against the wound. "It's serious, Bruce. She's cut her wrists up bad, and..." he paused as he noticed her gasp for air, potentially a good sign the naloxone was taking effect. "She overdosed too. Listen, just get here - to her place. And please, call an ambulance, quickly... I need to focus on helping Harper," he asked, the worry in his voice likely showing why he wasn't concerned with the animosity he and Bruce shared. Not giving much time for argument, Trevor hung up the call. He took another moment to focus on Harper's breathing and check her pulse again. Trevor then started to wrap the second towel around Harper's left wrist whilst. The fact the blood was still coming fast reassured him he hadn't arrived too late for her to bleed out just yet.

Scooping her up in his arms, Trevor carried Harper into the lounge and laid her down on the sofa to make her more comfortable. He moved his hand to her face, gently holding her cheek as he observed her eyes and shade of skin to see if the naloxone was still to do its job. "I spoke to Bruce and he's coming over. The others too," he reassured her. "Whatever you did to yourself, they won't care about that; they won't be disappointed. They just want you to be okay now, alright?" Glancing down, he could see the blood soaking through the towels around her wrists. This prompted him to moving his hands to lift her arms, putting pressure on the wounds whilst keeping her wrists elevated to slow the bleeding.

Tears escaped Trevor's eyes before he became aware of it and cleared his throat, willing himself to stay calm and collected for as long as his daughter needed him. Until her family or the ambulance arrived, she did need him. Whether she liked it or not, he realised he was her only hope in this moment. He'd failed her mother; doing nothing to stop her from spiralling towards her premature death. Hell, he'd failed Harper for her entire life. But this time, he couldn't and wouldn't fail her. He would do everything he could to keep her alive, not simply because it was the human thing to do, but because he cared about her. Even in the short time he'd known her, he couldn't bear to see someone so good and with a life ahead of her give it all up. "You've gotta fight this, Harper," he firmly told her. "This world hasn't seen enough of you yet. You need to get through this and wake up on the other side showing people who you are - who you really want to be. Everyone will listen to you now. They have to." Trevor briefly looked towards the doorway, willing for help to arrive for his daughter. "You were kind enough to give me a chance and I'd hate to never reward you for your faith in me. I might not have been in your life long, but I think you're great. Strong and independent... You just need to battle your way out of this." Continuing to put pressure on her wrists, he took a moment to make sure her breathing was still steady or if he needed to administer another dose. Content for the moment, he sucked in a deep breath. "They're almost here, Harper," he soothingly told her. He took a strained breath of his own as more tears fell, but he didn't move to wipe them away, more focused on maintaining the pressure on her wounds.

Pyroclast Bellz BasDorcha Melanin-Gxdess

 

[Misty Gray]

Pinewood Care Home
~ Cambridge Heath, London ~

Sarah Stewart​

Sarah understood that the home was the best place for her mother-in-law to be. Not only would she and Philip struggle to give the woman the full-time care she needed around their other commitments, but having three teenagers around the place wouldn't be ideal. For the kids nor for the old woman who needed peace and quiet.

When Philip had responded to her kiss by pulling her in again for a better kiss, she naturally responded in kind, smiling by the time they pulled away from the gesture. She was glad she'd met her husband when she had. It had been at a time when she'd been ready to give up on the idea of settling down and getting married. No man had ever kept her interest for long enough. None of them had been as ambitious and mature as Philip. Somehow, he'd even managed to change the way she felt about children. Falling in love with him opened up a maternal part of her who was surprisingly excited the day she found out she was pregnant with their first child.

Hearing that Trevor was still trying to assure Philip that he'd changed caused Sarah to roll her eyes. "Hmm," she muttered as her husband spoke about how her brother-in-law had been sticking to his story for long enough that he could mean it. It sounded like Philip was more open-minded to believing Trevor than he ever had been. "If he is changing, it took him long enough. And if he lets you down again, I'll beat his messed up, junkie arse myself," she assured her husband.

When Philip suggested they didn't go home, Sarah raised a suggestive eyebrow, glad to see he was thinking along the same wavelength as herself. "It would be nice to be away from the house for the night and not have to have any responsibilities, for once," she thought aloud. She sank into his chest as he squeezed her close. She then let out a laugh as he mentioned them making noise. "That is true. Plus, I've been waiting all week to get you to myself, so I won't be holding back," she flirted with him, looking up to return his kiss.

"Dinner, dancing, and a night with you all to myself? That sounds perfect," she agreed. "We'd best book a late checkout, mind you," she teased.

BasDorcha (Philip)

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

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

Aliana was enjoying the time she spent with Michelle. It was always rough to do so when she was younger considering the guilt she always carried with her. But now, knowing that Michelle didn't hate Ali and that the sour past was behind them she was able to start making up for the lost time. Despite knowing it was probably wrong to encourage Michelle to go after Marco and Dermot - the only reason being they were employees - she wanted the younger woman to have fun and enjoy herself. Like was short, she'd concluded, and you never knew when it could be taken away from you. Aliana had had those sorts of run-ins more times than she could count and she didn't want the same for the younger people in her life.

She left out a laugh as she stated she'd worn Conor down, something she agreed with. "Oh, I think so. Women with attitudes can break a man and fix them back up until they're complacent," she teased. "You just have to know how." After giving her a cheeky smile she drowned the rest of her glass and ordered another. She noticed with her growing age there was no way she could continue sipping on her drinks - small amount by small amount. She nodded her head in agreeance of her career plan, giving her thumbs up. "And who knows; when you're ready to run I'd bet you'd have plenty of constituents willing to vote for you. I mean, practically half of Dublin is your family," she joked.

Michelle explained she'd only ever been with Malcolm, causing her to choke on her fresh drink. "Y- what?" She was in disbelief. Not that she was judging, of course, but she couldn't imagine not trying out different flavors before settling for one. She then asked advice on dating two men - something Aliana herself found to be humourous and ironic. "Been there before. With your father and a great guy named Tommy," she said, nodding her head. "Look, you just got a divorce. You should be using this time to explore and see what Michelle wants. What she likes. If at the end of the day you end up liking one over the other then communicate that. I made the stupid, stupid, mistake of kissing your father when I was supposed to be dating Tommy. Had he found out about that he'd have been absolutely crushed; all three of us would've been. But if it's just a fling you don't really owe either of them anything," she shrugged her shoulders, elbow propped up on the counter. "Just be conscious of the decisions you're making." After hearing her final decision Ali smiled and shook her head. "Not at all! Like I said, I did the same. So I don't have anything to judge you for anyway. Live your life, kid."

As she and Michelle continued to converse, Marco made his way inside the restaurant in search of them. He'd gotten a page about Conor and Adam, being asked to bring Aliana over to the pub. For what reason, Marco didn't know, but he wasn't going to argue. Catching sight of the two women at the bar he breezed through until Ali caught him out the side of her eye. "Speak of the devil," she muttered to Michelle before turning to look at him and the other guard accompanying him. "Ah, Mrs. Sullivan. There's been a bit of a el altercado between your marido y su empleado." Noticing Ali tilt her head in confusion, Marco apologized. "Er, Conor and Adam got into a fight. Louis is here to take you to him; they thought you'd want to-," Ali just put her hand up, eyes closed and she pinched the bridge of her nose. "Let's... Just go. I don't wanna hear it." Standing up she looked to Michelle, about to apologize when she realized who she'd be left alone with. She winked at her before wrapping her arms around her shoulders for a hug, whispering in her ear. "Go for it."

As Ali walked away with Louis, Marco turned his attention to Michelle with a charming smile on his face. He recalled that she said she was going to drink for him as well and decided to check in on that request sitting in the seat Aliana had been sitting in directly across from her. "Ah, bonita flor," he said nodding his head to the drinks on the counter top. "How many did you have for me then?"

Michelle ( BasDorcha )

 

[Bellz]

Braden Callahan
Callahan Residence
~ Sutton, Dublin ~​

Braden was still trying to figure Amy out. She was sweet as pie but the woman had some sort of bite to her that he couldn't quite figure out. It perplexed him and drew him to her all at the same time. There was a familiar fluttering feeling in his chest that he had to force to stop as he took a deep breath. Watching her hand slowly move to his chin, the man held his breath as she slowly turned his head the way she needed it to go.

Biting the inside of his cheek, he forced himself to take in a deep breath as Amy moved to grab the scissors and tweezers she needed to take out the stitches on his face. When she moved to sit on her feet, Braden looked down at her form before forcing himself to look back up to meet her eyes. The man was screaming at himself inside his head for being so rude.

"No need to tell me, lass. This isn't my first rodeo. But thank you for the encouraging words." Braden hummed softly, keeping his eyes to himself. He would have smiled, but he didn't want to mess up her process.

When she was done, the man cracked a smile as Amy said that he had done a good job at healing. "Oh well you know, when you work for the people I do, healing quickly is in the contract." Brady chuckled softly, noticing the way her nose wrinkled and finding it adorable.

She said it was hard to offend, telling him that it was impossible and the man was even more curious about the kind of woman she was. If that were possible. "Well...regardless, it's normally not like me to say such...brazen things." The man's cheeks were warming again and he shook his head in an attempt to hide the discoloring. "You know, Amy...I don't know what it is about you...but you are different." Braden realized that must have sounded wrong, "Not a bad different! A good different...just....you surprise me, that's all." He realized once again that probably sounded wrong.

"But good surprise! Oh, Jesus, I'm going to stop talking now. Maybe you could stitch my mouth shut for me while you are here?"
with: Amy BasDorcha

 

[BasDorcha]

Bruce King's House

~Bethnal Green, London~
Jeremy Gray​

Jeremy had been outside walking circles around the block, stopping at the stairs every time he came around to see if Harper had come out yet. When he made his last turn around the block, noticing his tail lights disappearing into the distance, he knew she had left. Panic struck him, because now she was likely alone instead of with someone to watch her. He took off at a slight jog, headed for her house. The closer he got, the more this pit of dread built in his stomach. Some sixth sense was tell him something was wrong and he needed to be faster. As he rounded the street to Harper’s place, he could hear ambulances rushing closer.

In a sprint, he was at Harper’s door in no time, pushing it open and his mouth gaping. There was blood everywhere. His eyes fell on Trevor, holding up her arms and crying, and Jeremy knew he’d be in the same boat as soon as the shock over came him. “Trevor…” Was all Jeremy could manage to get out. He swallowed several times, trying to clear the lump, as he watched for lights outside. “The ambulance is close, I heard them outside as I was getting near. I- What can I do Trevor?” He saw that Trevor had her arms up, assumably to stop the flow of blood from being so heavy. “I’m going to go meet them, get them the right apartment number, and keep the family out of here. No one needs to see this.”

He gave Trevor a long look, giving him a nod of appreciation before he rushed back down stairs to direct the ambulances and family members. When the ambulances arrive, Jeremy told them in a gruff voice what apartment she was in, and that she was badly hurt – the man with her may know more. As for everyone else, when they showed up shortly after, Jeremy stood strong at the door, stopping them from going up. “Trust me, you don’t need to see it. You don’t need those mental images. You can all hate me for it, but those are not something to remember. Go with Harper, get her to the hospital. I’ll stay and clean up the mess.”

Jeremy sat to the side of the stairs, giving the EMS and workers space to go up and down as needed. He was in complete shock, his mind racing a million different ways. Why would she do this? Was there anything he could have done? Was he the reason? There were so many questions he couldn’t answer, and the longer he sat there, the more he broke inside. Bruce was right, he had fucked up. He should have said something, told someone that he was worried, instead of trying to fix it himself and be there for her. He couldn’t understand how it had come to this. By the time the rest of her family arrived, Jeremy had a hollow look to his face. He met them at the bottom of the stairs, the ambulance and EMS already upstairs prepping to bring her down.


Pyroclast Misty Gray Melanin-Gxdess Bellz

 

[BasDorcha]

Oak Tree Restaurant

~Dublin City Centre, Dublin~
Michelle Romano​

With her second drink in hand, Michelle laughed when Aliana seemed shocked to learn that she had only ever been with one man, at least until recently. There was a glowing warmth when she thought about the man, happy to have someone to spend time with even if it wasn’t serious. Listening to her talk about her own experiences made Michelle smile. So she was more like Ally than she realized. She knew that Conor had done something similar with Ali and her mother, but never knew Aliana went through the same thing. Realizing it was more common than she knew it made her feel a bit better.

“I think you’re right, I’d like to know what Michelle likes – I don’t think I’ve ever taken time for me, it’s always been about other people, first Malcolm then the kids. She had never been an adult on her own. Swirling the liquid of her second – and much stronger – drink, she smiled, soaking up the advice that Aliana had for her. It couldn’t hurt to remember it, and listen, she needed help finding her way. It was also nice to know that she had someone to talk to about all this, as well as someone who could offer advice from a prospective view. A few minutes passed by, how many Michelle lost count but she was into her third drink, when Marco arrived and let Aliana know that an altercation with Conor and Adam. She giggled a bit when Marco had to go back and translate for himself, knowing Aliana didn’t understand

At first Ali looked annoyed, but then realizing that she’d been leaving Michelle in the hands of the one person who she was looking to talk to, her mood quickly flipped to supportive setup. A blush flushed Michelle’s face as she pulled away, noticing Marco staying close by while the second man took Aliana where she needed to go. The handsome man slid into he seat that Aliana had occupied and she called the bartender over to get him a drink. “I’m on number three, so… One and a half?” She laughed playfully.

“Uma flor eu sou? What are you then?” She teased.

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Beachside Villa
~ Corfu Town, Corfu ~

Theodore Wycliff
​

It took everything in Teddy's power not to respond to both Damian and Tatiana's teasing and blunt words. He wanted to stay focus on the task at hand, making sure the kid didn't get hurt. He watched as Tati slowly lowered Callum out of the window, Damian securing him in his arms. Teddy did a quick check around to make sure they were still alone and once confirmed turned back towards the window. "Perfect. Now lets-," Damian cut him off, informing him that Tatiana had company shortly before he heard Savannah screaming for help. Teddy nearly started to panic, his heart rate increasing as he looked from Damian to the window and then to the boat. "I'll have Jeff come swap out with you. Get the kid to the boat and bring rope or something," he ordered, taking out his gun from his waistband and then his radio. "Jeff, stop Danny from coming into the room." The man on the other end copied before making his move to the living room where Danny sat.

Meanwhile, Teddy turned back to the window. He trusted that Tati would be able to handle someone as meek as Savannah on her own, but just in case. He made his way up and into the window just as Savannah had been making her way over. That normal, nagging voice in the back of his head hadn't been there this time around so it didn't stop him from pulling his gun out on her. "Let's go have a chat, alright? No one has to get hurt here tonight," he warned, his voice darker than usual. When he'd become this person, he didn't know, but he wasn't about to have some sort of midlife crisis about it right now. He nudged her, jutting his chin towards the door before the three of them left the room.

Joining Jeff and Danny, Teddy instructed the man to head back towards the boat. With his gun level and aimed at Danny he shook his head. "Normally," he started, slowly lowering his weapon. "I don't like to involve kids in the matters of adults. But unfortunately, it has to be done because you did." He turned his attention to Savannah, the gun now aimed at her. Teddy had no intentions of shooting either one of them; on purpose, at least. The job was simply to get Callum back. But since they were caught in the act, there had been a change of plans. "Sit down," he ordered Savannah, pointing to a seat next to Danny. He was buying time now for Damian to get back - wanting to make sure neither one of them was able to follow them once they'd left. "I hope you know you've got your uncle to blame for this. Broke his word and now we're back to doing things the hard way."

Danny, Tati ( Pyroclast ) Sav, Damian ( Misty Gray )

 

[Misty Gray]

The Callahan Residence
~ Sutton, Dublin ~

Sinead Callahan​

Sinead watched on as Braden and Amy interacted. People thought of her as a romantic, idealistic fool, but she was sure there was something in the air between the two sitting across from her. She smiled when Amy said she didn't have much comparison for the smiley Braden she'd only seen. "Oh, the Callahan men are very serious, so you must have said something really special to make him smile the whole time."

Once Amy and Braden went off for her to tend to removing his stitches, Sinead sat back in her chair and looked to Peter. "Am I just imagining things or is Brady soft for her?" she asked her husband, knowing his opinion tended to be more realistic. "I hope she doesn't leave anything bloody or gruesome in my music room when she's done," she suddenly worried. "The young ones have no regard for expensive musical instruments," she complained.

Frowning, Sinead realised the brief distraction was gone now Amy and Braden had moved to another room. "Just the two of us again," she pointed out. "Now Savvy's left us. Emery barely comes to spend time with us. Braden could be doing his own thing. What should we do about Liam? He's not happy being surrounded by all of this violence and upset. Neither am I. Wouldn't it be nice to live somewhere more peaceful? Now that nobody wants to sit around our dinner table, it's not like it would make a difference if we didn't live here anymore." Sinead couldn't shake off how miserable she felt deep down. Upset at the thought she might never see Savannah and Callum again, on top of worrying Liam was destined to a lifetime of the darkness and violence she'd had to live with all of her life. No matter how much she and Savannah had tried to distance themselves from it all, they couldn't. She hated to think Liam would end up in the same cycle.

BasDorcha (Amy)
Bellz (Peter, Braden)

The Porter Residence
~ Sutton, Dublin ~

Olivia Sullivan​

Olivia widened her eyes and sent Samuel a disapproving kind of look when he asked if her dad would be mad if he asked for her hand. "Oh, believe me, he would be mad if you went that far!" she assured him. She glanced to Thomas, knowing he'd be thinking the same. "You don't want to get on the wrong side of him, Sam. Nor would I want you to," she said, flashing a smile. She then looked to Thomas again and sighed when he said their parents were just looking out for her. "I know they are and they want to keep me safe. Its just that some guys run a mile when they realise who our family are. And Dad likes to interrogate people. Back when I was a kid and wanted to invite Jenny for a sleepover he was giving her the third degree. 'What does your dad do? How long have you been going to that school?' Y'know?"

When Sam went on to reassure them that he would in fact be on his best behaviour if he met her parents, Olivia nodded her head. "I believe you, but let's not rush into that just yet. I want you to be totally into me before my parents can scare you off. Give you an incentive to be brave with them," she teased. She then laughed along as Thomas spoke of how Lucy could be the smothering kind. "Oh yeah, she'll want all the gossip from you, Sam."

Olivia followed Sam to the couch, hoping Thomas would join them. Sitting next to Sam, she allowed his arm to continue resting behind her. She turned her head to look at him, sending a playful wink. Despite having her date gate-crashed, she was glad when Thomas decided to stay. She didn't want him to feel unwelcome, nor did she want to feel like she was getting between his friendship - or whatever it was - with Sam. "Yesss, stay for a bit. I'm sure Elena won't mind if you don't clean up. She seems really sweet," she told him. "Now. How about we watch 'Friday the 13th'? Start getting us in the mood for Halloween already!"

BasDorcha (Samuel)
Bellz (Thomas)

The Sullivans Pub
~ Dublin City Centre, Dublin ~

Conor Sullivan​

Conor could see the awkwardness in his son as he asked him if he wanted to talk about what was going on with him. The older man shrugged his shoulders, not sure if Leo really wanted to invite him to offload about what was going on with him. "It mostly my head, mate," he admitted, running his hand over his hair. "You know years back how I had problems with drinking and fighting. I got it all sorted, with the help of that wanker Maddox Parker. I mean, don't get me wrong, it still takes a lot of conscious effort to stop going back to the way I was," he admitted. "But I was managing to do it. Now though, since those knocks to the head and having the time away from focusing on business, I'm finding it harder to hold back. Feels like a whole lot of anger is stuck inside wanting to get out now." Closing his eyes for a moment, he tried to see off the lingering headache. "Not to mention I've had to get new glasses. Doc reckons it could just be temporary, but still, I ain't used to feeling physically weak. Maybe I was just testing the water with Adam, but I don't know, I wasn't exactly happy with him getting with Blake long before I got ambushed."

Conor listened as Leo answered his questions about why he wanted to follow in the same lifestyle, the one Conor himself had not wanted when he was his son's age. Hearing his son mention was happened when he was 10 caused Conor to gaze down to the table for a moment, learning he had known the excuse Aliana came up with for being caught up in the explosion was a lie. He knew it was a curse for the kids to be born into the lifestyle, especially when they were perceptive enough to know something wasn't right or normal with their family life. He looked back to his son when he commented that he was meant to be there when his mother was then attacked at Savannah's play back in New York. He sadly nodded his head, aware he had been in prison at that time because of his own violent and reckless behaviour. Conor tightened his jaw at mention of the more recent attack, where Aliana's throat was slit. It had killed him to know his wife and son had suffered that day. After some reluctance to consider Leo's words, Conor nodded in understanding. It didn't matter than his father was trying to free him of the burdens of being tied to the mob, Leo felt like he had to do it to protect the people he cared about. Conor couldn't argue with that. "No, I get it, Leo. I guess you need to be given more training and opportunities to get used to it all. From me and the others," he said, referring to his senior employees. "If you're going to do it, I want you to be more prepared than I was the first time I had this responsibility thrown at me. I'd tried to avoid getting tied down with the business when I was your age, so when your Grandad died, I was way out of my depth. It's why Jimbo had to step in."

Conor managed a smile when Leo said they were all grateful for him trying to keep them safe. He knew he'd made some unpopular decisions to do it and he'd failed at times, as well as his closeness to Sinead being destroyed, but Conor was glad to know his son appreciated it, at least.

Melanin-Gxdess (Leo)

Storybook Art Gallery
~ Upper East Side, Manhattan ~

Gabriel Moretti and Valentina Wycliff​

Gabriel nodded his head when Ava said London was fun but the plane rides took a long time. "Not to worry. Once my business in London is finalised and running smoothly, Erik will be back here. He won't need to be stationed with the Kings for much longer now."

"Well, I'd like to spend some time in London before then. How about next time Teddy is sent there you let me go too?" Valentina asked Gabriel, only for the man to shake his head.

"Teddy isn't there for a vacation and a tour around Buckingham Palace. You have no business that needs to be undertaken in England," he pointed out.

Valentina rolled her eyes, but was grateful for Ava asking her about what was her business as well as her kids. Anything to hold back from another disagreement with her father. "The hotels are doing great. The refurbishments are completed and we're already fully booked over Christmas," she happily told her. "The kids are doing well too. Cristina is back to being herself again and is excited to be back at school. She's still convinced she could run this country," she laughed.

Gabriel was about to ask about the boys when an unfamiliar man approached and greeted Ava by name. He looked to the two smartly dressed men in the distance, shaking his head to tell his bodyguards to stay back and continue looking casual. Still, he was curious as to who the man was and why he was all the way in New York having apparently met Ava in London. He remained silent, hoping to gather more information from the conversation that followed.

Melanin-Gxdess (Ava, Elvian)