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

[BasDorcha]

Sullivan Pub

~Dublin, Ireland~
Michelle Romano​

"No, no, prima, I'm relying on my experience and Conor's drinking gene. Time will tell who the stronger cousin is." She laughed, stepping up to the table with Dermot to her left and Emery to her right. When Dermot mentioned not drinking Michelle blew a raspberry at him. "Sir, there are plenty of other men on shift here tonight, you are not getting out of drinking that easily. You were planning on drinking, now, drink." She slid the fourth shot to him with a challenging look in her eyes. "We came out to have fun, and here you are, robbing us of it. Tsk, tsk. That's gonna cost you." She winked at him, before turning her attention back to the other two, grinning at Emery. This was going to be more fun than she thought. She began to wonder just how much she might be able to get away with.

Reaching out, she grabbed the two men's hands, one in each of hers, before pulling them forward off the stool. "Common then, let's get a booth so we can sit together." She released their hands to grab the drinks, carrying them with her to the table. "Undercover, you wish you were undercover." She teased playfully as she found them a half moon booth. "Hm… I think we shall sit alternatingly." There was deviousness in her eyes as she waked a hand for Emery to slide in first, followed by Marco, her then Dermot. "Now, Marco, I would take it as a compliment if you're being challenged. After all, if she wins, you have a drinking partner that can keep up all night, if she loses, you have a drunk and I'm sure very friendly mujer hermosa instead. Not rude at all."

As they settled around, she took the spare shot glass and sat it in the middle. "Whatever am I going to do with this one last lonely shot? Emery, what do you think?" She was glad to be hanging out with her cousin. She had been away from her family and in a different country most of her life so now it felt like trying to build relationships backwards - they were already expected to be close and they were just barely getting to know each other. She had also made a strategic choice with the two beside her - Emery and Marco - both gave her the feeling of a laid back nature, level five anti-clingers, who knows, maybe they'd hit it off. If not, maybe they could all end up having fun tonight at least.

Misty Gray - Dermot and Emery
Melanin-Gxdess - Marco

 

[Bellz]

Blake McCarthy
Sullivan Residence
~ Sutton, Dublin ~​

Hearing that Conor wasn't upset with her did put her mind at ease somewhat. They had a close relationship for years, even before Jackson died. It would break her heart to let something like this ruin that closeness. Blake hugged him tightly until Ali and Adam entered the room. The tension was clearly there, even as both of the men did their best to be polite to one another. Blake sat down next to Adam, who politely offered her a seat before sitting down himself. Adam asked Ali what was for drinks and Blake looked at the woman with interest. Adam's arm moved around her shoulder and Blake felt immediately comforted by the gesture though it seemed like Conor would have rather Adam kept his hands to himself.

Please be something strong, please be something strong. Blake thought over and over, hoping Ali had sufficiently prepared drinks that would ultimately force the men in the room to relax. Knowing just how smart her best friend was when Ali mentioned having a lot of drinks, Blake smiled widely. Curiously, she peered down at the four small glasses sitting on top of a wooden board. Each was filled with a different shade of brown liquid. She was really pulling out the big guns with this. Blake reminded herself to thank Ali later.

"That you are lovely, that you are." Blake murmured when Ali said she was a saint. Truly she was, Ali didn't have to do any of this but she was doing it because Blake felt like she was caught between a rock and a hard place. The rock and the hard place being too giant idiots who decided to fight over her and what she needed when she knew what she needed. Blake had allowed everyone to take care of her for more than a decade because she had been so heartbroken over Jackson. Now that she was finally able to take care of herself and love again, it seemed that Conor felt that he knew what was best for her. The man still had so many doubts about her relationship with Adam. But the past was just that...in the past. Adam was a different person and Jackson wasn't ever going to come back to her. Conor wanted her to be happy, wanted Natasha and Collin to be happy but what he failed to see was that the key to her overall happiness was sitting right next to her, his arm over her shoulders.

Ali was explaining the different drinks and her tone was light and pleasant. But the minute she said that they could try them all and the two men can makeup it, Blake could sense that she wasn't fucking around. And she wasn't going to either. "I feel like because you've told me that you don't know what the blended is...that's the one we should try first. Get the unknown out of the way, yea? And speaking of getting things out of the way..." Blake looked to Adam and then to Conor. "It would be a hell of a lot easier to enjoy these drinks if we just got these apologies out of the way. Actual ones."

Looking at Ali for a moment, Blake sighed, "You both are too stubborn for your own good, and that's why Ali and I are here. To straighten you both out. And you know that I love both of you, right?" Her eyes once again glanced at Adam and then at Conor. "But fighting over me isn't exactly my cup of tea..in fact, it makes me feel bad. Because whether you want to say it or not, you two are mates. Perhaps not like you were with Jackson, Conor. But do you think he'd want to see you like this? That man made friends with just about anyone, no matter their story. That's what I loved the most about him was his ability to welcome anyone in and make them feel right at home. If Adam makes me happy, that should be enough. Isn't it enough?"
with: Adam + Conor Misty Gray ; Ali Melanin-Gxdess

 

[Pyroclast]

On the Road
~ City of London, London ~

Billy King​

With all his family’s suffering, Billy was struggling to care about much else. Normally he would throw himself into work, but his heart just wasn’t in it anymore. It was with Harper at the psychiatric hospital, with Bruce after his health scare, Spencer after his near-death experience and Callum who had finally returned home, though not with being put in danger by the Morettis and torn from his mother in the process. He was even concerned about Savannah, who had almost been killed. He wanted to focus his attention on those suffering around him, not on the business that was starting to feel like more of a burden than anything else.

Billy only made an effort to attend the gala where they were to sit and schmooze with the Carter family because he was expected to - but he had a secret project up his sleeve that was far more meaningful to him. The previous week, Billy had run into a man whom he recognised as a bartender from one of Erik’s favourite clubs. His name was Oscar and he was a very effeminate man, well-groomed and flamboyant with a boyish playfulness about him - the sort of gay man that only a few months ago would have turned Billy off completely. The type he would be afraid to associate himself with. Now, however, he was beginning to find himself more comfortable in the diverse community of people that Erik had been gradually easing him into, and the chance meeting had led the pair to grab a spontaneous coffee together.

They talked about Erik, and Oscar’s natural charisma somehow managed to draw out confessions from Billy about how much he loved him and all the extra care and attention the man had devoted to him ever since he was shot. He complained about his inability to fully work as an architect since he could no longer move his arm to draw or write, and that prompted Oscar to mention his own penchant for drawing. Between their shared skills and admiration for Erik, Billy dared to confess an idea to him that he had been toying with in his mind for a little while, something he hadn’t told anyone else. Despite only being with Erik for a few months, he had come to the conclusion that he had met the man of his dreams and the person he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. Since marriage was off the table, Billy had come up with an alternative way of proposing to the man; he wanted to design a house for the two of them to grow old together. With Oscar being a friend of Erik’s as well as showing excitement about the strength of their loving relationship, he agreed to lend Billy a hand - quite literally - in drawing the blueprints for his and Erik’s house and to also keep it a secret.

So occupied by his concern for Harper, and for Callum and Bruce, it had taken him a full week to find space in his head to take on a new project. On the day of the gala, however, Billy had managed to arrange a secret meeting with Oscar in the morning and had begun to teach him about technical drawing. Lying to Erik about where he was going felt wrong but ultimately, it was a gesture that he hoped was romantic enough to justify it.

Believing he had done something positive with his day, Billy was willing enough to go to the gala. He remembered when he used to love showing up to events to represent his family and the businesses they ran together. Lately, things like this were just a chore. Still, he put effort into his appearance, arrived on time, greeted the Carters and found his seat at the table. It was only when Alex turned up and informed them that Harper had awoken from her coma that Billy once again lost all interest in the event. While he was warm towards the Carters, at that moment he didn’t care what they thought of him - he was leaving to see his sister, and no one, not even his uncle, would be able to stop him.

Or that’s what he thought. Before he managed to leave, Christian also turned up. They had suspected that the reason for his being late was because he was with May, but when he asked them where she was, they realised that nobody knew. Billy had seen too many of his siblings wind up in danger recently, and so when Bruce told him to put off visiting Harper and instead go with Alex and Christian to look for her, he couldn’t fault his uncle’s priorities. As much as he longed to see Harper, he couldn’t turn down the chance to ensure May’s safety and well-being.

“If she dipped the gala on purpose to go hang out without us at some club somewhere, I’m gonna be fuckin’ pissed,” Billy grumbled from the back seat as the three of them drove together through the busy streets of London. “I mean, obviously I would rather that than somethin’ worse, but still. Visitin’ hours at the hospital are almost over…” He checked his watch before returning to look out of the window. He wasn’t sure what he was expecting to see that might help, but the more eyes they had looking out for her the more of a chance they had at spotting her. “Remind me when you last talked with her, Christian?” he asked. “She definitely said she was still plannin’ to come, yeah?”

Interactions
Misty Gray Christian
Melanin-Gxdess Alex
BasDorcha May (mentioned)

 

[Bellz]

Harper King
The Royal London Hospital
~ Tower Hamlets, London ~
​

When Maddox thanked her for being honest, Harper nodded her head. She thought that perhaps it would feel good to get it all in the open, but now it hung in the air. Jeremy hadn't said a word and she knew he wouldn't but it was killing her to not know how he was feeling. That damned stoic face was on for her benefit no doubt. The need to focus on him rather than herself was there, as it had been for most of her life. To focus on anything but herself. Dr. Parker addressed feeling empty and alone, that she'd felt she hurt the people she loved. Then he asked how she felt about it now.

The sudden instance of pain came flooding back into her chest, crushing her heart under the weight of it. While she was sorry, so painfully sorry for having tried to take her life, there was a part of her that still felt she didn't deserve to even be living. All of the memories she'd made with her family, the ones she loved...they would forever be tainted, haunted by the choices she made. "I feel...like I don't deserve to be sitting here right now. Talking to you..." Harper looked to Jeremy, "Or holding your hand." The woman's eyes watered. She was caught in the middle of not feeling deserving of the love and support that was being given to her but not wanting to take her own life again. "While it scares me to feel that way, I just don't know how else to feel. Like...I don't really deserve this second or if you want to get technical, third chance at life because I was so quick to try to take it away. Why give chances to someone who is most likely just going to fuck it up over and over again."

Feeling as though she wasn't going to do it again but was also unsure of herself and what she was capable of doing. Who was to say this would be her only instance of suicide? What if she'd just unlocked a side of her that would always act on it now, knowing what it felt like and knowing she couldn't feel a thing? She didn't know just what she'd gone through in those moments when doctors rushed to save her life...so what would the difference be if she didn't feel it? That was what scared her now.

Maddox had glanced at Jeremy and Harper wondered what his next question would be. But when the Doctor asked her who she felt closest to now, asking if there was anyone she could turn to with anything...it all made sense. A while back, if faced with this question, Harper's immediate answer would have been Billy. The pair of youngest siblings were nearly inseparable, from Harper's birth right up until a few months ago. She knew all of his secrets, he knew all of hers and they would take it to the grave with them if requested. But the answer to the question he had was a no-brainer now, "Jeremy. And no it's not just because he's sitting right here." Harper said immediately, though she couldn't bring herself to look at him as she said it. Her cheeks warmed, feeling embarrassed that she had answered so fast.

"I mean...my family, they've been there for me in the past. But even as I was completely losing myself, Jeremy was there to remind me of who I was and who I could still be." Harper bit down on her lip, "Even if in the end...I didn't listen. I'm not exactly known for listening well, though." The woman tried and failed to make a joke the humor lacking in her voice as she shook her head. "But my family...while...I think this has been a struggle for them, they are my support network too. I haven't exactly been the easiest to deal with Dr. Parker. I won't deny that."
with: Maddox Misty Gray ; Jeremy BasDorcha

 

[Misty Gray]

The Back Alley Pub
~ London ~

Trevor Stewart​

Trevor had struggled over the last week. Most nights when he went to bed, he spent much of the night lying awake thinking about Harper and the state he'd found her in at her apartment. He was far from squeamish, so the sight of blood didn't exactly faze him. It was the fact it was his daughter bleeding and the circumstances that surrounded him needing to save her life. It hadn't been an accident; Harper had tried to kill herself on purpose. He couldn't help but think about what would have happened had he not decided to go see her or had he note stuck around outside her apartment long enough to hear her call for help. Perhaps this was another way he was being punished for his many mistakes, in which case he had to take what was thrown at him. And whilst he could take credit for saving Harper's life, that idea what taken away from him very quickly as he believed he shouldered a lot of the blame for his daughter wanting to kill herself to begin with. He would never know for sure, but he told himself Harper would never had gone down such a dark path had he not walked out on her and their family all of those years ago. He wasn't convinced he could have saved Laura had he stuck around, but maybe if he hadn't been selfish things could have been different and Harper could have grown up happier, knowing her mother.

He hadn't yet been to visit Harper in the hospital since the night she was rushed in. With someone from the family always there, he didn't want to cause any upset or overstep his boundaries. Thankfully, he had May to keep him updated on the situation and to let him know when Harper was awake. Having not heard from May for a couple of days, he could only assume his newfound daughter didn't have any updates.

The night of Harper's suicide attempt had brought with it a revelation, with Trevor finding out May was his daughter. Like with Harper, he was shocked to find May was giving him the benefit of doubt and allowing him into her life. That evening over a week ago had ended up with even more emotions for Trevor than just those reserved for worrying about Harper. His shock and disbelief hadn't lasted long, with Trevor facing up to the truth and accepting May was his daughter. What had caught him off-guard was May saying she wanted him in her life. Not only that, she assured him she wanted him in her kid's life. With both Spencer and Alex refusing to let him see either of their sons, it meant a lot to Trevor that May would allow him to meet at least one of his grandchildren. Whilst he knew his kids owed him nothing, it meant a lot to know that both Harper and May were open to give him a chance to prove he'd changed. As an extra step to his commitment and knowing he couldn't expect to live off the money he'd made from selling his business, which had taken a large cut once he'd paid off his debts, he'd even been applying for jobs. A couple of days ago he'd had an interview for a salesman position at Carter Technologies and he was expecting a call from the company on Monday. Having never really lost his silver tongue and persuasive skills, he thought the interview had gone quite well.

With everything that had gone on and the ongoing shock at finding Harper the way he had, the temptation to turn back to his old ways had started to plague him, if only to block things out for long enough to give his mind a break. Trevor had been able to fight off the urge to get blind drunk and hadn't entertained any thoughts of turning back to drugs when the ideas surfaced his mind. He'd forced himself out of the house more, whether it was pushing himself to exercise or attending some kind of event. Museums, gigs, anything he could think of the distract his mind from straying into unhealthy territories. It was hard, but Trevor was convinced he could battle through his current challenge.

Tonight, Trevor had gone out to a pub he'd heard had a live band playing. It sounded like his kind of thing so he figured it would be better spending his evening there than sat at home waiting for the phone to ring. He'd sat himself at the bar, having struck up conversation with another drinker about his team's winning football matches from earlier that day. Plus, the 40-something-year-old chatty barmaid had been enough to keep Trevor occupied by the bar at the same time.

With the band still sound testing, Trevor wasn't in a rush to find a table closer to the stage, but he did still take some time to look around at his surroundings. His eyes soon landed on Philip who was with who Trevor assumed was one of the man's sons. Although their last conversation had gone relatively well, Trevor debated whether it was right for him to approach his brother, especially if the man didn't want him near his son. After some deliberation, Trevor decided it was better to face this situation head on rather to plead ignorance and not make the effort he wanted to. With his barely touch pint in his hand, Trevor approached Philip's table, sending both him and Abel a friendly smile. "What are the chances, huh?" he remarked. "How are things going, Phil?" he asked. Regardless of the casualness of his greeting, it was likely written on Trevor's face that he'd had a rough week since they'd bumped into each other at the care home. He was about to introduce himself to Abel, but decided to leave it in Philip's hands as to whether he wanted the younger man to know who he was. "Have you seen this band before?" he asked.

BasDorcha (Philip)

 

[Bellz]

Natasha McCarthy
Adam Harper's Bachelor Pad
~ Dublin ~​

Natasha wasn't known for being smug, always the sweet girl next door of the bunch. But seeing Leo squirm under her gaze gave her such a sense of power that she couldn't help but smirk. All of the innuendos were making her blush despite the smirk on her face, retaining that she was trying not to break first. When she punched his arm, he took a step back and she rolled her eyes. "Oh you are such a baby!" She said and Leo told her to relax.

"I will have you know that I'm as cool as a cucumber okay?" Nat smiled, the smirk falling away as she broke her smug expression. She continued to turn her attention to the candles still needing to be lit but as Leo said that the proposal for her would be so romantic it would quote 'knock her socks off' Natasha looked back to him. He said that they both knew he wasn't exactly the romantic type but Nat couldn't help but disagree.

Sure, Leo wasn't necessarily the type to always think of romantic things but that's what Natasha loved about him. He was unconventional when it came to love. She didn't need an old-fashioned man asking for her hand, giving her flowers, and telling her sweet nothingness day in and day out. She just needed her best friend as he'd always been with her. Someone Natasha could turn to when she needed to vent, someone who would hold her when she cried. Simply put it, Nat just wanted Leo to be himself. They grew up together, there were no secrets, why should he change just because they were dating now?

Leo then asked what being married to him looked like for her. How many kids they were talking to and where they were living? Natasha wasn't caught off guard by that question like he might have been with hers. She had been thinking about what her ideal life looked like even before they started dating. There just wasn't a man to fill the space in her head. When he made yet another dirty joke, Natasha just scoffed and waved her hand at him.

"What does being married to you look like to me? Huh? Well, I guess it doesn't look a whole lot different than it does right now." Natasha murmured, looking at him with a shy smile. "Kids? I mean, I've always wanted two. Make sure no one is outnumbered. Collin and I have always had each other and each other alone. But I'm open to discussing the possibility of more. I have no preference on gender because I know either way I'll love them fiercely." The color rose to her cheeks as she thought about it all. It wasn't something she exactly shared with most people. While it wasn't a secret...it was just something she never entertained outside of her own head.

"I always wanted to live in the countryside. I loved that when I was younger when you were in the states. Mam and Dad had this nice house...not too big...but not too small. We had animals. It was always so quiet and at night you could see all of the stars." Biting her bottom lip, Natasha shook her head softly. Those memories were becoming distant and it was hard to remember more than that. It made her sad. Deciding to save herself from falling into any sort of depressing moment, the blonde turned to Leo, walking towards him. Leaning against the table that didn't have any candles near her next to him, she sighed. "But besides all of that, I just want things to never change between us. As in I want us to continue to be best friends as we've always been. Just because we might be married or have kids, I don't want us to change. We can love each other and still be the best of friends. We are proving that now. I just hope that never changes." Nat then reached out to poke his bicep teasingly, "Plus, you don't have to be romantic with me. I've known you all of my life, love. Don't change for me."
with: Leo Melanin-Gxdess

 

[Misty Gray]

The Royal London Hospital
~ Tower Hamlets, London ~

Maddox Parker​

Maddox observed as Harper admitted that she didn't feel like she deserved to be sitting there talking and holding Jeremy's hand. Although it potentially wouldn't lead to further drastic measures from her, the way she said she didn't feel like she deserved another chance at life still couldn't be taken lightly by him. Her negative words about herself and dismissing the fact she deserved to live were potential warning signs there was a likelihood she could fall towards attempting to end her own life again. As things stood, Maddox had very little reason to believe her family would be equipped to handle Harper and best approach her psychological needs, regardless of how much they loved her.

Harper told him she felt closest to Jeremy, prompting Maddox to send the man in question an encouraging smile. He firmly nodded when Harper assured him she wasn't just naming her boyfriend because he was present in the room. He was glad to hear her speak so highly of Jeremy and make it clear she trusted him to be there for her. Regardless of the decision Maddox would come to, she would need people like Jeremy to be there for her. It also sounded like Harper trusted her family to remain her support network too and from what he knew, he believed they were still keen to show her their love and support. For the imminent future, however, he wasn't convinced they would be able to offer the appropriate help she needed.

"Thank you for being so open with me, Harper," he told her as he retrieved his paperwork from where he'd set it down out of their way. "I need to speak with Dr. Miller before I finalise my evaluation. I'll be back in ten minutes," he told her, not wanting to leave her and Jeremy waiting too long.

Maddox had pretty much made up his mind about what was best for Harper's recovery before he'd stepped out of the room to complete the paperwork. It was a decision he never liked coming to, but he couldn't let sentiment overrule what was the wisest thing to do. From his conversation with Harper, he believed there was still a strong chance she could attempt to take her own life again. There was a high likelihood that one more argument or one more setback could push her back towards drugs or suicide. Whilst it was clear Jeremy and her family cared about Harper, he didn't believed they would be able to give her the kind of care and attention that would be needed to help her fully recover. It was for the safety of both Harper and her unborn child that the only justifiable decision Maddox could come to was to have his patient temporarily sectioned rather than allow her to be sent home at this stage.

After speaking with Dr. Miller to confirm both Harper and Jeremy were aware of the woman's pregnancy, so he wasn't going to let anything accidentally slip, Maddox returned to the room where the two were waiting for him. Having left the finalised paperwork with Dr. Miller, Maddox's hands were free when he entered the room. Standing at the end of the bed, he looked to Harper, his gentle and reassuring eyes making contact with hers. "Having spoken with you and reviewed your situation, I have made the decision that you will need to be sectioned under the Mental Health Act. You will need to stay in a mental health facility for at least 28 days so we can ensure both your own safety and that of your unborn child. I will make sure I'm in frequent contact and kept up to date with your care and needs," he assured her.

Bellz (Harper)
BasDorcha (Jeremy)

 

[Bellz]

Harper King
The Royal London Hospital
~ Tower Hamlets, London ~
​

When Dr. Parker thanked her for being so open, the woman tried to give him a smile as she nodded her head once but her heart wasn't feeling it. Her lip twitched but that was it. When he said he was going to speak with Dr. Miller, the woman didn't say anything. Once the door was closed, Harper had to blink back tears as they stung her eyes. Even in her sickest form, Harper could understand exactly what she'd said to Maddox and what the outcome was going to be. Everything she said wasn't normal but it was her normal. Harper hadn't exactly put it all together until she spoke with him, but she'd felt like this for a long time. Far before she was old enough to do well, just about anything.

Years of smiling through the pain, masking her emotions the best she could in order to keep the stress down for her family. It had been so convincing, so fucking convincing that it became her new normal. The heaviness she felt in her chest was indescribable at the realization that she even convinced herself of being fine. Her family had been overprotective enough without her telling them just how much she cried, just how much she wished she was someone else. Just how much she wished that something would take her out because she was too scared to do it herself. The thoughts telling her to jump in front of a car, or drink herself to death....all of it.

Suddenly remembering Jeremy was next to her, the woman bit down on her lip, giving his hand a squeeze as she looked at him. At first, she couldn't find the words to say, then her eyes looked at the flowers and the box. "You spoil me rotten, you know that?" Harper's voice broke before letting out a shaky laugh. "Quite the upgrade from the books you forgot to give me in your car, whatever it is." The humor was barely there in her tone but she was trying to make light out of a very bad situation. More for him rather than herself. Whatever Jeremy said, Harper's response was put on hold as Dr. Parker walked back into the room.

Harper met his eyes and it was hard to read his face but still, she already knew what the decision would be. Despite knowing, the words were hard to hear. He mentioned it was for the safety of both her and her unborn child. That made her heart drop into her stomach. It's not that she had forgotten, but...the reminder still was shocking. It wasn't just about her anymore, it wasn't just her life that depended on her getting better. For all the years she fought with her family about not ending up like Laura, not doing the same things her mother had done...now was her time to put her money where her mouth was.

Harper wanted to believe that even if she wasn't being sectioned that she would have learned from all of this but...she knew deep down that she probably wouldn't have. Help, something she always tried to tell people she didn't need, was exactly what she needed now. And whether with her permission or not, she was getting it. She didn't dare look at Jeremy as she nodded her head, accepting what Dr. Parker said. "Thank you, Dr. Parker. For everything, really." Her tone was genuine. Harper knew it wasn't easy for him having to deal with this day in and day out. Somehow she was feeling more sympathy for him rather than herself.

When Maddox left, Harper couldn't hold in her tears any longer. The wave of emotion made her feel nauseous. Her hand moved out of Jeremy's to meet her other one, covering her face as she silently cried. When she did pull her hands away, the woman let out a shallow gasp of air, her body shuddering with it. "I know I'm awake, but this all just feels like a bloody nightmare. 28 days in a mental facility. That's nearly a month! I just-" A sob tore through her chest and she let out a frustrated groan as she tried to rein in her cries. "What parent goes to a fucking psych ward? What if I go in there, get out, and just you know, not learn my lesson?" Harper looked to Jeremy then, her eyes searching his for any answers, any reassurance. "God, I mean, at this point Alex is a more well-adjusted parent than I will ever be and our kid is like what? The size of a bloody raspberry!"

"This person...whoever I am now, can't possibly be the one you fell in love with or the one you want to have your kids. I feel like I'm caving in on myself and I don't know how to stop it."
with: Maddox Misty Gray ; Jeremy BasDorcha

 

[Misty Gray]

The Sullivan Family Home
~ Dublin City Centre, Dublin ~

Conor Sullivan and Adam Harper​

In the moment when it was just Aliana and him, the woman took the time to address Adam in private. He stopped to listen as she mentioned they hadn't had time to talk lately. He nodded in agreement, aware a lot had been going on in both of their lives. When she thanked him for taking care of Blake, he couldn't help the smile that formed on his face as he thought about the woman he loved. "I love her and all I want is to make her happy. Even if she'd just wanted to stay as mates, I'd still be here for her," he assured Aliana.

When they were all sat down, both men listened as Aliana spoke about the whiskeys she'd been asked to try. Despite listening, the two men's focus was clearly split as they spent much of the time glaring at each other, almost to the point where it could appear they were sizing each other up. Conor snapped out of it when his wife said they'd all try the drinks together and the two men could make up. He couldn't help but send his wife a smirk. When she asked what they should try first, he pointed to the drinks. "We'll try all of them first and see where that takes us," he said, not committing to making up, especially not if it meant him apologising first.

Despite Conor's words, Blake went on to further drill Aliana's point home by telling both him and Adam that drinks would be easier if they got their apologies out of the way. With his arm around Blake, Adam gently rubbed her shoulder in a reassuring manner as she told them how fighting over her made her feel bad. He hated arguing with Conor too, as she was right that they were mates, but he couldn't ignore the way his boss had been talking about him. He couldn't let him suggest he didn't care about Blake and go around saying he would hurt her. When she asked Conor why it wasn't enough that he made her happy, Adam looked to the man across from him to see his reaction.

"Blake, I'm glad Adam makes you happy and that's all I want for you. I just don't want you to get hurt again. Whether it's through him getting bored and mucking around with other women or him ending up getting killed," Conor explained.

"That's all bollocks and you know it. You're still clinging on to who I used to be, like you didn't make mistakes in the past. You changed and stopped fucking around, just as I have. And, whatever I was guilty of in the past, I never cheated on anyone, so don't insinuate shit that doesn't apply to me. I've never cheated and I certainly wouldn't mess Blake about like that," he said, unconsciously rubbing Blake's shoulder as his arm remained around her.

Conor pinched the bridge of his nose before letting out a relenting sigh. He knew by now that he was being unreasonable and those around him were right that he didn't have any right to judge Adam and he couldn't keep butting into Blake's business. Yet, he still didn't feel like apologising for trying to protect Blake. He certainly wasn't going to apologise first. "I get it, I need to let Blake control her own love life and trust you're not going to mess her about. But I ain't apologising first. You should apologise for punching me."

Adam couldn't help but scoff and throw his head back to briefly look up to the ceiling. He lowered his head again and looked back at Conor. "You fuckin' serious? You were being a dick about all this first. I smacked you because you pushed me - literally. With those big fucking arms of yours. Natural response to some aggressive bloke pushing me is to fight back and don't pretend you wouldn't have done the same. You goaded me into that and you know it. I'll apologise for hitting you when you apologise for instigating it and questioning my integrity. You questioned my commitment to Blake because I risked my life to save my daughter. You acted like I should've just left Elena and not tried to save her."

Conor smirked at Adam before shaking his head. "I was questioning if you considered Blake at all while you did that. Then you made some remark about the Kings killing some of my brain cells - questioned my intelligence. You told me to get my head checked and went on to punch me. You crossed the line first, so you apologise first, mate."

"I punched you because you got in my face and pushed me backwards. You started this by talking bollocks and then throwing your weight about to try intimidate me. Just admit some responsibility, would ya?" Adam said. Although he'd been willing to apologise, he felt like he had to stand his ground for now.

Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana)
Bellz (Blake)

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Excalibur Hotel & Conference Centre
~City of London, London~
Darcey Hargraves & Alexander King

​

After the exciting week Darcey had had the last thing she wanted to do was attend an important event. She feared she wouldn't be able to hide the stress from her face and remain engaged in conversations for too long. No one wanted to converse with someone who couldn't be any less interested in their chosen topics. And while Darcey didn't necessarily care, she knew how important the event was for Bruce and therefore decided to suck it up. It'd been a long time since Darcey busted out the good dresses and took proper time and care to fix up her hair. While she definitely took her time each day, tonight's gala preparations had taken two days. With everything seeming to go so wrong this was the only thing in her life she could seem to make go right. It was a struggle though, trying to remain focused on the night and not her struggling family, but for Bruce's sake and to keep his stress down, she was going to do it.

The family all seemed to arrive within moments of each other, though May had come up missing. Darcey figured she'd lost track of time and told herself not to worry too much about it just yet. She knew something strange had been up with her but in order to save herself from jumping to conclusions, she hadn't said anything to her yet. Darcey was going through the siblings that had arrived - Billy, Spencer, and Alex - when the latter informed them all that Harper was awake and that he'd just been by to see her. Darcey felt a huge weight leave her shoulders, however, still felt weighed down by other stressors. She was awake and that was great but... What now? What did this whole thing mean for her and her future? Did she even remember what had happened or was it a horrible nightmare to her?

Darcey had been so distracted by her own thoughts she nearly missed the question posed to her by Lilith. She'd been gushing over Eddie, Shona standing with him in her arms, and brought attention to Darcey herself. Clearing her throat, Darcey shook her head with a smile. "Oh, no no," she stated, a faraway look in her eye. "The Kings kept me plenty busy," she joked. "I mean, I see them as my children, a lot more these days, and that is plenty for me, I think." Lilith apologized for having taken so long, to which Darcey merely shook her head. She actually appreciated how long it had been since she needed to play nice to mob wives and play her role. Though currently, that may not be the case, the latter still applied. "Please, don't apologize. If it's not the likes of my family that keep me busy then it's work. I completely understand." She raised her champagne flute to her lips, suddenly finding her thoughts lingering on Lilith's final words. 'You'll never know when it'll be your last.'

Darcey knew there was no way the woman could have known about what transpired with Harper nor how impactful her words were going to be. The smile on her lips faltered as she tried to keep her emotions in control. Her family had been arguing, saying things that would never matter a few years down the line. During a time when they should've been close together, they weren't and it killed her inside. It took Harper nearly ending her life to make them all realize it. Sending a knowing glance to Shona she smiled and returned her attention to Lilith. "You don't know how right you are, love." Before she was able to say anything more, Alex approached them excusing himself for interrupting. With a gentle hand on her elbow, Alex brought her off to the side. "What's wrong," she asked her voice low and any sign of worry off her face. "May's not here. Chrisitan just showed up askin' for her so me, him, and Billy are gonna go looking." Darcey nodded her head in understanding. "O-Okay..." Alex could tell, just based on the tone of her voice that she was about to start worrying and quickly moved to reassure her. "Don't worry. You just keep playing housewife and we'll find her," he joked, kissing her forehead.

Darcey moved back towards Lilith and Shona with a smile planted on her face. "Sorry. Sometimes I wish they'd use their own brains and let mine take a break for a change," she joked, covering up the real reason Alex had pulled her to the side.

Meanwhile, Alex wasn't exactly upset about being pulled to the side. Galas were his least favorite things in the entire world. Even more so when he couldn't be present with Kerry. He understood how upset Moretti made his girlfriend and the last thing he wanted was for her to be triggered. And considering how pissed he was with Gabe for kidnapping Callum back and getting Savannah shot he was more than liable to say and do something he regretted. So while he didn't like the nature of the reason he had to be leaving he was willing. But, also because it was May. He hadn't exactly had a chance to apologize to her just yet. Helping his brother and employee look for her, well, that was a grand gesture in itself, he thought.

But going out to look for May wasn't entirely for his own benefit. She was, without a doubt, a King which meant he wasn't going to just let her come up missing with no explanations. Alex promised Laura that he was going to protect and take care of his sister; that promise extended to the one she didn't know about too. Sitting in the passenger seat, he listened as Billy explained how upset he'd be if they found May at a pub. He chuckled, loosening up his tie. "Relax, Billy. I know you're excited to see her," he said, in terms of Harper. "We'll all go to see her but," he paused, taking a moment to consider his words. "Maybe one at a time. Can't overwhelm her." Alex then turned his attention to Christian, patting him on the shoulder. "Now, troop leader, got any info on my sister's whereabouts or what?"

---

Adam Harper's Bachelor Pad
~Dublin~
Leo Sullivan​

Leo found himself staring at Natasha a bit longer than he'd meant to. For what reason, he couldn't say for sure, but he did know he'd never get tired of it. The way she smirked at him and the little crease in her eyebrows. The crinkle at the corner of her eyes when she smiled at him. He noted every little feature and some of his favorite things about her; things he'd come to love. Things that as a kid he probably wouldn't have appreciated. However, as an adult, he found them endearing. When she looked at him he worried that he had just been caught staring. Then he started not caring about it at all. She could catch him staring. He had no shame when it came to her. She repeated his question and Leo set down the candle he was working on to give her his undivided attention.

When she explained that she didn't think it looked different from how they were now, he smiled. He always worried that things would change; specifically, the dynamic between the two of them. While Ali and Conor had been role models in terms of marriage, he wouldn't exactly say they were the best. The arguments and disagreements and even the brief separation had Leo wondering if he would end up like them. And sure, they worked things out at every turn, but what if he and Nat couldn't? The thought of it caused the smile on his face to waver but he wasn't going to let her see that. Not when they were having such a nice moment talking and painting a picture of what their future could look like. At the mention of wanting two kids, Leo chuckled and tried biting his tongue, only it didn't seem to work. "Well, with how attracted we are to each other, I don't think two kids is all we're havin'. Just saying."

As Natasha painted a picture of where they'd be living, he couldn't help but wonder just how much she was reminiscing on her past life. At one point in time, her life was... Normal. She didn't have to watch her mother stumble home with bruises and cuts and be told lies as to what happened. And if her father hadn't come to New York then she wouldn't have had to suffer without him. And if he had just agreed to stay out of the family business then maybe she wouldn't have to suffer period. Again his smile wavered as he thought about the future; about what she could possibly go through in the future and suddenly he felt on edge. His hand shook and in an attempt to hide it from her, he scratched the back of his head and chuckled. "Countryside it is," he said, nodding his head. Noticing the look on her face he nodded his head towards the door. "Why don't we go to that field so we can look up at them when we're done and drop off Collin?" He suggested. Seeing her looking so solemn was never something he wanted.

He watched as she moved next to him - Leo moving to stand in front of her with his hands on her waist. It was a simple enough request, really, that she was making of him. For things to remain the same. For the two of them to never change and always remain friends. Which was something he wanted as well. But even more so he wanted them to always be together and work out their shit. "Mmm okay. I'll agree on one condition," he stated, placing his hands on her cheeks. "We talk, okay? We work our shit out right then and we don't hold anything back from each other." After leaving a lingering kiss on her forehead he smiled. "You know, I know what that means, right? You telling me I don't have to be romantic doesn't mean you don't want me to be. Sneaky, sneaky."

---

Sullivan Family Home
~Dublin~
Aliana Sullivan ​

Blake hadn't missed a beat when it came to backing up Ali's statement in the two men making up. Ali's gaze followed Blake's as she looked at Conor, noticing the smirk on his face. "You're not the only person who gets straight the point, darling," she stated, patting his knee. He went on to choose what he'd have preferred to start with and of course, it was the whiskey. As Blake drove her point in further Ali picked up the blend as suggested by Blake, raising the glass to her nose. She tried not to make a face at how strong it smelled, listening to Blake state how the two men were friends and shouldn't be acting this way toward each other. Ali nodded her head in agreement, before letting her finish. "Funny, Blake, because Conor said something similar to our son not too long ago," she turned to Conor, tilting her head to the side. "Didn't you?"

Turning her attention back to Blake and letting the men size each other up, Ali pointed to her cup. "It smells strong, but like. Fruity," she said before lifting her glass to her lips. She knew you weren't supposed to really drink it and it was more so tasting it, but with how stressful the night was going to be she didn't care. After a few seconds, Blake - which turned into Aliana also wanting to know - why it hadn't been enough for him. Sipping the blend in her hands she looked at him and awaited his response. And damned if she didn't want to smack him upside the head. She swore the man she Blake as a little sister; a little sister who had never been in a relationship or something before. As much as she wanted to interject she knew better so she just enjoyed the fruity-tasting whiskey in her hands.

Adam seemed to repeat earlier words from Ali's mouth to Conor a week ago and she shot her husband a knowing glance- eyebrows raised. It was more an I-told-you-so sort of thing and she was relishing in it. She didn't care if he got upset with her later for it, so long as he understood that sometimes she did make sense. Taking advantage of the silence, she set her glass down and looked at Blake. "I like this one, actually. Fruity whiskey is interesting, normally abhorrent, but this one goes down smooth and doesn't leave a bad aftertaste." Though she did want the two men to reconcile, she also wanted to get through the whiskey. The next on the tray was the scotch and Ali treated it the same way she did the blend, Conor speaking up again. While it seemed like they were making headway - Ali smiling and giving him a reassuring pat on the thigh - that smile was quickly wiped away. She let out a scoff and rolled her eyes. "For fuckssake," she muttered, sniffing her glass. Immediately she turned to the side and sneezed, excusing herself. "Peppery," she said to Blake. "I hate peppery."

Again, not wanting to interrupt, she silently tasted the scotch making a face. She absolutely hated this one and it showed, but no comments until Conor and Adam were done talking. She did, however, snicker when Adam commented on Conor's arms and immediately raised her fingers to her lips to silence herself. "Sorry, sorry." Shaking her head she cleared her throat. "Okay, well. I- it's. You're getting it all out in the open, I guess, but that's not enough." She looked between the both of them. "Responsibility, gentlemen. We taught this to our children let's put it into practice, huh?" Lacing her fingers together she turned to Adam. "You're going to take responsibility for punching Conor in the face," she raised her hand to stop him from interrupting. "And for saying what you did," though she may not have shown it, hearing about the attack on Conor had shaken Ali a little. She didn't want to be reminded of one of the worst days of her life but she was doing her best not to show it. Turning to Conor, she rested her hand on the back of his chair and pointed at him. "And you, Mr. Tough Guy. You're going to take responsibility for getting it there in the first place. I don't give a fuck about titles or rank or any of that right now, okay?"

 

[Pyroclast]

Excalibur Hotel & Conference Centre
~ City of London, London ~

Bruce King​

It was hard for Bruce to know what to do with himself while Harper was in a coma. It wasn’t the first time she had been in hospital for a long time, and Spencer and Billy had also suffered long-term injuries in recent weeks. But the fact that it was for a suicide attempt that had put her in that state, and the not knowing whether she would wake up or if he would ever be able to let her know how sorry he was, made it the hardest waiting game Bruce had ever played. Despite the intense panic attack he had experienced at the hospital, he wasn’t really concerned for his own health. As long as it never happened again, he was sure that he just needed to take a moment to breathe and he would be able to face whatever he needed to face. Of course, finding such a moment was easier said than done - he tried to rest at home with Darcey, but his mind remained with Harper, worrying endlessly about her.

In addition to that, Callum also returned to London - a move that Bruce wasn’t expecting the Morettis to make. The fact that they had used violence to bring him home disturbed him - it was hard keeping a child completely out of a family feud, but the shooting of his mother and use of chloroform to subdue him made him furious. Bruce normally wouldn’t hesitate to confront somebody who he felt had wronged him, but with everything else that had already happened, Bruce decided that for the time being he would try to focus on seeing Callum’s return as a positive thing. Having been left wondering how long it would be until they could see him again, Bruce was relieved to finally have the boy back home, and of course Alex was made up about it, as were the rest.

After a week of focusing on his family, it was time for Bruce to get back to business. The formal gala was an opportunity to represent King Remedial, as well as to rub shoulders with other significant business owners and investors that could be useful to know someday. The family that Bruce was most interested in speaking to on that night, of course, was the one responsible for putting on the event to begin with: the Carters, of Carter Technologies. It had been some time since he had caught up with Isaac, Ezekiel and the rest of the family, having already come to be on good terms with them through previous social events and existing business ties, and while Isaac rarely showed up at such events anymore, it was still a valuable use of his time to meet with his proactive and ambitious son, Ezekiel.

In spite of the challenging week his nephews had faced, Bruce was glad that they had all been willing to come. The news that Alex brought of Harper waking up from her coma filled him with indescribable relief and a strong urge to abandon the event to go and greet her. However, as seemed to have become the norm with his family, it wasn’t long before they found themselves faced with another worrying situation. Billy and Alex had to leave with Christian to search for May, whom nobody had seen or been able to reach. Bruce hoped it was nothing, but he was well past the point of relying on hope after what had recently happened with Harper. Sending three of his men out to track her down was enough to ease his mind a bit for the time being, but he wasn’t opposed to leaving the event a little earlier than planned if he still hadn’t heard any news from them.

For now, Bruce settled down at a table with Darcey as Ezekiel mounted the stage to give his speech. While the man’s father, Isaac, was the official boss of Carter Technologies, all Bruce could see up on that stage was a leader who would take the company far. He was pleased when the man didn’t hesitate to come over and greet them after his speech was over. Ezekiel was no doubt going to be popular all evening given the moving reasons behind his generous donations and the fact that many of the guests would already be familiar with him and wanting to catch up, so Bruce took it as an honour that the man chose to speak to him and his family. After a sweet but brief catch up with the ladies, Ezekiel led Bruce and Spencer over to an empty table to talk business, leaving their partners to chat amongst themselves.

Resting his hand against the base of his champagne glass, Bruce set aside his concern for May and Harper and focused on making the most of Ezekiel’s company. He fired a friendly grin his way at the offer of new equipment for King Remedial’s chains. “Ever the generous man, you are,” he commented. “We appreciate your support, Ezekiel. Know that any new equipment we’re in need of will be ordered from your company - we only want the best.”

Bruce caught the way Ezekiel eyed Spencer, subtly drawing attention to the man’s lingering cuts and bruises from the recent attack. He then less subtly asked them how they were all doing in the wake of all the violence that the Kings had been involved in. Despite Bruce’s respect for the younger man, he couldn’t bring down his walls when discussing something so sensitive as their war with the Sullivans. Ezekiel reminded them of his father’s declining health, suggesting that the stress was a major contributor to his current physical state and that if they weren’t careful, they could end up declining in the same way. “Relaxin’ is a luxury we can’t all afford, Ezekiel,” Bruce chuckled, taking a sip from his champagne. “It’s the hardest part of this game, is catchin’ a break from the stress. When things are goin’ well, they go really well, but when they ain’t…” He shrugged. “It’s like one long winter, ain’t it, Spence? You forget what it’s like to feel the sun’s heat. You just endure, brace for what’s to come, and wait for the sun to come out and shine on ya’ again.”

He didn’t want to go into any detail about how the war with the Sullivans was panning out, so instead he redirected the conversation. “And you seem to be doin’ well?” he commented, gesturing at the busy event unfolding around them. “It’s a great thing you’re doin’ ‘ere, Ezekiel. A powerful speech you made, too, might I add. Takin’ a business like this into your hands ain’t easy, but you don’t show any sign of slowin’ down and I admire that. You got that confidence from your father.” Bruce turned around briefly to acknowledge Lilith, noting that she seemed happy chatting to Darcey and Shona. Setting his attention back on Ezekiel, he asked, “And how’s he doin’ these days, your father? And Lilith and the kids. Is Xavier gettin’ on okay in school?”

Interactions
Misty Gray Ezekiel, Spencer
Melanin-Gxdess Alex, Darcey (mentioned)
BasDorcha May (mentioned)
Bellz Harper (mentioned)

 

[Misty Gray]

The Sullivans Pub
~ Dublin City Centre, Dublin ~

Dermot Murphy and Emery Callahan​

When Marco's attention settled on her, Emery met his eyes as he informed he and Dermot were indeed working. "Undercover, huh? Whilst I'm sure Michelle and I can keep you gents entertained, I think we'll draw too much attention your way and blow your cover," she assured him, with a playful wink.

Marco feigned heartbreak when Dermot declined the drinking contest. "Hey, I'm serious. I need to be in control of myself when I'm around such company. I might not be able to help myself..." he suggestively trailed off, sending Michelle and Emery flirtatious looks. "Besides, Michelle. None of the other men in here are as experienced as we are. They wouldn't know how to handle you." When his friend suggested it was perhaps the two ladies they were supposed to look out for, Dermot nodded in agreement. "Yeah, someone has to keep you two firecrackers out of mischief. Guess by coming over, you nominated us two lucky blokes."

As they walked to the booth, Emery sat down first, with Marco taking a seat next to her, following by Michelle and Dermot sitting down. "I'll have you know, I'm friendly both sober and drunk," Emery responded to Michelle's comment.

"You sure about that? You forget I've been present whilst you've being on the job, Miss Callahan. Even I don't want to get on your bad side. Well.. not where business is concerned," Dermot remarked.

"Hey, it's not my fault if guys find me intimidating. What do you say, Marco? You afraid to take me on too?" she asked. She then looked to Michelle, wondering if she was doing well at keeping any awkwardness away. Even if she wasn't, she was having fun messing around with the guys. When Michelle asked what she should do with the last shot, Emery cocked her head to the side. "If you're too afraid you can't out-drink me, hand it over here and I'll knock it back," she playfully teased.

Melanin-Gxdess (Marco)
BasDorcha (Michelle)

The Paddy Pub
~ Dublin City Centre, Dublin ~

Olivia Sullivan and James Porter​

Olivia had decided to make an effort for her date with Samuel. As well as styling her hair, she'd put on some make-up, a short black dress and high-heeled shoes. She decided the man was giving off vibes that he was genuinely interested in her, so she was happy to make the effort for him now. She'd told James and Lucy she was going out on a date, but not to ask any more questions as she'd report back when she felt she had enough to tell them. She loved them, but wanted them to stay out of it when things were still at the dating stage. She didn't want guys to feel overwhelmed by them so early on.

When she heard the knock at the door, Olivia called out to say she'd answer it and in the process reminding everyone not to join her. When she opened the door, she flashed a broad smile as her vision landed on Sam. "Well, you look nice," she told him, an uncontrolled smile lingering on her face. When he handed her the gifts, she took them from him and looked at the flowers and chocolates for a time. "Seriously?" she asked, looking back to him. "They actually sell spider-shaped chocolates?!" she asked, a grin forming on her face. "That's so cool. And the flowers - they won't die and need throwing away. I love them!" she enthused. "I mean... I..." she began, hoping she wasn't coming across as too enthusiastic and excitable. "I'll pop them inside and then we can go," she said, buying herself a moment to overcome her blushing.

Whilst Olivia walked with Samuel to his car, James stood at the living room window observing them. He'd already taken note of the young man's car and registration details. Even if he was one of Thomas' friends, it didn't give him immunity from James' scrutiny. The older man retrieved his car keys and called out to Lucy to let her know he was heading out for a bit. Albeit, once he'd let Samuel and Olivia leave first, so they'd be comfortably unaware.

Olivia and Samuel had a nice dinner before the young man drove them to the pub. When he tried to explain is choice of venue, Olivia shook her head. "It's okay. I don't mind drinking here. I have nothing to hide. I just wanted to minimise the number of family members who could cramp our style," she joked. Samuel helped her out of her seat, but in a way that had her press against his chest, their faces looking directly to each other in the moment. She felt the energy between them and wondered if he was going to kiss her. She wanted him to kiss her. However, he soon ended the moment and made a joke about waiting until they were inside before dancing. "Nah, I'm not desperate for a dance," she assured him.

The blonde laughed when Samuel suggested causing a scene, mentioning how it would make James aware of them then. "Ah, I'm pretty sure he already knows. Even if Thomas didn't say anything, the security guard watching my place the other night reported back anyway. No privacy there," she complained. "But, James hasn't mentioned it. Probably realises he doesn't need to get involved now I'm a grown up."

BasDorcha (Samuel)

 

[BasDorcha]

The Back Alley Pub

~London~
Phil and Abel Stewart​

Abel was busy watching the waitress as she moved across the room to get their orders, still glancing back at him periodically. "Think she'll let me ask her out?" Abel was daydreamy as he spoke, completely unaware of his surroundings, and so Philip was not surprised when Trevor approaching them startled his kid. He just rolled his eyes, as he looked at his son for a moment, before looking up at Trevor, "Did we ever look that fucking dopey when we watched girls walk away?"

Shaking his head, he waved at a seat for Trevor to sit down, the waitress returning with the bourbon and Coca-Cola. He quickly switched the drinks around, taking the bourbon and handing his son the coke before he could have any of the alcohol. "You want that girls attention? You don't want to end up revealing you're a lightweight. Maybe get some more practice first." Phil teased his son, mixing the two drinks together before splitting them evenly between himself and his kid, handing it back. Abel looked at it with almost a relieved face, glad to see he didn't have to actually drink it straight up.

Whose this dad?" Abel looked up, first at his dad then at the man who had joined them. "You know, you two could be brothers!" He got all excited like it was a genius idea before looking at his dad to find the same stoic expression of disbelief on his face. "What? Did I say something wrong?"

"Abel, this is my brother, your uncle, Trevor." Phil nodded towards Trevor, looking up to see his brothers face. "This is my oldest son, Abel." He gave them a moment to shake hands or whatever they chose to do, before sitting back with his now bourbon and coke, sipping it Abel turned back around to watch the band, and the girls, while leaving Philip and Trevor to have a more one on one conversation. "I've never seen the band, the kid said they were supposed to be alright though." He looked Trevor over, his eyes seeing some signs of distress on his face, but his eyes were sharp and clear. A good sign that it wasn't drug induced, or alcohol induced.

"What's wrong? Not to be an ass or anything, but your looking like hell. Rough week?"







The Hospital

~Bethnal Green, London~
Jeremy Gray​

Jeremy looked between the two in front of him. Maddox was highly unreadable for the most part, probably a skill of his profession to keep his eyes from giving away everything he was thinking about his patient, but Harper was an open book. He could see the pain, hear the sorrow, and feel the fear coming from her. He could feel the inevitable coming, as Maddox asked more questions. He loved her dearly, but if the doc thought that she needed even more help, would he be able to let her go for that?

He hadn't missed the smile from Maddox, returning the sentiment with a cool nod. He wasn't being cocky per say, he just knew that lately, physically, he had been the only one there for her. Everyone had been so busy with the rest of the goings on, that Harper's recovery had taken a back seat - as long as she was alive and well, they had to focus on the things that might result in someone NOT being alive and well.

When she told him that he spoiled her rotten, he lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles tenderly. "Well, I needed to find a way to say-" It was cut short as Dr. Parker returned. He looked up, and a dark feeling hit his stomach. He could see the decision in his eyes immediately, and it was soon confirmed. Harper thanked him, Jeremy leaning over to shake his hand as he left before returning to Harper's side. Instead of the chair, he moved to sit beside her on the bed, wrapping an arm around her shoulder to pull her against him. At first he just let her cry, rubbing a hand soothingly up and down, shushing softly. "Hey, it's okay… You kow what kind of parent goes to a professional institute? One that wants to get better and help their child to the best of their abilities."

Reminding her that going WAS the grown up thing to do may not have been the best thing for her at that moment, but he needed her to see that going wasn't a bad thing, it was a good thing, it was going to help her be herself again, even if he wished he could have been the one doing it for her. "Harper, I know right now love it feels like nothing is going to help… but a month is a short amount of time considering how long you've been letting all this build. Twenty-eight days in exchange for possibly twenty-eight years. I'd say that wasn't a bad trade off. Don't get me wrong… I'd rather you be home with me, but I'm also not a professional, so maybe it's better that you're not with me. I am not educated in the way they are."

He reached to the side table, picking up the little box, before handing it across his chest to her. Inside the box, on top of the necklace, sat a handwritten note: "To the mother of my children, I will love you always." He waited for her to read it, then examine the necklace, offering to put it on for her. Afterwards, he would cup her face gently in his hands, making her look him in the eyes as he told her, "I love every version of you, no matter when or where. You are the only woman I want to have my children, and the only woman I will ever give my heart too. We will make it through this, together."

Misty Gray - Trevor
Bellz - Harper

 

[Misty Gray]

Excalibur Hotel & Conference Centre
~ City of London, London ~

Ezekiel Carter and Spencer King​

Though he was aware getting to the end of the evening was going to take a lot of effort and patience, the present interaction at least gave Spencer some hope the evening wouldn't be too difficult to get through. Ezekiel was very sure of himself, but the man's friendly and charming demeanour didn't rub him up the wrong way like it did with many powerful or alpha males he interacted with. While Gabriel's attitude grated on him, he found Ezekiel to be more down-to-earth and easier to find common ground with. As far as the legal side of the Kings' business went, the Carters were certainly a business partner Spencer was keen to connect with and maintain a positive working relationship. He was sure Bruce felt the same too.

Despite his favourable view of Ezekiel, it did take conscious effort for him not to be caught off-guard when the man drew attention to his healing wounds and mentioned the violence that had been finding its way to the Kings. Bruce was quick to respond and keep the conversation level in his response to the suggestion of relaxing.

"You make a valid point, Bruce," Ezekiel responded to the idea of them not affording the luxury of relaxing. "My father worked hard to build his business and in an industry, and city, as thriving as ours, you've got to stay on top of your game. There will always be someone waiting to seize the opportunity should we turn our backs for too long," he casually suggested. "We just have to find that balance, don't we?"

Spencer nodded when Bruce spoke about how they had to endure and be prepared for whatever was to come. "That's right. Between Bruce, me and our other employees, we've got a good handle on how to brace ourselves through the winter. We're a resilient bunch, as I'm sure the Carters are too," he said, sending Ezekiel an assured smile.

Bruce went on to compliment Ezekiel's speech and his role in ensuring the charity event got off to a good start. "I believe if we put enough into the community and the businesses around us, we'll be rewarded with strong connections through the forging of a positive reputation." He smiled broadly at the suggestion he showed no signs of slowing down. "You're right, Bruce. If anything, I'm just getting started. I have a vision for the Carter businesses which my father is happy for me to strive towards. He certainly instilled the confidence and work ethic into me from early on." He wasn't aware of the situation between Spencer and his own father, but Ezekiel had got to know the man and his uncle during their business together. "I see similar in the two of you. I like your strong work ethic and motivation to succeed, Bruce, and I can tell it's rubbed off onto Spencer here." Although as it stood, Ezekiel was practically one small step away from running the business, he was presently on equal footing with Spencer as far as official position in their respective businesses went. With Bruce and Isaac the leaders, Ezekiel and Spencer were the heirs. They also had age in common, but it was clear as day that their upbringings had been different. Ezekiel had a consistently stable family unit and was sent to a prestigious, and expensive, private school, whilst Spencer's childhood was a very turbulent one and he attended state schools. However, the evidence sitting right in front of him was proof to Ezekiel that success wasn't necessarily bought or inherited, but it had to be worked hard to achieve. He respected the Kings for that work ethic.

When asked about his father, Ezekiel was a relatively open book with the Kings. It was no secret the man's health was declining and it certainly didn't affect the stability of the business, given Ezekiel was already practically running things already. "My father is struggling quite a bit now, especially with mobility. Unfortunately, his conditions, especially the conditions associated with ageing, can't be cured with my technology or your medicines. Still, he remains positive and full of ideas, as ever," he commented with a light chuckle. "Lilith is as amazing as always. It's great that she and the ladies get along," he commented, briefly looking to his wife, Darcey and Shona. Looking back to Bruce as he directly asked about Xavier, he lightly nodded. "He's doing well. The boy is very intelligent and loves computers. He's also big on sports and athletics, which unfortunately has take the biggest blow since the tumour started to affect him. He's aware he might not be able to pick up to the level he'd been aiming for before he became ill, but I respect his willingness to keep trying. We're just going to have to have some very realistic conversations at some point," he admitted, aware his son might have to limit how much he pushed himself physically given the long-term effects he may have to live with.

"Now, how about you gentlemen? How is your family getting on?" Ezekiel asked. He looked to Bruce and flashed him a knowing smile. "Are you and the glamourous Darcey together? You certainly both look the part this evening."

Spencer couldn't help but smile at the man's question and he turned to look at his uncle to catch the man's expression. Bruce and Darcey had been a mystery to their own family for quite some time, but Spencer was pretty certain by now the two were romantically involved. Having had the woman present his entire life, it was something Spencer was in support of. He only wished they'd got together much sooner.

Pyroclast (Bruce)
Mention: Melanin-Gxdess (Darcey)

On the Road
~ City of London, London ~

Christian Brooks​

Christian hadn't been in the best of moods since his conversation with Spencer, three days ago. Not only had he been told to break things off with May, but also to stay in Watford for a couple of days to follow up on some leads about her father. When it came to his work, he didn't have much choice in the matter. He was being paid to investigate Trevor and bring results back, which he would put all of his efforts into. However, his relationship with May was separate from that, as far as he was concerned. Moretti had found Callum because he had more money and unsavoury contacts available in Europe to widen his search, therefore it was unfair to blame Christian's personal life for not finding the boy first. Christian was still firm that it was his own choice whether he ended things with May or not. The fact that she'd already told him she loved him did add a dilemma, however. He needed to decide if he was in the relationship for the long run, if he felt himself falling in love as she already had. He didn't want to end up breaking her heart later down the line.

The rush back to London in time for the gala had left Christian with little time to get ready. Thankfully, Spencer was attending the event too, so Christian at least didn't need to call in to brief his employer on his findings. He was still on the fence about how his information regarding Trevor's former Watford business would be taken. From what he'd found out, the man had taken out a loan from a very unsavoury organisation in order to help cover the cost when he first set up his business. It had been around 12 years ago, the time in which Trevor had briefly returned to London only for Spencer to pay him to disappear again. Given the man's poor reputation with money and addiction, it had transpired that Trevor hadn't been the best at keeping up with his loan repayments. It seemed to point towards the man's hospitalisation four years ago following a hit and run being a warning from his unpaid creditors. From what he gathered now, the loan had since been paid in full and Trevor had sold his car sales business in Watford. Christian wasn't sure how Spencer and Bruce would take the information, but he was inclined to believe the man had returned to London with good intentions. However, he knew he wasn't paid to give his personal opinion and he expected they might think his relationship with May was making him go soft on the case.

Once he was ready, Christian rushed straight to May's place to pick her up, managing to arrive right on time as they'd planned earlier in the week. He was surprised to find her place in darkness and the lack of answer to the door made it clear she wasn't home. He decided to head to the gala venue in case there had been a change of plans and she'd gone with Darcey. Unless she was upset with him, it seemed off to him that a note hadn't been left anywhere for him. Then, to find out she wasn't at the gala gave him more cause for concern. After using the public phone to call May's place with no answer, Christian returned to the Kings and expressed his concerns to them. Alex and Billy agreed to help him look for May.

Had he not been involved in the recent altercation with Josh, Christian was sure he wouldn't have been quite so concerned. It was also that bust-up with Josh that had led Christian to keep tabs on the man, up until a couple of days ago, of course. In the car, Billy's comment about being annoyed if May had ditched to go hang out at a club caused Christian to shake his head. "No, I don't think it's that. Not after she had that arsehole hassling her last week. It just doesn't feel right..." He briefly fell silent before answering the man's question. "I spoke with her three days ago, just before I had to go off-grid on a job for Spencer," he explained, not sure how much they knew about the said job. "We were definitely both still going to the gala when we last spoke."

When asked if he had any information on May's whereabouts, Christian nodded his head. I have some places in mind that I came across when keeping tabs on Josh. My notes are at my place, but we can try the ones I remember before heading to get my papers." The first place he wanted them to try was Josh's house. When they got there, the door was answered by Josh's mother, but his twin brother soon stepped in to answer their questions about Josh's location. The brother informed them of Josh's work location, which added up to one of the places Christian had on his mental list to check next. The interaction ended with Josh's brother warning them he was a psycho, which Christian felt he was already fully aware of based on the short time he had spent in the bastard's presence.

Once back in the car, Christian addressed Alex and Billy. "We should go check this Medina House place. From what I've gathered, he uses it for dodgy business, slinging drugs and the like," he explained, aware that likely already crossed the boundaries of operating on the Kings' territory. As they set off to head to the address, he looked between Alex and Billy again. "Are we prepared should this be some kind of a trap? Josh's brother seemed genuine when speaking to us, but what's to say he hasn't now called ahead to give some kind of warning?"

Pyroclast (Billy)
Melanin-Gxdess (Alex)
Mention: BasDorcha (May, Josh)

The Back Alley Pub
~ London ~

Trevor Stewart​

Trevor caught the way Abel was daydreaming in the direction of the pretty young waitress and it didn't take a genius to figure the kid was attracted to her. When Philip asked if they ever looked that dopey watching girls walk away, Trevor shrugged his shoulders. "I sure hope not. Besides, I was usually walking away with them..." he joked, but fell short in the presence of his nephew.

Philip invited Trevor to sit at the table and so he did, setting his pint of beer down. He watched on as his brother set about sorting his and Abel's drinks, clearly not trusting the teenager could handle the bourbon the way it was. He grinned when Philip pointed out girls wouldn't be interested if they realised he was a lightweight with alcohol. "Your old man's right. Take it easy and build up the tolerance."

Trevor raised a curious eyebrow when Abel pointed out he and Philip looked like they could be brothers. He shifted his focus to Philip who looked shocked the kid could be oblivious to the glaringly obvious. When he was introduced as his uncle, Trevor reached out to shake his nephew's hand. "It's great to meet you, Abel," he told him. Since reconnecting with Philip recently, Trevor couldn't escape the thoughts that his past behaviour has deprived his kids and Philip's of knowing each other. The cousins had never been able to meet because he'd walked out on Philip, their sister and mother all those years ago.

With his nephew focused on the band and no doubt the girls, Trevor was able to speak directly with Philip. "I haven't seen this band before either. I just saw there was some live music on here tonight and figured it was better than sitting in front of the TV all evening." He was surprised that his brother asked what was wrong. It was no doubt obvious how rough he looked, but he hadn't expected Philip to care or be interested enough to ask. After brief hesitation, he nodded his head. "Yeah, it's been one of the roughest ones," he admitted, letting out a deep sigh. "My um... My daughter, Harper, has been having a hard time and last week I found her in her apartment..." he trailed off, careful that Abel wasn't listening in. "Thankfully I got there when I did and she's recovering in hospital now." He thought about the rest for a time before deciding his brother wanted the truth and also appreciating being able to talk to someone about what was going on. "I also found out I have another daughter. I wasn't exactly careful years ago... But she actually wants to get to know me and even told me she's pregnant; wants me to be in my grandkid's life." He let out another sigh. "So yeah, it has been a pretty rough week. I'm sticking around though. It's not made me want to do my usual disappearing act. I'm applying for jobs and had an interview the other day, which seemed to go well."

BasDorcha (Philip)

The Callahan Family Home
~ Sutton, Dublin ~

Savannah Callahan​

Savannah held Roxie tight for comfort as her friend encouraged her to let out the upset and heartbreak she was feeling. After a time, she released her friend but remained close to her as the tears continued to stream down her cheeks. She tried to control her breathing on Roxie's suggestion, struggling to catch her breath back. She quickly nodded when her friend said she knew how she felt, given that she'd only recently lost Matthew. Savannah used the sleeve of her own jumper to wipe away the damp tears from her face.

She lowered her head when Roxie assured her she didn't really want to die, not when Callum was still out there. "I'm losing everything, Rox. I sacrificed the career I had in London to try find happiness here in Dublin, with the people I love. But all I found back here was more pain and war, more risk to my boy's happiness. Nowhere feels safe and without Callum, I don't feel like I have the energy to keep fighting. I've had to put up with this family's business since even before I was born and I just... I don't have it in me to stay strong anymore." She slowly shook her head. "I'm in love with Danny and he feels the same about me, but it doesn't feel right dragging him into this. Everything around me falls apart. Everyone I know gets hurt. He'd be better off without me too. Hell, maybe Callum will be better off without me in his life now."

Roxie said they would find Callum, but Savannah shrugged her shoulders. "He's with the Kings. I'm certain of that," she told her. "I just don't know how I'll be able to see him again, with them and my family at war. I don't want Conor, Syd, or anyone else butting into this. Throwing their weight around and causing more pain. I just want to be able to see my boy. If I could talk to Alex... Oh, but if he didn't already hate me then he will by now. He'll never let me near Callum again after I took him away. I don't know what to do," she cried, resting her head against Roxie's shoulder.

Bellz (Roxie)

 

[BasDorcha]

Medina House

~Somewhere near Bethnal Green, London~
Maeve Thatcher​

~Current Day~

May sat in the dark basement, leaned against the wall listening to whatever noises she could to remind herself to constantly be on alert. She had given up physically fighting him after the first day because she was hoping to protect her unborn child. She wasn't sure how long she'd been gone now, but surely someone must have noticed by now she wasn't around or coming back. Christian could find anyone, right? That was the hope she'd been holding onto, that Christian and her family would come for her. Every bad thought a person could have went through her head during her time down there, everything from reliving trying times with her mother, to all the problems she'd had since coming to London. She thought about the bombing, and for the first time, really cried about it. She hadn't realized how much she had been holding in about it.

Knowing that she had some connection to the people who did that made her feel much more guilty than she let on. Only now did she admit it, when it felt like the time was possibly soon to be her last. She wondered what the statistics of surviving something like this was, and how those were affected day by day. Would she ever get to meet her child? Tell Christian? She had told Trevor he could be a part of the baby's life. She might never get to do that again either.

It felt like the world was trying to pull the King's apart at their seams. Harper tried to kill herself, Spencer almost died recently, Bruce could have had a heart attack, Billy was struggling to accept it all and Alex had just come back from a near nervous breakdown due to his son. Most of these things happened to maybe one in four people, but it was happening to all of them all at once, and now, even May was being pulled by life in a different direction, a possibility of never again seeing sunlight not a shock to her.

Then she thought about the fact that she was maybe better off here, out of the way. That's how Harper had felt wasn't it? That it would be better if she was gone? Did Harper really believe that? She had so many people who loved her, and if she thought leaving was the way, maybe May would be better off staying gone too. The sounds above her sounded like ships horns going off, so she figured she must be near the water somewhere. The men above could he heard all hours of the day, but it was impossible to tell how big the room was.

Could be a big room, small basement. They were at least equal in size. Somehow, she didn't think this basement was on the map.

 

[BasDorcha]

The Paddy Pub

~Dublin, Ireland~
Samuel McKinsley​

Sam blew a quick ragspberry from his lips as she mentioned James not getting involved because she was grown up. "From what I know of your father, and you know, folk lore from late night gatherings, if he's not involved yet, he will be. It's okay though, when you're ready, I will gladly talk to him about you being my girlfriend." The words were out his lips before he could stop them, a light blush coming to his cheeks as he kept his eyes up, greeting the bouncer at the door.

Once inside, he found them a booth near the pool table, waving down a waitress to come and take their orders. Sam was already on a good roll, having done a few bumps and smoked a joint on the way over, he was ready for a mellow night getting to know her. When the girl came over, he barely glanced at her to acknowledge her, his eyes on Olivia exclusively. The girl, obviously familiar with him, gave a pouting face, rudely ignoring Olivia. When he saw that the girl - Jane - did not offer to take her order, he turned, a cold scowl on his face.

"Jane, I'm sure there's a good reason for your attitude, but I don't care enough to ask as I am already preoccupied with my date here, as I'm sure you can see. So I'm sure you walking away without asking her what she wants is just a slip of the mind that you'll be correcting, am I right?" The girl gave him a sadden look but quickly bounced back with a flounce of her hair and rushed off, sending a different server over who looked awkwardly on the spot.

"Hey Irene, please, my normal, and whatever the lady wants." He gave the girl a smile who nodded, taking Olivia's order. He turned to Olivia, giving her a boyish smile, "So I get the feeling you're the kind of girl who likes to win at things. I thought we might have a little competition tonight, over a game of pool. Every shot you make, you can ask me one question I have to answer, and vice versa. Sink the eight ball before the end of the game, and you have to kiss me. Win the game, you can ask me for anything you want."

He jerked his head towards the table where the last set of players were clearing away as if they knew he would be taking it over, or maybe it was just a coincidence, but in either case it was open now, and ready for them.

Misty Gray - Olivia Porter

 

[Bellz]

Natasha McCarthy
Adam Harper's Bachelor Pad
~ Dublin ~​

Natasha had scoffed when Leo said that he thought two kids weren't the only kids they'd be having. "Oh come on, I have self-control. You're making me wonder if I need to start doubling up on my birth control or something." The blonde rolled her eyes, though the smile never left her face. She noticed Leo's smile waver ever so slightly but decided to not draw any unwanted attention to it and ruin the moment they were having. When he agreed on living in the countryside, Natasha was surprised at just how easy it was to talk with him about this stuff. For the briefest moment in time when they were broken up, she wasn't sure what her future was going to look like then. Despite them being a newer pairing, Natasha had found it easy to think about the future they would have together, but she knew conversations like this scared him. So him going along with it was refreshing.

Leo mentioned going to the field so they could look up at the stars together once done and drop off Collin on the way. A genuine smile graced her face once more, though the solemn look in her eyes was hard to disguise. "Sounds like a fabulous plan, darling." She murmured. Her smile stayed steady as Leo moved to stand in front of her, his hands on her waist. They moved to her cheeks, forcing her to look into his eyes as he said he'd agree on one condition.

"What condition is that, Leo?" Her voice asked, higher pitched with curiosity. He then told her that need to talk, to work their shit out right then, and not hold anything back from one another. Natasha's eyes closed as he kissed her forehead, his lips against her skin soothing. When he pulled away, her smile only grew before she rolled her eyes at his next words. "I mean it! I just want you to show me you love me through a language you are comfortable with. No extravagant gestures or gifts. Unless you really want to give me a gift I mean, I won't pass up on one." The woman's eyes crinkled as she laughed, teasing him before pulling him closer to her, hands tangling in his shirt as she did.

"But I promise to always talk it out with you. You might regret that request later down the line if you really tick me off, mister but..." Her hands untangled from his shirt, smoothing out any wrinkles she had made with an affectionate swipe of her hands down it. "I love you. Even when you are the biggest pain in the ass, I don't think I'll ever stop loving you. Together or not, you've left your everlasting mark on my life, Leo Sullivan. And I will always be eternally grateful for it. Good or bad. I can't see us ever drifting apart."
with: Leo Melanin-Gxdess

Blake McCarthy
Sullivan Residence
~ Sutton, Dublin ~​

Blake was being incredibly reasonable being as cheery as she was about this. In reality, she was very much annoyed by it all but she thought she was being perfectly reasonable right now. Ali, of course, the beautiful vixen understood exactly where she was going with it all. Blake had given the woman a brief smile. Conor explained that he was just not wanting her to get hurt again and she understood that but his words following that sentence were out of line. Opening her mouth to speak, Adam beat her to the punch causing her to snap it shut. When Ali reached for the blended sample, Blake did much of the same watching her friend take a drink. Blake just knocked it back, the taste was...not her favorite but it would do for the moment as her nerves were close to obliterating.

Adam defended himself and Blake knew he didn't need to. His arm rubbed her shoulder and she found her attention on him as he spoke. It made her sad that he even had to defend any past actions. Blake didn't give a shit what his past had been like, she had a past of her own. But she wanted to make a new future, rewrite the present, and just be with him. Her kids were growing up with Natasha already of age and Collin would soon follow, why wasn't it enough for Conor to just take her word for what made her happy? Jackson always took her word, never doubted her. She wondered if Ali had been the one to lose Conor and if her late husband would have been so adamant about protecting Ali's feelings. The thought made her equally as solemn.

Ali stole her attention, telling Blake that she liked the blended one. "It's not my favorite, but it's alcohol so I certainly can't complain much." Blake said, her feelings over the conversation now bleeding into her interaction with Ali. Blake shot her an apologetic look, trying her best not to get overwhelmed. Conor then brought home the point that he got that she was in control of her own love life and trusted that Adam wasn't going to hurt her which gave Blake some point that the conversation was going to turn. But all of that was ruined the minute Conor said he wasn't apologizing and that Adam should apologize first.

Blake let out an audible groan, moving to grab the next glass with Ali. She wasn't in the mood for tasting anything anymore, she just wanted to get so fucked up at this point that it would all seem like some annoying dream in the morning. Downing it in one go, the blonde struggled to keep a disgusted look off of her face this time around. "That's...ugh." She said after Ali mentioned it smelled peppery. "I don't think you're going to like-" Ali sipped it before she could tell her that maybe she should skip it. Her best friend made the same face she had been trying so hard not to make. It had only momentarily distracted her from the bickering being done by these so-called men.

They were both completely skirting around the points being made previously. Arguing over who started it. Children, that's what they were being. Ali had laughed at Adam's comment but Blake couldn't find the humor in it. Not when she felt so caught in the middle of who to side with. Did she even have to choose a side? Blake was silent as Ali told them that responsibility was what they had taught their children and to put it into practice. Blake watched them both as Ali gave them a talking-to, she saw something shift in her face but any concern she had for her bestie would have to wait.

There was a moment of silence between everyone as Ali said what the men were going to do and Blake knew it was her turn to give them a talking-to. But she felt the alcohol kicking in a little too quickly and it made her head spin. A weird overwhelming feeling flooded her and tears stung her eyes. Grinding her teeth, she cleared her throat and looked from Adam to Conor and vice versa. "We shouldn't have to be here. Mediating this conversation. You both are old enough to be grandparents. Fuck, Conor, you do have grandkids. We are role models, we have little ones looking up to us. Even the not-so-little ones who are looking to us for guidance and to model themselves after!" Blake's voice had an unexpected emotion to it that caught her by surprise. "You both are lucky enough to be here on this earth, to watch your kids grow. I don't think it's fair of you to be wasting what you have on something as trivial as this. And if I mean anything to either of you, you will apologize to me. Stop putting me in such a position where I feel like I have to choose. That's unfair. I love you both so much even when you both are being absolutely dickish!"
with: Adam + Conor Misty Gray ; Ali Melanin-Gxdess

Harper King
The Royal London Hospital
~ Tower Hamlets, London ~
​

Jeremy's words were kind and rational but the irrational in her wanted to debunk it all. Going to this hospital was the most adult thing she could do for herself but the idea of leaving everyone behind while she faced it alone was terrifying. Harper normally wasn't one to shy away from anything in her life, very much the type to face things ahead but this wasn't just anything. When the person she had to face was her own self...there were days when she couldn't even look in a mirror...how the hell was she going to do this?

When Jeremy reasoned that a month was a short amount of time considering how long she'd been letting this all build, she knew he was right. But it was hard considering that the way she was functioning was all that she allowed herself to believe. That things had been fine and that this came out of almost nowhere. "I'd rather be home with you too." She said dejectedly, moving to wipe at her eyes again as she cuddled closer to him. "I think it'll be better on you too, I know how much this is getting to you. And don't try to tell me to not worry about it, I can't do that." Harper's voice cracked and she watched as he reached for the side table. The small box that she'd briefly forgotten about was presented to her.

Her fingers lightly traced the box, admiring it for a moment before opening it. Harper took the note off to examine the necklace first, a warmth that she felt had been lost forever spreading through her chest as she couldn't help but smile. It was a real one as she looked at the detailing. Despite the clear aging, it was simple yet beautiful. Harper had never been one for flashy jewelry. The idea of having the biggest diamond ring or necklace always mystified her. Her hands moved to the note and when she read it, her bottom lip shook as she smiled even wider. "You cheeky cheeky man. It's absolutely beautiful. Thank you! Harper let him take the necklace out of the box to put it on for her.

She lifted her hair, which she was sure was a mess at this point. When he was done, Harper dropped her hair and moved to look down at it around her neck for a moment, admiring it. Her gaze was pulled when his hands cupped her face, pulling her attention to him. Their eyes met and Harper remembered when they had locked eyes the night of his party when they were out on his porch alone. The feeling that it gave her, was the exact feeling she had now. The warmth of feeling like she was at home instead of in a hospital bed surrounded by equipment. His words caused her to smile again through tears that poured down her face with no signs of stopping. "I love you." She murmured. "Always and without a doubt forever." Harper moved her hands to cover his on her face, slowly moving them away to allow herself to shuffle over on the bed.

The blonde was crying all the while but it was something she couldn't and wouldn't stop. Not when she had denied herself of it for so long. This time, the tears that fell were happy ones. Patting the space next to her, Harper waited for him to move next to her before cuddling into his side. The PA system outside was the only noise between them as they sat in silence, Harper's thoughts were only on this moment and that's the only ones she'd allow to surface for the time being. Despite the necklace having only been placed on a few moments prior, her fingers already toyed with it anxiously. The metal felt familiar oddly enough like they had grazed it before rubbing it whenever she was lost in thought or nervous about something. "In a month I'll be back home. And then I can properly make things right with you and everyone else." Her voice was soft as she thought about it all. Harper knew she would spend the rest of her life making up for what she'd done but she would do it if it meant never having to let go of him.

"A month I'll be home and then you can suck me into all of the baby prepping you read up on. Because besides being a super cool Auntie, I don't know the first thing about taking care of a tiny human. And if they are anything like me, sweet Jesus, Jere. That's a whole lotta mouth on that kid." It was a nice and welcomed distraction, even though she knew she'd need to focus on herself once in the psych ward. Right now, she could just focus on what made her happy. Even if in the beginning she had been so unsure of herself, the idea of a little baby to cuddle and love was starting to grow on her. "That's two of the smart-ass remarks, the eye-rolling. But of course, they could be more like you which is the much more preferred option. I don't know if I can handle my own attitude being used against me." A genuine laugh escaped her as she shook her head. Harper's hand that wasn't holding the necklace moved to rub his chest lightly, her head resting further on it. "It might go without saying but either way, I'm going to love whoever they turn out to be. Endlessly without any conditions to it, just as I love you."
with: Jeremy BasDorcha

 

[Pyroclast]

On the Road
~ City of London, London ~

Billy King​

The point that Christian made about May's recent experience of getting harassed was enough to convince Billy that it was at least unlikely that she would have gone out to a club. However, even if they could rule out that possibility, it only left more room for something worse. Billy would be annoyed at her for ditching the gala to do something more fun, but he would get over it. It was the thought that something might have happened to her in the three days that none of them had spoken to her that spurred him on.

For the time being, he had to try to put Harper out of his mind. He had to relax like Alex was telling him and focus on finding May instead. Christian explained that he had some ideas of where she might be, and the mention of Josh suggested that he suspected someone was involved. “Josh is the arsehole that hassled her, yeah?” he asked, trying to follow along. He had been so preoccupied by Harper that he had missed much of what else was going on.

The stop they made at Josh’s house was strange; they were met by the man’s mother and his twin brother, who were cooperative in helping them find him despite not knowing who they were. It was the warning of Josh being a ‘psycho’ that struck Billy the most, though - clearly his family didn’t want to defend him, and Billy got the feeling they hadn’t been the first people to come knocking on their door asking about Josh.

Given that Christian already had the most prior knowledge of Josh, Billy was happy for him to lead the operation, and so took his suggestions on board. Hearing about a house where Josh carried out his shady business painted a picture in Billy’s mind that evoked a distinct sense of danger. Perhaps thinking the same thing, Christian brought up the possibility that Josh’s twin brother could have directed them there as part of a trap and asked them if they were prepared. Billy sighed. “I got my Bulldog on me, and the ammo,” he confirmed, as he began to unfasten his bow tie. He might have to mourn his suit after the night was through, but at least he could save the tie from getting bloody. “That and my knife.”

Having never met Josh Medina, Billy couldn’t be scared of him, but what he was worried about was the possibility of finding May with him at the house. If a fight did ensue he had to make sure she didn’t get caught in the crossfire. “Christian, when you say this guy’s an arsehole,” he said. “Are we talkin’ scumbag lowlife civilian? Or is he, you know…in the game?”

Killing Aidan had been a shock and while there had been plenty of other things occupying his mind since, Billy still got an uneasy feeling when the man’s face popped into his head, or the kids that had sat hunched over his body and mourned him. He had always been reasonably confident at fighting until he had crossed that line; now, he was afraid that he was held back by a fear of going too far. He kept having to remind himself that in an ‘us or them’ situation, he had to defend his family first and foremost, whatever that took. He just hoped he wouldn’t end up holding back if Josh Medina put May, Alex or Christian in danger.

Interactions
Misty Gray Christian
Melanin-Gxdess Alex
BasDorcha May (mentioned)

 

[BasDorcha]

The Back Alley Pub

~London~
Phil and Abel Stewart​

Phil gave his brother a small grin when he joked about walking away with the girls, raising his eyebrows in concession. He also appreciated Trevor backing him up on the slowing down his liquor consumption, he didn't want Abel to get to a point where he could just drink and drink. Alcoholism ran in the family, it's why Phil only drank the occasional hard alcohol and mostly stuck to mixed drinks.

Abel on the other hand shook Trevor's hand with a nice strong grip and told him it was nice to meet him too, but it was obvious that while he had a look of interest at realizing he'd just met his uncle he'd previously heard about, like most young men, the women held the majority of his attention. Being new to London, he hadn't made a lot of friends yet, and he was looking for someone to take out once in a while. Abel dreamed of having a love like his father and mothers, together for ever without any doubt they'd still be together in the future. That's what he wanted.

Phil had turned his attention to Trevor, swirling the alcohol in his cup while he listened to him talk about his week. Part of him tried to say it was only because he wanted to know what the man was up to, to be able to judge whether he was being legitimate or not, but subconsciously he knew he was interested in learning about the man who had been so distant in his life for a long time and he had wanted to know. For now he wasn't comfortable mentioning that as it would mean letting Trevor a lot closer than he wanted to at this point - after all the man had still been a shit for as long as he could remember.

Hearing that he had a niece who had tried to kill herself shocked him, the emotion evident on his face and shadowed with a sadness that came with knowing he had nieces and nephews he didn't know, and possibly already had lost a chance to get to know if they were already passed. "I'm sorry to hear that… It's a good thing you were there then. I'm sure they can appreciate that." Little did he know, the King's were not quite so ready to accept him with open arms. "I hope she gets better soon, it's not an easy thing to go through."

What did surprise him was hearing he had found out he had another daughter. "Wow, another kid huh? That makes what.. Five? I think I remember hearing about four back in the day. If she doesn't already hold something against you, I suggest making the best out of it. I wouldn't give up knowing even one of my children." His voice trailed off as he realized how it sounded, eyes dropping to the table with a touch of embarrassment, quickly pushing past the unintended inference. "Where did you interview at? Not looking into construction jobs are ya?" There was a bit of a humors tone to his voice. The company he owned now did not carry his name in the company name, so many did not realize the original owner had passed it on to someone else. If Trevor was applying at any construction companies, he'd have to have his folks keep an eye out for his resume.

Misty Gray - Trevor

 

[Misty Gray]

The Sullivan Family Home
~ Dublin City Centre, Dublin ~

Conor Sullivan and Adam Harper​

When Aliana began talking to the two men about responsibility, Adam and Conor locked eyes with each other in a brief moment of solidarity that came from the shared awkwardness. "Oh jeez..." Adam then mumbled as he pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath. Conor meanwhile couldn't help but snicker, though the smile soon dropped from his face as his wife pointed at Adam. He nodded in agreement when the man was told to apologise for punching him and for commenting about his cognitive functioning. The other man simply glared at Conor before looking to Aliana and allowing his eyes to soften. The woman then directed her attention to Conor, telling him to apologise for letting things escalate to begin with. He shrugged his shoulders at mention of titles and ranks. Had he wanted to pull rank, Adam wouldn't be sitting anywhere near his home in that moment, he thought.

A short silence followed and Adam's focus sat mostly on Blake as his arm remained around her. Whilst he didn't believe he instigated the fight and wasn't the one who should rightfully apologise first, he decided he'd just swallow his pride and be the first one to apologise, otherwise it would be a long and tiresome evening. Not to mention, what he had planned for him and Blake would no longer seem appropriate. However, before he could open his mouth to begin apologising, Blake cleared her throat so she could address him and Conor. Adam gently rubbed her shoulder as he noticed the tears in her eyes. It hurt to know she was upset because of him and as she pointed out the two men were old enough to be grandparents, he slowly retracted his arm from around her to give her some space to get things off of her chest.

Conor let out a sigh when reminded he was already a grandparent. He wasn't oblivious to the fact he could be stubborn and childish, at times both. He nodded in understanding when she pointed out they were lucky to be alive to watch their kids grow. Of course, he was aware Jackson wasn't there to do that. It had been that which had got Conor stirred up with Adam to begin with, but he knew by now it wasn't what Blake wanted and Jackson wouldn't want to see him acting that way either. Conor unconsciously moved his arm to rest around Aliana's waist. He looked to Blake and it hurt to see her so upset, not to mention hearing how his fight with Adam had put her into an uncomfortable position. "I'm sorry, Blake. I never meant to put you in that position. I love you and I know this ain't the way of showing it," he told her. Sitting back, he looked to Aliana and sent her a gentle smile. "Sorry, love," he told her, knowing it wasn't easy for his wife either.

Although Adam had been about to apologise before Blake had spoken, he couldn't help but wonder if anything he said now would feel like he'd been pushed into it. Would it still hold the same validity if it seemed like it was being done to stop Blake from feeling so bad? After a brief moment of questioning himself, he decided to push any doubt aside and just go with it as he'd intended. It was everyone else's choice how they chose to receive it. Whilst Conor had apologised to the two women, it didn't escape Adam's attention he'd not received an apology. Whilst he did want to say sorry to Blake and Aliana, he knew that wasn't what they'd been waiting for and it wouldn't solve the issue itself. "Conor, I'm sorry I punched you and made those comments about your brain. I know your head's in the game else you wouldn't be running a business like this. I felt like my integrity was being questioned despite all the commitment and loyalty I've given to your family's business for most of my life. But I should have spoken about it with you like an adult, with a level head." Leaning forward, he grabbed a random glass and knocked back one of the shots, not giving much thought to the taste or need to compare it to the other samples.

Conor faintly smiled before addressing Adam. "I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have butted into your relationship with Blake. I know you're a good bloke and you wouldn't do anything to intentionally hurt her. You're both grown ups and know where you stand, and any risks. It's not for me to question that." He paused to clear his throat, knowing he had to get something else out of the way. "As for my criticism of how things went down at the cabin, I can't say I wouldn't have done the same. Your kid needed you and you had to go help her. It's because you are good at what you do that you did get out of there alive. I'd have fucked it up in there," he admitted. "I guess that's why I employ you to do what you do. I need your intelligence and experience on my team."

"I accept your apology," Adam confirmed before reaching out to knock back another drink. It was clear from Conor's words that he hadn't terminated Adam's employment and was keen to get him back working. Adam turned to Blake, keeping his eyes on her even as he continued speaking to Conor. "If it's all the same, I'd like a few more days off. I've got some personal matters to tend to," he trailed off, unable to take his apologetic, yet loving, gaze away from Blake.

Conor let out an exaggerated scoff. "Suppose I can't argue with that," Conor relented. He then looked to Aliana. "He's just milking this for some time off, right?" he playfully asked.

Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana)
Bellz (Blake)

The Back Alley Pub
~ London ~

Trevor Stewart​

Trevor had to take a drink of beer as he saw the emotion on Philip's face upon hearing about Harper's suicide attempt. It wasn't so much that he needed a drink, but he figured the action might help wash away his own visible emotion and allow him to keep a controlled manner about himself. He'd spent much of the week able to address his feelings in the privacy of his own home and he certainly didn't want to subject Philip to it. His brother wasn't obliged to care about him and he didn't want him to put him in an uncomfortable position of having to. "Things are tense where my kids and their uncle are concerned. But for a change, my presence was a good thing," he admitted. He nodded in agreement at Philip's hopes for Harper to get better soon. "So do I. She's got plenty of support now, I'm sure." Even though she always had plenty of people around her, Trevor had come to suspect they weren't exactly providing the kind of care and support they thought Harper needed. He got the feeling, no matter how drastic it had been, that her suicide attempt would now make the Kings realise they needed to change the way they protected and showed their clear love for her.

Trevor nodded in confirmation when Philip counted up his number of kids to five with the revelation of May being his daughter. "Yeah, three sons and two daughters," he clarified. He felt ashamed to know his actions over the years had meant his and Philip's kids had been deprived of knowing each other, that they'd had cousins and extended family around in all of this time. He blew out a breath at the comment of making the best out of it if she didn't hold anything against him. Given that only two of his kids were willing to give him the time of day, the comment was certainly good advice. His brother then made the comment about not giving up knowing any of his children, which of course hit home where Trevor was concerned. He noticed Philip's embarrassment upon realising what he'd said. He gave his brother an amicable smile and a wave of the hand to assure him no offence was taken. Given that he'd walked out on his family voluntarily, Trevor knew he deserved any criticism he got for it, whether intentionally scathing or not.

With the subject directed to the job interview he'd had, Philip asked if he'd been looking into construction jobs. "Me? I don't think construction is my area. Unless it involves operating a wrecking ball - I'm good at destroying things," he sarcastically remarked. "The one I interviewed for is some big tech company. It's a corporate sales job kind of gig. I've always been good at that - shifting motors and all. Most were above board and top quality, but I did manage to sell some genuine pieces of shit for a decent profit over the years," he remarked.

"How's Sarah and the kids doing since the move back to London?" he asked. Their mother liked to keep him updated, but Trevor was curious to hear from his brother's own mouth. "She seems like a tough lady. Certainly put me in my place the other day," he half-joked.

BasDorcha (Philip, Abel)

 

[BasDorcha]

The Hospital

~Bethnal Green, London~
Jeremy Gray​

Jeremy held her close, stroking her back, watching as her hands lovingly held the new necklace like she had held it a thousand times before. He was glad she liked it, leaning to kiss her forehead with a soft smile. "I would love to have a daughter, just like you. She would be amazing, and beautiful, a strong. All that personality nurtured and made into the best possible version of herself, I would love it and so would you. A kid like me? They might end up a little more… moody." He teased. A little Harper would tickle him pink, the thought of having a beautiful little blonde haired and blue eyed version of the woman who had become his whole world.

"It's okay, I would just have to teach you to handle her the way I've learned to handle you." He grinned and lifted his free hand to start brushing her hair. His fingers expertly untangled knot after knot until her hair was smoother, laying down more in order around her ears and forehead. The hospital room was quiet and for now he just wanted to be near her.

"I know things aren't how you want them, they're not how any of us want them, but everything will work out." He wasn't entirely sure how yet, but it would, and he'd burn the world to ensure it happened. Jeremy was anything but a hero - if anything he was a villain, willing to do anything to protect the woman beside him at any cost, nothing protected from the fire he felt would consume the world if it kept punishing her. "I guess I should probably tell you I moved the rest of your stuff to my place… I figured you wouldn't want to be there after all this, so for now everything is in the guest room until you want to set it up. If it's going to be your home, I want you to make it comfortable for you, though your clothes and bed stuff is in my room… our room."

A slight blush hit his cheeks, but he didn't move away. The truth was, before all this, Jeremy had been entertaining an idea of proposing to her. Jeremy was old fashioned to the core of his being - he had never even intended on sleeping with a woman before marriage but he had. Now he was having a child with that woman and they still weren't married. He was doing everything in reverse to how he'd imagined it his whole life, but it was worth it for him. Now he would need to wait, find a perfect time… Probably make sure her uncle at least knew he was going to ask. He hugged her with a tight squeeze, not realizing he had fallen so quiet.

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

On the hunt for May
~City of London, London~
Alexander King​

Alex listened as Christian debunked Billy's theory of the young woman just ditching the gala. Based on the tone of his voice and the serious look on his face Alex had no reason to think the man had been far off. He didn't care too much for the way he sounded when mentioning some sort of altercation that had taken place a couple of days prior. His brows furrowed in thought as he processed the words and thought about what that could mean. At the mention of Josh Alex realized that he didn't exactly know anything else that had happened outside of Harper. He'd been so focused on Harper and Callum that nothing else really had his attention. The only real thought about May that had crossed his mind had been how and when he was going to apologize to her.

When the three of them finally arrived at their first location Alex followed behind both Billy and Christian. He wasn't sure what to make of the harrowing interaction, however, so he kept all comments to himself. The man's brother seemed to answer each and every question given to them and did so without hesitation. Which - as someone who is loyal to his own family - he didn't really understand. He was skeptical of it, but again made no question until the three of them were back in the car. He hadn't been alone in thinking the whole thing was weird, either. Alex scratched his eyebrow with his thumb and they discussed possibilities.

"Alright, okay. Hold on for a minute," he said, putting his hands out. A lot of different info was being thrown at him too quickly and he needed a second to get it all cohesive. "So, this Josh bloke; he went 'round and caused some sort of issue for May not too long ago and we think he's gone and done somethin' with May," he asked, waiting for confirmation. When it was received he nodded his head in understanding. "And the two people we just spoke with; their his mother and brother and just... Willingly gave up information about his whereabouts and the likes? Because he's a nut?" Once he received another confirmation Alex nodded his head again. "He's given us a place to check out from the kindness of his own heart," he said rather sarcastically. He was skeptical, of course, and only wanted to make sure they weren't walking into some big trap.

Christian then asked if they were even prepared for such a job and Alex shrugged. "I mean, I'm not exactly dressed to go in somewhere like a fuckin' cowboy," he said, throwing his tie onto the dash. "I've my nine on me and a knife chucked away, but that's about it." He paused for a moment, shaking his head. "We've just gotta be smart about how we handle this, gents. No one needs to go and make any stupid fucking decisions," he warned, looking to Christian. "Meaning no hero bullshit. We get in, we get out, with all three of us, alright?" Billy then expressed interest in the sort of work Josh got up to and looking at his younger brother he felt he understood why. Making eye contact with him, he gently placed his hand on his brother's head. "You don't have to do this, Billy. Christian and I can take care of it." Despite never having killed someone before, Alex wanted to relieve his brother of that burden. If that meant being the one doing the killing and dealing with the repercussions later then so be it.

---

​

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Sullivan Owned Pub
~Dublin~
Marco Jimenez
​

Marco wasn't at all surprised by how bold Michelle was coming off to be. Leading himself and Dermot physically made the man chuckle to himself. He made sure that Emery was following and when he had turned his attention back to where he was being guided. Michelle then set out to give them seating arrangements. It was clever, he thought, or in her case a mistake as he thought about the sort of things he could do to make her... Uncomfortable. In a good way, of course, the best of ways really. But then again he could always play a different game... And with Emery free and so close to him he truly could. How he was going to figure out which option to take was any man's guess. Oh, but there was always the option to just do both and the thought of it made him smirk.

"Ah, well," he started, turning his attention to Emery. "But when she loses then I'll have a very, attractive drunk woman on my hands. And very angry parents asking why I let her get that way," he teased. "So, I'll need some sort of written agreement that absolves me of such responsibilites," he joked before turning to Emery to answer her question. There was something about the way she asked if he were intimidated by her as well that brought a smirk to his lips. A mischevious gleam in his eye and he glanced at Michelle before settling on Emery once more. "Intrigued is more like it," he stated, leaning in with a flirtatious smile. "Never intimidated." He pulled back and sit back in his seat, arms crossed and legs slightly spread open.

Michelle then picked up the shot declined by Marco, asking what should be done with it. He watched as she teased her cousin, taking a moment to send a playful wink to Dermot without the two women seeing. The two men were playing with fire and as previously discussed they were okay with doing so. Michelle, the boss' daughter and Emery the niece, Marco thought. The stakes were definitely olny climbing up and Marco didn't want it to ever stop. Marco then raised his hand to flag down a waitress, ordering another round of drinks. He'd hold off on ordering more shots until the ones they'd just taken settled in their stomachs. While their order was being taken care of, Marco turned his attention to Emery. "Tell us something, Mrs. Callahan. How is it you are still single," he asked, "Can no one tame your flame? Or are you just raging out of control because you don't want to be?" There was a slight pause as the waitress returned with their drinks and after Emery gave her answer, he turned to Michelle. "As for you," he smirked, looking to Dermot. "How can anyone cheat on such a woman? You're the expert. What do you think, Dermot?" Marco wasn't aware that Dermot's cheating hadn't been something Michelle was aware of. Or anyone else, for that matter. The man figured it was public knowledge and therefore joked about it lightly.

Dermot, Emery ( Misty Gray )
Michelle ( BasDorcha )

---

Adam Harper's Bachelor Pad
~Dublin~
Leo Sullivan​

Leo couldn't help but laugh when she mentioned her birth control. For the briefest of moments, he actually thought about it. The two of them were definitely as reckless as their parents had been at their age, so maybe it wasn't a bad idea... If it were possible, he thought. The man's knowledge of things like that was very... Scarce. Despite being raised around so many women and having three sisters. Not to mention a girlfriend who seemed to teach him something new every day. "Okay, so maybe it's me that doesn't have self-control," he joked, practically undressing her with his eyes. "Can you blame me?" He shot her a wink followed by a boyish grin as he had to forcefully stop himself from thinking about the pool... Again.

Leo playfully shook his head as she mentioned she would love a nice gift every now and then. As she pulled him in closer to herself, Leo leaned in closer to her. Maybe it was the candles or the ambiance of the room or even the talk of their future but Leo was... Intoxicated by Natasha in the best way possible. The attraction didn't even explain how he was feeling right then and it didn't help to feel her hands against his chest. When she agreed to his request he smiled at her, forehead pressed against hers. He lightly chuckled as she stated there was a fair chance he was going to regret it and while he was sure in the future he definitely would, he opted not to say so. "Mmm, I don't think I will," he teased. "Keeps me up at night knowing I upset you... Sometimes."

This moment they were having, opening up to one another and being completely and utterly vulnerable made Leo feel warm and ecstatic inside. He'd always hated being emotional and vulnerable and talking about his feelings but with Natasha - at least, right in this moment - he found it easier. It was definitely different to how he'd felt a few months ago and he could feel her influence changing him; for the better, even. It was a welcomed change, so long as he reminded himself not to change too much. "And you're not?" he teased, returning her comment about him being a pain. He closed his eyes, his forehead still pressed against hers because he took a heavy sigh. For a second he grew serious, his hands moving from her waist to being gently placed on either side of her head. "I know things are going to be difficult," he whispered, "That there will be days you want to kill me or even hate me," he chuckled, quickly adding, "And don't say you never could because that's a fucking lie. But I swear to you, Natasha McCarthy, that I will love you until my last breath." A small laugh left his throat. Hearing himself say such a thing was crazy but he wouldn't want to say it to anyone else.

Leo then softly pressed his lips against hers, a small peck turning into multiple before it slowly turned into something so much more. "Every day, okay," he whispered against her lips. Every day until I die."

---

Sullivan Family Home
~Dublin~
Aliana Sullivan ​

The moment Aliana finished telling both men what they were about to do - Ali slapping Conor's chest with her backhand snickering - Blake seemed to explode; for good reason. Everything seemed to have been building and Blake was well within her right to explode the way she had. Ali couldn't imagine what it felt like to be in her position. She could try and sympathize with her all she wanted to but she knew she could never truly understand how her best friend was feeling. Ali wanted to reach out to her but decided against it simply because she didn't seem to be done ranting and getting it all out of her system. Ali then looked between the two men at their expressions to make sure they were truly hearing her and not falling on deaf ears.

Feeling Conor's arm around her, Aliana subconsciously moved closer to him. Maybe it was because she felt he was going to need her support to finally swallow his stupid pride but whatever it was she leant it to him. Her attention was focused on him as he apologized to Blake and she could tell how genuine he was being about it. When he turned to apologize to her she paused, narrowing her eyes suspiciously at him. "Mhmm," she said. "There'll be plenty of time for you to show how sorry you actually are," she commented, leaving the meaning up for interpretation.

Adam went first when it came to apologies and Ali was relieved. At last one of the stubborn men had finally decided to just go first. She knew she couldn't have held out too much hope for Conor to have been the first to apologize; he was too much of a hard ass. Ali nodded her head as he gave a genuine apology, the smile on her face only fading when he disregarded the tasting part of their intervention. "Hey! You're supposed to take notes, not just chuck it back." She peeked forwards, noticing it was the peppery one. For a moment she would hold off on asking him his opinion. For now, she just shook her head and turned her attention to Conor, her eyes beckoning him to go ahead and apologize. While she was glad to have heard it, the statement about him messing it up stuck out to her. She looked up at him with concern in her eyes, head slighted tilted to the side. Was he doubting himself, she wondered, and his ability to remain level headed? Something to address out of the company of Blake and Adam, she decided.

Instead, she turned her attention back to Blake having just missed Adam taking another one of the samples as if it were a shot. "Well that was easy, wasn't it," she sarcastically stated, "I'm reserving a spa day for the two of us and they're paying. We deserve it, I think." Ali picked up on the way Adam had been looking at Blake and she couldn't help but smile to herself. Hearing him request a few more days off Ali couldn't help but wonder what sort of things Adam Harper had up his sneaky little sleeves. Something to inquire about later, for sure. But for now he looked ready to pounce on her at the table. Conor then addressed her and she had to force her eyes away, that giddy sort of smile on her face. She bit her lip, shaking her head trying to process what he'd just asked her. "Huh?" After a brief paused, she let out a soft laugh. "Maybe a little. But cut him some slack." She then leaned forward, her eyes drifting from his eyes to his lips and back. "I'm proud of you, ya know," she whispered so he could hear, getting closer to his ear. "I don't think I can withhold anything now."

 

[BasDorcha]

Medina Warehouse

~Somewhere near Bethnal Green, London~
Maeve Thatcher​

~Current Day~
The door above creaked open, and May jumped, Josh standing at the top. "Are you ready to be nice?" He asked. Expecting the worse, she recoiled away, trying to hide in the shadows. He took a few steps down the stairs, only to hear his named called from behind him, pausing him on the stairs. He listened to the muffled voices, before turning around to look at her with a sneer. "Here, clean clothes. I'll turn the water on to the bathroom, don't you go wash up, I can't handle the stench any longer."

Turning, he left the room, pulling the door behind him but in his haste, leaving it open and unlatched, though the knob was locked. May looked up, moving slowly as if the movements might alert him to the open door. This was her chance. She gulped, looking up the stairs, not thinking about her dirtiness, or the lay of grime and filth she had. She picked up the pile a clothes, a simple, pastel pink dress and nothing more. Steeling herself against being grateful for anything that man did, even if it prevented her from escaping naked, May threw the dress on and creeped the rest of the way up the stairs.

At the top, she listened.

"…Yeah, that pipe blower is on the move Josh, went to 'er house, just like ye said."

"Told ya, he would come for her. Let's see if he wants her back after the way she's serviced us." A laugh devoid of any happiness echoed down the hall. Slowly May pulled the door open, looking out. The door emptied into an office style room with a typical warehouse look to it with the door opposite her standing open. The desk had a scatter of papers, and a large safe stashed under the feet.

She edged to the door, looking out into a sprawling warehouse with stocks of crates and various bags, a card table littered with empty bottles, cigarette packs and ashtrays. A second table, to the side, sat with an assortment of drugs ready to be measured and sold, tested, cut, whatever it was they were doing with them. The men stood with their back to her, near the table in the open space to her right, and a door to the outside on the left. She'd be fully visible if she ran, but if they were distracted, maybe she'd stand a chance. The two went on as May creeped slowly to the left.

"Won't be long now. Jay is a snitch if I ever saw one, do anything to get me in a pinch. Mam might say, but I count on Jay bein' the loud one. They'll find their way to him, he'll pop off right as planned, and they'll be walking into a trap."

May gulped. She couldn't leave them for a trap, they could get killed. She turned back around, looking back into the large open space of the warehouse. The two - Josh and a tall thin man he just called Larry stood near the card table still. Movement in front of them caught her eyes, and immediately Josh and Larry raised pistols before a voice could be heard saying, "Fucking I'm uncultured, don't shoot me. I'm just coming back from taking the piss, yeah."

"Thurso, you idiot, you sneaking up like that is what's going to be the end of you." The men then turned to more casual conversation, May creeping away. In the days between Tom and Braden breaking into her home and being taken, May had memorized every important number she had to those around her. In this case, Christian. Rushing back into the office, she quietly closed and locked the door, before snatching up the phone receiver on the desk. With quick fingers she dialed Christian's pager, entering a simple message, "Trap Josh."

She then hung up, just as the sound of footsteps could be heard echoing closer down the hall. She immediately turned and ran, stumbling down the old wooden steps under the warehouse into the basement, immediately into the water closet tucked in the corner. The door locked satisfyingly behind her as her brain tried to keep calm and steady. "Just gotta make it a bit longer, Maeve, you can do this." She muttered to herself. The door at the top of the stairs opened and May counted the six footsteps she had come to dread as he made his way down the stairs.

"Maeve… I see you took my advice. Good. I'll turn the water on now. Take as long as you like… You can come knock on this door when you're done." There was a gleeful sound in the darkness that spoke, before the steps receded and the sound of a deadbolt locking could be heard. The water came on, but May did not undress again to get in. Instead she unlocked the door and went to the bed. Several times she had thought about locking herself in the tiny loo, but the door had been threatened to be kicked in the first time she tried and she had quickly realized that meant she would have had no way to avoid it hitting her, and relented. She couldn't escape if she had a broken leg, or was dead.

The bed felt worse than ever, her eyes staring at the door, willing it to be opened by anyone other than Josh and his flunkies.

 

[Bellz]

Roxie Carriveau
Callahan Residence
~ Sutton, Dublin ~​

Roxie listened as Savvy listed all the things she was losing. Everything that she had worked hard for was seemingly spiraling downward and Roxie knew exactly how that felt. But Savannah couldn't give up, she wouldn't let her. It broke Roxie's heart to hear that her friend didn't have it in her to stay strong any longer. Savannah went on further to say that she thought maybe Danny and Callum would be better off without her. Roxie was about to fight it, about to tell her none of that was true but her friend told her that she was certain that Callum was with the Kings.

Roxie was certain of the same thing, but that didn't make Callum any less lost. The poor child was probably horribly confused. It was one thing for his father to just keep him after having him visit, but it was a whole other thing to be kidnapped only to end up with your father and his family. That alone was going to set the kid up for therapy sessions for the rest of his life. But it wouldn't make it any better if Savvy thought she was better off dead.

Savvy expressed not wanting the men to butt in and throw their weight around. Something that almost all of them were good at doing at this point annoyingly enough. That got Roxie thinking about something. Talking with Alex would be the mature thing to do, the smart thing. Nothing good was going to come out of this, that much was obvious to everyone. But they could change that. Roxie moved to put her hand gently on her friend's hair as she cried, soothing it lightly.

"While I might think there is a special place in hell for people like Alex...I don't foresee him keeping Callum away from you forever, Sav." Roxie gnawed on her bottom lip nervously, not wanting to instill too much hope in her friend but at the same time wanting to give her all the hope in the world just to see her feel better. "I mean...it's not always up to the men to put on those silly little meetings that they have right?"

Roxie wasn't even sure what she meant by that statement. Surely they couldn't meet with Alex without the men in the family finding out. Could they? "Why does this have to be something that Conor and Syd oversee? You should be able to take your own domestic matters into your hands and deal with it how you want to deal with it." She turned her head downward in an attempt to look at Savvy's face, "I know it might be easier said than done but...I feel like that would be the best way for you two to figure stuff out. And you know if you need any legal support, I can be there for you. Slap a good ole joint custody summon on him."
with: Savvy Misty Gray

Blake McCarthy
Sullivan Residence
~ Sutton, Dublin ~​

Blake was satisfied that this time around, it seemed like the men were listening to her. She hadn't really expected to react the way she had. Normally she was much more level-headed about things but this was just a sore subject all the way around for her. Didn't matter what the two men in the room with her were feuding over, Blake loved them both too much and she would never take it well. Conor apologized to her and Blake met his eyes as he said that he loved her and knew that what he was doing wasn't the way to show it. Her teeth were clenched together in an attempt to not say anything else. Clearly, she had just unloaded everything that was on her chest when she really hadn't meant to. Conor apologized to Ali which she was thankful for, giving her friend an apologetic look for her little outburst. Her comment about him showing her how sorry he actually was made Blake smile, though no teeth showed.

Her head turned to Adam, who she had noticed moved his arm from her shoulders. While Blake was expecting both men to be the bigger man and apologize, what she was really looking for was for Adam to do it. Not that she had any doubts about him being the bigger man in the first place, but the reassurance was always nice. When he did, a real smile appeared on her face, her harsh look from before melting into one of adoration. Blake's hand moved to grab his one near her, taking it and squeezing silently thanking him for what he'd just done. When he then knocked back a drink as she had, Blake let out a chuckle, the sound only growing as Ali complained. It died down rather quickly as Conor then returned an apology of his own. When he said it, Blake knew that he meant it. They both had. That alone was enough for her to feel like she could breathe again.

She had been upset that the man questioned Adam about going to save Elena. While she knew what he was upset about, Blake understood the risks she was taking once again. For many years, she had talked with her shrink about the possibility of meeting a man who didn't give his soul to the dirty mob work. Who she didn't have to worry day in and day out if he'd make it home to her. A trauma that for many years she hadn't been ready to face head-on again. But in her time dating Adam, she'd come to realize that the reason she had been so drawn to Jackson, so drawn to Adam...wasn't the danger that seemed to follow them everywhere. It was the fact that both men fought for something they believed in. That seemed to be something that she shared with all the women in and out of the family.

If it wasn't for the fact that they were fighting for something they believed in, Blake was sure they all would have left ages ago. Nothing was sexier than a man who stuck to his true convictions. It was when those convictions started to get blurred and muddled with the nonsense that it became not worth it any longer. Like the current situation, both men realized that their convictions were nonsense and needed to make up before they did something they would regret. Or would live to regret more like it.

"Alright you two, now kiss and makeup, the drinks are still needing to be tasted and we apparently are meant to take notes," Blake said in a teasing tone after Adam accepted Conor's apology. Ali's eyes met her as she looked at her friend and Blake rolled her eyes, "Easier than the other boys at least." The woman said and at the mention of a spa day at the expense of the two men in the room, Blake nodded her head eagerly. "Oh most definitely deserve it and spare no expense, boys. We want the full treatment." The blonde moved to grab another glass, this time looking to actually taste it rather than just shove it down her throat as she had been.

Only when Adam asked for a few more days off did Blake look at him, glass to her lips as she met his eyes. Personal matters? Was there something he was keeping from her? No that couldn't be it, he didn't keep things from her. The way he was looking at her had her turning soft, a slow smile growing on her face. Conor scoffed and Blake found herself looking toward him as he told them that he couldn't argue with that. Blake took a sip of her drink only to make a disgusted face, "Oh no...this" Blake shook her head, moving to put the glass down on the table, unwilling to even finish it.

"Does alcohol go bad? Because that's exactly what that tastes like." The blonde said before Conor said Adam was milking this for time off causing her to laugh. "Oh I'm sure he is, and you are going to play into it because more time off for him means he can spend more time with me, which after today, I think I deserve Con." Blake shot him a sweet smile before turning to look at Adam. She wasn't going to spoil anything if he had something planned for her, but the blonde did raise her eyebrow at him. Silently questioning what he had in store if anything. "Hope those few days off are worth it. I hear Conor can be a bit of a stickler about time off. Might have to use your sick days or something for it."
with: Ali Melanin-Gxdess ; Conor + Adam Misty Gray