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

[BasDorcha]

The Paddy Pub

~Dublin, Ireland~
Samuel McKinsley​

There was a spark in Olivia that Sam was growing fonder of each time they were together. She spoke her mind and stayed true to herself, and he admired that. In the same respect, he could tell she wasn't happy about James showing up, but Sam truly didn't mind for himself. If she was uncomfortable, of course he'd take her side, but he also had to walk a precarious line between siding with her and disrespecting a man much more important than himself. He perked a teasingly but questionable eyebrow at her when she taunted James, not daring to laugh out loud but still cracking a small boyish smile.

When James quietly threatened him in the politest way possible, Sam was careful to keep his expression even and unaffected. He had no intentions of mistreating Olivia, so James being over protective just gave him something to prove. He nodded his acknowledgement, a silent understanding of what he was saying and glanced at Olivia to see how she would respond. He was not unrewarded. Instead she sassed him right back, bringing a stifled giggle to his lips as he stepped back to allow Livvy her turn.

"Sure, that's fine too. After all, Liv is going to put me to shame anyhow." When he looked at her again, there was a glimpse of warmth and dreaminess before he hid it away again behind a stoic and proper appearance. "What would you like to know?" He asked, his eyes forced to stay on the table as Liv leaned over to take a shot in front of him and he had to fight every urge in him not to check her out. He almost swore she did it on purpose, but aside from his hand gripping his cue a bit harder, he didn't give any other tells away.

The two were definitely father and daughter, he could see a lot of the two in each of them based on what he'd come to know so far. Both strongly opinionate, both carrying an air that made them seem as if they were natural born leaders.

"I was born and raised here in Dublin, Da was a Marine posted here when he met mam. We moved back to the states and I went to college for a bit before I joined the service while I was there. That's where I met Thomas. After we got out, I needed a job so Thomas put in that word for me and got me a spot over here. I'd like to stay with the family long--term. I've made a good position running the warehouses and I'd like to see that continue. I have a sister down south, and my mam and da live between us." Sam kept moving around the table, casually taking shots and smiling at Olivia every chance he got.

The waitress - the second waitress came and he quietly requested a glass of water to accompany his next bourbon, feeling a bit of the rush from his previous antics cooling off. With James around, he'd be dumb to consider fixing that, but he was having the same fun in any case. When she moved to stand next to him, he could feel the nerves coming off of her. He gripped her hand and lifted it to his lips, planting a light kiss across the knuckles. "What about you, you've been awful quiet. Do you have more questions?"



Misty Gray - James/Olivia

 

[Misty Gray]

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

Spencer King and Gabriel Moretti​

Despite Bruce's brief warning at the way he had put his point across, Spencer felt that under the circumstances, he was actually being very controlled in the presence of a man who clearly needed knocking down a peg. Despite the way he felt, his uncle was in charge and already under a lot of pressure as it was, so Spencer didn't want to push things too far. It was easier said than done, the longer he sat in the presence of the Italian.

Bruce asked Gabriel if he wanted to acknowledge that he'd done something wrong and said he'd be willing to overlook the whole matter if he took responsibility for it. The Italian maintained a stoic expression as he tried to hide his irritation at the Londoner's words. Gabriel didn't believe he'd done anything wrong and was altogether surprised Bruce would suggest otherwise. "I did what needed to be done to bring your nephew back home," he assured the two Englishmen. "It is now evident that we have very different methods of accomplishing our goals. Having fought the Sullivans for many years, and lost most of my family in their sickening attack, I have come to take a no exceptions approach to my attacks. They would not show either of us the same mercy, we've both seen first hand they're not afraid to hurt even the most innocent."

When Bruce spoke about their shared desire to wipe out the Sullivans and then pointed out it was the Kings' war, Gabriel lightly shook his head. "This is the problem, Bruce. My peace deal with the Irish ended some weeks ago. I too am at war with the Sullivans," he firmly reminded the man. Pausing to listen to the rest of Bruce's words about him getting the final word on operations involving his family, Gabriel let out a relenting sigh. "Then I take responsibility for overstepping our agreement and taking it upon myself to retrieve the boy from Corfu. Whilst I believe you would not have him back right now without my intel and alliances within Europe, I accept it was your mission to lead. I cannot pretend to regret that a Sullivan was harmed, but at the same time I acknowledge it was wrong in principal to risk having your nephew's mother killed." As far as responsibility and apologies went, that was the best most people would ever get from Gabriel Moretti.

With the talk of whether or not to terminate their business deal, Gabriel was still undecided on the matter. The Kings had otherwise been productive to work with and the deal he was getting from them was a good one. As far as past allies within Britain had been, Bruce was one of the few who Gabriel didn't find crude or irritating. He was surprised when Bruce put in a request to retain Erik even if the business deal was brought to an end. He wasn't sure what the Londoners saw in the man. As it happened, Gabriel hadn't been overly impressed with Erik's work as a whole, seeing a self-indulgent man who didn't take business as seriously as he'd hoped. It was because of Ava being married to Marcus that he'd given Erik more chances than other employees would have had. But Marcus was dead now.

Spencer held his tongue, even though the mention of Erik had struck a chord. On the one hand, he was eager to severe the deal with Gabriel and send the Italians packing out of London and away from the Kings' business. On the other, that would mean Erik being forced to return to New York too. Knowing how much Billy cared about the man, it suddenly felt more complicated. He wanted Gabriel out of their lives and didn't care about pissing the Italian off, but he didn't want to hurt Billy. Spencer was certain losing Erik would do that. As much as he hated it, Spencer forced himself to remain silent and hope they could all end the evening without sacrificing Billy's happiness. He owed Billy and Erik for recently saving his life.

"I believe unproductive words and notions have been spoken this evening..." Gabriel began, not willing to outright say it but in his tone seeming to accepted the blame for that. "I propose we continue with our deal. I provide additional defence in London and you provide a favourable price on your product. However, I need you to accept that I too am at war with the Irish. I will ensure no attacks I may carry out on the Sullivans will be in your family's name or out of any retaliation for them attacking your family. I have my own business with the Irish that I won't back down on." He forced himself to focus back on the interesting request Bruce had about keeping Erik. He wasn't about to share the details with Bruce, but having been recently caught up in an awkward exchange between Ava and Klaus, Gabriel hadn't been impressed with the woman. Only just widowed, he felt like she had little respect for her late husband. Of course, he had been shot down by Valentina and told to let Ava live her life. Perhaps Bruce's request would present a way for him to cut Ava out of the family without it seeming personal. "You want Erik to stay here? You do realise he has a knack for getting himself injured, don't you? A liability, I'd say..." he lightly remarked. Clearing his throat, he nodded his head decisively. "How about in return for me relieving Erik of his employment with my family and letting you pay his wages, you put to rest the whole misunderstanding with Miss Callahan? Erik is my peace offering for acting on the Callum situation without consulting with you."

Pyroclast (Bruce)

 

[BasDorcha]

Sullivan Pub

~Dublin, Ireland~
Michelle Romano​

Dermot's answer softened Michelle more than she expected. Being the type of mom who would do anything for her kids, she could understand staying in a bad relationship for them. She had tried to stay with Malcolm much longer than she should have in an attempt to keep their family whole. When that hadn't worked, she had to make the hard decision and had called it quits. A light blush not attributed to the alcohol highlighted her face as she felt a growing warmth for the man beside her. She wanted to reach out and kiss him suddenly, but wasn't sure how that was going to fly in this situation. Instead, she leaned over, kissing his cheek, smiling. "Well thank you. Glad someone has some good senses in their head."

Looking up at Marco and Emery, she realized that the two were a lot more similar than she had previously considered. Maybe it wasn't accidental that they all ended up here tonight - Marco was a daredevil and Emery loved to live her life on the edge, fire and gasoline. Mentally, she also acknowledged that she enjoyed Marco's company and had grown to like him more than just your average Joe, but Dermot she would be jealous over if he were flirting with Emery as heavily as the handsome new addition to her bedroom. For a few moments, she sat quietly, listening and observing the two men, before her had slid under the table and simply rested on Dermot's knee, unmoving except to draw trails with her fingers.

Resting her head in her other palm, she drifted along in the conversation, taking another shot with Marco as the alcohol slowly started to make its way to her head. Michelle was a lot of talk, but at the end of the day, she hadn't done a lot of drinking as a married woman and had lost a lot of the edge she use to maintain. A flush now stayed on her face, across her cheeks and nose. It intensified when Marco caught her eyes, another wave of sensation rushing through her. What was that? A new haze of confusion filled her mind. The warring emotions were stronger than she had expected. Every time she thought she might be getting close to a decision, something new would happen and she'd take two steps back.

Looking past the table, a slower song came on and Michelle began pushing on Dermot. "Move it or lose it sir. I need to get up and dance before I sit here and simmer in this liquor and become useless. I don't suppose one of you want to accompany me? If not, I'm sure my cousin will." She grinned at her as she slid out of the booth, standing in front of it now waiting for someone to offer to dance with her. Should they all decline, she was sure one of the men not in their group would dance with her, but the idea made her more nervous than she cared to admit.


Misty Gray - Dermot/Emery
Melanin-Gxdess - Marco

 

[Bellz]

Blake McCarthy
Adam Harper's Not so Bachelor Pad
~ Dublin ~

For Once in My Life by Stevie Wonder​

Blake’s cheeks warmed as Adam said he’d do the same for Blake and her kids as he’d done for Elena. To know that someone was there for her, for her children, someone she loved…it was a feeling that was hard to describe. After feeling like she wouldn’t have this ever again, it nearly moved her to tears but she forced herself to hold it together. Blake allowed him to lead the way out of the car and up to the front door. When he went to unlock it, he dropped his keys. Despite her own feelings, Blake could see the anxiety in Adam’s eyes, which perplexed her more than anything. Rarely was the man anxious about anything. Deciding not to question him, she gave the man an encouraging smile, wanting to make sure he knew that she was supportive, even if she didn’t know what he was anxious about. Once they stepped inside, Blake’s breath was swept away as she looked surprised at the rose petals in the hallway. Her heart kickstarted into a sprint as he led her down the path of them.

The blonde’s hand went to her mouth as she tried to hold it together, already knowing exactly what was going to happen as they entered a room that was filled with candles and fairy lights. Looking around a moment, hand still on her mouth, her face finally turned to Adam and their eyes met. The silence was filled with gentle instrumental music that she hadn’t heard before. Her hand dropped from her mouth and that’s when Adam cleared his throat, reaching to take both of her hands now. Blake held them out, the widest of smiles on her face as she just watched him in amazement. He explained that he’d never done anything like this and that he’d thought of doing some grand gesture.

Blake’s smile stayed the same but her eyes softened as she listened to his reasoning for why he felt a grand gesture wasn’t the best idea. What he didn’t know was that she already knew her answer, what she was going to say as soon as he said the question. She didn’t feel obligated to say it, she didn’t feel forced in any way. Blake had decided quite some time ago that if he ever asked her to marry him, and there was no pressure to, she would without a doubt say yes.

The tears burned her eyes and she had to blink several times to keep them from spilling over but still, the smile never left her face. Watching as Adam flashed her one of his own, he bent down on one knee and Blake’s eyes never left his as he reached into his pocket. Even when he flicked open the ring box, her eyes stayed firmly on his eyes he told her that from the moment that he met her, he knew they would get along. Blake felt the same back in the 70s in New York, having just arrived at the Porters' house with Natasha who was only about 5 years old at the time in her arms along with a suitcase. Despite his flirting, Blake felt some sort of connection with Adam. Which only grew stronger over the years as she grieved over the loss of Jackson and had to figure out how to start all over. His friendship had been something that helped her get through the darker times in her life and made her look forward to becoming a whole person again. It was something that she felt she wouldn’t be able to ever repay him for and now she realized that she didn’t have to repay him. They could just be that person for one another for the rest of their lives.

Blake couldn’t keep the tears in any longer as he said he’d never loved anyone the way he loved her. The rest of his words equally moved her to the point that she struggled to keep it together any longer. "Yes, Adam, yes!" Blake said immediately after he asked the question. Once the ring was slid onto her finger, Blake pulled him up to his feet, grabbing his face before kissing him with a passion that knocked the air from her lungs. Whenever they pulled away from one another, Blake finally looked down at the ring, "It’s beautiful!" She said breathlessly before looking up at her now fiancé, "But, no matter where you proposed…I would have said yes. I made up my mind a while back that if you asked, I’d say yes, no matter what. You could have proposed to me behind the dumpster at the pub with a paper ring after we got drunk off of our asses like we used to do….and it wouldn’t have changed my mind." The blonde murmured sweetly before wrapping her arms around him for a tight hug. Her head rested against her chest, enjoying the moment before adding, "I might have to get photographic evidence of this setup, no way is anyone gonna believe you had rose petals and candles waiting for me." Her tone was teasing as she let out a soft laugh. Letting her head lift up only slightly, her chin rested against his chest still as she smiled up at him, "I love you."
with: Adam Misty Gray

 

[BasDorcha]

Medina House

~Somewhere near Bethnal Green, London~
Maeve Thatcher, Josh Medina, Thurso and Larry​

Spoiler

View attachment 1040684

May had sat there listening to the sounds above, nervously picking at the wooden frame of the bed while she forced herself to breath instead of holding her breath. This will be over soon, this will be over soon. May was still trying to convince herself it was almost done and everything would be okay afterwards. Christian would find her, right? A panic attack started to rise in her chest, but she swallowed it back down. Suddenly, she could hear the footsteps of Josh in the office, coming closer then receding, only to come back a few moments later stomping this time. She wasn't sure how she knew, but she knew he knew somehow.

The door flew open and Josh came storming down. He was yelling obsenities at her, getting ready to swing when Christian's form came into view for her, causing her to remain silent. The creak of his shifting weight brought Josh to a halt just before he hit her again. He stood slowly and turned towards the man, seeing the gun pointed directly on him. A look of disgust covered his face, standing as he watched Christian demanding him to step away. He didn't bother to put his hands up, instead shoving them in his pockets and standing his ground.

"I don't think so, pipe blower. Does she look forced to be here? No ropes, no chains… maybe you should give her a choice." Josh stepped back in a calm and confident manner. He looked down at May, narrowing his eyes. He had already made it clear if she didn't choose him, then he would make short work of Christian. May hesitated, looking up to Christian to apologize in case she was wrong for her choice, before standing, taking two steps towards Josh before she pivoted, taking a flying step towards Christian. At the same instant, May used her body to shield the man, Josh shot a small pistol that fit just perfectly in his pocket. Distracted, she couldn't tell if Christian had shot as well.

May looked up, face frozen in pain but still trying to smile. "He-he tal-talks to mu-much. Sh-shouldn't have told me his plan days ago." She tried to take a deep breath but it hurt and she winced. "Is… Is it done?"

 

[Misty Gray]

Medina Warehouse
~ Somewhere near Bethnal Green, London ~

Christian Brooks​

Christian glared at Josh as the man suggested May was there voluntarily, simply because she wasn't tied up. The claim would have been slightly less ludicrous had Christian not just watched Josh hit the woman. She certainly didn't look like she wanted to be there and the fact she'd already reached out by sending the page was clear enough. Regardless, no part of Christian even needed convincing. May had been abducted and held against her will, pure and simple.

Keeping his gun trained on Josh, Christian watched as May stood up and walked towards her captor. Things then seemed to happen in a flash as May rushed towards Christian and Josh fired his gun. Without hesitation, Christian lowered his gun slightly before squeezing the trigger and shooting Josh, the bullet ripping through the back of the man's hand causing him to drop the pistol. Christian wrapped one arm around May and swiftly helped her sit down on the bottom steps. As he moved his hand away, he saw the blood on his skin from her wound, which was accompanied by her pained expression as she stuttered out her speech.

Having kept his gun holding hand trained on Josh, Christian whipped his head to look back at the man. He stepped towards him and used his foot to kick the pistol on the floor out of the scumbag's reach. Perhaps a bullet to the knee would disable the man enough until the police could be called to arrest him. Hell, he was sure he could easily take Josh down and restrain him without spilling more blood. One way or another, Josh would face justice for what he'd done. Without second thought, Christian raised his arm and pulled the trigger once more, the bullet ripping into the man's neck and through the jugular vein. He then aimed the gun between the man's eyes but hesitated before lowering his arm. Josh was going to bleed out from the neck wound, and in that moment, Christian would rather the man suffered in his last few minutes of life than make it easier for him.

Despite wanting to make Josh suffer, one look back at May's face and the sickening spluttering sound coming from Josh led Christian to change his mind. Without second thought, he fired another bullet into the man's skull to shut him up for good.

Slotting his gun into his belt, Christian rushed to May and crouched down in front of her, forcing himself to push back any thoughts about what he'd just done to Josh. The fact was, he wasn't even sure he cared or regretted killing him. "May. Where are you hit?" he asked as he moved to try locate the gunshot wound she'd clearly been bleeding from. "Are you injured anywhere else?" he asked, not knowing what Josh had done to her before he got there.

BasDorcha (May, Josh, 2x Crony Losers)
Pyroclast (Billy)
Melanin-Gxdess (Alex)

 

[Misty Gray]

The Paddy Pub
~ Dublin City Centre, Dublin ~

Olivia Sullivan and James Porter​

James sent Samuel a knowing expression when the young man said Olivia was going to put him to shame. "I expect no less..." he trailed off. He'd been about to point out that he'd been the one to teach her how to play pool back when she was a kid, but he instead fell silent as he noticed the brief glimmer of warmth Samuel displayed when looking to Olivia. Ideally, it was a sign the young man was genuinely attracted to her, but there was always a chance it was driven more by lust. James wasn't about to judge it either way so early on.

"I guess that makes you more Irish than I am, then," James commented when Samuel told him he was born in Dublin. Not only was his mother Italian, but James' Irish father had been living in Chicago when he was born. James had grown up in Chicago and lived there until his late twenties, when he finally made Dublin is home rather than a place he frequented on business. He listened as the young man explained joining the Marines where he met Thomas and that after getting out he'd been led to find work for the mob in Dublin. "Well, if you keep working hard and doing as you're told by the boss then I'm sure you'll be sticking around in this job."

When Olivia returned to Samuel's side, he pointed out that she was quiet and prompted her for more questions. "Hey, I'm good with the questions for now. I don't want to get in the way of this male ego thing you guys have got going on here," she said, pointing between James and Samuel. "Are you done sizing him up now, Dad?" she asked, quirking her eyebrow. James and Lucy has adopted her when her mother had been murdered, and she felt comfortable calling the her parents by now. "Because you know I can handle myself, so quit with the protective crap, as much as I love you for it."

"I do it because I care about you," James grumbled. He then smirked as he looked back to Samuel. "Long story short, mate. Don't mess her about and make sure she gets home safe whenever she's out with you," he firmly told the young man. "And, in a non-"protective crap" way, I wish you all the luck, Sam. Olivia takes after her mother, Arlene. Let me tell you, she's got the same guts and attitude Arlene had. So I hope you're strong enough to to handle that," he teasingly warned.

"Hey, now. Quit trying to scare him off," Olivia complained and pouted in an exaggerated manner.

BasDorcha (Samuel)

 

[Misty Gray]

Adam Harper's House
~ Drumcondra, Dublin ~

Adam Harper​

Adam couldn't help the huge smile that grew on his face as soon as Blake agreed to marry him. As his cheeks reddened, he let out a chuckle that was half relieved and half ecstatic. He took a moment to compose himself before carefully placing the ring on her finger. "Damn..." he fondly uttered as he tried to get his head around the fact Blake had said yes to being his wife. He rose onto his feet as she pulled him up towards her. Leaning in, he placed his hands firmly on her waist as she grabbed his face. The pair passionately kissed before both pulling away in time to catch their breaths back. The uncontrollable smile once again took over Adam's face as he followed her gaze to the ring on her finger. "I'm glad ya like it," he softly told her.

Still resting his hands on her waist, he looked into his fiancée's eyes whilst she told him she'd have said yes no matter where he'd proposed. "You mean, I covered my living room in petals for nothing?" he teased. "I guess we can have the wedding ceremony out by the pub's dumpster instead. Right where we need to be for the piss-up afterwards." Despite his joking, Adam intended to make the wedding special. No matter how big or small, he would make sure it was special for Blake. "You're worth more than anything I could have done tonight."

When Blake hugged him, he moved his arms to wrap around her shoulders and hold her close. He grinned when she spoke about needing photographic evidence of the efforts put into his proposal. "You don't think anyone will believe I'm the handsome romantic that I am? I'm offended, Blake," he lightly teased. As she lifted her head to look up at him, he looked down to meet her gaze. "I love you too. You just made me the happiest bloke in the world, y'know. And the proudest, when I get to call you my wife."

Pulling back a little, Adam placed his hands on Blake's shoulders and cleared his throat. "I meant what I said about not wanting to whisk you off to Paris to propose and put pressure on you, but... If you're up for it... I would still like to whisk you off to Paris now there's no pressure or motive attached. You fancy it, love?" he seriously asked.

Bellz (Blake)

 

[Pyroclast]

Medina Warehouse
~ Somewhere near Bethnal Green, London ~

Billy King​

The circumstances of their mission was about the only thing stopping Billy's put-on laughter from turning genuine. It had been a long time since he and Alex had pulled a trick on someone or even got up to mischief, and Alex's drunken performance was bringing back memories of their sillier times together. Of course, this wasn't just some silly scam - May's safety was at stake, and so despite the loud laughter and comical act, they had to remain alert.

There were three men already in the room and it didn't take long to grab their attention. While one headed into a back room, the two others approached Billy and Alex: a large, burly man who looked to have been hired as protection, and his more lightweight counterpart. It was always the less imposing ones that Billy felt he had to watch out for most, as what they lacked in size they usually made up for in something else. Or perhaps, as the man's hand came to rest upon his holster, his only 'secret' weapon was his pistol.

Billy kept up the pretence of being utterly hammered while the large man approached him, all the while keeping his eyes open to notice Christian's progress. He caught the man darting through the shadows to reach the office, but he quickly lost sight of him when one of the men - which Billy concluded must be Josh - withdrew from the office and questioned the two thugs on whether they had been in his office.

There must have been evidence of someone being in there, and as soon as the two men confirmed that it wasn't then, Josh's reaction suggested that it had been May. At least she was still alive then, he thought. Josh stormed back into the office and could be heard bounding down a staircase, shouting fiercely at May. Billy worried for her in that moment, as he gathered some idea of the aggressive abuse she must have endured. Thankfully he spotted Christian swiftly follow after him, and so, satisfied for now that Christian would have a good handle on the situation, Billy set his attention back on the two men. After taking a quick swig from the hip flask in his hand - purely for show, of course - he slotted it back into his jacket and dared to lean in close to the larger of the two, just far enough that he could still see the man's hands.

"Someone's got his panties on backwards," he sniggered, referring to Josh's mood. "Oi, you fancy comin' out with us, mate? You'll have more fun than bein' -" he interrupted himself, pretending to stifle a hiccup for added effect. "Stuck in 'ere with that moody bastard!" Flashing his eyes at the man, he demonstrated some clumsy dancing. "Show off your moves," he continued to tempt him, before sidling up close again and adding in a low voice, "Find ya' a girl…?"

Just as Billy was reaching for his knife, a gunshot rang out from the basement. Regardless of who had fired at who, he knew this meant the fight had started; already standing close to the larger of the two men, he flicked his knife open and stabbed him deep in the gut before tearing the knife out and giving him a hard kick to the stomach.

Interactions
May, Josh, cronies
Christian
Alex

(Internet isn't strong enough to tag sorry!)

 

[BasDorcha]

The Back Alley Pub

~London~
Phil and Abel Stewart​

Phil shook his head, watching as his kid was quickly wrapped up with another long pair of legs and pretty eyes. It was easy to see it was definitely a Stewart trait. "When I was younger, I never had an issue pulling a pretty lady for a date or evening, but I didn't jump around a lot. Mostly, I was a habitual relationship type guy who ended up with the wrong kind of crazy too often. I'm glad that's over." he smiled fondly, thinking about his wife. "At least I know where he gets it from." He laughed a bit, winking at Trevor. "Seems he takes after his uncle."

The waitress came back and topped off their drinks, Phil sipping it slowly. "I know you have mentioned not being on the best terms with your kids… But I think it would be nice to get the ones who are agreeable together and introduce them. My kids have always wanted to know my side of the family but we weren't exactly on speaking terms. I see you making an effort Trev… Just don't fuck it up this time, I don't know if I have any forgiveness left in me after this." Phil gave his brother a stoic expression, but one of seriousness, indicating he was not trying to rile him but was just stating fact.

"I don't think mam is going to make it much longer, and I don't think we'd do any better at coming together afterwards if we don't start taking advantage now. Besides, you mess up with me this time, I'd be more afraid of Sarah." he grinned teasingly. "When things settle a bit, you just let me know when you want to put something together. I think the kid's would enjoy it for sure, plus I'd like to meet my nieces and nephews."

Misty Gray - Trev

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Warehouse
~Somewhere in London~
Alexander King
​

Three men made themselves known to both Billy and Alex - the latter not recognizing either. Clearly, they'd been a couple of street thugs based on their size and the way they'd been talking, but that wasn't an issue for them... At least Alex was hoping it wouldn't be. He'd been in his fair share of fights but those were always physical. He'd always had a gun to scare people off, but he'd never used it and hoped he wouldn't have to this time around. Alex subtly watched as one of the men disappeared into the back - the other two focusing on himself and Billy. Christian then snuck in behind the man, dipping into the office unseen. It was then that Alex figured he and Billy would be able to progress a little further and make sure neither of the men followed after. Alex's attention turned towards the two cronies, responding to the one asking them to leave. "Hey," he said, letting go of Billy's hand and letting him fall gently back to the ground. "No need to be a stiffy," he turned to Billy before properly helping him up. "We can all go out an' get a drink. Or a dozen," he snickered as if telling some big joke.

He then genuinely laughed at Billy's comment and when he became aware of it he had to remind himself to add a little drunken twist to it. Wiping away fake tears he nodded his head in agreement. "Probably grabbed the missus by accident," he paused. "Unless they share." He then watched the two men as Billy continued to put on a show, suggesting they all leave to find women for the night. As he slid up to one Alex watched the other who hadn't said a word. Just audible grunts and groans. Alex was just about to comment when a gunshot rang through the warehouse. Both goons turned their necks to look leaving them wide open. Billy moved first and a lot faster - sticking his knife in the gut of the biggest one. On the other hand, Alex turned his attention to the smaller one who had moved just as fast as Billy. He should've seen it coming but he'd been more worried about Billy and the man he'd chosen to stick.

The smaller man immediately ran for him, wrapping his arms around Alex's waist to push him down to the ground. He wasted no time dealing blows to Alex's head, Alex holding his arms up to protect himself. The moment he saw an opportunity to retaliate Alex grabbed the collar of his shirt and managed to punch him. The man stumbled back with Alex kicking him directly in the chest. Alex scrambled to get up, freezing the moment he looked up. His opponent had gotten to his feet already and was aiming his gun dead at Alex. "Fuck," he muttered trying to figure out how he was going to get his gun out and shoot first. He glanced over at Billy who'd still been fighting his own battle and he decided not to distract him. Alex's eyes shifted between the man and the gun and the moment he timed it correctly he pulled out his own gun and pulled the trigger twice. At first, things seemed to move slowly and the moment the goon fell dead to the ground it returned to normal. Letting out a breath he didn't know he was holding he tried to move toward Billy. However, the moment he took a step, he felt a sharp burning pain in his lower abdomen and fell to his knees. "What the fuck," he said, hand touching his wound. When he looked he saw blood and his eyes grew wide. "Son of a bitch."

Billy ( Pyroclast )
Christian ( Misty Gray )
May ( BasDorcha )

 

[BasDorcha]

Medina House

~Somewhere near Bethnal Green, London~
Maeve Thatcher, Josh Medina, Thurso and Larry​

Christian tenderly lowering her to the ground kept her distracted long enough she didn't realize she was shot at first. She studied his face, seeing a flash of something dark there she had never seen before. Instead of scaring her, it comforted her in some way she didn't know she was capable of. She knew now more than ever, if she had any doubt before, that she had meant what she said in the alley. She loved him, and she would never change her mind about that.

When a bullet sounded again, this time followed by a gasping wet sound. She didn't bother to look over, she didn't need to see it, just simply needed to know it was done. That was an image she could do without, she would be seeing his face enough without needing to see it in the current state. She moved to stand, reaching a hand out for Christian when he shot again. May changed her mind, looking away and staying seated until he came to her. She reached out, touching the side of his face lightly and trying to give him a smile though it was as broken as she looked.

When he asked where she was hit, she suddenly remembered the pain was coming from her side. She leaned up, her hand moving away for a moment from the wound through the curve of her right side. "I think it went through, I can feel blood on both sides of my body I think." Shock was setting in but instead of shaky she was just calm now. She wasn't sure why.

---

As the two men stared at the drunk guys making fools of themselves. It seemed unlikely anyone would just stumble in here, at least by Larry's thinking, but he had done odder things while drunk, so maybe it wasn't so weird after all. Thurso fell for every line the guy said though, eyeing the guy up who was talking about finding a girl. Not really his type, girls, but he might take the guy up on the offer to go out regardless. He took a step closer, about to make an inappropriate joke, when the gunshot rung out and Thurso turned to look over his shoulder.

"What the-" The knife thrust into his stomach the pain ripping through him as he gasped, dazed and body shocked before getting kicked and knocked straight to the ground with the unexpected force. Larry on the other hand was quick to move. He tackled Alex to the ground and began to swing quick, rapid swings about his head, only to have them blocked by the man before he grabbed his collar and choked him before receiving a punch of his own. He dazed a bit as he stumbled back, rewarded with a forceful kick to his chest that knocked the air out of him.

Beside him Thurso was gasping, holding the knife steady in his stomach as blood began to pool in his mouth. "Thurso, Thurso get up!" Larry yelled. The man didn't move except to squirm in pain. He drew his gun and leveled it on Alex, his eyes looking at Thurso and the man who had stabbed him standing their staring at them.

---

The sounds above of scuffling brought May's attention back around to where they were and what was going on. "Christian-" May started, eyes flying upwards to the noises above. "We have to go, we have to help them." She stood, leaning against the wall with her hand wrapped around her waist. Grabbing on to him, if he allowed her, she'd make her way up the stairs, stopping in the office. When she'd been up in the office earlier, she had spotted a standard first aid kit on the wall. "Go, I'll try to patch up a little." She offered a weak smile, sitting down at Josh's desk as she pointed to the first aid kit beside Christian. "I'll be okay… Go check on whoever is out there and come back for me."

Larry looked away briefly to see if there was anything visible about the back room where May and Josh were, were the gunshots were first heard from. Had he killed the girl? Had she got one off on him somehow? Was there a third man? Distracted was the last thing he needed to be, yet here he was. His last thought before it all ceased to exist was how in the world had he ended up a kidnapper and rapist, when all he had wanted in life was to make a decent living and live just beneath that layer of law that made things harder if you tried to follow it.


May heard two more gunshots outside and her face paled more, "Christian!" She urged him. She wasn't sure which of the family had come with him, who he could have brought for backup, but the list was short and the fear was obvious within her.

Misty Gray Melanin-Gxdess Pyroclast

 

[Pyroclast]

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

Bruce King​

The outcome of their conversation was still in question; as they discussed the dilemma at hand, it seemed to sway towards terminating their business deal, but Bruce still believed there was room for further negotiation. While Moretti’s actions in getting Callum back from Corfu had damaged Bruce’s trust in him, part of him still hoped that the Italian boss would swallow his pride and put in the effort to repair it. Until the incident in Corfu, having the Morettis in the Kings’ corner had been essential to their ongoing war with the Irish Mob and to lose their support would leave them at a grave disadvantage.

Bruce had to sigh when Gabriel reminded him that the Italians had a war of their own to fight. It seemed they were going around in circles, and he didn’t want to have to bring up again the fact that the two wars were separate and that Bruce was in charge of the attacks they made upon the Sullivans. Thankfully, however, he didn’t have to - much to Bruce’s surprise, Gabriel finally relented and acknowledged his wrong-doing, even sounding genuine as he spoke.

In contrast to where they stood at the start of the conversation, Bruce felt reassured that Gabriel understood what he had done wrong. The fact that he was even proposing ways to avoid it happening again in the future convinced him that they were now on the same page. It was an error in communication, after all.

Bruce was expecting Gabriel to find his request odd, but keeping Erik in London was too important. “Erik has saved the lives of two of my nephews in the space of just a few months,” he informed him. “His courage and dedication to my family and our cause has earned him a permanent place ‘ere with us, and I’d like to give that to ‘im.”

Of course, there was another reason why Bruce was fighting to keep Erik in London, but he knew better than to bring up his relationship with Billy. Even if Gabriel wasn’t willing to hand him over, Bruce was sure that exposing the truth to him wouldn’t do a thing to help and could even put Erik in danger.

Fortunately, the man was willing to negotiate. If at the start of their conversation he had asked Bruce to let his actions slide, he would have rejected him outright. However, after hearing him admit his mistake, he was far more confident in the idea of continuing their arrangement. He glanced at Spencer; his nephew had demonstrated his anger towards the man and he wasn’t quite so confident that he would be willing to put more faith into the Morettis after what had happened to Savannah.

Looking back to Gabriel, Bruce leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table, bringing his hands together. “I do understand that your family is currently at war with the Sullivans,” he assured the man. “If you and the men you lent to my cause are willin’ to handle the two wars separately, and are capable of leavin’ judgement up to me and mine when it comes to my operations against the Irish, then yes, I am willin’ to put this behind me and go forward with our arrangement. From now on, then, I’ll make sure to communicate with you and the whole workforce better, to avoid miscommunications in future, and if you don’t mind, I’d like the paperwork for Erik’s transfer sorted as soon as possible so I can work on gettin’ him a citizenship. I’m givin’ ya’ a second chance because your business means a lot to me, but I ain’t a fool, Mr. Moretti - I’ll forgive ya’ once, but never twice.”

And with that, he extended a hand for Gabriel to shake and confirm the new terms of their deal.

Interactions
Misty Gray Gabriel, Spencer
Melanin-Gxdess Erik (mentioned)

 

[Misty Gray]

The Sullivans Pub
~ Dublin City Centre, Dublin ~

Dermot Murphy and Emery Callahan​

Dermot couldn't help but laugh at Marco's reaction to his clothes being thrown out on the lawn when his ex-wife had found out about his multiple adulteries. "Yeah, it messed up my favourite white shirt," he remarked. "I was just glad to be out of there in the end." When his friend spoke about Sullivan women needing to be cherished, Dermot let out a dry laugh. "We don't have much choice, mate. Melinda's dad was a pushover compared to the fathers of these two beautiful ladies," he spoke of Michelle and Emery.

Emery rolled her eyes at the two men. "It's not my Da you guys need to worry about. I'll reach the pair of ya a hard lesson if you don't treat me right."

Dermot couldn't help but turn to Michelle and grin at her when she rested her hand on his knee, but he managed to keep a straight face and share his attention with the other two at the table. When she suddenly got up and told him to move, Dermot glared at her before getting out of his seat and letting her stand up. He nodded in an oblivious manner when she said she needed to dance. Then when she put out an offer for one of them to join her, he quickly shook his head and declined. "I don't dance," he remarked, with a smirk. It wasn't so much that he didn't dance, more than he didn't dance in plain sight of Sullivan family and employees with the Boss' daughter. He took risks and had a thick skin, but that skin wasn't going to protect him him if Conor didn't take kindly to him getting up close and personal with his daughter. Dermot's reputation was no secret and he seriously doubted Conor would want a known cheat, criminal and all-round unsavoury character around his daughter.

"Ah, get out of the ways, boys. I'll dance," Emery intervened, nudging Dermot aside so she could lead Michelle to the dncefloor.


Melanin-Gxdess (Marco) BasDorcha (Michelle)

 

[Pyroclast]

Billy King​

It was so different this time. This time, it was purposeful, calculated. Each morning when he packed his knife, Billy remembered Aidan and asked himself if he could do it again. For a while, he wasn't sure, but as more and more pain struck his family, he decided that he would do whatever it took to protect them. That didn't mean arming himself with knives and guns before leaving the house just to use as a threat; if it came down to it, they were there to use on somebody, and Billy had to accept that possibility.

He had been watching Thurso for a second to make sure he didn't get back up when a flurry of gunshots rang out from beside him. Billy spun around to see Larry laying on the ground. Alex was still standing, but not for long - as soon as he took a step towards him, he collapsed to the ground and that's when Billy noticed the blood seeping through the man's shirt on his abdomen.

"Shit -" Without hesitation, he dropped to his brother's side and put a hand on his shoulder to steady him. From the amount of blood he was losing already, it was obvious he had been shot. Regrettably, Billy shrugged off his designer suit jacket and balled it up, passing it to Alex. "Lie down so you can't fall, and press on it hard," he asserted. "I'll grab the others and then we're out of 'ere, okay? I won't let nothin' happen to ya', I promise, just hang on for me and I'll be right back -"

It was all too recently that Billy had been shot himself, and so the memory of the initial pain and shock, exactly what Alex was now going through, was still fresh in his mind. It was also not long ago that he had ended up with Spencer in the backseat of a car, trying desperately to keep him from bleeding out while his brother started making his final words. If there was anything still trying to hold Billy back from committing another murder, the trauma of those two recent experiences filled him with enough urgency to override it. Without wasting any time, Billy took Alex's gun and strode over to Thurso, who was lying on his back, choking on the blood filling up his throat. He would likely die in minutes anyway, but Billy didn't want to leave anything to chance; once he was standing over him, he fired once through the man's head, and again in his chest.

Misty Gray Christian
Melanin-Gxdess Alex
BasDorcha May

 

[Misty Gray]

Medina Warehouse
~ Somewhere near Bethnal Green, London ~

Christian Brooks​

When May told him she thought the bullet had gone through both sides of her body, Christian took another look down to the curve of her right side and thought for a moment. He wasn't a doctor and neither were any of the others, so the focus needed to be on getting her proper medical help. He proceeded to helping May to her feet and allowing her to put as much of her weight onto him as needed so they could climb the stairs.

Hearing the scuffling sounds as they ascended the stairs had Christian readying himself to grab his gun again if needed, but for now he still need to get May into the office. "You need to stay out of sight," he firmly told her when she said they had to help the others. When they reached the office, he helped May sit down and followed her attention towards the first aid kit. "That isn't going to do much, but it'll do for now," he said, grabbing the kit and placing it on the table in front of her, along with a towel that had been bunched up nearby. Moving towards the doorway, he peered out before looking back to May. "I'll help sort out the other guys and then we have to get you to Caspian," he told her. The sound of gunshots caught him off-guard slightly and May's urging caused him to whip his head back to her. "Stay put," he commanded, not wanting to have to cover more angles than he could handle. Wiping any blood from his hands onto his coat, he retrieved his gun and cautiously stepped out of the office until he had sight of the other men in the distance.

When he got closer, he saw Josh's two friends down on the floor. Billy was crouching down to Alex's side as his brother laid down pressing a jacket to his abdomen, no doubt having been shot. Along with May being shot, the urgency to get out of the warehouse and to Caspian's place was growing. Before he reached them, Christian stopped on the spot as Billy got up and put two bullets in Thurso, putting an end to the last of the three kidnappers. Christian didn't care about any of the three men. All he cared about was getting May, Alex and Billy out of the warehouse alive.

"We need to get to Caspian, now. I'll get the car," Christian spoke with urgency as he looked between Billy and Alex. As soon as he stepped outside, the wave of fresh air seemed to hit Christian and give more clarity, away from the tense situation of seeing people he cared about injured. He looked around the quiet streets to make sure nobody else was around before getting into his car and driving up to the warehouse doorway, keeping his headlights off the whole time. He then rushed out of the car and back inside. "Billy, take any weapons with you that you or Alex have touched," he said as he rushed back to the office to help May out. Not only did he need to make sure neither May nor Alex died, but he also need to make sure none of the Kings nor himself ended up getting arrested for murder. The warehouse was an orgy of evidence and in the back of his mind, behind not letting anyone die, that concerned him.

Christian and Billy soon reached Caspian's place, helping to get Alex and May inside for immediate treatment. As difficult as it was, the overriding logical part of Christian knew he couldn't stand around waiting. Once he was sure May's wound wasn't fatal, he spoke directly to her for a moment. "May, I'm sorry you had to go through this and I wish we'd got to you sooner. I'll be come back as soon as I can, okay? I have to make sure none of this is going to land back on your brothers," he said looking towards Alex and Billy. "Nor on me," he added, fully aware that killing Josh had been a conscious choice and the evidence of him committing murder was crystal clear. "I'll be back," he said, reaching out to gently squeeze her hand and place a soft kiss on her forehead.

The next thing Christian did was use Caspian's phone to make some call to the Kings' cleaners, fully aware there was a huge mess to be dealt with. A mixture of paranoia and knowing exactly the kind of evidence a detective could find, he knew he had to return to the warehouse to make sure not a single clue was left behind.

BasDorcha (May)
Melanin-Gxdess (Alex)
Pyroclast (Billy)

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Warehouse
~Somewhere in London~
Alexander King
​

Considering his lack of experience with getting shot, Alex was in no position to even protest what Billy was saying. He grunted in pain the moment Billy pressed his jacket against his wound letting out a chuckle. "Used your fancy jacket for this huh," he mused, somehow finding the humor in it before the pain settled in again. Careful not to bang his head on the ground too hard, Alex was trying to find something else to take his mind off the pain... But it was no use. Between the brief fight and now the gunshot wound pain was shooting all throughout his body and he felt like he was on fire. He heard another gunshot and immediately jerked his body up in shock. Alex was worried that he hadn't actually killed the gunman or that the other was up and had shot Billy - only to see his brother standing over the man's body and ending him for good. His brows furrowed in concern at the act. Considering not too long ago Billy had been freaking out over taking a life, here he was doing what was necessary. And, it seemed, without issue. But Alex was smart enough to know better and would ask him about it later.

With the amount of blood he'd been losing things had begun to get blurry. His body felt weightless and heavy at the same time, his mouth growing dry. He heard footsteps running over to him, trying and failing to lift his arm. "B-Billy," he murmured, "Don't call Kerry," he said. "She'll kick my ass, I think," he managed before drifting in and out of consciousness. It would only be a few seconds in between and after the 4th time he'd tried to force himself to stay awake and help Billy get him to the car. He could hear Billy talking to him and Christian and May but he couldn't exactly tell what was happening. He figured they were making their way to Caspian's and when he was placed in the car, he leaned up against the door. Looking over at May he gave her a soft, hazy smile. "Came to apologize," he huffed. "Took a bullet for you too. Gotta forgive me now, huh?"

Some days Cas wondered why he even bothered to tell the King family to try and stay out of trouble. They never did and they never would. "For fucks-," he started, pinching the bridge of his nose as the five of them stumbled into his clinic. "You know the drill," he grumbled, pointing to the rooms. A woman had been with him then, her eyebrows raised in curiosity as she looked at Caspian. "I didn't know you'd have company," she said. "You gonna need some help?" He immediately nodded his head and the two of them briefly disappeared to the back room for supplies. When they returned, Cas went to work in May while his companion, Desiree, began to work on Alex. She noticed Billy standing by and in order to help him not freak out she decided to ask him for his help. "GSW to the abdomen?" She asked though it was clear that's what it was. She just wanted the man talking. After she hung up a liter of blood she worked to numb him before doing his examination. "When did Cas get an attractive nurse," Alex managed to say, blinking slowly. She laughed. "We're friends and I'm not a nurse. I'm a doctor."

Dr. Desiree's work hadn't taken that long, observing the entry and exit point, stopping the bleeding, and stitching him up. "He's gonna be fine," she reassured cleaning up her station. "I've no idea where Cas keeps his drugs, so you'll have to wait on him for that." She dismissed herself, allowing Billy and Alex some time alone. Alex turned to Billy, the effects of the drugs showing on his face. "This what you guys been ravin' 'bout? 'S alot better than coke, I'll give you that." He let out a weak laugh. "How's May?"

Meanwhile, Cas had been doing a thorough examination of May and the things he found were horrible. While the baby was fine, he knew that she wasn't going to be. Between the physical, emotional, and mental damage Cas was fully aware there was about to be a lot going on for the young woman. His heart broke for her, waiting for Desiree to enter the room to finish. When he was told what had happened he didn't want May to feel uncomfortable and so stepped out while she did what she needed. When he re-entered the room he took a deep sigh. "Back again so soon," he said, trying to lighten up the atmosphere. "You and the baby are going to be just fine." He paused then, air filling with silence as he thought about something else to say. "Desiree here is also trained in... Trauma. If you want or need to talk, she's a good person for it."


Billy ( Pyroclast )
Christian ( Misty Gray )
May ( BasDorcha )

 

[BasDorcha]

May sat in the room at Caspian’s waiting for Christian to return. It had been hours and hours since everything, she wasn’t even sure how much time had passed after she passed out under Caspian’s careful administrations. Caspian had come in before hand and assured her he checked on the baby and the baby was fine, though she needed to stay on bedrest for a while to keep that in check. She fidgited nervously, twisting her hands around and around in the bed before she realized she had been holding her breath. She somehow knew he’d be walking through that door any moment and she would need to tell him. The minute the door creaked and started to open, she couldn’t help it, the words barked out of her mouth just as she was telling herself not to blurt it out.

“I’m pregnant. I’m sorry.” The words were out and in the air before she could stop them, her face still pale, but she couldn’t wait any longer, she wanted him to know. She had come so close to not being able to tell him at all. It couldn’t wait a moment longer.

Christian had spent hours back at the warehouse making sure the clean-up crew didn’t leave any evidence behind. As he’d stood there, helping where he could, he couldn’t help but wonder how his life had managed to spiral so quickly over the last few months. From a hired investigator buried in paperwork, to a man committing murder without remorse. His thoughts continued on even into his journey back to Caspian’s hours later. By the time he got out of his car, his mind was stuck on a loop telling him he needed to get away from London and out of the Kings’ business whilst he still had his freedom and his life.

Despite the need to escape, he soon found his way to May’s room, desperate to see how she was getting on. “May, how–” he began, silenced when she blurted out that she was pregnant. “I… We…” he stuttered, stepping into the room and closing the door. “Are you sure? We only just started seeing each other,” he asked, clearly stunned by the bombshell news as he stopped by her bed.

A furious blush crested her pale face as she nodded.”I um… I found out the last time I was here at Caspian’s, after-” She stuttered to a stop, unable to say her brother’s name. “I wasn’t sure, Cas never did a test then, so I did tests and eventually ended up with five of them all positive. I wanted to tell you sooner, I knew the night Harper-” The tears were already welling up in her eyes, her voice shaky as she tried to keep talking and explaining. She had a deep fear bubbling up that if she stopped talking, christian would leave. “I knew the night Harper hurt herself. I wanted to see you, but everything just.. Everything just fell apart.” The tears broke as she stifled a sob.

“Then Josh took me, I thought for sure I’d lose them.

Christian listened as May told him about when she'd found out and how she'd been unable to tell him sooner. He slowly nodded his head as he sat on the seat next to her bed. "Okay..." he said, clearly trying to process the news. "This is a surprise, May. It's not something I ever thought about," he said, becoming aware he was starting to ramble. Looking back to her, he sent a reassuring smile. Only minutes earlier he'd been ready to pack his bags and spend some time in Scotland, away from the chaos, but that wasn't on the agenda any longer. "I'm going to be here, May. I just need to get my head around this, but I'll be here. I'm not some arsehole-" he began, stopping short of slating Trevor. "I'll be here," he assured her, still trying to process the shock. Without even thinking of how her brothers were going to take it, Christian already felt way out of his depth at the thought of being a father.

May nodded, listening to him. A small bit of reassurance coursed through her but she was still feeling out of place. She laid down in the bed, snuggling down in a curl around his body, sniffling and closing her eyes.

 

[Misty Gray]

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

Spencer King and Bruce King​

Spencer was glad to hear Gabriel wasn't against Bruce's request to keep Erik in London. He hoped they could make that agreement along with ending the Kings and Morettis business together. After what had happened to Savannah when the Italians butted into getting Callum home, he felt Gabriel owed them. However, Gabriel proposed their business deal continued and took active steps to ensure their wars with the Sullivans were kept separate. The latter, Spencer was in agreement with, but the former proposal of maintaining their business wasn't something he wanted. However, a glance from Bruce told Spencer that his uncle was on board with the idea of continuing their deal with the Morettis. The younger man lowered his gaze as Bruce and Gabriel spoke, both of them agreeing to keep their arrangement in place. He hadn't been keen on working with the Morettis since the start and after the way their conversation with Gabriel had begun tonight, he thought the perfect opportunity to severe ties had presented itself. Clearly, that wasn't the case and he knew to speak up now, to contradict Bruce's decision in front of Gabriel, would not go down well. As much as he hated it, Spencer was forced to hold his tongue.

Something Spencer could get behind was the agreement for Erik to transfer his employment from the Morettis to the Kings. He could imagine how happy that would make Billy and it was the only good feeling that came from their conversation with Gabriel. When the Italian was quick to agree to sorting out the paperwork for Erik's transfer, Spencer managed a smile. The smile was in no way for Moretti, but all for Billy and Erik. He reached for his glass of wine and timed his long sip for when Bruce and Gabriel shook hands. "Have a good evening," he levelly told the Italian, both of them happy to not shake each others' hands considering the words they'd thrown at each other minutes earlier.

Once the Italian was gone, Spencer turned in his seat to look at Bruce who was sat next to him. "How did all of that end with us still being in business with him?" he rhetorically asked, shaking his head in bemusement. "We should've taken our chance to end our business with that megalomaniac. Surely we could have still taken Erik as his peace offering for him going behind our backs and nearly killing Sav." Spencer tried to hold his tongue but the way the evening was panning out nothing was going to stop him from speaking his mind. "Forgiving Moretti... Next you'll tell me you've forgiven Trevor since your cosy meeting together," he remarked.

Bruce could feel the tension emanating from his nephew all throughout the conversation with Gabriel, so he wasn't surprised when Spencer spoke up the moment the Italian boss was out of earshot. If he had left time after asking his question, Bruce was certain he could have answered it, but instead Spencer moved on to argue his point. He was just waiting for him to get it out of his system before clearing up the reasons behind his decision - but then he brought up Trevor.

He shot his nephew a pointed look. “Are you done?” he asked, and when he was met with silence he turned his chair to fully face the man. “Spencer, I ain’t afraid of Gabriel Moretti. But we are already in one war and I ain’t about to start another by makin’ a new enemy. Think, Spencer - you, Billy, Harper, even Darcey, all the injuries you’ve sustained at the hands of the Irish, all the close calls. Does it look like we’re winnin’ this war?” He stared deeply into Spencer’s eyes, knowing that it must have been weighing on him, too. “We can’t afford to be proud or stubborn. We need the help. Of course I don’t approve of what he did and if he were anyone else then I wouldn’t give ‘im a second chance, but if there’s even a chance that the support he’s givin’ us will someday save your life, then I’m gonna bloody well take it. I’m gettin’ sick of those fuckin’ phone calls.”

He sat upright and grabbed his champagne flute, wishing it were something stronger as he poured the contents down his throat. “And as for Trevor,” he moved on, placing the empty glass down on the table. “Yes, I went to see ‘im. The man ain’t never done a thing right in his life until he saved your sister. I don’t give a toss about him as a person and if he showed up dead tomorrow, not an ounce of me would miss the bastard. I didn’t pop round to congratulate ‘im for doin’ somethin’ right for once - but bloody ‘ell, Spencer, Harper would be dead if he hadn’t been there! Can you not forgive me for settin’ aside my lifetime of hatred for one moment, so I could show him some gratitude?”


"Of course I'm sick of the calls about our family being hurt, and getting my own head kicked in, but Moretti… I don't trust him and he's worse than the Sullivans. He might help us now, but I wouldn't put it past him to screw us over down the line." Spencer shook his head in frustration. "Sullivans, Morettis… At one time we didn't need any of them getting involved in our business. Can't trust any of 'em."

No matter how dangerous and more significant Moretti business was, it was Trevor that grabbed the majority of Spencer's anger. He listened as Bruce made it clear he didn't care about Trevor's well-being, but he at least pointed out the fact the man had saved Harper's life. Spencer didn't immediately respond when his uncle asked to be able to briefly push his hatred aside and show gratitude for what Trevor had done to save his sister's life. He tapped his fingers on the base of the empty champagne glass before looking Bruce in the eyes again. "He doesn't deserve any of our gratitude. It was his fault my mum was such a mess, and it was his fault when she died. It was his fault he walked out before Harper was born and through all the shit his selfishness caused our family growing up, it's his fault she tried to kill herself. He's got more to do before he's in a position where he's earned my gratitude for doing what any decent human would do." Spencer paused and briefly looked away. "But if showing him gratitude makes you feel better, knock yourself out Bruce. Just don't get sucked into this act of his."


"Yes, I am aware of that, Spencer," Bruce said through gritted teeth when his nephew pointed out that they never used to have other gangs involved in their business. "But things change. Conflicts happen and arrangements have to be made. I don't like it, either, but what choice do we have? I know ya' can't trust anyone outside the family and neither should ya', but we still need the help. So, suck it up."

There was a moment's pause after Bruce made his case about visiting Trevor and for a moment he thought perhaps he had managed to close the conversation…but only for a moment. His weary mood drew an involuntary sigh from him when Spencer started reminding him of the things Trevor had done over the years. It was nothing he hadn't heard before and while he always had been and always would be on Spencer's side when it came to the abuse he had suffered under Trevor, and would never get over his sister's tragic death, his nephew's attitude was beginning to grate on him. "Fine!" Bruce seethed, making an effort to keep his voice down. "Spencer, I don't care if you don't want nothin' to do with Trevor for the rest of your life. I ain't gonna tell ya' what to do or how to feel. But you don't get to tell me what to feel neither, alright? You know I hate what he did to your mother, and to you and your brother's and your sister, and if you think I'd ever forget about that then I must be nothin' but an idiot in your eyes."

He sat back in his seat and shook his head with another irritated sigh. "Christ. Everythin' he put our family through and you're worried I'm gonna suddenly be his mate…I could fuckin' laugh." But he wasn't laughing - in fact the look in his eyes showed anything but amusement. "I'm happy Harper's alive. Let's leave it there, shall we?"


Spencer subtly shook his head when his uncle pointed out that he still hated what Trevor had done to their family and that he must think him an idiot if he thought he could forget that. Spencer certainly didn’t think Bruce was an idiot, nor that he would ever forget what had happened. But perhaps it was his frustration at having to watch as Trevor wormed his way into their family that was making it difficult to see reason. Maybe it was just unlucky that Bruce was in the firing line of his anger that he couldn’t direct elsewhere for various reasons. Whatever it was, he couldn’t find it in himself to back down at that moment.

Of course, Spencer was happy Harper was alive too, and the look in his eyes in those seconds would reflect that to Bruce. Still, after that brief glimmer of softening, something was still getting in the way of him seeing reason in that moment. Both Gabriel and Trevor had been rubbing him up the wrong way for months, so knowing they were stuck with both of them for the foreseeable was enough to keep him in a sour mood. “Aye, we’ll leave it at that.” Spencer got up from his seat. “I’m going to find Shona and get through the rest of this sham evening as intended,” he bluntly told his uncle before walking away from the table.

END OF CHAPTER
​

 

[Bellz]

The Next Day...
Harper King
The Royal London Hospital
~ Tower Hamlets, London ~
​

The amount of love and support had received in just her short time being awake was enough to overwhelm Harper. It made her realize just how sick she really was, to not have seen it before. While she knew killing herself wasn't going to solve anything, the experience...had opened her eyes. As if someone took the dark-colored glasses off of her, the ones that painted the world on a grey scale. Making it hard to see anything past her own sorrows and the sorrows of the world. Harper knew that the fight with her mental illness was far from over but it did make her feel better to know that she could see a light at the end of the tunnel once more. Even if it had to get to this point before she could see it.

Harper had been trying to figure out what exactly this trip to the psychiatric hospital would entail and if she would be able to do it now that she was with child. While it complicated things, she was reassured that she would be taken care of and safe. It wasn't enough to calm her anxiety but she'd try to hold onto it. Jeremy and she had been talking about it when there was yet another knock on the door. "Come in." She said softly, her voice failing her completely as she tried to sound at least a little more upbeat than she was feeling. She just wasn't sure how many more emotional conversations she could take before her head tried to convince her that she was the problem in her family's life again.

Spencer appeared in the doorway and Harper smiled weakly at him. "Well you've seen better days, haven't you, Spence?" She teased lightly, trying to wind him up like she normally did. At this point, Harper was looking for some sort of normalcy. "I'm out for a week and you decide to let yourself not shave. Shona can't possibly be enjoying kissing that scratchy beard of yours."

 

[Misty Gray]

The next day...

The Royal London Hospital
~ Tower Hamlets, London ~
Sunday 15th September 1985

Spencer King​

The week since Harper had tried to kill herself had been hell. Even the charity event last night hadn't been enough to fully distract Spencer from his concern about Harper. After the argument they'd have just before her attempted suicide, Spencer had hated the thought that he might never have got to clear the air with his sister. A lot of things had been said, making him worry that Harper had grown to dislike him, to resent him for making her feel so trapped and suffocated. It hadn't been in his intention, but in his need to protect his sister he'd managed to make her feel the way she did.

Spencer had soon been informed that Harper had woken up, talking and able to speak with her visitors. However, that also came with the news that Dr. Parker had assessed her mental state and the decision had been made to section her for her own safety. Spencer had been all for showing up at Maddox's office and kicking some sense into the shrink, but it didn't take long for him to see reason. Whilst he hated the idea of his sister not being allowed to come home to her family, he couldn't forget how close she'd come to dying. It hurt to accept it, but it would hurt even more were she to go on to do something so drastic again. He didn't like the idea, but he had to trust the experts knew what they were doing.

Despite how tired and worried he was, the moment he entered the room and saw his sister, he couldn't help but smile at her, relieved to see her awake. When Harper made her remark about him having seen better days, he scoffed at her teasing. "Yeah, when I was about five years old," he drily remarked. His sister continued her teasing, making a comment about his unshaven face. "Oh, trust me, Shona loves kissing me. Let's face it - not many people can resist me and my body," he joked, playfully flexing his biceps.

Spencer took a moment to greet Jeremy, giving his friend a firm hug, but soon asked for some time alone with Harper, having not spoken with her since that evening at Bruce's. He couldn't leave things the way they had been left and he needed to clear the air, to reassure his sister of how he felt about her and what had happened.

Once Jeremy had left, Spencer approached Harper's bedside and leaned in to give her a hug, being careful to avoid bringing any discomfort in the process. After a kiss on the top of her head, he sat down in the chair at her side. "Oh, I..." he began, reaching into his jacket pocket and pulling out a small paper bag containing some pick n mix sweets. "Smuggled these in for ya. Of course, if you really can't have them, I pretty much chose all my favourites anyway..." he remarked, setting the sweets down on the bedside table.

Sitting back, Spencer's face turned more serious as he looked directly to his sister, taking a moment to appreciate how close he'd come to never seeing her again, where his last memory of Harper would be seeing her so pale as she was wheeled into the back of the ambulance on a stretcher. "I love you, ya know. Whatever happened, whatever was said... I'm here for you." He cleared his throat as he pushed back his emotions so they couldn't hinder him from speaking. "You'll be out of that place in no time. Plus, we're going to need you outta there to intervene before my beard gets too out of control," he pointed out.

 

[Bellz]

The Next Day...
Harper King
The Royal London Hospital
~ Tower Hamlets, London ~
​

"Oh gross! Not the flexing!" Harper said, trying her best to remain upbeat despite the exhaustion she was currently feeling. Masking her emotions wasn't the best but for now, it would do, she owed her family that much. Luckily, she had a moment to really ground herself as Spencer and Jeremy greeted one another. When Spencer asked for alone time with her, Harper looked to Jeremy giving him a small smile and a nod of her head, letting him know she'd be okay. The man hadn't left her side since the evaluation for which she really was thankful. Harper wasn't feeling secure enough to be left completely alone, but she would soon find herself having to be once she was transferred.

Spencer moved to hug her and Harper accepted it happily. It was a bit weird to hug everyone again. She still felt like the body she was in was not her own, so any sort of touch felt almost unreal. But regardless of all that, Harper was happy to receive a reminder that her family was still there for her, even after everything she had done to them. Spencer kissed the top of her head and Harper forced a smile on her face, though her eyes watered with emotion as he sat down in the chair beside her. When he reached into his pocket, Harper looked at him curiously, one brow raised. Spencer pulled out a small paper bag of pick-n-mix sweets and Harper let out a genuine laugh. "All your favorites huh? Lemme take a look here." When he set it down on the bedside table, Harper made a grab for it. When it was on her lap, she didn't make a move to rifle through it like she said she would, instead meeting her eldest brother's eyes.

He was staring at her, just like everyone had been doing from the moment she woke up. "What? Do I have something on my face?" She tried to joke though her voice cracked under the weight of the situation. Harper's heart ached slightly as Spencer told her he loved her. Whatever had happened, whatever was said, he told her, he was there for her. Harper nodded her head softly, trying to offer an encouraging smile though her lower lip trembling caused it to look pained. "Ah, so you've heard about my little trip I'll be taking then?" She said, shaking her head. She once again found herself genuinely laughing. "I'll be there to put a stop to any unnecessary beard growth. And to wind you all up as I normally do. But that won't be for a few weeks it looks like. Possibly a month." Harper's voice broke at the end and she found herself mindlessly rummaging through the bag of sweets now.

Pulling out some fizzy soda bottle gummies, Harper smiled fondly. "Now you said it was pretty much all of your favorites, Spence. Seems like you remembered these ones are mine." The woman shook her head before popping one in her mouth and chewing thoughtfully. "I remember when you use to bring these home for me as a kid. Used to spoil my dinner constantly because of it but I always loved when you brought them back, reminded me that you were always thinking about me." The blonde sighed, looking defeated as she swallowed the candy.

"What I did...last week, I'm really sorry. I k-know..." Harper cleared her throat, the tears welling in her eyes again as she tried to formulate the right words. "I know that sorry isn't ever going to change what I did to you, but...just know that I regret it. All of it. I won't pretend to understand what you saw with mum, what Alex saw...hell even what Billy saw and probably doesn't remember. I won't pretend to understand the sacrifices you've made specifically in your life to protect us, to protect me." Meeting Spencer's eyes, she reached out her hand to take one of his as she tried to smile. "But thank you. For growing up so quickly and being there for us. For me. Sure there are parts of me that I wish could be changed but you influenced a lot of the good in me. Maybe not the sassy attitude or the anger issues but hey, those can be good too depending on who you are talking to. You're the best big brother a sister could ask for, and I'm sorry if I made you feel like I don't love and appreciate you."

 

[Misty Gray]

The Royal London Hospital
~ Tower Hamlets, London ~
Sunday 15th September 1985


Spencer King​

Despite the serious situation, Spencer couldn't help the boyish smile that took over him as Harper asked if she had something on her face. "Nah, I'm just glad to see you awake," he told her. He nodded when she said he'd heard about the decision to have her sectioned. "It won't be for long. You'll get a few weeks to recover and I'll get a few weeks of peace n quiet," he teased, flashing another smile. His face then turned serious for a time. "You just need to focus on yourself, Harper. Like, focus on getting home and recovering as soon as you can, but don't try pulling the wool over anyone's eyes, including your own. We'll be right here waiting for you when you get out... you're stuck with us."

As Harper sifted through the sweets, it became clear she saw past his suggestion he'd chosen them with his own favourites in mind as she noted he'd chosen the fizzy bottles he remembered her liking as a kid. "Yeah, Bruce used to chew me out on it, but it still didn't stop be giving you 'em." Spencer remembered when he was a child that if he wanted to treat himself to sweets, then he'd have to steal them whilst the shopkeeper wasn't looking, because his parents couldn't afford to buy gifts for him. So when he could afford to buy sweets, he couldn't help but want to share them. He'd wanted Harper's childhood to be better - he wanted her to have more than he'd had.

When Harper began to apologise for what happened a week ago, Spencer reached out to gently rest a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "It's okay, Harper. I think we've all said shit and we could all make some changes now. It's in my nature to want to protect the people I care about. Felt like I had to do it when I was a kid." Whilst as a kid Spencer had never seen Trevor lay a hand on Laura, hearing their arguments he'd felt like he had to protect his mother. Most of the time when he got mouthy with Trevor or caused trouble at home, it was to direct any negative attention onto himself so it might never reach his mother. "But I see it... that I maybe do go too far at times and I should give you more room to breathe. I guess I just never wanted to see you hurt," he admitted, his own eyes welling with tears to match hers.

Spencer gently squeezed her hand as she reached out to take his. He nodded when she thanked him for growing up fast so he could be there for her and their brothers. "Maybe some people deserve our sass," he lightly told her. "I won't pretend I don't wish I could have been a kid for longer than I was, but I wouldn't change any of it because you three jerks are worth it." When she apologised, he quickly shook his head. "It's okay... but I will need the whole 'best big brother' thing in writing."

Clearing his throat, his mind once again returned to her not being able to go home yet. "I'll make sure things are better between us when you come home. Eddie needs more time with his auntie! And maybe I'll even stop giving Jeremy stick," he remarked. "You're both still doing good, yeah? You don't need me to get him to give you some space or anything?"

 

[Bellz]

The Next Day...
Harper King
The Royal London Hospital
~ Tower Hamlets, London ~
​

Harper rolled her eyes as Spencer suggested he would need the bit about her saying he was the best big brother in writing. "Want me to get you a frame too? You know, something that you can put on your wall so that you can always remember the day I was nice to you?" Harper found herself genuinely laughing, the sound lacked a lot of luster but it was there. It quickly vanished, a moment of silence falling between the pair before Spencer cleared his throat.

Harper listened as he told her that he would make sure things were better between them before she came home. That responsibility fell on her as well, she was a lot to blame for any sort of sour feelings. They may try to tell her otherwise but Harper knew she needed some sort of adjustment, be it attitude or outlook or even some sort of medication. The reminder that she wasn't going to be home for nearly a month made her chest ache but she managed to keep any sort of emotion off her face as Spencer went on to mention Eddie and then Jeremy. "Well you know Auntie Harp wants to spend all her time with little Eddie too. I've yet to spoil him but I promise I will be making up for that 100-fold when I get out. Despite the beard Spence, you and Shona made one handsome boy." Harper teased her brother once more avoiding answering the question about Jeremy for a moment as she thought about Eddie.

"We are doing better than when I first woke up yesterday." She answered lightly. "And I think...the last thing I need right now...is space." Harper bit her bottom lip, "I'm sorry I was dishonest about our relationship. But he's your best mate and all, I didn't want to make things any more difficult than I already was." The blonde's mind went back to the dinner before it went to the news that Jeremy and she received. Alex had taken it surprisingly well, so she had to have faith that Spencer would too.

"I do love him, Spence. I mean, I know I practically shouted that at you guys during that..." Harper's throat tightened unable to talk about the fight they had clearly as she shook her head. "There's something I want to tell you. I told Alex yesterday and I want to stick by my promise to not hide things from you all anymore. It's done me no good over the years and I don't think this particular thing is something I'll be..." Looking her brother in the eyes, she winced slightly as she spoke her next words, "able to hide much longer."[/b] Wondering if he would be able to connect that somehow so that she could save herself from having to say it, Harper let out a soft sigh.

Why was it so much harder to tell Spencer than it was to tell Alex? Well, that was kind of an easy answer. Spencer and Jeremy had been friends for far longer than any sort of relationship friendship or otherwise that Harper had with Jeremy. Despite everyone's acceptance, or at least, as far as she knew, she was afraid that she might be getting in the way of that friendship between them. Clearing her throat, Harper met her brother's eyes again, having looked down with uncertainty while she thought. Jeremy was most likely not going to be pleased that she'd told Spencer without him, but it was probably better that he didn't get yet another black eye from one of her brothers.

"I'm...pregnant." She finally managed to get out. "I had no idea before any of this happened, Doctors found out through testing while I was out. They told Jeremy and he told me shortly after I woke up." The blonde was struggling to meet his eyes, but she managed to after a moment. "I've talked about it with him, and I also had a conversation with Alex. No one is forcing me to keep the baby, but I want to."

 

[Misty Gray]

The Royal London Hospital
~ Tower Hamlets, London ~
Sunday 15th September 1985

Spencer King​

Spencer was glad to hear Harper was okay with people being around her, saying the last thing she wanted was space. After the argument a week ago, he hadn't been sure if she wanted people, particularly himself, to keep their distance as she'd felt so trapped for a long time. He was glad she didn't want to be alone right now and wanted her loved ones around her. When she went on to apologise about being secretive about her relationship with Jeremy, he slowly nodded along. "Yeah, him being my best mate and employed to protect you did make things complicated. I was concerned he'd become distracted and wouldn't focus on protecting ya. I guess I should have being more open-minded, though. I know it doesn't stop him from protecting you and I suppose it's better him than me having to go rough up some bloke I don't know anything about," he remarked.

A subtle smile remained etched on his face as she told him she loved Jeremy. Having already sat with his best friend to hear the man tell him the same thing, Spencer could at least take comfort from knowing the two of them shared their feelings and that he wouldn't need to tell Jeremy to back off at all. He noticed the shift in Harper's demenaour before she said she had something to tell him. The way she was speaking and the way she trailed off caused him to sit up straight and look directly to her, his expression a serious and expectant one. "What is it?" he asked. With the way she'd spoke, he could only think it was something bad. What if she was sick? Had the doctors found something wrong with her that they all needed to worry about? "You're going to be okay, right?" he asked.

Then she spoke the words, telling him she was pregnant. Before his mind even had chance to process it, Spencer had rushed up to his feet and turned ready to rush out of the room to grab Jeremy and likely hit him. Before he could take a real step, he froze on the spot and ran his hand down his face. He turned back to look down at Harper. "I thought he was--" he began, recalling Jeremy recently telling him he was a virgin. Of course, that had obviously changed. Spencer turned away, his eyes fixed on the door as he processed the news. He listened to her explain that she'd only just found out the news from the doctors. He swallowed hard before looking back to Harper, his eyes meeting hers before she told him she'd spoken with Jeremy and Alex, and that she wanted to keep the baby.

After taking a moment to compose himself and allow his rapid heartbeat to settle, Spencer slowly returned to his seat by Harper's bedside and looked to his sister. His eyes had welled up with tears, but his expression was a gentle one. "Okay, so that's good that you're happy with the decision to keep the baby," he thought aloud. He wondered if this had been what it was like for Laura. Struggling through an addiction and mental health issues to find she was pregnant. To have some idealistic thought that everything would work out like a fairytale. But this wasn't his mother - it was Harper. His sister was a more realistic and independent person. Jeremy was a good man and someone he could trust. He was nothing like the scumbag, Trevor. This would be different and Spencer knew he had to push aside their past traumas, to learn from their mistakes to make sure life was better for them and their own children. Which for him started with giving Harper his support. He'd already said changes needed to be made and this was the first one he could do to prove he was going to be better.

"It's good that you're going to be getting professional help for the next few weeks, then," he reasoned, wanting his sister to be as fit and well as she could starting from the early stages of her pregnancy. Knowing he was thinking with his serious head on, he reminded himself that he could let his guard down. He softly smiled at Harper as he studied her face once more. "You've got a family that loves you and a bloke who isn't a waste of space, so things will be better than they were for us. I'll be here for you, whatever you need, remember?" he assured her. Reaching out, he took her hand again. "I just can't believe you're going to be having a kid..." Sitting back in his seat, he sat in silence for a short time. "Can you try will it to be a boy, though? I figure we can start forming our own little footy team at this rate, with Callum and Eddie too," he said, flashing her a smile. It was going to take some time to process, but right now, he knew it was Harper's choice and the simple fact of the matter was that he would be there for her. No judgement, just the support she needed to make sure her and her unborn child would be happy and healthy.