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

[Pyroclast]

Dublin City Hospital
~ Dublin City Centre, Dublin ~

Syd Porter​

Over the course of his life, Syd had experienced death and loss in all sorts of different ways. Deaths he witnessed, deaths he missed. Shockingly quick deaths and agonisingly slow deaths. Deaths he could have prevented, deaths he caused...and even his many suicide attempts. He could write a book about all the different forms that grief can take, and yet, as his father lay dying in the hospital, he still felt completely unprepared to deal with it. It reminded him of his late wife, Skye, and her battle with cancer that eventually took her life. The utter helplessness, the agonising wait for the end. The waiting was the worst - there was so much room for denial and for overthinking, too much time to spend inside his own head, all the while knowing that his loved one was suffering. Syd could barely remember the year following Skye's death, he had been so consumed by the grief. It was complex and messy and he had hardly survived it, having made three attempts on his life that year alone. It wasn't as if he had gone through it once and now knew what to do. It was impossibly challenging then, and felt no different 23 years later.

Syd stood outside James' private hospital room with Thomas and Olivia. His jaw was clenched tight and his skin was clammy, the fresh cuts on his arms and body stinging beneath his clothes. Hospitals were a horribly public place to have a breakdown, which was hard to avoid since his nightmares tended to come to life there. He had too many painful memories in hospitals and now just the smell of them made him feel dizzy and nauseous. Thomas moved in to hug him, and Syd managed to return the gesture, albeit stiffly. He could feel himself growing distant already, his mind wanting to detach from reality and refuse to accept it. The doctors were obviously wrong - James survived everything. He was a cockroach. He could survive this. He wouldn't leave Lucy. He couldn't leave, not this time, not when it was Syd's fault.

The fresh cuts on his body pulsed. Soon they were walking in and taking their places around James' bed. Syd took a seat next to Lucy and their hands automatically linked together. Syd stared at his father; he didn't look like himself, all weak and run down, like he had aged several years in the last week alone. It was hard to believe what he was seeing, with such fresh memories in his head of the man walking around, his voice strong and his eyes focused. It was like a bad dream - one of those hospital-curated nightmares - and he would just wake up and see his father as he knew him again.

James removed his oxygen mask to ask them how they were all doing and what they had been up to. Syd's heart began to pound in his chest and he met Thomas' gaze, unsure what to say. Of course the man didn't want to hear the truth. He couldn't admit to his dying father how much distress he had been in, how much he hated himself for inviting his family to a large event, how he hadn't been going to work and he was self-harming every day. Instead, he let Thomas speak first, who managed to talk about Elena. Syd loved that his brother had found someone who made him happy, but he failed to smile. Everyone was struggling to hold themselves together and the atmosphere was unbearable. The pain of the situation surged through him and, out of sheer determination to lose not his nerve, he found himself rocking slightly in his seat from the pressure. He was then prompted to tell James about how the meeting with the Kings had gone, with Lucy reminding him of how proud she and James were. It was like she was trying to make him cry.

Drawing a shaky breath, Syd locked eyes with his father and a strange sort of smile spread across his face. "Yes," he said flatly. "Yeah, um...w-we..." He squeezed Lucy's hand so tightly that his fingertips turned white. "We formed a truce. War's over. It's all gonna be okay now." Except it wasn't, obviously, because James wasn't going to make it. "Dad?" His smile had disappeared and his eyes filled with tears as he began to shake in his seat. "I -" An apology almost left his lips but got caught in his throat, just long enough for him to rethink...did he really want to waste what could be the last moments with his father apologising for something that was too late to change? He couldn't go back in time and cancel the event, or up the security further, or uninvite his family. What happened happened, and just from the way James was looking at him now, he could tell the man didn't blame him. "I just...w-want to say thank you," he managed to get out. "For...everything." His stomach tensed and a few tears escaped his eyes. "I couldn't have asked for a better dad."

Interactions
Misty Gray James, Olivia
Bellz Lucy, Thomas

 

[Misty Gray]

The Sullivan Family Home
~ Sutton, Dublin ~

Conor Sullivan​

For as long as he could remember, James Porter had been in Conor's and his family's lives. Even if they hadn't directly interacted at the time, Conor was a child when he first saw James, who was a few years older than himself. Back then, it had been James' father working for Conor's old man and the kids had no idea at that time just how much they would go through together over the following decades. There had been numerous times where James had come close to being killed and surely Conor would be prepared for it by now. However, it was the fact that James always survived that made it so difficult to accept now the man was finally living is very last moments.

Conor had just returned home from visiting the hospital and he was aware that it was very likely the last time speaking with his brother-in-law. When they entered the house, they were greeted by JJ who proceeded to ask how James was. Conor looked to Roxie as she spoke with her son to try reassure him. Conor managed a small smile as his nephew looked up to him. When the boy informed him that he'd beaten Leo at arm wrestling, Conor let out a low chuckle and nodded his head. "Don't worry, I believe you. You're miles tougher than he is." Although he was joking along with JJ, Conor couldn't shift the dark cloud that was weighing heavy in the back of his mind.

"I need a dri--" Conor began as he took a step forward ready to walk off to grab himself a beer. Instead, he froze on the spot as he heard the knock at the door. He furrowed his brow when Roxie said she'd get it, but shrugged it off and remained standing nearby as he observed to see who the unexpected visitor was. Seeing the blonde woman standing outside, he had to take a moment to study her before remembering she was Tom's girlfriend. He wasn't sure why she was there, though. He folded his arms suspiciously as Roxie addressed Thea by name and then watched as Roxie sent JJ on his way.

Soon enough, Roxie spoke to him directly. When she spoke about their guest seeming like a surprise and that they needed to have a conversation whilst Syd wasn't there - to avoid him doing anything rash - Conor quickly shook his head in disbelief. "What the fuck is this?" he asked. "I just got back from visiting my dying--" He fell silent as Roxie continued on, mentioning the safety of his family. "Oh yeah? What the bloody 'ell would Tom's bird know about my family's safety?" he asked, shaking his head. "No offence, love," he told Thea. Regardless, the fact his family's safety was mentioned meant he had to listen to what it was Thea thought she knew. "Well, I suppose you ladies should follow me," he relented, briefly glancing at Luci who was being held in Roxie's arms.

Once in the office, Conor sat at his desk and instantly poured himself a shot of whiskey. "Alright, take a seat. Spill the beans," he commanded Thea as he motioned for her and Roxie to sit across him from the table. "What is it you know about my family's safety?" he calmly asked. With the truce with the Kings and them getting shut of the Morettis, he'd been expecting peace to last longer. He hoped whatever Thea had to say was something of nothing. He wasn't quite ready for a new war yet.

Melanin-Gxdess (Thea)
Bellz (Roxie)

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

The Stewart Family Home
~ Islington, London ~
Alexander King

His uncle then invited them to ask questions, only Abel beat them to the punch. His cousin's enthusiasm and rapid-fire questions were interesting, to say the least, as Alex smiled to himself and sipped his beer. Spencer answered first with his age and information about himself. "I'm 30 now and yeah, been in London the whole time. Well," he paused glancing at Spencer. "Think I've traveled quite a bit, huh?" He turned his attention back to Abel. "But I've only ever lived in London." Alex then let his brother answer Abel's question about knowing about their existence. He glanced at his older brother curiously as he spoke wondering how he would reveal the truth. Not only was Alex relieved but he was surprised at how amicable Spencer was speaking. He knew the man and his father didn't get along and their relationship was fragile. But he was glad that the animosity, for the most part, was wavering.

"Oh, yeah, we both do. Family business an all that," Alex stated. Although it'd only been recent that he had gotten his shit together and started pulling his weight, Alex was still considered an employee. Abel then asked about Billy's whereabouts, to which Alex shrugged. "He, uh..." He tried to find the best way to answer without divulging too much of Billy's personal information. "Billy - our youngest brother - had some stuff to take care of. He was bummed about not bein' able to be here, but he's excited to meet you guys later." Alex glanced again to Spencer figuring he'd understand why he'd presented Billy's absence as such. "But, yeah that's the whole gang." He then took another sip of his drink before quickly snapping his fingers. "There's also Bruce and Darcey - our uncle and his very faithful best friend. She helped him raise us after, um... After our mom died."

Alex shifted uncomfortably then - distributing his weight from one foot to another. Speaking about Laura would always be difficult for Alex but even more so to people he didn't know. But he figured if they were being honest about things what was the harm? "But, yeah. Anyway what about you guys? You an only kid Abel? Or do you know how much fun it is to have multiple siblings," he joked, looking at Spencer.

Abel, Philip ( BasDorcha ) Spencer ( Misty Gray )

Time for Tea
~ Berkhamsted, Chiltern Hills ~
Darcey Hargraves

​

For a split second Darcey thought she'd ruined Bruce's surprise. The look on his face as she'd guessed seemed to grow into one of disappointment and his words mirrored it. That is, until the grin appeared on his face and the look in his eyes shifted. He informed her she was wrong and Darcey let out a sigh of relief before chuckling. "You old tease! I was worried for a moment that I'd gone and ruined something." Soon the two of them moved on leaving the small cafe behind them. She'd taken Bruce's hand into her own and laced their fingers together. The wind blew around her and the chill caused her to move closer to him for warmth. More memories came back to her the further they traveled through their childhood town. One, in particular, began to surface but Bruce spoke about it before she'd gotten the chance. Laura, Bruce, and Darcey were always sneaking out and around when they were younger. They loved going on adventures and spending time with each other. Life was short so why not break a couple of rules?

"Of course, I remember," Darcey mused with a smile. "You were so worried that we were going to get in trouble - always the worry wort," she teased. "And yet we got back safe and sound and no one was the wiser." The blackberries, however, were probably her favorite memory. Remembering the lengths Bruce would go to for both Laura and Darcey was always endearing. It was one of the reasons why she loved him. It didn't matter what Bruce was going through or how difficult something was she knew she could always count on him to make her happy. He was selfless in the best way possible and that had never changed. "None of your clothes lasted more than a week getting us blackberries," she joked, gently rubbing her hand down his chest. "Wanna climb up there for old time's sake?" She wasn't serious, of course, but the sentiment remained. It wasn't until they were standing side by side in front of the house that she finally remembered where she was. "Bruce is this," she softly spoke, eyes taking in every feature of the house.

She remembered the first time the front door opened; Laura and Bruce were on the other side staring at her. Darcey didn't know who either of these kids was but she would quickly find out. The first time she and Laura snuck out of the house - Bruce begrudgingly following after them. Traveling down the street during the summers for ice cream and even. "Remember when we used to play hide and seek and the game would last for hours? We never could find Laura most time. She was so small." Darcey's fingertips tapped against her lips before turning to Bruce. "They were lovely times." Her eyes followed to where Bruce was pointing, bringing up the maze they often played in. She watched with curious eyes as Bruce started to push the gate open - that mischievous glint in his eyes once more. With a slight smirk on her lips, she narrowed her eyes. "Brucie, what are you doing?" He then started to walk down the path and Darcey stood in shock. She didn't think he was going to just go trespassing and whispered after him. He walked further down and Darcey glanced around her to make sure no one was watching before following.

At the entrance of the maze, Darcey started to shake her head. "I really don't think we should be here, Bruce," she glanced behind her. "What if someone catches us?" However, when she turned around Bruce was nowhere to be seen. Her eyes grew wide and she was forced to walk further into the maze. There were petals on the ground and they grabbed her attention. They seemed to be set up in a trail and Darcey's first mind was to follow them. "Bruce?" She whispered. Was this payback for the headaches she and Laura caused him when they were younger, she thought. She chuckled to herself. Finally, she found him at the end of the maze and her breath caught in her throat. She took in the sight and the sign behind him and her gaze softened. "Oh, you old melt," her voice cracked. They'd been in each other's lives for years now; only recently confessing their feelings for each other. And now. She couldn't stop the smile from growing on her face now the tears welling up in her eyes.

Bruce, the love of her life ( Pyroclast )

Sullivan Family Home
~Sutton, Dublin~
Thea Ryan​

Roxie's behavior toward Thea compared to what it was a few days ago was definitely different. The woman had been intimidating, echoing that Thea was going to help her with getting her family out of danger. Now, she was sort of warm and welcoming. Maybe because she could tell that Thea was constantly anxious and what she was about to share to Conor wasn't easy. Whatever the case she appreciated the brief feeling. "Shitting bricks, Roxie, shitting bricks." Since her confession Thea had dropped the Irish accent she'd developed and instead was using her Australian one. She was being her authentic self during this whole ordeal so hiding her accent was no longer needed. Roxie allowed her to step inside before addressing her son - Thea giving him a slight smile. Kids. That was another reason why she was doing this. JJ. The little girl bouncing in Roxie's arms just then. And all the other innocent kids in the family.

Conor's reaction was to be expected - Thea shaking her head after he politely said no offense. "Oh, no, um. No-none taken," she assured. "But to answer your question, Conor," she brought out the briefcase she'd brought with her out into view. "It's quite a lot." Though she was still nervous Thea was a bit more confident now. Something about what Roxie said to her, that she was going to make sure she wasn't hurt, helped her steel her nerves. Plus, she had a feeling that Conor wasn't going to be as pleasant as Roxie had been a few days ago. Conor led both Roxie and Thea to his office and once behind the closed door she let out a sigh. The man fixed himself a drink and Thea quickly asked for one of her own. The moment the glass hit her hand she threw it back, making a face at how much it burned. "I regret that so much," she whispered to herself. Conor took a seat and Thea again remained standing, setting the briefcase on the table. "Right, okay."

The brief case clicked open, Thea reaching inside for her badge once more. The same way she slid it to Roxie she had to Conor. "I'm not just Tom's girlfriend, Mr. Sullivan, I'm a government agent." While she was still nervous, she managed to push through it. "Special Agent Thea Ryan and I'm apart of a task force sent to investigate your family." She let her words settle in, glancing at Roxie before she continued. She reached into the brief case for a specific file, the one with his name and picture paperclipped to the corner. She slid it over to him to glance at; the papers filled with her notes and notes from her superiors. "They want you. And everyone else involved in your criminal enterprise; people who don't even have anything to do with it." She cleared her throat, trying to hide the wavering in her voice. "They're trying to pin murders on people who didn't commit them and a whole bunch of other shit," she started scratching her arm, nails digging into her skin nerously as she tried to explain. "Look, Conor, I- I thought you guys were these horrible people, okay? That you- you were all murderers and drug dealers and- and just scum of the earth but then I got to know you. And you're not. The things my superiors are trying to do is unforgiveable and I can't... I can't let them do that, so I'm trying to help you now. Like I told Roxie, you can hate me. You can try to kill me but it won't do anything about the fact that this is happening."

Roxie ( Bellz ) Conor ( Misty Gray )

 

[Pyroclast]

Mulberry House
~ Berkhamsted, Chiltern Hills ~

Bruce King​

The look on Darcey’s face was all worth it. Any anxiety that Bruce had felt leading up to the proposal fell away the second he saw her smile and the happy tears in her eyes. He knew how she felt towards him, because he felt the same towards her, too, and even if she decided that she didn't want to actually go as far as marriage, he was sure that she would still accept the words of love and devotion he was about to profess.

“45 years, three months and one day,” he said aloud, a smile on his face as he looked at her. “That’s how long it’s been since the day we met. How long we’ve been in each others’ lives. It’s a rare thing, that, when ya’ think about it…to find someone so special to you, that you would never even think to leave their side. You’ve always been the most constant thing in my life - maybe the only constant thing - and in all those 45 years, three months and that one day…you have made me the luckiest man in the world. The only thing rarer than havin’ what we have, is takin’ this bloody long to realise that I’m in love with you!” He let out a chuckle then, glancing to his feet in an almost bashful manner. Then he shook his head slightly and looked up to meet her eyes again. “Everythin’ life took from us and everythin’ it gave us, we handled it together, ‘cause it’s always been you and me. You are my best friend and there is no one else I would rather have shared my life with than you, my darlin’...and no one else I’d rather have at my side ‘til the end.”

And at that, Bruce got down on one knee and withdrew a navy, velvet box from his pocket. With a steady hand, he opened the lid to reveal a platinum ring, set with a trio of sparkling diamonds. “Darcey Winona Hargraves,” he said, smiling up at her. “Will you be my wife?”

Spoiler: In the maze...

Interactions
Melanin-Gxdess Darcey, bride-to-be?

 

[Misty Gray]

The Sullivan Family Home
~ Sutton, Dublin ~

Conor Sullivan​

Conor eyed Thea closely as she brought her briefcase into full view, cautious as he anticipated her opening it. He furrowed his eyebrows before agreeing to pour her a drink too. "Want one, Roxie?" he then asked his friend. He watched curiously as Thea knocked back her drink before setting the briefcase on the table, to which Conor instinctively striaghtened up and sat forward.

As soon as she mentioned she was a government agent and brought the badge into view, Conor stood up from his seat. He sent Roxie a glare for inviting the woman into his home before fixing his attention back on Thea. "You've got some nerve coming into my home and waving that shit around," he darkly told her, his voice full of venom. Cops, politicians, any of them, he did not like them sniffing around in his family's home. As she continued to speak, introducing her as a Special Agent investifating his family, Conor sat back down for the moment and pointed to Roxie. "What the fuck are you doing letting one of them into my house? Under the same roof as my children?"

Conor could feel the anger building up inside of him - the anger he'd worked hard to contain since his time back in New York and the help Maddox Parker had given him. This wasn't the usual threat where he had to fight back before someone could kill him. This was a different kind of threat, but still triggered the same deep-set feeling of aggression and the need to go into attack mode to defend himself. Taking a couple of deep breaths as he counted down in his head, he tapped his hand on the file as soon as Thea slid it in his direction. "Not my best side," he flatly remarked as he saw his photograph pinned in one corner. As she started explaining how her team were inviestigating him and everyone involved in his criminal enterprise, he let out an exaggerated laugh. "I don't know what you're talking about, love. I'll take you to one of my restaurants and the only criminal thing you'll find there is how little I'm charging for a fine fucking steak."

When she mentioned they were trying to pin murder on innocent people, Conor quickly shook his head and snatched the file from any hold or contact Thea may still had had over it. Sitting back, he skimmed over the words on the papers, all the while his foot tapping out of sight on the floor underneath the table. He was trying to stay calm, but nothing around him was making it easy. "You and your fucking friends won't pin shit on any of us. Whoever your boss is, you bring then here and I'll shove this file down their fucking throat," he said as he dismissively tossed the file down on the desk.

Conor could see how nervous she was and his urge to kick her out of his house was pushed aside for the time-being as he decided to hear what else she had to say. "What's in it for you to come here telling me all of this if you're one of them agents yourself?" He raised a curious eyebrow as she admitted him and his family weren't the scum they'd been painted to be. "IF I'm going to give a shit about all of this nonsense, how do you suggest we deal with this? I won't let your mates get ther grubby hands on any of my family or friends. They're not pinning any of this bullshit on any of us. And what part has Tom had in all this? He can do one too..."

Melanin-Gxdess (Thea)
Bellz (Roxie)

 

[Misty Gray]

Dublin City Hospital
~ Dublin City Centre, Dublin ~

Olivia Sullivan and James Porter​

From beneath the transparent breathing mask, James managed a smile when Thomas spoke about Elena, lightly shaking his head in disagreement when his son said she was too good for him. Thomas also mentioned how Natasha and Leo had been helping to occupy him with game nights, to which he was glad he was being kept busy enough. As the conversation then focused on the meeting with the Kings and Syd was asked to answer, James turned to look at his eldest, nodding in agreement when Lucy pointed out they were both proud of him.

When Syd replied to confirm they'd formed a truce with the Kings and the war was over, James managed another smile. He was about to reach up to move his mask away so he could respond, but he ended up remaining still as Syd continued to address him, the tears filling his eyes clear to see. The way his eldest spoke but stopped himself told James he had been about to apologise. He hoped the fact Syd hadn't done so meant he knew he had nothing to apologise for. James had lived most of his life knowing he was at high risk of being killed and it wasn't Syd's fault that it had happened at the party. The war with the Morettis had been brewing long before it needed to be a concern or fault of his son's.

Instead of the apology, Syd changed direction and thanked James for everything, saying he couldn't have asked for a better dad. It was James who felt his already sore eye filling with tears now. Reaching up, he pulled the mask away from his face again. "You're my son.. You're all my kids," he said, looking from Syd to Thomas and Olivia. "I'm lucky to have had all of you in my life," he said, squeezing Lucy's hand again, figuring it went without saying how glad he was to have spent his life with her too. "I..." he began, falling silent as he took a strianed breath. Bringing the mask to his mouth again, to allow the oxygen to help steady his breathing for a moment before once again pulling the mask away. "I'm proud of you all... You're all strong." he assured them. He paused again, taking a deep breath before continuing. "You've got this, Syd," he knowingly told him. Whilst Conor was still in great physical shape, James knew there was always a chance something could happen and that Syd would naturally fall into the position as head of the family. It had happened temporarily when Conor was recently hospitalised. "You've all got this," he said, looking to Thomas and Olivia, knowing they had their own demons and fights to overcome too.

The more he spoke, the more of a struggle it was, his voice seeming to weaken with each word. "I love you all," he said. Turning to Lucy, he looked directly to her, managing a weak but still warm and adoring smile. "I love you, always," he softly told her. Wheezing again, he fixed the mask back over his face ad rested his head back on the pillow. He was running out of energy to speak, but wanted his family to keep talking around him still. After a while, he closed his eyes, but kept giving Lucy's hand a light squeeze to show he was still awake and listening.

After a time, James had stopped squeezing Lucy's hand as he'd fallen back into a sleep. The heart rate monitor had remained steady, confirming he was still very much alive. But about an hour later, the repeated and steady bleeping of the heart rate monitor soon rang out a prolonged beeping sound as James' body violently convulsed a few times. Not long after, the medical team rushed into the room and commanded some space as they moved in to check on him.

The continuous beep felt deafeningly loud as it rang in Olivia's ears. Given that the doctors had said it was only a matter of time, she knew this wasn't going to be the moment where they rushed in to shock him back to life or give some miracle cure. After squeezing her father's arm, she backed out of the way and then rushed out of the room as she covered her mouth with her hand, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Having been standing guard outside the room, Adam had sprung to his feet when he heard the emergency alarm sounding above James' door to alert the medical staff. When Olivia rushed out of the room, he held out his arm to stop her in his tracks, placing it firmly around the tearful young woman's shoulders to comfort her. He observed from outside the room as the commotion suddenly died down and the room around James fell silent in the absence of the bleeping monitors. In the silence, Adam was able to overhear the doctor address Lucy directly to give his condolences, confirming James had passed away following a cardiac arrest.


Bellz (Lucy, Thomas)
Pyroclast (Syd)

 

[Bellz]

Lucy Porter
Thomas Porter
Dublin City Hospital
~ Dublin City Centre, Dublin ~​

Trying to regulate herself while also being there for her kids was the hardest thing Lucy had ever had to do. Everything in her head was trying to convince her that this was just some horrid dream, some nightmare that had kept her up for decades as it had in the past. That her husband was going to make it through as he usually did. She just had to keep pushing through. If not for herself, for the kids. But it was Syd's words that threatened to be her undoing at that moment. He was almost about to apologize, which it seemed both James and herself caught. They both knew he carried so much guilt. None of it mattered, none of what he did or didn't do mattered. At this moment they were all together, and that was what mattered. But Syd stopped himself, instead, thanking James for everything, saying that he couldn't ask for a better dad. Syd's hand squeezed the life out of Lucy's but she could hardly feel it in her numb state as tears blurred her eyes.

Looking away from them all, she tried to regain her composure silently. Thomas watched his mother from across the bed, concern etched across his face but when his father spoke his eyes moved back to look back at James. Lucy's attention turned back to her husband's as his hand squeezed hers. He told the kids how lucky he was to have all of them in his life, not even having to say it to her because she had been told a million times over in the life she was blessed to have been given with him. "James, you don't have to-" She murmured softly when he struggled to breathe, the air feeling like it was being knocked out of her own lungs just watching him struggle. But she silenced herself as he went on. Listening and looking to each of their children as he told them he was proud of them all, that they were all strong. They were the strongest kids she knew. They had all been through the worst of the worst and yet, even still, were the best kids.

A sharp pain in Lucy's chest caused her to wince but she ignored it, knowing the anxiety was creeping its way in again. The feeling of dread close for reasons she understood well. James told Syd that he had this, that Thomas and Olivia had this. Lucy nodded along with him to keep herself from falling apart completely as she squeezed both James' and Syds' hands. Lucy watched her husband's face, the struggle, knowing that he was close to death. When he told the kids he loved them all, the tears quickened and when he turned to her, she moved a hand to wipe them away so she could see him properly. His smile was just as warm and adoring as the day they got together, "I love you, forever." She said, her voice breaking as he wheezed. "Just rest now, please." She moved a hand forward to lovingly caress his cheek, eyes meeting his as she did her best to keep up the conversation around them.

But soon, his eyes closed and Lucy started to worry and that's when Thomas took over the conversation, all the while watching his mother just stare intently at their father as he slept. Lucy could feel his hand slowly stop squeezing her hand and her heart started to palpitate painfully in her chest. The anticipation was long but the moment they all were dreading arrived as soon as his heart monitor started to prolong its beeps, causing Lucy to gasp out as her husband's body started to violently convulse. She only had a moment to reach forward to caress his cheek one last time as the medical team came in, saying, "You can go. It's okay, I'm not scared. I know you're fine. I love you." The sobs racked in her chest as she stood up to move out of the way, doctors commanding they give them some space to check on him.

Wobbling, Lucy's legs gave out and she fell sideways into Syd, her anxiety finally getting the best of her as she wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in his chest as she sobbed. The wheezing coming from her own chest was enough to drown out the horrid beeping until it all fell silent. Thomas rounded the room to stand near Syd and Lucy in case Syd needed him to take their mother, his shoulders shaking as he cried. The doctor came over to them to confirm that James Porter had passed, Lucy barely making eye contact with him as the man offered his condolences before turning back to cry into her eldest son's chest.
with: Misty Gray (Fly high angel + Liv ) ; Pyroclast

Rest in Peace...to the One that started it all

James Ronan Porter

Loving Husband, Father, Son, Brother

July 4th, 1921 to November 10th, 1985

"We'll meet again..."​

 

[Bellz]

Roxie Carriveau
Sullivan Family Home
~ Sutton, Dublin ~ ​

Roxie did her best to stand her ground with Conor. He could be intimidating in his own right, but she had dealt with Syd at his worst, she could deal with Conor as well. Roxie didn't give Luci to another family member, instead using the baby as her own personal tether to reality to keep her grounded in this entire conversation. When offered a drink, Roxie turned down the offer gently, "No, thank you." She said. Roxie could sympathize with Conor on how all of this was affecting him, perhaps not in the same way as anyone else could. As she was not family. But silently, in her own way, Roxie was preparing for the loss of James Porter. This was the closest thing she could do to express her feeling about how much she cared about the family, and how much she was willing to do to help them.

Conor wouldn't understand at first, he could scream at her as much as he wanted, but she wouldn't yell, she wouldn't cry. She would take whatever frustrations he had sitting on his shoulders and try to ease them as much as she could with what information Thea had for them both and what information she could provide. When Roxie took a seat, Luci slightly fussed in her arms but Roxie bounced her and soon the baby was soothed back to sleep, a pacifier successfully doing its job to keep her calm. Looking to Thea as Conor prompted her to speak, listening to the briefcase click open, Roxie was on edge for only a moment until the young woman once again brought out her badge and explained who she was. Roxie's eyes looked at Conor, searching his face as he looked at the badge anticipating him getting upset for her and even allowing Thea to step foot inside the house. When he did turn on her, Roxie's steeled her expression, "Conor, there is no other safe place left in this damn city to talk about this. And even if this place isn't safe, her being here doesn't do any more harm, now does it?" Roxie felt horrible for saying it like that, but it was true. "If I thought for a moment that this child was going to hurt any of our children I would never have let her through the gates. You know this." She said in a flat tone, doing her best to remain neutral and not give away just how deeply fearful she was that he was going to lose it.

When she looked away from Conor for a moment, Roxie's eyes met Thea's and the woman offered her a thin-lipped smile of reassurance. She would keep to her word. Thea wouldn't get hurt. When Thea started to pull out case files, Roxie leaned forward with interest, looking at them as best as she could from where she was sitting beside Thea. The woman was telling Conor exactly what she had told her. In a little more detail of course. Conor made a joke about the photo of him not being his best side, which Roxie only managed to smirk at until he started trying to play it off as if he had no idea what Thea was talking about. "Conor..." Roxie said lightly but didn't confirm or deny anything. She wasn't going to say anything that would give away any guilt, not without proper representation. He was trying to rationalize that no one could pin anything on them but Roxie knew well that wasn't true.

"Conor...people have been put away, for a lot less than what they are accusing us of on a local level. This is on an international level. Not just here. But possibly the States." Roxie tried to get him to understand the bigger picture if he didn't already, just how much bigger this really was than just some police agency trying to pin them for a crime they couldn't commit. Luckily, the worst of it seemed to be over when Conor threw the files back on the desk and asked Thea what was in it for her coming to tell him all of it if she was an agent herself. They had admitted that she didn't think the family was scum. Roxie remembered a time when people around her thought the same of the Porter and Sullivan families and she refused to think the same. Something about this batch of Irish mobsters grew on you. Roxie had never been able to exactly pin down what it was. Maybe it was the fact that their profession was absolutely larger than life but they were just everyday people with everyday problems. They didn't let the power get to their head. Luci fussed in her arms again and Roxie shushed her gently, moving to kiss the baby's head as she bounced her.

Conor asked another good question, how Thea suggested they deal with all of this? Roxie was already in the process of liquidating her own business. Once that was complete, Interpol might catch wind of it, they would have little time. But if they timed this right, they could have just enough time to escape, maybe. People disappear all the time. If they had to, they could do the same. Right?
with: Conor Misty Gray ; Thea Melanin-Gxdess

 

[BasDorcha]

Stewart's House

~London~​

Phil and Abel Stewart

Abel laughed and gave a boyish grin, conceding to Spencer's comment about letting his dad stick around a bit longer. Eagerly he also listened to them answewr his questions, Phil politely listening as well but letting the boys talk amongst themselves - after all that's what this was for. The kids needed to meet each other and while all of his children weren't here today, it was still nice to have them getting along. Phil mettled out the beer for each of them, guiding them to sit around the kitchen table where they could all relax comfortably.

"I'm nineteen, so yeah, a few years at least." Abel laughed good naturedly, use to being the youngest in a room. It wasn't uncommon for Abel to be much younger than those around him, it happened a lot at the construction site, as well as with his college classes though arguably less there. Phil watched them all, wondering how the boys must be feeling to learn to much was changing so quickly. They had an extended family now, something they had never had before. They had cousin's, and an aunt and uncle. He was also surprised that, for all the way Trevor had spoken about his children not wanting much to do with him, they seemed perfectly amicable right now. He'd have to ask later what happened that soothed things over.

Abel seemed unphased to learn they knew nothing of them, instead handling it like it was expected. "That's all right, we didn't know about you guys either," He responded, brushing past it. As the boys finished answering each other's questions, Phil smiled at them all. "Well this is certainly seems survivable Spence," He reached to his side to clap his shoulder and give it a fatherly feeling squeeze, much the way he often did to Abel, and grinned. "You guys are going to have to make more of a showing and come around when the other kids aren't in school, though, because Abel's the only one here out of secondary school yet."

"Nightclubs huh? I might have to come check them out! You know the college scenes are a bit… messy and I don't like a lot of the college geared bars. Too much young and dumb in one place." Abel grinned. The boy was young but he had a lot more maturity then those this age thanks to the level of responsibility his father had taught him. Even Phil was proud to admit that Abel had yet to go through a wild and crazy phase, and hopefully never would.

Hearing about Bruce and Darcey, Abel nodded, sensing a sensitive situation. "That's very nice of them, huh dad?" Phil nodded, agreeing. "Sure is Abel, sounds like stand up people." Phil gave the boys a sympathetic look, moving to push the conversation past the awkward point and alleviate the stress he could see on Alex's body language. "Why don't you tell them about your siblings, Abel?" That's all Abel needed to go on a nice long spiel about being the oldest of three, and how his siblings were still in school and sad to be missing the day as well. "So I look after them as much as I can, and of course, try to keep them out of trouble but being in different schools makes that a bit harder these days."

Phil saw an opening to give the boys a chance to take over the lead, smiling at them as he waved a hand, "Okay, your turn now, before he gets his steam built back up and runs us all over again." A laugh broke the air as he insinuated that Abel was very much like a train ready to run them all off the tracks.

Misty Gray
Melanin-Gxdess

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Future Home
~Barnes, London~
Erik Snowden
​

Ava knew that this was probably asking a lot of Billy. Her cousin had broken his heart, shattered his world, and during the worst possible moment too. Of course, he had no way to know that Charlie was soon going to be dropped off on his doorstep the same night. But the fact remained. Erik had cheated and caused seemingly irreversible damage. She could only hope that what Erik had planned would be a step in the right direction. Billy asked where they were going and Ava glanced over at him. “I can’t say,” she sighed with a soft smile. “I am simply your chauffeur today.” There was a pause in her statement before she decided to be honest. “I’m gonna level with youse, Billy. What Erik did was fuckin’ stupid and he’s a putz for not handlin’ the situation properly.” Ava rolled her eyes at the thought. “I’ll be the first to say it but… He’s tryin’ to make up for it. So, at the very least, go into this with an open mind?”

Billy’s gaze dropped when Ava condemned Erik’s behavior. He didn’t need her sympathy, but it helped on some level to know that she saw past the fact that Erik was her cousin, and understood that he was in the wrong. Maybe she had only said it to preface her request that Billy hears him out, but even if that was the case, Billy didn’t mind. He was there already, and might as well see it through now. He looked up to meet Ava’s eye again and nodded. “I will,” he said with a sigh. “Thanks for sayin’ that, Ava.” His heart gave a lurch at the thought of seeing Erik again, but he couldn’t tell whether it was from longing or dread.

Charlie gave a little murmur, and Billy peered down at him, checking he was okay. “If I go, will you watch Charlie for me?” he asked. He wasn’t ready to introduce his son to Erik as long as they were on bad terms, so it really depended on how their meeting went as to whether or not he would be happy to let them meet. If it didn’t go well and they all had to share a car ride on the way home, then he supposed they would meet anyway, but at least it was better to leave the boy with Ava now rather than take him to meet Erik...wherever he was.

Leaving the baby in Ava’s care, Billy got out of the car and was immediately hit by the cool autumn air. Without the shelter of the city’s high-rise buildings, the temperature seemed lower and he hunched against the cold as he made his way up the footpath before him. “What the fuck are you doin’, Billy?” he mumbled to himself, eyes on the ground. It was only when he had passed through the trees and looked up that he saw him in the distance, surrounded by what looked like a softly glowing garden. As he got closer, he realized that the glow was coming from candles - hundreds of candles. A puzzled smile formed on Billy’s face.

When he reached the plot, Billy came to a stop outside the candle garden and put his hands in his pockets, looking across at Erik from a comfortable distance. While his heart still ached at the sight of him, he couldn’t deny that he felt some relief to see him again. “Okay,” he prompted the man, warily. “What is this?”

Erik had been pacing through possibly the greatest thing he'd ever done. He was nervous - palms sweaty, hands shaking, trying to calm down. "What was I thinkin'? He ain't gonna like this. Why couldn't you just say, 'Sorry for cheating on you' in a different way- or better yet not have cheated at all?" He let out a chuckle at himself, running his hands through his hair. "And who's going to clean this up? I mean, I guess technically us since it belongs to us now so-,"

The sound of Billy's voice caused him to spin around in shock. Though it'd only been a few days since they last spoke and seen each other it felt like an eternity. His voice caught in his throat, so the words, "Billy," came out a whisper. It was now or never at this point. He needed to make sure he said and did the right things and that the two of them walked out of the lot together. He didn't even know where to start so he just started pointing at the different rooms. "I just-," he shrugged and let out a nervous chuckle. "That's our living room. And that's the kitchen and the dining room and- and the room where you greet people? You guys call it somethin' weird but we've got one of those." He pointed further to a space that faced that river and the setting sun. "That's where our room would be so we could watch the sun set and rise every single day. And right next to it is the room our kids would sleep in. Figured they could see it too. And of course you'll decorate otherwise," he said with a smile, turning around to face him. "It's pinups and neon lights."

Erik took a deep breath; pausing to allow it all to settle for Billy and to give Erik a chance to figure out what to say next. He'd practice this for hours in front of the mirror, and yet when it came down to it he couldn't remember a word. "Billy, I'm a fuck up," he blurted. "I...Get in my own way when amazing things are happening to me or when someone like you comes into my life. And I get scared that it's gonna be ruined and that it'll be me that's ruined so I react like fuckin' putz. And Billy. Words can't express enough how fucking sorry I am." His voice had gone desperate and finally, he started to slowly move towards him. "I won't do the sappy, 'I don't deserve a second chance,' because the fact is I think I do. Because Billy, we're great together. We're fuckin' amazing together and bein' apart just doesn't make any sense." Erik searched Billy's face for any sign that he was getting through to him before he kept going. "I should've talked to you first. I shouldn't- I shouldn't have slept with that guy and if it takes me years to show you how sorry I am then fuck it, I can do it. I'll do anything to regain your trust and your love and whatever else you want because the fact is, Billiam King, I am enamored with you." He wasn't sure when he had gotten so close to Billy - inches between them now but if he let him, Erik placed both of his hands gently against his cheeks.

"Billy, I exist for you. And without you I'm nothing."

BILLIAM KING ( Pyroclast )

 

[Pyroclast]

Future Home
~ Barnes, London ~

Billy King​

Normally seeing Erik as nervous as this filled Billy with concern, but this time he found it endearing. Satisfying, too, of course, given what the man had done to him - but mostly just sweet. Billy stood and watched with his hands in his pockets as Erik began to point at the candles around him, reeling off something about their living room, the kitchen, and other rooms of a house… That was when Billy noticed that the pattern in the candles was in fact the outlines of a floorplan. He walked forward and past Erik, eyes on the ground as he took in the sight before him, and realised that the plan he was walking through was actually his own design. The house that he had designed for himself and Erik. He hadn’t even got as far as showing the blueprints to Erik before leaving his apartment, and had left them torn up in the bin outside. Erik must have found them on his own, and gone to the trouble of recreating it…

Billy’s heart suddenly swelled with emotion and his eyes filled with tears. Still keeping a slight distance from the man, he allowed Erik to point him in the direction of the river and paint him a mental image of the two of them in their future bedroom, where they would watch the sun rise and set each day. It was everything Billy had wanted for them. He even mentioned a room for their kids, something that Billy hadn’t drawn into the blueprints - he wondered if Oscar had helped him fit the extra room in using what knowledge he had picked up from Billy. Either way, neither Oscar nor Erik were architects, so he would obviously go over it again himself…but he had to admit, Erik had completely caught him off guard with his romantic gesture. He made a joke that the décor would end up as pin-ups and neon lights if he didn’t hand over the interior designing to Billy, and at that point he couldn’t hold back a small laugh, nor the tear that spilled down his cheek.

Now that the ice was finally broken between them, he was able to stand a bit closer to the man and look him in the eyes. The deeper into them he gazed, the more he saw of the guilt, the regret, and most importantly, the love. When just an hour or so ago Billy was sure he wouldn’t give Erik the time of day, he now found himself listening intently to him, hanging on his every word. He didn’t even back away when the man advanced towards him; in fact, it made his heart rate quicken and his stomach swarm with butterflies. The only time his gaze dropped was at the mention of the man he had cheated on him with, the painful mental image flashing through his mind, but he soon met his eyes again and even laughed out loud when Erik called him ‘Billiam’. When he placed his hands on his cheeks, Billy nestled into them, more tears falling as his emotions began to take over.

“You’re a fuckin’ whore,” he whispered, his trembling lips forming a small smile. “I shoulda’ let Bruce send you back to New York.” Shaking his head, Billy stepped closer into him and placed his hands on Erik’s waist. “But I couldn’t…‘cause I can’t imagine my life without you.” And then he got up on his tiptoes and kissed him like the fate of the world depended on it. The taste of his lips and the loving touch of his hands made Billy feel as light as a feather. It was like coming home.

The kiss lasted for several seconds before Billy leaned back slightly and pressed a finger into Erik’s chest. “You’re still a cheatin’, self-sabotagin’ prick,” he reminded him. “Just ‘cause you did this…this fuckin’ romantic thing…don’t mean I can forget what you did. ‘Cause that hurt, Erik. You really fuckin’ hurt me.” His lip trembled again as he looked into Erik’s eyes. “And if I take you back and you do that shit again, I’ll be the fool then, and you’ll be lucky if my uncle sends you back to New York with your life and not in a fuckin’ body bag.” For a moment he hesitated, still clinging onto Erik in their embrace...and then he relaxed and brought their foreheads to rest together. “You gotta stop bein’ scared,” he whispered to him. “‘Cause we’re too good to throw away. Nothing’s gonna be ruined, not if we go back to how we were. I love you.” Billy leaned his head back to look directly into Erik’s deep blue eyes and placed a hand against his cheek. “I love you, Erik.”

Interactions
Melanin-Gxdess Erik

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Mulberry House
~ Berkhamsted, Chiltern Hills ~
Darcey Hargraves

​

Hearing Bruce call out how long it'd been since the first day they'd met made Darcey's heart swell. Even she hadn't known how long it'd been! Any time she'd been asked, her response was always the same. "At this point, my whole life." And it wasn't that far from the truth, either. They were children and her life hadn't even truly started, she felt. But the day she met Bruce and Laura, well. The rest was history after that. He confessed that it shouldn't have taken him so long to realize his true feelings and as much as she wanted to agree she couldn't. Not without making herself seem like a hypocrite. For years she'd denied feelings for him and convinced herself she was doing it to protect him; that he'd be better off with someone who wanted the same things he did. It wasn't until a few months ago that she realized she did, in fact, want the same things; she just couldn't see past her ambitions to accept it.

Darcey didn't dare interrupt. She wanted to hear every loving word Bruce had to give, her fingers laced together and pressed gently against her lips. Despite the sign clearly indicating what Bruce was about to do, Darcey still let out a soft gasp when he brought the small box out into view. It was a moment she'd dreamt about before and yet never actually clung to. She always thought it'd be too late for the two of them, and yet here he was showing her that wasn't the case. She could feel the tears rolling down her cheeks as she let out a chuckle, unable to stop smiling so hard. "Bruce, you old romantic, of course, I will." Her voice cracked as she gave him her hand to slide the ring onto her finger. Once he had finally stood up she practically threw herself into his arms. With her own wrapped loosely around his neck, she pressed her lips against his. "I'd be a liar if I said I hadn't dreamt about this moment," she said once they pulled away. She pressed the tip of her nose against his and let another soft chuckle. "I love you, Bruce King, and there's no one I'd rather continue spending the rest of my life with than you. You're my person, you know. For eternity."

Bruce, the love of her life ( Pyroclast )

Future Home
~Barnes, London~
Erik Snowden​

Erik wasn't sure what he was expecting out of Billy just then. Was he going to hit him? Scream at him? Start crying? Maybe he was going to tell him to fuck off and that his gesture was useless; that there was no one he could ever forgive him for breaking his heart and shattering his world. And if he did, well, Erik would accept it. Because who was he not to? He didn't have any room to make demands or even force Billy to forgive him for what he'd done. That didn't mean he didn't want him to nor that he wasn't going to try if he did. He watched with bated breath and inquisitive eyes as Billy moved about the makeshift home. Erik could see the exact moment when he'd put two and two together and Erik couldn't help the grin that appeared on his lips.

What was really relieving, however, was that Billy let him touch him. He never thought he'd be able to feel the man's skin beneath his fingertips ever again; he'd started taking mental notes on how he felt just in case this was his last time. But as Billy began to nestle into his hands with a smile on his face and love in his eyes he'd suddenly felt hopeful. And even though Billy called him a whore and told him he should've let Bruce send him back to New York, he continued to feel that way. Billy confessed that he'd felt the same, that he couldn't imagine his life without Erik and Erik felt like his heart was about to explode. The uneasy, knotted feeling in his stomach disappeared. Instead, he felt warm and nervous and the same way he had the night Billy told him he loved him. "I know I am," he whispered, "But that'll change, okay?" The moment their lips connected Erik could swear he felt fireworks exploding all around them. No one else existed in his universe other than Billy and he was going to show that to him.

It felt like their kiss ended too soon, but Erik wasn't going to press his luck. Whatever he could have he would accept. Billy pressed his finger into Erik's chest and Erik gently grabbed his hand, bringing his fingers up to his lips. As Billy reprimanded him, reminding him of who he was and what he'd done, Erik nodded his head in agreement. He was all of those things and more and had already admitted it; there was no reason to deny it now. As Billy brought up how much what Erik had done hurt him, Erik's eyes softened and he shook his head. "The last thing I ever want to do or see is you hurt, Billy, and I'll make sure that don't happen." He warned him that if it did, however, Bruce would kill him and send him to New York in a bodybag. Erik let out a soft chuckle before shaking his head. "I'd rather throw myself off the Empire building than hurt you again, I swear." Erik looked deep into Billy's eyes, knowing it would be his actions that proved his words before they could ever be believed and he was okay with that. He was okay with whatever Billy wanted and would never challenge him. As Billy brought their heads together and whispered to him, Erik could feel tears forming in his eyes.

He couldn't believe how close he'd gotten to ruining things with Billy and all because he was afraid. What would he have done then, he wondered, if Billy rejected him? It wasn't something he was going to dwell on so long as he had the love of his life in his arms. Erik peered down into Billy's eyes and he smiled. "I love you too, Billy." He leaned down to kiss him once more before reluctantly tearing himself away. "I got somethin' else for you," he said, slowly dropping his hand. Off to the side was a box with small holes poked through. He reached inside and when he turned around had a Jack Rusell puppy in his hands. "You're always talkin' about a dog, so. Now you get to put up with both of us," he paused, wondering if he should bring up Charlie. Deciding that he would he gave him a soft smile. "And Charlie will have someone to grow up with."
Billy ( Pyroclast )

Sullivan Family Home
~Sutton, Dublin~
Thea Ryan​

Though Thea was expecting nothing but hostility from Conor, actually seeing it was something different. The moment she brought her badge out he was angry, understandably so. That anger was turned on Roxie as he questioned her letting Thea into his home knowing full well who and what she was. Roxie quickly came to her aide and Thea gave her a silent thank you. This would work a lot better if Conor didn't kill her... Yet, at least. And based on the way he had gone and reacted she didn't think she had too much more time left. His comment drew a brief and breathy chuckle from her but it quickly subsided as he claimed not to know what she was talking about. "Right," she commented. "Because you can afford a house like this selling undercharged steaks, right?" She was being sarcastic, of course, as if telling him there was no need to play this game with her.

Conor snatched the file from her and Thea pretended not to be offended. While he went flipping through the pages Thea glanced at her watch. It felt like she'd been there for an eternity and she wanted to be free of the place. There wasn't any real reason she was looking at it; no one she needed to see or anywhere she needed to go. She just no longer wanted to be in a place she felt like she was suffocating. Roxie then mentioned how her agency was international, Thea nodding her head. And the moment she mentioned the states, Thea hesitated. She'd told Roxie before that she couldn't confirm what other families were being looked into. And as much as she wanted to confirm she was corrected, she didn't.

Conor demanded she brings her superiors to him, throwing the file down on the table and Thea shook her head. "That's not possible and I know you know it isn't. Now, Roxie is right. They don't care about you and will do anything to make their accusations stick; I've seen them do it and in some cases helped," she winced at the thought, remembering the innocent lives she helped destroy in the past. "So don't go thinking you're invincible because you're not. They've been building this case for years." Luckily, he'd calmed down a bit - or rather, let her finish. When asked what she got out of telling them all of this she looked down at her hands. On her left ring finger had been a promise ring given to her by Tom a few days ago. He was a major piece in her changing her mind next to seeing how the family had interacted with one another. She looked back up, glancing at Roxie who she had already told, before looking at Conor. Again he asked the same question as Roxie wanting to know the plan and as she opened her mouth to explain he mentioned Tom.

"He's got nothing to do with this," she snapped. When she realized she had she cleared her throat. "I mean-, he- he's the reason, or rather, one of the reasons I'm doing this. And he doesn't know. I still... Haven't told him yet." She then looked at Roxie once more, considering she had told the woman she was going to tell him and still hadn't done so. After tearing her gaze away from her she tilted her head up to try and keep the lone tear that was trying to spill from her eye. "Anyway," she said, looking directly at Conor. "The leader of the team I'm assigned to has found himself in a similar predicament and we've devised a plan that would make sure none of you end up in cuffs. It's very complicated and sensitive and it has to go off without a hitch and the way that happens is if I have your complete and utter reassurance that you won't say anything to anyone but the allowed individuals and you cannot deviate from your regular routine," she said, deathly serious. "Otherwise it's out of my hands."

Roxie ( Bellz ) Conor ( Misty Gray )

 

[Pyroclast]

Future Home
~ Barnes, London ~

Billy King​

There was still a part of Billy that was apprehensive about Erik's claim never to hurt him again. Given that the cheating incident had occurred from a misunderstanding, he was confident that it was just a fault with communication in their relationship rather than because he wasn't enough for him - and that at least could be worked on. But he would be lying if he said that his trust wasn't still a bit damaged. The sight of someone else in Erik's bed, the thought of him touching, fucking, kissing someone else...it left a scar on Billy's heart that would take time to heal. Nevertheless, he still had faith in Erik and in their relationship. They just needed to work through their issues together. So he chose to believe in his boyfriend's promise, and smiled as he happily received the man's loving kiss.

Erik then told him he had another surprise for him and Billy watched with curiosity, attention drawn to a nearby box that he had missed before. What more could he have up his sleeve after pulling off such a complicated gesture of love? But then Erik reached into the box and withdrew a small Jack Russell puppy. Billy's hands flew to his mouth. He stared at the puppy in his Erik's arms: the sleepy eyes, soft, floppy ears and oversized paws. Speechless, he stepped closer and held his arms out, ready to scoop him up. "You got a puppy?" he finally uttered, his voice soft and high-pitched. "You got me - you got us -" He took the little terrier into his arms and his eyes filled with tears again. "Hello!" he spoke to the dog. "Oh, you are so small..."

So overcome, he almost missed Erik's next words. It took him a second to register what he had said but then his head snapped up to look him in the eyes. "You...know about Charlie?" he asked. While cuddling the sleepy puppy, he reflected on the time since the baby boy had entered his life. Not having Erik there alongside him to navigate the extraordinary, life-changing surprise had made his heart ache so much more. "I wanted to tell ya', I wanted ya' there more than anythin', Erik..." he admitted. "Actually, he's um...he's in the car with Ava right now if you wanna' meet him. Couldn't get a babysitter." He smiled broadly. The pain of not being able to share Charlie with Erik was all but gone. He had his son, his boyfriend and now, what had to be the cutest puppy in the world. How could life get any better?

Interactions
Melanin-Gxdess the sweetest boyfriend Billy could ever wish for

 

[Pyroclast]

Dublin City Hospital
~ Dublin City Centre, Dublin ~

Syd Porter​

If Syd said anything at all during that painfully long hour while James slept, he did it without awareness. He recognised this place...it wasn't a hospital room, but a timeless, liminal space between life and death. Between having a father and not having a father. Between having a wife and not having a wife. It was a transition of the worst kind, that, for Syd at least, no amount of waiting could prepare him for. He had been warned that James was going to die soon and now, sitting at his bedside while he slept, he knew that he had spoken his last words to the man.

As soon as James began to convulse in his sleep, Syd shut his eyes and let his head fall into his hands. He couldn't watch. The frantic beeps of the machines, the rush of doctors flooding in, the thrashing against the mattress, his mother's desperate, loving words; it all mangled together in his head. Even with his eyes closed, the room felt like it was spinning. Someone managed to draw him away from the bed to give the doctors some space and so he moved to the wall, his hands tugging at fistfuls of his hair. He was aware of Thomas, Olivia and their mother nearby but he couldn't look at them, lest the image of them crying became etched into his mind and haunted him forever.

As soon as he heard the words "Time of death...", the world collapsed around him. James was gone. His father, who had been there with him since the age of eight, who had taught and trained him, loved and supported him...gone. The flat beep of the heart monitor became a ringing in his ears and his whole body tensed up, chest tightening such that he could barely breathe. Everything became blurry, muted and distant and he felt like he was about to faint.

Suddenly, Syd felt a weight collapse against him and arms wrap around his body. Normally he would hate to be touched in times of such distress, and at first he was too tense to respond, but when he realised it was his mother and that she could barely support herself, Syd wrapped his arms tightly around her. He clung to her and just held her against him, trying to breathe, until he eventually felt too unsteady and slowly brought her down to the floor with him, reaching out blindly for Thomas on his way down. His distress was building up and up as his mother's loud sobbing continued to pierce his heart, until finally an agonised scream burst out of him. He clutched Lucy tightly against him as the family mourned together, wanting nothing more than to keep them close.

Interactions
Misty Gray James The man who changed Syd's life forever. Rest In Peace
Bellz Mam, Thomas

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Future Home
~Barnes, London~
Erik Snowden & Ava Snowden​

It was the look on his face that Erik most anticipated. The way his face seemed to light up just by looking at the small thing. A puppy was something they had talked about getting, but never really quite looked into it. When Harper told her about all the puppies it couldn't have been perfect timing. Something about the way Billy both held and talked to the puppy was endearing to him. Soft, delicate. Making sure he was extra careful. Billy was always soft when it came to delicate things and it was no different with Erik. Ever since learning about his past and helping him through his addiction, Erik noticed a slight change in Billy and how he handled him. While most would more than likely be angry at someone for treating him like he was about to shatter, Erik appreciated it. In his life, he thought, he needed someone to make sure he wouldn't and he was more than happy that it was Billy. Erik crossed his arms in front of his chest with an amused smile on his face. "I knew you'd love 'im," he chuckled.

Erik watched as Billy began to process his words before turning to him. When he'd asked if he knew about Charlie, Erik's eyes began to well up in tears. "Bruce- Bruce told me," he still couldn't look Billy in the eye when talking about his infidelity. "That night?" With his hands in his pockets, he kicked at the dirt trying to get the look of Billy's heart break out of his head. "Anyway," he sniffled, looking up at him with a soft smile. "I do." Erik immediately stopped Billy from what seemed to be a profuse apology. He stepped forward toward him, placing his hands on his shoulders. "It's okay, alright? I know now and if you'd have me I wanna be apart of his life." Billy then told him Charlie had been in the car with Ava, turning his head to look in that direction. His life was about to change forever and in such a way he wasn't expecting. He'd wanted something like this for a long time - someone who loved him, a kid, a house, a dog - and now he did and wouldn't want to change it for anything. "I do," Erik whispered, turning to face Billy once more. "I really, really do."

Not even a few minutes after Billy had left her in the car did Charlie start fussing. She'd left him be for a while thinking he would self soothe and when he didn't she nearly started freaking out. She wasn't as afraid of kids as she used to have been but she was still a bit weary of them. She got into the back seat behind him and stared for a few minutes, trying to get her bearings before she smiled down at him. "Aren't you a cute little thing," she cooed. "If my stupid cousin gets his shit together then he'll be your other daddy and that makes me your auntie." Ava gently leaned against the car seat gazing at Charlie lovingly. "Auntie V." The puppy's yapping noise caught her attention. She looked up to see Erik following close behind Billy as they walked back to the car - Erik immediately shooting Ava a thumbs up. She smiled at him before moving to slide out of the back seat. "He got a bit fussy so I thought I'd give him some company," she explained to Billy. "Seems to be doing better now." Erik moved quickly to the trunk of his car throwing it open. "Wait! I can't meet him empty-handed." When he found what he was looking for he exclaimed and turned towards Billy. "Do you remember that stupid, blue elephant you brought to the nightclub," he asked, throwing the contents of his trunk around before he found it. When he around the back of the car he held the same elephant Billy had brought with him the night of the explosion. "Okay. Now I'm ready."

Spoiler: stupid blue elephant

Billy ( Pyroclast )

 

[Pyroclast]

Future Home
~ Barnes, London ~

Billy King​

Catching the tears forming in Erik’s eyes, it struck Billy how hard it must have been for him to know about Charlie and not be able to see him. He wasn’t even the father, but he must have known that Billy would have given him the choice to raise him together, and if he had blown his chance to repair their relationship then that meant also blowing his chance to raise the child together. To become a parent. To start a family with the man he loved.

Of course, Billy knew he was well within his right to turn Erik down; it was his actions that had driven them apart in the first place and no matter how many gestures he pulled off to win Billy back, it ultimately wasn’t up to him if it worked. Fortunately for him, Billy’s heart had started softening the moment he saw Erik standing in that field of candles and by now, with their future house back on the cards, a puppy in his arms, and the man he loved standing close, Billy knew exactly what he wanted. And it was all right in front of him. “Come on,” he said softly, cradling the nervous puppy in his arms. Before making his way back to the car, however, Billy turned around to appreciate the candle house, resting his head on the man’s shoulder. It was like something out of one of his romance novels. “You’re a real romantic, you know that?” he said in a light voice, trying to gain control of his emotions. “A whore - but a romantic whore all the same.”

Back at the car, Billy couldn’t hide his smile from Ava. Even though it was the result they had all been hoping for, he still felt a bit embarrassed about Ava seeing him so reluctant and stubborn earlier and now having such a change of heart. He didn’t really care though. His anger and upset had been well-founded, but so was his newfound happiness. There was no point in staying mad, now, not when he could see how sorry Erik was and how much he hated himself for what he had done…and how much he loved him. Seeing Charlie responding well to Ava’s company was enough to make him smile, anyway. “Thanks, Ava,” he said. “You wanna hold this little guy while I get Charlie?” The little Jack Russell squirmed slightly, tail wagging as he transferred the puppy into Ava’s arms. He was quiet and very well-behaved, probably due to being sleepy and a little overwhelmed, so Billy hoped Ava would be fine with him.

As he was rounding the car to get Charlie out of his carrier, Erik made him pause, suggesting that he had something for him. “Not another surprise?” Billy half-smiled at him, blushing in the dim light. He picked Charlie up and sat him against his hip while Erik rummaged through the boot of the car. “What’s he got?” he asked the baby, who was staring at Erik - now the only person there he wasn’t at all familiar with.

Erik then piped up, asking him if he remembered the ‘stupid blue elephant’ he had brought to the nightclub on the night of the bombing. “I remember a blue elephant,” Billy answered pointedly, but despite the sarcasm in his tone, his heart was already thumping in his chest. “You didn’t…?”

Even though he knew what was coming, Billy still gasped when he saw the familiar blue elephant in Erik’s hands, and his eyes filled with tears again, prompting him to hide his face behind Charlie for a second. His efforts to compose himself failed and so he just turned back to face Erik and let himself be emotional. “You really do remember everythin’, don’t ya’?” he said, before raising a pointed finger at him. “And don’t say ‘an elephant never forgets’, because I refuse to walk into that one.”

With no hands free to wipe his tears away, Billy just sniffed and stepped forward with Charlie to go and greet Erik and the little blue elephant that he had in his hands. He tried to introduce them but he was too choked up, so instead he let Charlie make the first impression. Rather than look at Erik, the boy reached out for the elephant’s trunk, curling his little hands around it before bringing it to his face. “This is Charlie,” he managed to get out, his heart practically exploding with love as he watched Erik meet his son. “Charlie, this is Erik.” And he looked up at the man before him with pure adoration in his eyes before adding, “Your other dad.”

Interactions
Melanin-Gxdess Erik, Ava

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Spencer, Erik, and Ava
~Two days later~​

“How do you think he’s gonna take it,” Ava asked, glancing out the passenger window. Erik had been behind the wheel gripping it until his knuckles turned white. “Fuckin’ pissed, V. Fuckin’ pissed.” Ava bit at her thumbnail, replaying the events in her head. Klaus had come to her, telling her the truth about who he was and what his job entailed; that he was an Interpol agent doing some undercover investigation of the King family. Her immediate reaction was to punch him right in the face - her knuckles still bruised from the impact. It was followed by screaming and shouting and tears, Ava in disbelief. Klaus tried to tell her that things were different. That he’d fallen in love with her and it was because of that that he wanted to help but Ava didn’t believe a word that was coming out of his mouth. He’d lied to her and every opportunity he had to tell the truth he hadn’t. How was she supposed to trust him now? How was she supposed to trust anything that he ever said? She pushed her hair back from her face and sighed heavily.

“Well, better to be pissed somewhere safe than pissed and in prison.” Erik nodded his head in agreement. “Let’s just hope he’ll take the warning serious and not think it’s bullshit. It ain’t, right?” Ava immediately whipped her head to stare at him - a deep scowl on her face. He knew better than to ask such a question but he needed to. “Erik, I swea’ I’ll fuckin’ stab you right now you putz.” Erik put one of his hands up in defense while the other remained on the wheel. “I’m gonna- I should fuckin’ punch you even for sayin’ it.”

When they arrived at Spencer’s place, Ava slid her hands into the back pockets of her jeans waiting. Erik knocked and stood behind Ava; both because he wanted to make sure no one attacked her or something from behind and because he and Spencer hadn’t exactly talked since the incident. The one where he cheated on Billy, of course. And while he and Billy had been working things out that didn’t mean his family felt the same way. Erik had spoken with Bruce and Harper but he hadn’t had a chance to do the same with Spencer and Alex. Though Erik would’ve preferred to have that conversation first, the news Ava had took precedence.

With Bruce and Darcey having a few days away, Spencer was left holding the fort in all aspects of the family business. Spencer knew by now Bruce and Darcey were away for romantic reasons, especially since his uncle had admitted the truth about his feelings for the woman back at the charity gala some weeks ago. Things had been going as smoothly as expected now they no longer had the Sullivans or the Morettis to worry about. Even meeting the Stewarts a couple of days earlier had gone well. As such, Spencer felt pretty relaxed. Hearing the knock at the door, he calmly sauntered to answer it.

Pulling the door open, Spencer was surprised to first see Ava and when he then saw Erik with her, his smile visibly dropped. He hadn't spoken to the man directly since finding out about him cheating on Billy, so it was a surprise to now see him standing on his doorstep. "If it isn't Casanova himself," he flatly greeted Erik. He then looked to Ava and sent her a nod. "Alright, Ava," she said, his tone more amicable. He was aware Billy was trying to work things out with Erik, which was why he decided to hold his tongue now. Still, he wasn't keen on the fact the man had cheated on his youngest brother at all. He knew personally what it felt like to be betrayed in that way.

Folding his arms, he leaned against the door frame, not in a rush to invite them inside without knowing if it called for it. Glancing past them to see there was nobody else around, he then looked back at Erik and Ava. "What do you both want? Who's causing trouble this time?" he asked, half expecting there was some drama going down somewhere, no doubt involving at least one of his siblings.

Erik nervously rubbed the back of his head as Spencer addressed him as Casanova. Under any other circumstance such a nickname would’ve been met with laughter; this wasn’t such a circumstance. Ava gave Spencer a slight smile as he addressed her cousin. Because of the nature of his betrayal Ava continued to allow the King siblings to give him shit. Plus, Billy and Erik were working things out now and she didn’t have to worry about him being all sad. His main focus was Billy and repairing his relationship with Billy’s family. “Spencer,” she said with a nod and a smile. He proceeded to ask what they wanted, Ava’s smile slowly turning to one showing how unfortunate it was to ruin such a nice moment.

“No one we know,” Erik said, still standing behind Ava. Something about being behind her made him feel better; like she would protect him knowing well she would step out of the way. “Well,” he cleared his throat. “Ava knows ‘im.” Ava shot her cousin a glare, rolling her eyes before turning back to Spencer. “Ahem, Spence, look it’s important. I can stand here an’ tell ya or we can come in. I’ll even leave that one on the porch. What’s it gonna be?”

Spencer sensed some awkwardness from Erik and Ava, something perhaps more than that which came from knowing the former had cheated on Billy. Erik’s response confirmed somebody was causing trouble, but him saying it was nobody they knew came across somewhat ominous. When he then added that Ava knew him it caused Spencer to pull an impatient kind of smile, as if compelling them to start making more sense. “You planning on talking in riddles the whole time?” he asked.

When she addressed him, Spencer looked directly at Ava, listening as she told him it was important and made it seem like the conversation was best had in private. “Alright, come on in,” he said, letting out a sigh as he stepped aside to allow them into his house. “You too, Erik…” he added. As he led them to the dining room he put his hands in his pockets. “This better not be about the Morettis. We should all be glad to wash our hands of that lot.”

Offering them both a seat at the dining table, Spencer sat across from them. It didn’t seem much like a social call and so he figured he might not want them to get comfortable in his living room. “Come on then, what’s this all about?” he asked.

Ava and Erik walked into Spencer’s place following him to a dining table. Ava took the seat directly across from him while Erik sat to her left. Spencer let out a comment about the Morettis, Erik glancing at Ava. He wondered how she felt about them now that she was technically no longer apart of the family. As if sensing this Ava shook her head with a grin. “No, ain’t about the Morettis. I don’t-... Well, let’s just say we ain’t exactly goin’ out to picnics any time soon.” It hadn’t answered Erik’s question but it was enough to quell his curiosity.

“It’s about something worse,” Erik suddenly said, growing nervous again. Not because he was in the presence of Spencer but because he wasn’t sure how the man was going to respond to his cousin. “I’ll cut to it then. You’re bein’ looked at by Interpol and as I’ve been told they plan on arrestin’ you and your family very very soon.” She paused, letting her words sink in before she continued. “Now, you’ve got no reason to trust me or believe it. But I’ve got no reason to lie to you either.”

Spencer was glad the visit had nothing to do with the Morettis, having been glad to be rid of Gabriel and the rest of them now. Despite Erik betraying Billy, he had been one of the positives to come from the alliance with the Morettis. None of the smugness of Gabriel nor the psychopathic tendencies of Damian, but he was a decent and likable man... Until his mistake, of course.

When Erik and Ava suggested what they were telling him was worse than the Morettis, Spencer raised a curious eyebrow. Rather than jumping to conclusions and letting his mind wander to Dublin, he let Ava continue. When she said him and his family were being investigated by Interpol, it struck him as laughable, even if his face remained stone-cold and lacking any humour. It was strange, but his mind instantly shot to Trevor and the paranoia he'd had about his father since the man returned. Given that Trevor had managed to learn about and supposedly have evidence of a murder Spencer had committed, it wasn't hard to believe his mind would instantly go there. "Does this have anything to do with Trevor coming back here?" he asked, sitting forward and looking the pair head on.

Regardless of their answer, the rest of his thoughts caught up with him and he shook his head in disbelief. "Let's say I decided to believe what you're tellin' me about Interpol. How do you two know about this but Bruce or anyone else in my family doesn't? Can I trust either of you at all? You were Morettis at the start of this. And you," he began, pointing to Erik, "you've already fucked some bloke and betrayed my brother."

Erik knew that Spencer wouldn’t believe a word they said the moment Ava broke the news to him. He was a skeptic through no fault of his own. When asked if Trevor had anything to do with it, Ava’s brows knitted together in confusion. “Who?” Erik leaned forward and placed his hand on her shoulder. “Long story,” he stated before turning to Spencer. “No, not that we know of. Unless he’s got ties to all three families, then no it doesn’t.” Well, at least, Klaus hadn’t said anything to Ava about it if it did. But Erik couldn’t say that without causing more skepticism.

Spencer’s reasoning behind questioning them was more than fair. At one point they were in enemy territory - Ava quite literally in bed with one of them. She gave a sarcastic looking grin before slightly frowning. When he turned on Erik and questioned his integrity, Erik looked down at his hands. It was a good enough reason as any to question him since he couldn’t keep the promise he’d made. Ava didn’t come to his defense, gesturing for him to speak up. “Fair. But, Spence, this is different. You barely know Ava and she’s got no reason to lie to you. Plus-,”

“Plus I’m fucking him,” she said abruptly. “His name is Klaus and he’s an agent and for the past coupla’ weeks we’ve been together.” Saying the words out loud stung as she tried to hide the pain in her voice. She was frowning, staring at Spencer but it wasn’t him she was angry with then. The moment she felt her eyes begin to well up with tears she quickly wiped them away. “Look. What I’m tellin’ youse is the truth and I wouldn’t be here otherwise. Erik’s got just as much blood on his hands and had I not given a fuck about your little family I’d’ve forced ‘im to disappear by now.”

As far as Erik and Ava were concerned, this had nothing to do with Trevor, so Spencer opted to look past his usual suspicions where his father was concerned. He knew his remarks at Erik's expense weren't kind to the man and that Billy was patching things up with him, but given his own experience of being cheated on he had to get some frustration out, especially as he hadn't been able to punch Erik the day he learned about him cheating. When Erik assured him this was different and that Ava had no reason to lie, Spencer nodded along in understanding, now appearing a little more civil towards him.

Before he could say anything, he was caught off-guard when Ava suddenly spoke up to say she was fucking someone. "Fucking... who?" he slowly asked, hoping the 'him' in question was nobody they'd already mentioned! Thankfully she quickly spoke of someone named Klaus who she said was an Interpol agent. His instant thought was that she was some kind of traitor and he was going to make a comment about her getting in the habit of sleeping with the enemy, given how she was now in bed with an agent. However, the pain in her voice, along with the clear anger and upset had him believing she was being genuine. It appeared she hadn't known what Klaus was up to when she started bedding him.

"My little family..." Spencer repeated Ava's words as he processed what she was saying, including Erik having blood on his own hands. That he knew was true, especially given he'd had to sort out the clean up of a dead body after a mess Erik had made some months back. Spencer's jaw tightened as he wrapped his head around the possibility of this being a real threat. Without Bruce around to make a decision in what was sounding like an urgent threat, he knew he had to keep a level head and approach this as he thought his uncle would.

Clearing his throat, he sat up straight and spoke in as calm and collected a manner he could. "Let's say I believe this... What is it Interpol think they have on me and my family? Do they have any evidence for this? And what's the expectation here? Are me an' my family expected to get on a plane and disappear in the middle of the night? What's stopped them from swooping on in before now?" Pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration, he then looked directly to Ava. "And this Klaus bloke. Does he know that you know? Can't be good at his job if he fucks a woman a few times and blabs about something like this!"

Erik let Spencer ask his barrage of questions with an eye on Ava. Letting her speak to Spencer and having her tell him the truth probably wasn’t the best idea now that he thought about it. She was irritable and hurt and still processing that the man she had fallen in love with had betrayed her; and so soon after the death of Marcus, too. He didn’t want to risk her attitude getting in the way as she started bouncing her knee under the table and biting her fingertips. “We don’t know that much,” Erik finally answered. “He’s working on some sorta plan to make sure we all walk outta this free and alive.”

The moment Spencer addressed her Ava looked up at him. She had been lost in her thoughts and processing her emotions. “Yes, he fucking knows I know - he’s the one who told me,” she snapped. “Ava-,” Erik started, Ava ignoring him completely. “And it was more than that! It was-,” feeling her emotions get caught up in her throat she stopped and bit her lip. After a few seconds she got up from the table and quickly left the room. Erik was quick to apologize for his cousin. “She’s been going through a lot lately, but listen. You can trust every word. The moment this Klaus guy shares the info he’s got you’ll be the first to know, of course, but… This is serious. Even if he’s just yankin’ our dicks it’s better to be safe than sorry right?”

Spencer listened as Erik said they didn't know the answers to his questions but Klaus was working on a way to get them all to walk out with their lives. He still wasn't sure what to make of what he was being told. To have his family uprooted as he was suggesting was a massive deal. What guarantee did they have that any of it was legitimate or that there was anywhere they could go where they'd really be safe.

When Ava snapped at him, Spencer's brow furrowed as he stared at her. When she continued to say what she had with Klaus was more than just fucking, he could see how hurt she was at the whole thing. Were he to feel inclined to apologise in that moment, he didn’t get the opportunity as Ava stormed out of the room. He turned his attention to Erik when the man apologised on his cousin's behalf. "That's alright..." he trailed off. Erik went on to reiterate that he should trust what he was being told and that he'd be the first to know when Klaus shared more information. He nodded his head at the suggestion it was better to be safe than sorry. Truth be told, he was still processing how seriously to take the information in the absence of any proof of the danger or any evidence that Interpol supposedly had. "They're going to be devastated, y'know. Billy too," he said, speaking more reasonably to Erik as he continued to weigh it all up. "We managed a few fucking days, Erik. Bruce is going to have to come home to yet more bullshit," he added, choosing not to acknowledge how he'd be affected himself.

Erik immediately nodded his head in agreement. "Yeah, I know," he looked down at his hands, playing with his fingers. He'd only just gotten Billy back and Charlie and they were going to break ground on their new house soon. Now all of that was about to be interrupted in the worst way possible. "But imagine how things'd be had we not got that warnin'," he reminded him before looking up. Spencer mentioned how they managed a few days without things going to shit without Bruce and Erik couldn't help but chuckle. "Yup, sounds 'bout right." He scratched the back of his neck before standing up from his seat. "But this is the King family, ain't it? Last I heard the King family can withstand anything. And with a coupla' Snowden's by your side things'll turn out alright."

---

~End of Chapter~​

 

[Misty Gray]

Chapter 22: Beginning of the End - Part 2
Saturday 23rd November 1985
...2 weeks later...
Dublin: Afternoon - Windy, Clear Skies, Chilly
London: Afternoon - Windy, Clear Skies, Chilly

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The Porter Family Home
~ Sutton, Dublin ~
​

Sinead Callahan and Conor Sullivan

Sinead hugged Peter tightly as they stood inside Lucy's guest bathroom. She'd led him inside the room and immediately locked the door behind them so she could take a few minutes away from the rest of their family and friends. As she held her husband, she stayed silent, just needing some time in his comforting arms as the tears streamed down her cheeks. Soon, she released him and stepped back to look up into his eyes. She'd tried her hardest to contain her emotions during the funeral service, wanting to be as strong as she could for Lucy, but it was proving to be difficult.

Over the last few weeks, Sinead had watched the loved ones around her suffer, both physically and psychologically. Savannah's current mental state and Danny's critical condition had been weighing heavy on her mind for weeks, but still, she'd been visiting each of them and forcing herself to put on a brave face, a positive front to give the two of them more hope. Then, a week ago, more worries had been placed on Sinead's shoulders when Liam was expelled from school after losing his temper and fighting with one of the other pupils. Her youngest son had been struggling with his uncle's death, so when the usual suspect in his class used the man's death as a reason to tease him, Liam let his emotions get the better of him. As upset as she was about having to try find Liam a new school, Sinead couldn't be mad at Liam considering he was struggling.

On top of all of that, Sinead had just attended the funeral of not only her brother-in-law, but of a man she had known since she was still in school herself. A man who had at first been a hired protector but soon became a close friend. James had been a part of the family before he even realised it. Having fretted many times over Peter not returning home from a job, she understood how devastated Lucy was that it had now become a reality for her.

"I'm sorry..." Sinead apologised to Peter as she turned to the mirror and set about fishing into her handbag for her make-up. After drying her eyes, she quickly set about reapplying her mascara. "Lucy doesn't need to see me like this. I just had to..." she paused, screwing the cap back on the mascara before moving on to smooth out her hair. "I just needed to get it out of my system before I go back out there. I heard Conor asking about me and I wasn't ready," she explained.

Once she was sorted, she threw everything back into her back before leaning in to place a kiss on Peter's lips. "I love you, Petey," she softly told him.

Conor had been on edge ever since Thea and Roxie had told him about Interpol. The fact they weren't permitted to tell any of the family and instead had to act normal, out of fear of compromising Thea's plans, made it so much harder. The urge to spend every night blind drunk had been more tempting to Conor over recent days than it had been for some time. Helping with the funeral arrangements and supporting Lucy had been enough to force himself to stay level-headed. That, and trying to get as much of his business affairs in order as he could without drawing attention to it. He knew things could kick off at any moment and throw his entire family into chaos, and it hurt not being able to warn them. Savannah had been given permission to leave the mental facility to attend James' funeral and the urge to stop her from going back there had been hard to resist, but instead he'd made sure she got to catch up with as many of her loved ones as she could before Emery and Dermot drove her back to the hospital.

It was only eight months ago that the family had all been together in Conor's home in the wake of Shannon's death. This time they were together because of James' passing and Conor wanted to make sure he spent some time with his sister's now too. He'd waited until Lucy was finished with one interaction before putting his arm around her shoulder and leading her to the sofa in in the conservatory, still in plain sight of their guests but relatively private where they could talk in peace. Sitting in the centre, he gently rubbed the top of his older sister's back and placed a kiss on the side of her head. "Jimbo would have been proud of that service..." he began.

Conor looked up when he saw Sinead approaching, having been told by one of the guards that he was looking for her. He patted the empty spot to his left and when his little sister was seated, he put his arm around her, now sitting with his sisters close at either side. "Jimbo wouldn't have wanted us to be so miserable at his expense, but it's hard, ain't it? He was a top bloke and we've all known him practically all our lives. I love you two and whatever you need, just ask."

Sinead cleared her throat, fighting back the tears as she reached over Conor's lap to grip Lucy's hand. "I'm here too, Luce. Anything you need. Anything Syd needs. You just holler and I'll be right here," she gently assured her sister.

Bellz (Lucy)
Mentioned: Peter

******************​

Olivia Sullivan-Porter

It wasn't the first time Adam had attended the funeral of an employer or a colleague. It wasn't the first time he'd had to be on guard duty as part of his attendance. The first time had been 20 years ago, when he attended Liam Sullivan's funeral, whilst providing protection for his former boss' family. This time, he'd been offering security for the Sullivan family in attendance of another former boss' funeral - James Porter's. This time had hit harder. The Adam of 1965 was more detached from his employer's friends and family, but now, he genuinely cared for them and he'd bonded with James for longer than he'd been able to with Liam Sullivan.

Adam had driven Lucy, Olivia, Elena and Thomas back to the former's house after the funeral. Whilst they'd gone inside, he'd set about waiting for the rest of the guests to arrive and making sure nothing was untoward. It hadn't escaped his attention that Olivia had remained outside the whole time, sitting on one of the front garden walls as she kept her gaze fixed on the ground beneath her feet.

With Sam having made it back from working security at the funeral, Adam was quick to approach him and grip his shoulder. "Alright, mate. How about you clock off for the day?" he firmly suggested before pointing towards Olivia. "She could probably do with the company... and a strong drink."

Having already lost her biological parents and now her adoptive father, Olivia was struggling to process the day more than she thought she would. She thought by now she'd be used to it, but it still hurt to know she'd never see James again. At least when he was in prison she could still visit him once in a while. Part of her worried she was meant to stay strong, that perhaps she didn't have as much right to be as upset as Syd and Thomas did, considering she was neither James' nor Lucy's blood. She knew she had to pull herself together and go inside to support them all, but at the moment she didn't feel strong enough to hide her feelings.

BasDorcha (Sam)

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

​

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Chapter 22: Beginning of the End - Part 2
Saturday 23rd November 1985
...2 weeks later...
Dublin: Afternoon - Sunny, Windy
London: Late Afternoon - Clear Skies
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Bruce and Darcey were constantly asked questions related to their relationship. Were they together or just best friends? Had they ever slept together? Were there ever feelings between the two of them? All those questions were always met with the same answer. “We grew up together.” It was always vague and left the asker wanting more of a story yet Bruce nor Darcey gave them one. It was their business and even if they hadn’t been romantically involved people needed to butt out. Now, however, when asked what they were to each other a giddy smile appeared on Darcey’s lips. “My fiance,” she’d say proudly. The ring on her finger may have initially felt foreign but after a day or so it felt like it belonged there; as if finding a missing piece. Darcey had never felt this happy and figured it would only be topped at her wedding - that is, if they managed to carry out their vows before Interpol got to them.

Waiting to marry Bruce wasn’t something Darcey wanted to do even without the Interpol warning. Their relationship wasn’t at all typical and Darcey felt they wasted enough time. They owed it to themselves to hasten the inevitable and no longer delay it. Darcey had come to realize that the two of them being together was always in the stars. As much as Darcey wanted to get married quickly, even she knew she would need some time to put things together. It would be small and intimate of course - her children and their significant others being the only ones in attendance. Darcey enlisted Harper and Bruce to help, both wanting to be a positive distraction for Harper and because they were the only ones out of the King children she trusted to properly help and keep her on task. From location to floral arrangements to the dress she would get married in, Harper and Billy helped her choose. Her youngest children were more than willing to help; just as excited as she had been.

Returning to London after a few days away it was no shock that things had taken a turn for the worst. Learning that their family was being looked into by Interpol and that things were about to get hectic put a small damper on Darcey’s exciting news. The family had all just gotten to a place where they could be happy. Harper and May were recovering. Billy and Erik were back together and working on their relationship. Alex was settling into his new and improved self. Spencer was settling into fatherhood and Darcey and Bruce were finally thinking of themselves and doing what they should have since the very beginning. Yet now, moments before they were even able to enjoy it for too long, it was all about to be ripped away from them. Darcey found it frustrating that they could never remain happy for too long before something negative came to destroy it. After everything she and Bruce had been through - everything their family had been through - she thought it was time they got a break but that wasn’t the case. They were both fortunate and lucky to know what was happening as far as law enforcement was concerned. For a bit, she was weary of Ava and questioned whether she could be trusted but after speaking to Spencer and hearing his thoughts it was clear she was innocent. Now all Darcey felt was a pity for her.

The days leading up to the wedding were more stressful than anything else. Some things still needed to be done, both for herself and for the wedding. She wanted all of her affairs in order seeing as they had no real idea of when Interpol would strike. Darcey wanted to leave nothing unaccounted for. The morning of her wedding day Darcey was pacing inside of her bedroom trying to calm down. It wasn't the jitters of her marriage day suddenly getting to her but the news of Interpol. Bruce had told her in secret and as much as Darcey wanted to share the news with the others she knew better. The last thing she wanted was to make things worse and harder on her family so she kept it to herself. Doing so, however, was more than difficult; especially seeing as Harper had been with her nearly every day. But when she caught sight of Alex, Spencer, and Billy tumbling out of the house dressed in their suits with smiles on their faces she oddly enough started to feel at ease. Even though their lives were about to change in more ways than one at least they were able to experience this together. If something happened she knew they would be able to handle it. After all, she and Bruce were more resilient than any of them and were the ones who raised them in the end.

***
​

The wedding was more beautiful than she could have ever imagined. The clearing in the park had been made very private and closed off from all sides with King guards making sure no one tried to enter. A clearing with enough space to fit a dozen chairs had been made with a wooden wedding arch at the end of a makeshift aisle lined with bouquets of fall-themed flowers. Soft music played in the background and for a moment things were peaceful. The wedding started with Bruce - whose back remained turned to the aisle - and the priest standing in front of the arch. The next ones to come down the aisle were May and Christian - moving to sit instead of standing like they normally would've. Erik and Jeremy were next walking together as friends as their significant others had different roles to play. As the best man and maid of honor, Harper and Spencer walked next to each other with their are linked. Unlike everyone else, however, the two of them didn't sit and instead took their places in front of the arch; Harper to the left and Spencer to the right behind Bruce. Next came both Shona and Billy holding Eddie and Charlie - respectively - as the infants played with the flower petals they were supposed to throw. Shona and Billy lent them a hand and sprinkled them on the ground before taking their seats. Callum followed by next as the ringbearer with Kerry. As much as Alex loved and trusted his kid, he wanted to make sure he didn't accidentally drop them before handing the rings off to Spencer.

"You alright, Darce," Alex asked as they neared the clearing. His aunt had been squeezing his arm tightly and when she heard the question she relaxed. "No," she surprisingly admitted. "I mean, yes, Alex, I'm fine..." There was a pause before she let out a sigh. "I'm nervous. My hands are all clammy. I'm sweating. My stomach is in knots. And I'm freaking out here, Alex. Fuckssake, what if I forget my vows? Wh-What if I get bit by something? Was the woods the best place to do this?" She was questioning everything now and instead of worrying for her Alex laughed. He patted her hand and looked at her. "Never did I think I'd see the day you, Darcey Hargraves, would be so freaked out." She opened her mouth to respond only he didn't give her the chance. "You're goin' to be fine. We're gonna get you down the aisle, you're gonna say your vows, and then you'll say, 'I do', and go be gross with Bruce." Darcey let out a slight laugh at his comment about Bruce but turned to look at him. "You sure?" Alex nodded his head, unable to say anything more as they finally reached their destination. Not allowing her any chance to freak out again he immediately began to walk down the path with Darcey held close. When they reached the end Alex tapped Bruce's shoulder and handed him Darcey's hand. "She's all yours, Bruce."

The entirety of the wedding went off without a hitch. Darcey managed not to cry but her voice made it crystal clear that it was something she wanted to do. When it came to her vows, she didn't stutter nor did she forget the words she wanted to say. "You're my best friend, that much is clear, but you're also the love of my life and I can't believe how stupid we were to not at least try so much sooner. But none of that matters now because we've got the rest of our lives together." It didn't feel like real life marrying her best friend but it was. And when the officiant pronounced them man and wife she could feel how real and official it was. Nothing else mattered to her other than her family and her husband. Not even the impending doom of Interpol could ruin it.

Not having left the park yet, Darcey wanted to take a moment and soak in the event more. She and Bruce were sitting making eyes at and giggling with each other before she waved Billy and Harper over. "My dream team," she joked, standing up. "You've made this a wonderful day to remember and I can't thank you enough." She sat back down gesturing to the seats around them. "I'm very proud of the two of you, you know," she paused and turned to Bruce, gently grabbing his hand. "WE are very proud of you."

Meanwhile, Alex had found himself with his arm around Kerry's waist speaking to Spencer and Shona. "Who do you think is next," he asked his older brother. "Me," he paused, sending a boyish grin to Kerry. "Harper, or Billy?" He then snapped his fingers together. "Oh, and May. Keep forgetting she's our sister now. You'd think after gettin' shot I'd remember."

Finally, Erik was giving Billy space to speak with Bruce and Darcey. He stood with May, Christian, and Jeremy holding onto baby Charlie. Ever since Billy introduced the two of them Erik had been absolutely enamored with the kid. The life he wanted and dreamt about for so many years was finally going true and Erik couldn't wait. "This family's gonna be full of babies soon," he said, looking between the three of them. "We ready to start plannin' playdates?"

Group 1 - Bruce, Billy, ( Pyroclast ) Harper ( Bellz )

Group 2 - Spencer, Kerry ( Misty Gray )Shona ( Pyroclast )

Group 3 - May, Jeremy, ( BasDorcha ) Christian ( Misty Gray )

Spoiler: WEDDING DETAILS!!!! <3

Spoiler: The wedding dress <3

Spoiler: The boys' color

Spoiler: The girl's color

Spoiler: The venue

 

[Misty Gray]

The Wedding in the Park
~ Somewhere in London, London ~

Spencer King and Kerry Patrick​

Spencer was good at keeping a straight face and a stoic demeanour, which had thankfully come in use over the last two weeks. That, and apparently being known as "moody" to begin with helped him to act like his and his family's world wouldn't fall apart at any given moment. One person who he rarely had to hide his feelings from was Shona, and given the gravity of the situation, he had to tell her about Interpol. There was no way he could hide it from her nor get by keeping something big bottled up completely.

Spencer had felt like the worst person in the world having to break the news to Bruce at the same time his uncle announced his engagement to Darcey. This had accelerated things massively and forced the happy couple to bring their wedding as close as they possibly could. Despite everything he and Bruce had been through together over the years, Spencer was surprised when his uncle asked him to be his best man. Of course, he didn't hesitate to agree to the honour and since then had been working hard to make sure Bruce had everything he needed in time for the wedding. It had served as both a much needed distraction but at times also a place where he could release anything that was on his mind, given that both he and Bruce were keeping the same secret about Interpol.

The wedding day had soon approached and Spencer knew this was likely the last time they'd all be together in their home - in London. At least the ceremony provided the best reason for everyone to be gathered together and any emotions from him he could pass off as being purely caught in the moment of watching Bruce and Darcey finally get married. As he and Harper took their cue to walk alongside each other to the front, Spencer reached his hand out to give hers a gentle squeeze before releasing it again. He sent her a warm smile and an encouraging nod before focusing back ahead. When he took his place near Bruce he kept his eyes looking to the rest of their family. "Bruce. You've got this," he muttered, just loud enough for his uncle to hear. A fond smile then crossed his face as he watched Shona holding Eddie as she walked alongside Billy who was holding Charlie. His wife looked amazing and her holding their son made the picture even more perfect. When Kerry walked with Callum, Spencer kept his focus on the usually energetic boy, but the child seemed to have paid attention to his assignment and delivered the rings to Spencer without a hitch. Then, when he watched Darcey approaching with Alex at her side, he couldn't help by smile. Despite everything eating away at them, they were able to get lost in only the wedding and only focus on the good.

Once the ceremony was over, with Bruce and Darcey officially married, the family remained at the peaceful and secluded venue in the park. Spencer's eyes had fixed on Jeremy and Christian for a moment. Both of them were in relationships with his sisters and he hoped the future would allow him to keep an eye on them until he was comfortable they knew what was best for Harper and May. For now, they remained passing thoughts, where nobody around him would have any idea he'd thought them at all. Instead, his eyes found Shona and Eddie, so nobody else could really compete with that and without even thinking he was already approaching them. "You look stunning, love. Makes me want to marry you all over again," he said as he placed a kiss on Shona's lips. He then took Eddie from her to give her arms a break. "And you're looking dapper, little fella," he told Eddie as he held him, the baby's eyes wondering as he took in the scenery around them.

Alex and Kerry soon joined them, with Callum exploring the nearby area and no doubt getting his little suit dirty. When his brother asked who he thought was next to get wed, Spencer grinned when Alex suggested himself. Kerry nudged Alex in the side as they stood close with his arm around her. "Just make sure if that time does come, you don't just slip the proposal into some casual conversation," she said, rolling her eyes.

"Well, whoever it is, Bruce can give a glowing reference for my best man skills," Spencer remarked. As he continued to hold Eddie, who he was now sure was struggling to stay awake as the minutes went on, he looked towards Harper and Billy, then to May. Really, it could be any of heir siblings, given their relationships and two of them being pregnant. Jeremy and Christian didn't appear to be in any way like Trevor was back when Laura first got pregnant, but the last thing Spencer wanted was for anyone to rush into a wedding because of pregnancy. It certainly didn't work out for his own parents. "You know..." he said, looking back to Alex and Kerry. "I think it should be you two next. Then Kerry can keep you in line," he teased.

Spencer briefly broke away from the conversation to put Eddie in his pram, aware the boy had nodded off for his afternoon nap. With the pram closeby, he brought his attention back to the conversation. Putting his arm around Shona's waist, he looked directly to her for a moment. "Are you alright? Need anything, love?" he asked, looking her in the eyes for a moment before focusing back on the others. He knew she was likely struggling with the secret too and whilst part of him wished he hadn't burdened her with the knowledge, a bigger part knew it was the lesser evil. He couldn't have kept something so big from his wife.

"Don't you worry, Spencer. I'll keep this one in line. Married or not," Kerry said, glancing lovingly to Alex.

Pyroclast (Shona) Melanin-Gxdess (Alex)

 

[Bellz]

Harper King
The Wedding in the Park
~ Somewhere in London, London ~​

To say that Harper had been excited when Darcey and Bruce told the group they were engaged was a huge, gigantic, understatement. Unable to hold her tongue, the first thing she'd said when it was announced was, "Well it is about fucking time!" Causing everyone to look at her. As far as Harper was concerned, she was just stating facts. She loved her Uncle Bruce dearly but the stupidest thing he'd ever done was not snatch Darcey up sooner. But, the past was in the past and when Darcey asked Harper to be her maid of honor, Harper took the role seriously. Darcey expressed wanting to get married as soon as possible and Harper was willing to turn London upside down for her in order to make it happen. All of the planning with Billy and Darcey kept her distracted enough from her own feelings, leaving her to discuss any of her own woes in therapy with Dr. Parker only, for which she was thankful. It was almost like she was back to her old self, smiling nearly every day, winding up her family members with her dry humor. She felt nearly back to normal. It was like someone breathed life back into her half-dead body.

That was at least before Bruce and Darcey came back from their little trip away from London. Doesn't matter how she found out, but there was a rumor that her family was being investigated by federal agents. Since then, she'd been less than happy, less than herself and more of the nervous and anxious ball of energy she had been shortly before she'd tried to kill herself.

Still, instead of giving in any...unsavory thoughts, Harper poured herself into making sure that Darcey and Bruce's big day was perfect. On the nights she couldn't sleep, she was creating centerpieces and other little things for the ceremony as well as worked on the arch. Harper had been observant of Darcey, who she was sure knew more about this Interpol thing than she did. But Darcey kept quiet and Harper silently willed her to say something about it. That moment never came, much to the blonde's disappointment. The dress was fitted, the flowers arranged, and everything set up and ready to go. Billy was caring for the men and Harper was helping get the women together as well as herself. She'd picked a bold choice dress, much like a lot of her outfits, a burnt orange petticoat dress with fishnet stockings and orange boots to match. Darcey approved it so Harper felt comfortable with it.

If anyone had missed extra bossy Harper, which the woman seriously doubted, she was on full display during the actual ceremony. Harper was barking at people to get in their places and then cooing to the babies that they were going to do great at the same time, probably giving people whiplash. Giving Jeremy a quick peck as she straightened his tie, she whispered that she loved him before moving to Darcey. "You look like a Goddess, Darcey. I love you." Harper told Darcey, hugging her gently, careful not to smush the dress before moving away to take her place in the line. When it came time for her to walk down the aisle with Spencer, the woman smiled at her eldest brother, "Don't you clean up nice." She hummed. They were the only ones to stand next to Darcey and Bruce as the ceremony continued, Harper unable to keep the tears in any longer. Especially when Darcey came down the aisle. Reaching into her dress pocket, Harper grabbed her polaroid and snapped a few photos here and there. Making sure to document as much as she could.

Finally, when they were officially man and wife, Harper snapped a picture again, capturing it at the perfect time. "Yay!" She cried, tears pouring down her face as she bounced on her heels. The entire wedding went off without a hitch, making her feel like some of the stress was now gone. Not all, but some.

Harper was taking pictures of everyone in an effort to not think about the Interpol thing when Darcey waved Billy and her over. "You know Billy, with you being gay and me just being fabulous we should get into the wedding planning industry, we could make a ton of money!" Harper joked lightly, gliding over to Darcey with a wide smile on her face, pictures she had taken previously in hand now as she grabbed them from the nearby table.

"Don't thank us, either of you. After taking care of us since we were in diapers...the both of you...we are happy to do this. We love you both that much." Harper murmured softly, taking a seat and pushing the pictures forward so that they could rummage through them as Darcey said they were proud of them. Harper's cheeks warmed, "I think I can speak for Billy when I say, you have no idea what that means to us. You are proud of us. I mean...you're the only parents I've ever known. I love you both as if you were my own and as far as I'm concerned, that's exactly what you are to me. I'm just so proud you two finally got married!" Harper said, squealing the last word.
with: Bruce, Billy Pyroclast ; Darcey Melanin-Gxdess
mentions: Spencer Misty Gray ; Jeremy BasDorcha

 

[Bellz]

Lucy Porter
Peter Callahan
The Porter Family Home
~ Sutton, Dublin ~ ​

The last two weeks had felt...unreal, to say the least. Old habits died hard and when Syd and Thomas decided to come to stay with her after James passed, Lucy went on taking care of them instead of the other way around. She busied herself with the cooking, and the cleaning...not allowing herself any moment of silence or quiet, refusing herself any rest until she was inevitably forced to go to sleep. When she did end up in bed, she would lie awake for hours and when sleep did finally take her, she would gasp awake, reaching over to feel for James only to find him missing. Every night. It continued every night. Even the night before the funeral, where she found herself not getting any sleep. Despite being sleep deprived, she had put her best foot forward in terms of making sure everything went perfectly for her late husband. If there was any event as important as their wedding day to make sure things went smoothly, it was his funeral. Lucy owed James that much with the constant support and love he showed her for nearly 40 years. All of the tears she had left had been shed at the funeral and the after-service event at the home she once shared with her husband was now in place.

Sinead had stepped away for a moment and Lucy allowed her to go, knowing just how hard this was for her and Conor. They all had loved him so much, he was a part of the family long before Lucy ever called him her husband. On top of it, Lucy knew how much Sinead was going through with Savannah's mental state, Danny's physical condition, and then little Liam getting expelled from school. Normally, she would have extended any help she could to her little sister...but Lucy didn't feel she could be much help, at least in the state she was in right now.

Peter was holding his wife tightly in Lucy's guest bathroom, pressing a kiss to the top of her head and rocking her back and forth. He'd tried his best to remain a rock for her and his children in all of this chaos, doing his best to only let himself grieve behind closed doors. But in moments like this, it was proving difficult. When she eventually stepped back, Peter was quick to wipe underneath her eyes, getting rid of any remaining tears before he pressed a kiss to her forehead. Sinead apologized and the man shook his head, "There's no need for that, love." He said lightly but let her continue on as she quickly got to work reapplying her makeup. Peter leaned against the wall, watching her as she said that Lucy didn't need to see her like this, but she just had to get it out of her system before she went back out. She'd heard Conor asking about her and she wasn't ready.

"Sinead, my love, you don't always have to be so strong. Your siblings are here to take care of you too. Even in their darkest moments." Peter murmured. When Sinead had finished her makeup, the woman turned to him after throwing everything back into her bag. "I love you too, Sinny." Peter said with a soft smile, pressing a kiss to his wife's lips before opening the door to let her out of the bathroom and following her out.

Lucy had just finished saying thank you to Roxie for helping with the floral arrangements and for making so many dinners over the last few weeks for her when Conor put his arm around her. The blonde excused herself and Roxie nodded, smiling rather sadly at both of the Sullivan siblings as she watched them leave before making her own way to find Syd. Lucy allowed Conor to steer her to the sofa in the Conservatory, where they were still in sight but could have a private conversation. Almost like jelly, Lucy found herself leaning into her little brother's embrace as he rubbed her back and placed a kiss on the side of her head, eyes burning as he said James would have been proud of the service.

Lucy was about to say something when Sinead approached, causing them both to look up. Lucy reached out her hand to her sister as she sat down next to Conor, just as Sinead did the same listening as Conor spoke of James not wanting them to be miserable. He was right, it was hard. They did know him practically their entire lives and now he was just...gone. Conor said that he loved both her and Sinead and if they needed anything to just ask. Lucy squeezed her sister's hands as she saw the tears in her eyes, swallowing back her own.

She echoed the same support, adding Syd to the mix for which she was grateful. Somedays Lucy thought her eldest son was taking it harder than she was, which cut her deeper than she would ever let on. Despite the sadness in her eyes, Lucy found herself letting out a soft broken laugh, looking around at all the people in the house. "I can almost hear him, you know. Griping about all the people in the house. About the parties. The man hated being the center of attention yet I think out of all of us, he deserved it the most. He'd sit there bleeding out sometimes and say "I'm fine Luce." but when it came to parties and public speaking, the man turned white as a sheet." Lucy's smile was sad but it felt good to remember.

"He loved you both so much. Even if he didn't say it all the time. That man was proud of watching you two grow from the two bickering siblings you once were into the two bickering adults who married the love of their lives, and had beautiful children." Lucy's bottom lip trembled as she looked between Conor and Sinead. "I'm so proud of everything you both have done, the people you are...and it doesn't matter what happened or didn't happen that got us to where we are right now. I think one of the great things that James taught us...the one thing I want us all to remember is that blood or not, it doesn't break the bond of family ties. He was always a part of our family."
with: Conor + Sinead Misty Gray
mentions: Syd Pyroclast

Roxie Carriveau
Thomas Porter
The Porter Family Home
~ Sutton, Dublin ~ ​

Roxie had been monitoring Syd carefully over the last two weeks, or at least, the best she could while he was at Lucy's place. When she wasn't keeping track of his business and taking care of some other things in preparation for the Interpol raid, she was at home making dinners to bring over to Lucy's place so she didn't have to cook. Much to her surprise, Lucy was doing a lot of the cooking herself but she still graciously accepted the food and ate every last bit of it. On top of that, Roxie was taking the kids to school, doing her best to tend to their emotional needs whenever possible while also taking care of a newborn. How she was fitting in anytime for herself was beyond her but at the moment she felt she didn't need time to herself she just needed to survive. The day before the funeral, Roxie had picked up Ricky's ashes from the funeral home outside of Dublin and they were now sitting in a bag underneath her bed at her own house waiting to be dealt with. He wouldn't get a service, or a party...but Roxie would do something for him. Even if some people felt he didn't deserve such kindness, it didn't sit right with her to just dump his ashes and be done with it.

After touching base with Lucy after the funeral was over at the after-service event, the woman thanked her for helping with the floral arrangements with Roxie having called in a few favors and the dinners. "Lucy, you don't ever have to thank me, after everything you've done for me." She had said to the woman before Conor took Lucy towards the Conservatory. Roxie smiled rather sadly as she watched the siblings go. So far, they were the only ones who knew what was going to happen, and to keep the mass hysteria down, it would stay that way. The last thing they needed was for Syd to go even further off the deep end. Which reminded her...

Roxie set off to go find him, walking around and through the groups of people. She spotted her kids running around with the others. They had seemed to bounce back at least a little bit in the last two weeks since their grandfather's passing, which she expected. Kids tended to take death differently. She'd learned that much after Matthew passed, though J.J. was still suffering from night terrors after that day. Little Luci was upstairs taking her afternoon nap, so Roxie thankfully didn't have to worry about her. When she rounded the corner to step outside, she saw a familiar face standing alone with tears streaming down his face. "Thomas?" Roxie said softly and the young man looked up, quickly moving to wipe at his tears. "R-Roxie? W-what are you doing out here?" He asked, and the woman cocked her head, a concerned expression bleeding over her face. "I was looking for your brother...you okay?" She asked before cringing outwardly, "That was a dumb question, wasn't it?" She said and Thomas actually laughed, much to her relief. "No, it wasn't dumb." He said lightly as he drew in a shaky breath before a sob broke through his chest, "I-I feel like I wasted so much time. Like I didn't get the time with him I should have, you know? I was such a dick." Roxie's body stiffened at those words, not because they were upsetting to her but because she was so familiar with them. She'd gone through it in nearly every death she'd had with her family. Her father, mother, Uncle, and Ricky just recently. Wasted time. Not enough. All the regret in the world.

Biting her bottom lip, Roxie slowly walked up to Thomas and tentatively reached out a hand to touch his shoulder. When he didn't jerk away like his brother, Roxie rubbed it lightly watching as the younger man looked up to meet her eyes. It was so weird to see him so older now. She could have sworn he was just 11 yesterday. But now he was nearly the age she had been when she met Syd...13 years ago. "I know...that, I'm not family. And that I might not ever be family. But if I may impart some wisdom that I wish someone gave to me when I was your age...it might help you through this." Roxie said lightly and Thomas searched her eyes, nodding his head for her to continue.

Swallowing harshly, Roxie cleared her throat, "Take it from someone who has been through this a million times over now. Regret...it's normal. In grief. We are always going to look back and think we could have done something differently. That we should have done something differently." Roxie looked to Thomas who had tears streaming down his face quicker now. "Your dad, wouldn't want you to live in the past. Wouldn't want you to live for what should have been. Or what could have been. You have the chance to live for yourself, to turn what you've learned from this into something different. Your dad was very proud of you, Thomas. I've never seen a parent so proud of his kids and I'm a third party looking in. You were very lucky to have him but he was also very lucky to have you. When you become a parent, you will learn that any mistakes our kids make...it doesn't matter. I don't think your dad regretted a single moment he had with you or a moment he didn't have with you...and I don't think you should either. Easier said than done, I know, but it'll get easier with time." Thomas was really quiet after she stopped talking and Roxie was sure she said something to offend him but when he suddenly wrapped his arms around her, she was taken aback.

Tears stung her eyes and she wrapped her arms around him as well. After a long hug, the pair pulled away from each other and Roxie nodded her head to signal that they should find Syd. When they finally did find him, Roxie tentatively greeted him with a small smile, "Hey you, Thomas, and I wanted to keep you company. Mind if we sit with you for a while?" Roxie asked, not taking no for an answer as she sat in one of the seats allowing Thomas to be by his brother as she watched the pair of siblings for a long moment. "We are here for you, Syd. Thomas and I were just talking...if you need anything we will get it for you. Your ma is with Conor and Sinead and it looked like she was smiling."
with: Syd Pyroclast

Natasha McCarthy
The Porter Family Home
~ Sutton, Dublin ~ ​

The last two weeks felt like an absolute whirlwind of emotions. Things felt like they were moving too fast and then moving too slow and then moving too fast again. When she wasn't busy with school or helping with any of the funeral arrangements on the side, she had been dealing with her own personal matters with Leo. The couple had decided that they were moving in together but also decided that they were going to wait to tell their parents so secretly they were looking at places in Dublin without their parent's knowledge. Just yesterday, they had actually gone with Thomas and Elena to look at another apartment that had two bedrooms and two bathrooms. A perfect little unit in a great neighborhood was near Thomas and Elena's place.

When she was in the presence of Thomas, Natasha did her best to keep things light and airy in terms of conversation unless the man wanted to talk about James. There were quite a few times he'd brought up his father but yesterday he had been avoiding any talk of the funeral like the plague so Nat had been talking his ear off about different types of apartment styles with Elena and Leo. The funeral had been something Natasha had been anticipating but when it arrived, it hit her like a ton of bricks. While she only remembered bits and pieces of her father's funeral, there was a physical trauma that this event brought back, a heaviness in her chest that made it difficult to breathe. Natasha spent most of the funeral curled up in Leo's chest, not able to look toward any of the beautiful pictures or floral arrangements laid out for James.

Natasha wasn't an openly religious person, she wasn't sure if there was a heaven or hell. She just hoped that her dad greeted James with open arms after he passed, wherever they had both ended up, and said a small prayer in hopes that they both knew she was thinking of them. After the service was through, Lucy arranged an after-service event at her home which was lovely, as usual. Natasha felt that she had no more tears left to dry and now that she wasn't crying she was turning to all of the sweets at the tables. Leo had hung with her after Thomas excused himself for a while, wanting to be alone. Both Natasha and Leo were unsure about leaving him, but with Elena also in attendance, they didn't want to leave her alone either. Once Thomas was gone, Elena went to go see Adam, leaving Leo and Natasha alone near the sweet table. "I think I might get one of everything here. Lucy knew what she was doing when she picked all of this out." Natasha murmured to her boyfriend, picking up some cookies and brownies using a pair of tongs and piling them on her plate.

Today was the day they were going to tell their parents about them moving in together, among some other things they wanted to share. "Ah, I'm so nervous. Maybe if I shove enough cookies in my mouth you'll have to do all the talking." Nat said, looking to Leo with a smirk on her face before her smirk disappeared seeing Ali move around the corner, "Oop, your mam is coming."
with: Leo + Ali Melanin-Gxdess

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Porter Family Home
~Sutton, Dublin~
Aliana Sullivan & Leo Sullivan
​

Despite what the doctors had been saying in regard to James' health Ali didn't think he'd actually kick the bucket. After everything he'd gone through from heading the family business to his retirement, she thought the guy was going to live forever; or at the very least, outlive some of them. It'd been hard to wrap her mind around it and it wasn't until his casket was lowered into the ground that it became real for her. They may not have been as close as she'd have liked, but she still respected him and held him in high regard. James had given her brother, Leo, a purpose in life. Sure, all he had done was balance the man's books, but even such a small thing meant a lot to Leonard; in return, it meant a lot to Ali. Because that was the sort of person James was. And Ali couldn't remember if she'd ever thanked him for being someone Leo looked up to and now she would never get the chance to do so.

Between making herself available to Lucy, Sinead, and Conor, Ali had also made sure to see Syd. Over the years it seemed like the two of them had taken turns taking care of the other in emotional situations; Syd when Leonard died. Ali when Syd tried to kill himself. Now it was Ali taking care of Syd again but she wasn't complaining. Wherever Aliana could help she would be there and without complaint. Two weeks went by quicker than she anticipated and really it all felt like a blur. She couldn't remember how long or how many days she'd spent making visits and sitting with members of her family; how many nights she stayed up to be there to comfort her husband. Again, she didn't complain and put herself where she was needed while also taking care of her own household.

Lucy had outdone herself - as per usual - on the reception held after the funeral. She explained that James deserved to go out with a big bang and Ali couldn't agree more. Ali volunteered to help with the reception, setting up, and spreading things out. After separating from Conor she did a lap around the house to check on both Lucy, Syd, Thomas, and Olivia. She only left when they were each approached by someone else or when they excused themselves to being alone. Ali's mother had died not too long ago and the reactions were all too familiar to her. While Allen was still alive she wondered now when Death would come knocking at his door. She was to shake her head to focus on the reception rather than the concept of death. If she were going to continue being supportive, she thought, she needed her head on straight. With a glass of whiskey in her hand Ali made her way toward the table littered with desserts, spotting both Natasha and Leo nearby. Something about seeing the two of them together and so happy and in love made this feel like they were going to be okay. For now, they were her escape from the tragedy that was James Porter.


The death of his uncle James had been difficult to deal with. Not because he couldn't accept it, but more because he didn't know how to be there for the people he cared about in this regard. He didn't want to push anyone - especially Thomas - to talk to him or see him or anything of the sort. He was glad his best friend had Elena there to comfort him, but it didn't sit well with Leo to leave her there doing all the work. Therefore, Leo would just show up on the man's doorstep. If he didn't want company he would leave and if he did he would remain in his presence. Leo figured something as simple as that would be enough until told otherwise. Things seemed to look up a bit considering he and Elena had tagged along to see some apartments with himself and Natasha. It was a welcomed distraction for the time being.

Leo asking Natasha to move in with him was nerve-wracking, but those nerves were settled when she agreed. They may have only been dating for a few months but Leo knew after they got back together that she was the only woman he wanted to be with. He'd even been thinking about proposing but didn't think the timing was right. When the timing was right then he definitely would and without hesitation. In the meantime, he focused on the funeral, Leo offering Natasha much of his attention and comfort. He couldn't imagine how she'd felt during all this seeing as she'd lost her father too. The only difference was Thomas got to grow up with his; Natasha didn't. It was difficult to try and gauge what he should say but he did his best and kept her comforted throughout the day as well.

After Thomas left him Leo sought out Natasha and when he found her he slipped his arm around her waist. He let out a slight chuckle as she stated wanting to eat the whole table. "Yeah, and then you'll throw it all up like that time we were kids," he joked, though there would be another reason. "You manage to eat actual food today, or you just been stuffin' yourself full of sweets?" Leo picked a brownie up from her plate before taking a bite out of it. "Aunt Lucy outdid herself." He nodded. Natasha then brought up for nervous she was about them telling their parents the good news. Before he was able to make any sort of retort Ali approached them. "Look at you two love birds," she teased, offering both of them a hug. "How're you holding up?" She looked between the two of them before settling on Leo. She knew her son wasn't the best at sharing his emotions but she was hoping he'd give her something rather than nothing. "It's... Hard. But it'll be okay." Ali was a bit surprised to hear him articulate how he'd felt! Leo picked up on this and shook his head. "Don't even say it," he teased. Ali feigned offense with her hand over her heart. "I wasn't going to. Scouts honor."

There was a slight pause before Leo let out a silent chuckle. "You weren't a goddamn scout." Leo let Ali exchange pleasantries before clearing his throat. Telling his mother about the life-changing decision he was about to make could end one of two ways; either she'd be understanding and excited or she would be worried and disappointed. Leo didn't believe his mother would respond with the second, so was grateful to have her in his life. "We, um," he started. "Wanted to talk to you about something. Right Nat?" He then turned to Natasha, wanting to make sure she was still ready to come clean before continuing. "So... Where to start?"

 

[BasDorcha]

The Wedding in the Park

~London~​

Maeve Thatcher and Jeremy Gray
May was finally at a point where she could leave the house a bit easier, as long as she wasn't alone, and in such was able to attend the wedding - the brightest bit of news to hit them in a while. Between little Charlie's arrival and Bruce and Darcey tying the knot, it had been looking up for a while. She had hoped to be of more assistance and struggled with feeling left out though she actively fought the thoughts and reminded herself she was in fact helping, choking it down. May had been struggling with the lingering depression that came from her experience in silence, telling none. Few seemed interested, all caught up in their lives and busy, though she could not see how much of the depression was causing that feeling and how much might actually be accurate. Instead, she put on a smile, not quite as bright as it used to be, and moved through her day as she slowly began returning to a normal routine.

The baby had grown more and more as well, bringing on a wave of pregnancy hormones that had her crying at the wedding from beginning to end. Everyone looked so beautiful and happy, part of her feeling alone again, even in the full space of the small ceremony. Christian looked wonderful in his tux, and each glance at him brought the smile back to her face. She had come to feel lately that her intrusion into his life had been to chaotic, a black mark besmudging his name that he wouldn't acknowledge, but she never breathed the words out loud. Her life had felt like she was watching it from a third-person view, most of her senses dull or overwhelming. She wondered if this was how Harper had felt before her incident, understanding more now than ever how she might have gotten there. If not for the little one she already knew about, she might be close to the same thing.

Jeremy meanwhile had been admiring Harper from afar, dreaming of the day she would one day hopefully be his wife. Just seeing her in the dress she wore gave him lingering dreams, though a black cloud seemed to be seeping in more and more these days. Still, today was a happy day and he was going to enjoy it, not letting the fears of what to much stress might do to her. As they stood around with Erik and Christian, Jeremy chuckled. "Playdates will never be in short supply. I know Harper and May here will be nearly on the dot together when the babies come, so that's just two more added to the already growing circle we got."

May smiled and nodded, glancing at Christian to gauge his feelings, "Agreed! There will be little feet and little hands in everything before we know it." She gave a soft laugh, thinking about what a year or two down the line might look like. "We will certainly have our hands full." Hesitently she reached for Christian's hand, giving it a light squeeze. She didn't know how to handle things with him now, even in public, things still being so new and her so freshly damaged. Everything seemed like it might cross a boundary leaving her to desperately pray he'd show her the way through it all.

Jeremy nodded, glancing at baby Charlie in Erik's arms. "If they all come out as cute and sweet as Charlie, I think we're all very lucky indeed." He returned May's smile, his eye's drifting back across the space to Harper again. The look of stupid love on his face was clearly visible, undeniable to any who might catch him looking. It was a relief to not have to hide things anymore, to be able to be open and honest with the world and especially his friends.

Misty Gray - Christian
Melanin-Gxdess - Erik

 

[Pyroclast]

The Porter Family Home
~ Sutton, Dublin ~

Syd Porter​

When Syd was younger, he used to hate funerals. Not just because it upset him to see everyone he loved hurting, or because he was uncomfortable showing his emotions in front of others, but because he preferred to say goodbye in private, with no one around to rush him or listen in. These days, of course, everyone had seen Syd break down and cry many times, so even though he still hated the lack of control he had over himself, he could at least feel less self conscious about it than when he was a teenager. However, his issue about saying goodbye as a collective group remained...it was too overwhelming. Because of his unstable disposition, he didn't dare give a speech at his father's funeral. He was sure James would understand, not being a man for public speaking himself. Besides, his head was far too cloudy to articulate what he would want to say about him. He was better off saying goodbye properly on his own another day.

Syd had had a particularly disturbed sleep the night before the funeral. He was nervous to see everyone, to receive their condolences, to listen to the heart-wrenching speeches and sing the hymns. He wasn't sure he could get through it, and the anxiety of it all made him sick to his stomach. A good portion of his morning was spent throwing up in his ensuite at his mother's house, his body's way of expelling the nerves in times of severe distress, anxiety and grief. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to rid him of the anxiety completely. Between all the crying, vomiting and the fact he had hardly eaten or slept in the weeks surrounding James’ death, Syd felt too weak to engage much with his family at the wake, even if he did want to console them. No matter if he was wandering about talking to people or just sitting down to rest, he felt detached from the room, like he was in that strange, liminal space between consciousness and unconsciousness.

He was trying to get some rest in an armchair in the corner of the room when Roxie and Thomas approached him. They both looked tearful, but his brother’s eyes were particularly bloodshot and puffy. Roxie asked if they could sit down and join him, but did so anyway before he could find the strength to answer. She told him she was there for him, that both she and Thomas were ready to get him whatever he needed. He didn’t even know what he needed. He looked at her again when she let him know she had seen Lucy with a smile on her face. “Good,” he whispered. “That’s good…”

It was comforting somehow to have them sitting with him, even though he didn’t feel like saying much. All Syd wanted to do was to protect his baby brother from the pain and stop him from hurting, yet Thomas was the one offering support. It didn’t feel good to always be the one who needed watching over. Sure, he had been wearing himself down with all the self-harming, the fits of anguish and the disturbed sleep, but Thomas suffered, too - he didn’t know exactly in what ways these days because the man was so private, but Syd still knew he struggled. And then there was Roxie…cleaning up after him, doing the chores and jobs he wasn’t strong or stable enough to do, supporting both him and the kids through their grief…all the while grieving her cousin at the same time. It was this thought that filled Syd’s eyes with fresh tears. With a shaky breath, he looked over at Roxie. “I killed your cousin,” he whispered, beginning to tremble in his seat as tears spilled down his cheeks. “I killed your dad. I…” His hands came up and held his head, the new spell of crying giving him an instant headache. “I made you feel this,” he said, and burst into tears. “How can you stand me for what I did?”

Interactions
Bellz Roxie, Thomas