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

[Misty Gray]

May Thatcher's Place
~ East London ~

Christian Brooks​

Despite the sad memories surfacing to his mind as he spoke of his sister's death, Christian managed a small smile as May gently squeezed his hand. He'd dealt with death more often than most had, mostly when showing up to a crime scene and having to study corpses up close. But nothing compared to the death of friends and family. His sister's circumstances had been bad enough, but the day he had to investigate the murder of a former girlfriend always stuck with him. The corruption surrounding it had certainly help pushed him out of the Met Police and into the employment of the Kings.

Christian understood how difficult it was for May since finding out she was related to the Sullivans - the very family causing a lot of problems for the Kings. Based on the photograph she'd shown him of the man believed to be her father, Christian felt that May's life was only going to get more complicated if the truth came out. As she sang the word 'kiss' a number of times, he couldn't help but look to her lips before quickly recovering and diverting his eyes back to the cards. "I'm sure your behaviour could be considered cheating, but luckily I'm not a sore loser if beaten. And I don't mind a pretty voice as I focus on this cracking hand I've been dealt!" he remarked.

The knock at the door seemed to kill the moment, especially as May seemed unsettled by it. He placed his cards face down on the table and looked her in the eyes as she mentioned only Darcey and Spencer knowing where she lived. He caught that she said she had no friends, but she quickly recovered by adding she didn't have any coming to visit. "Darcey and Spencer are busy with the family gathering for baby Edward..." he trailed off. He wouldn't have been concerned by a knock at the door, but May seemed worried. Given the circumstances, Christian took it upon himself to stand up and see who was at the door. "Stay here, away from the door," he suggested. When he got to the door he slowly opened it, peering through the gap he'd made in the between the frame just big enough to see out of. He furrowed his eyebrows at the young man standing outside looked vaguely familiar. It took him a moment before he exceptional memory caught up with him and he realised who it was from helping the Kings investigate May and her mother's family. "It's for you, May," Christian called back, but held the door firmly in place in case she didn't want to see her visitor. He turned to her and mouthed the words to tell her it was her brother, Tom.

BasDorcha (May)

 

[Misty Gray]

Moretti Family Home
~ Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn ~

Gabriel Moretti and Valentina Wycliff​

Gabriel was glad to hear Elvian speak in defence of his actions, that in his position there were always going to be enemies. She was right that not all of the wars were instigated by him, but he was damn sure he'd do whatever it took to end them. His wife was clear in her assertion he hadn't started this particular war. In his position, Gabriel was used to most people agreeing with him or at least being too intimidated to question him. Elvian was always free to give her opinion on matters, which also meant he allowed her to disagree with him too. That's why he was pleased that she backed him up, as he knew her words were genuine and not out of fear.

Despite that, his eyes shot to her when she said he was being unfair in underestimating Valentina's ability to protect her children. Elvian made it clear that a mother's say was just as important as the father's. He tightened his jaw as she reminded him of his mistake in attacking the Sullivans in retaliation, only to later learn they had been innocent in Valentina's attack. From that, he took Elvian to be suggesting had he actually let Valentina give her input, the wrong people wouldn't have been attacked that night.

"The Irish may have been responsible for killing members of our family years before, but they weren't the people responsible for hurting me," Valentina said, squeezing her mother's hand once the woman held it for both of their comfort. "It haunts me to know that people, be they innocent or associated with the Sullivans, died because of me. That's a huge weight to carry. I know you kill and torture people with ease, but that's not who I am. I don't want that on my conscience. The only person I've truly wanted to kill was Steve, but you muscled in on that too and denied me of it."

Gabriel lightly shook his head when Elvian said she needed a stronger drink. He too felt exasperated that the conversation had been shifted into him being sexist. He was bored of that accusation by now and he had no intention of changing. If he believe woman couldn't do a man's job, he would continue to think that way. A woman would have to really prove herself and excel in front of him to shift his stubborn belief. Most women might put on an act, but he had no doubt that if pushed into a difficult situation, they were more likely to start reacting emotionally, letting their heart rule their head.

"I am proud of our daughters. Valentina is a strong woman and can handle anything when it comes to being a mother, as well as running those hotels. I acknowledge that. I also acknowledge she wouldn't be able to do most jobs in my business. Men's jobs," he asserted. "I'm proud of Tatiana too. She has proved time and time again that she is more than capable of doing the jobs I send her way. Damian doesn't compliment people, but he's impressed working with her. But Tatiana is different to most women, remember."

"You're impossible," Valentina groaned upon hearing her father use Tatiana's sexuality to suggest she wasn't considered the same as most women. "Oh, well, as long as Damian gives his seal of approval, who needs to actually observe all the work and success Tati has done for you?" she sarcastically remarked.

Gabriel could see they were going around in circles and Elvian was doing was she could to resolve the situation. It was clear they wanted him to recognise their daughters' accomplishments and that they are strong women. He nodded his head and was about to speak up but Valentina bet him to it again. "I know he wants to protect me," she echoed her mother as she looked to Gabriel. "I appreciate the gesture, even if you've always been so suffocating with it. You don't need to do it anymore Papa, not so intensely. I can look after myself, and even if I couldn't, I have Teddy to look out for me now. Also, Teddy and I will protect our children, but we'll ask for your help if we happen to need it."

"Okay..." Gabriel began. He shot Elvian a glance before looking back to Valentina. "I will stop underestimating you and I'll acknowledge your achievements. I've always been proud of what you've done with the hotels, but me 'butting in' saying you need to be at home more was because you were getting tired and sick. Nothing to do with you being a woman and having to be a housewife. You looked stressed and I needed Teddy doing more work for me, so I didn't want you to kill yourself staying on top of everything." He looked to Elvian, hoping he'd said enough to diffuse the situation and stop his wife from wanting to knock back a lot of strong alcohol.

Melanin-Gxdess (Elvian)

 

[Misty Gray]

Adam Harper's House
~ Drumcondra, Dublin ~

Adam Harper​

With Blake moving to curl up close to his side, Adam draped his arm around her shoulder, lightly resting his head against hers. She told him how surprising it was to hear him say he was in love with her, that she never thought she could be with someone again. "Ah, I try my best," he remarked when she said he never ceased to amaze her. "Though, in honesty, I don't need to try with you. Whatever I say or feel when I'm with you just comes natural," he assured her.

Adam moved his head as she did hers, so he could meet her gaze. She told him she loved him before she broke out in a giddy laugh. "Oh no. Now you're being all cute," he teased her. As she continued speaking, Adam adjusted to a more serious demeanor as he listened. She said she'd been a fool for letting herself get caught up in thoughts of losing him and it had been agony staying away the last few weeks. "You're not a fool. It was perfectly reasonable action for you to take so you could think things over. Though I did miss you too," he reassured her. "Ah, you keep me in line, and you've made me realise I'm a better person than I'd convinced myself I was." He chuckled as she mentioned a term Collin had used to describe her. "A sad sack? I'm holding onto that one for if you ever get moody on me. Sad sack, Blake!" he teased.

As much as Adam wanted to maintain the relaxed atmosphere, he felt it was only right he told her the truth about Elena. To leave it until any moment other than now could cause trouble in the long run. If his news was something that changed how Blake felt or how comfortable she was with him, then he wanted to get it out in the open before they got too deep into their relationship. "Blake..." he began, his voice now serious. Removing his arm from around her, he sat up and turned slightly so he was better facing her. "In the weeks we were apart, I had a lot to think about too. Not about us, because I had no doubts about how much I love and want to be with you. But I... I got some news," he began, pausing as he briefly glanced away, still trying to work out how Blake might feel about him after the truth.

"Okay, so my news in no way affects how I feel about you and how I want to be with you, but I'm not sure what it'll mean for how you feel about us," he explained. "You know Elena, the Cuban girl working at Conor's pub?" he asked, knowing Blake had met Elena numerous times whilst out drinking. "Conor had me interrogating the poor kid, trying to find out why she was all the way in Dublin with no family or friends. She stuck out as a risk. But after enough pressure, she came clean and admitted to me that she came here to find me. She's my daughter, Blake," he revealed, looking the woman in the eyes to try judge her reaction. "I never knew I had a daughter until a few weeks ago," he clarified.

Bellz (Blake)

 

[Bellz]

Peter Callahan
Biancardi Residence
~ Queens, New York City ~ ​

Peter didn’t feel like something was right about what Teddy had said. He stated that he was sure Peter wouldn’t believe it but a couple of goons had acted out of line. He referred to the sloppiness of the job to which Peter smirked, staying silent. Ricky’s answer seemed to be genuine, but Peter was also on the fence about what he said. Peter also rolled his eyes at Ricky before the man looked back to Teddy as well. He had decided he didn’t believe either of them at all but he knew at this moment in time it wouldn’t do him or Conor any good by saying so anymore. Conor apologized for hurting Teddy’s daughter and Teddy didn’t accept nor deny the apology at first. After a long moment of silence, the man nodded his head before Ricky opened a file and started to hand out the identical documents to the men. Peter leaned forward and took the contract that was handed to him, looking it over briefly.

Teddy stated that it was simple enough, Moretti’s would stay out of Dublin and the Sullivans would stay out of New York. If for any reason they would need to enter, Ricky would be handling the in-between stuff. Peter looked back up at Ricky for a long moment, "So where does this leave your family, Rick? It seems like things are a bit strained between you and Roxie from what I’ve heard. Does this mean you’ve chosen a side?” Peter asked openly. "After all these years, it doesn’t exactly seem like either of you are particularly keen on staying the mediators anymore and have chosen a side. How can we trust that if we were to come into this territory - for whatever reason - that you will take care of it without undermining us? I’m not someone who likes to beat around the bush and I’m sure you gentlemen feel the same way.”

Peter looked to his brother-in-law, hoping that he wasn’t speaking out of line. "Our role in this contract seems clear but things between you and your cousin, Ricky seem to be far messier than whatever we got going on now.” The man said before looking at Ricky and meeting his eyes. "Is there anything in this contract about what is expected of her and yourself? Or is your family’s position in this whole deal dissolved now? Seeing as you two aren’t exactly meeting eye to eye as of late.” Peter felt that these were important things to ask and he hoped that he would be able to get somewhat of a straight answer. This whole meeting felt like the two men before him were dancing around the truth, extending it to fit their shady agenda and trying to lead both Conor and himself to believe that they were remorseful for what happened when they were in fact not.

Sinead and Liam as well as the rest of his children were his entire world, as far as Peter was concerned, Teddy and Gabriel were extremely lucky that Peter hadn’t been around. He would have made sure their AWOL men would have been captured and questioned for the truth. Teddy had used an excuse that saying Gabriel’s wife would have lost her shit knowing he attempted something in front of the eyes of God, but Peter didn’t believe Gabriel cared about what his wife thought for a second. Whether Peter wanted to admit it to himself or not, he knew that the men sitting before him were no different than himself. They had families they strove to protect but that didn’t mean for one second they wouldn’t lie to them to keep them from knowing the truth. As honest as Peter tried to be with Sinead, there were simply some things that would hurt her more than others and Peter used his discretion to determine what she needed to know and what she didn’t. Something about what Teddy was saying didn’t add up to Peter. To Peter, it was more than likely Gabriel and his family were getting sloppy in their thirst for power as did most people when they were desperate.
with: Conor + Ricky Misty Gray ; Teddy Melanin-Gxdess

 

[BasDorcha]

​

If Jeremy had any hope she’d start off easy, he didn’t know the girl at all. She jumped straight into the hardest question she could find, then hit the death mode button. Rolling his eyes, he shook his head, looking at her in wonder for a moment. “You didn’t think to start with something a little less intense, huh?” A small laugh escaped his lips as he couldn’t help the smile that came to them at the same time. She never ceased to amaze him, no matter what.

Pursing his lips in thought, he tried to recall what he could about his parents, but little came to mind except his uncle’s voice. Based on that, he tried to think about the kind of person they would be together and separately. “I think they would be proud of me for doing what I thought was right… And possibly for educating myself so well. They were teachers you know. Maybe that’s where I got my love of learning from.” A small shrug rippled his shoulders. He was supposed to wait for her to answer, but he wanted to redirect the question to her because he could give a fuck less what she though Trevor and Laura thought of her. “But my real parent was my uncle. He would be proud of me. He firmly believed in doing what you wanted, as long as you do it well. At least I do my best daily. He also valued loyalty, and honesty. I’ve got plenty of loyalty. As for honesty, well…” His ears turned pink again, just along the tips of the tops as he realized he had not told her everything from the night of the bombing. Was that considered dishonest?

I just omitted some of it… I didn’t lie about it. Jeremy readjusted the way he was thinking looked back up at her. The glazed look of someone high on drugs greeted him back, making it easy to squash the need building up in him to come clean. He wanted to tell her what he realized, but he didn’t want to tell her while she was like this. No, he wanted to see a natural, unimpeded reaction, watch her blush and get nervous. Part of him felt like if he told her right now she would barely grasp the idea of what he was saying. Under his breath, he muttered, “Probably not the first time someone has told you that anyways.”

The words escaping his mouth when he realized he’d spoken aloud caused a wide-eyed look to cross his features. Carefully, he looked away, waiting for her response to her own question, which he no doubt would hate.

Mentions: Bellz - The Pancake.

 

[BasDorcha]

​

Tom watched as the door cracked and an eye of a man peered out at him. The look of concern at the shady actions as well as a man in her apartment was easily visible across his face, but the sound of him calling to May told him they had to be acquainted so it was unlikely an unwelcomed situation. It was foolish of him to think not calling his sister was a good idea. Sighing, he waited.

*************​

May had missed all the looks from Christian, but he had missed her looking too. Maybe, subconsciously, she had picked the song to antagonize him. She had been well on her way to enjoying the evening with him, if he allowed her, when the knock froze her in her seat. She didn’t have anyone to reveal her panic too. Since the night of the bombing, she’d had many dreams that the target might have been her in some way, her family mad that she had taken the wrong side, that they thought she somehow might have been spilling Sullivan secrets, that she was a spy that fell in love with the wrong side. Her logical brain said it as all silly, no one cared if she lived or died. If it hadn’t been for Christian at the hospital, no one would have even cared of something happened to her.

When he answered the door though and said it was for her, the confusion deepened. Then she saw him mouth the word Tom, and her eyes lit up. Pouncing from her seat, the cards went flying, and she was suddenly pushed between Christian and the door, pulling it open. Unbeknownst to her, her bottom and back slid into perfect place against his front, likely rubbing in an uncomfortable way for the man. Throwing the opening wide, she laughed and jumped on her brother.

Tom, taller then May and built like a scrawny but muscular soldier boy, snatched her up and hugged her tight, tight enough she winced, and when sat back down, stepped back and tripped over her own feet, falling into Christian for a second time. Flushing deeply, her left hand grasping the frame of the door to keep her from falling all the way to the floor, her now somewhat reclined against his chest, her eyes had the perfect view to look up at him. A gulp went down her throat as she struggled to break the daze she felt when she looked up. “So-sorry Christian. Um… Tommy, this is Christian. Christian, as you know, this is Tommy, my oldest brother.”

Tom looked the man over with a scrutinous eye, as if there was a silent understanding from one man to another of what was being asked. Determining that his sister looked like a girl with her first crush, not one who had already been ravaged, he held out his hand and gave him a now relaxed smile. “Noice te meet ye. Sorry to surprise ye, Oi have been wantin’ te come see ye for a spell now. Thought Oi’d pop up and surprise ye, didn’t think Oi’d be interfering, so Oi apologize.”

This brought May back around, standing up correctly as she ushered them back inside. “No, no, you’re fine. I’m glad you came. This is perfect! How about I cook you both dinner!” What was she doing? Christian was probably read to bolt at this point, but she quietly admitted to herself she wasn’t ready to see him go. She had already wrapped her mind around getting to know him better tonight. Clapping her hands together, and looking at both of them so finely dressed, and a sudden daring look flashed in her eyes. There was a place downtown, a little bar called The Speakeasy, and true to their name, it was twenties night. The guys in their suits would fit in just fine, but she needed to change if they went.

“I tell you what, after dinner, why don’t we go to this place I know. I’d love to spend time with you Tommy, and you Christian… if you don’t have any other plans that is.” She realized he probably did and gave him an easy out, plastering a plastic smile across her face in hopes she wouldn’t let on that she would be disappointed. “We can share a cab so you don’t have to drive.”

Tom watched his sister stumbling over her own words, and thought about the fact that she had changed a lot since he had last seen her. While at this moment she seemed a little disoriented, her actions were more natural then he had seen before. Whatever had happened, seemed to be good for her. “Oi’m fine with that. But why are you wincing when I hug you, what happened?” He took a seat at the table, after dropping his bags on the couch and setting down the flowers and sweets for her in front of him.

“Oh um…” She looked at Christian, unsure if it was something she could talk about, considering what Darcey had told her about communication with her family. There suddenly was a lot of issues here, if in fact, her brother was working for the family. A gloominess covered her expression, as she swallowed down telling him about her near death experience and tried to brush it off. “It’s nothing, you’re just a brute. Don’t squeeze so hard next time.”

Truth was, Christian was the only person she seemed free to speak with lately. She couldn’t talk to Darcey as she had been busy, and being locked away by herself with no one to speak to on the matter had been the worse. She slid her whiskey over to her brother, who handed her the flowers and sweets, her standing by the table, waiting to see what Christian would do before sitting down.

Mentions: Misty Gray - Christian Melanin-Gxdess - Darcey

 

[Bellz]

Jeanie Carriveau-Porter
Syd Porter's Residence
~ NOPE ~​

Jeanie and Jane had led up Rhi to the bedroom they shared, where it was not as stimulating and crawling with smelly boys. Jeanie made herself comfortable on her bed and invited Rhi to sit in one of the two bean bag chairs as she listened to her answer Jeanie’s question. She could see that the girl struggled to answer but Jeanie didn’t want to press her any further on it for fear of upsetting her. The brunette nodded her head and offered Rhi a smile before Jane asked what Michelle was like. "I bet she doesn’t boss you around as Leo does huh?” Jeanie asked after Jane asked if it was totally different having a grown sister.

Rhi then asked them both about the move and the new house and Jeanie’s eyes met her twin sisters for a moment before Jane said that it was kind of exciting. Jeanie didn’t exactly agree, especially with all the unpacking. "So exhausting!” Jeanie agreed with Jane, letting out a huff. "I never realized how many clothes I actually had until we moved.” Jeanie sensed her sister’s mood change as she let out a small sigh, immediately Jeanie’s expression turned serious as her sister said in a small voice that she thought their mother needed the change.

Jeanie was quiet for a moment before she patted the space next to her for Jane to sit. If she sat beside her, Jeanie would place her arm around Jane, "Perhaps moving would be more fun if it wasn’t to escape the old house we had…” The older twin observed with a shake of her head. "It’s still annoying regardless.” She added before looking to Rhi. "We saw your brother making out with Natasha the other day! I didn’t think they were so serious! It was gross.” Jeanie let out a giggle, "At least some people are getting along.” Jeanie was sure she didn’t need to say who was not getting along at the moment, adults thought they could keep things from them but they were old enough to see the truth.
with: Rhi Melanin-Gxdess ; Jane Pyroclast

JJ Carriveau-Porter
Syd Porter's Residence
~ NOPE ~​

Once they had stepped into the backyard, JJ had led them over to where the water guns were with a smile. "Here they are, boys! I practically begged Dad to get these for me and he surprised me with them the other day! Pick out whichever one you like.” The boy encouraged and as they were filling up water guns, he looked to Lucas. "How are you liking Dublin? I bet it’s boring compared to New York. Mom’s never wanted to take us there, she says it's too dangerous. But I’ve always wanted to go. What’s it like?” JJ had always been curious about the city, it was where the other half of his family was from and his mother had been born and raised there. It had taken her years to get rid of the “accent” everyone said she had in Dublin and every now and then when she got really pissed she couldn’t help it.

He could never really understand why she was so ashamed of where she was from but maybe he could find out more about New York from Lucas. "You haven’t been there, have you, Li? I mean I think your mom is way more protective than my mom is. How is she doing by the way? I’m sorry…for what happened.” JJ didn’t feel right just coming out and saying what exactly had happened because he knew that Liam and Lucas understood. He didn’t want to upset anyone, especially not today.
with: Lucas + Liam Misty Gray

 

[Pyroclast]

Syd's House
~ If I told you, I'd have to kill you - Dublin, Ireland ~

Syd Porter​

Syd had to raise an eyebrow at Roxie when she brought up the generational differences in fashion before telling him how she would dress in daring outfits to spite her parents. “Wow, I wonder where she gets it from?” he said with a shake of the head. “Well I’m blaming that attitude on you, then - when I was their age, my parents were the only people I didn’t want to piss off!”

When Roxie laughed at the way Syd spoke about her in her pregnant state, he just smiled. Of course he knew better than to underestimate her strength - he had seen her take hit after hit, the sorts of traumatic things that he knew would have landed him back in a mental institution, and watching her suffer and then learn to cope and live with the pain was inspiring to him. Unfortunately at this point almost everyone in his close-knit family had become familiar with pain, torment and heartbreak, but it was part of what made him feel close to Roxie when they had been together. There were so many people out there to whom Syd couldn’t relate for this reason, and that was partly why he had shied away from trying to meet someone and settle down again after he and Roxie had parted ways.

His smile faded when Roxie subtly referenced the meeting going on in New York that was supposed to have taken her away from the birthday party. Ricky would be there, of course, so Syd obviously couldn’t blame her for choosing to stay in Dublin instead - and he was glad she had, because if it had been him in her situation he wasn’t sure he would have been able to go to New York without killing Ricky.

Seemingly aware that it would be a sensitive topic for both of them, Roxie swiftly moved on to compare the birthdays she had as a child to the ones they managed to give their own children. Syd smiled warmly at her. It was nice to still share something beautiful with her even though their relationship was over, and the pride they both felt for their children. He knew he may not be the most dependable father given his emotional intensity, paranoia and unpredictable mood swings, not to mention his deep involvement in the mob, but he was still proud that the relationship he had with his children had remained positive and loving despite it. “It’s a parent’s job to make sure their kids have a better childhood than they did,” he said, though he wasn’t really sure he had managed to do that. Syd had had a rough start in life so his childhood up to the age of 8 wasn’t hard to beat - but with Lucy and James as his adoptive parents, he had a lot to live up to. “I worry about it sometimes, you know…they don’t exactly have a normal life, compared to their classmates, and they’ve experienced more pain than anyone their age should. But when I see them laughing and joking around, getting up to mischief with their friends and cousins, I feel like we’ve done a pretty great job.”

With so many people arriving at the party, Syd thought he might have taken a risk by bringing attention to her baby bump, so he was relieved when she leaned into the topic, teasing him about being ‘baby crazy’. He laughed, a blush still on his cheeks, until it faded into a fond smile. “Hey, it’s the perfect measure,” he shrugged, when she spoke of how funny it was that the medical professionals had always referred to the size of her babies in terms of fruit when she was pregnant. Looking over at the bowl of non-alcoholic fruit punch he had made, he picked up one of the lemons from the fruit bowl and tossed it up in the air. “Everyone knows how big a lemon is, right?”

Catching the lemon, Syd rolled it over in his palm and gazed down at it. He couldn’t help but be reminded of his own children, back when it was his babies that Roxie was pregnant with. He had been so over the moon, so eager to hear every detail. He had to back off this time, of course. Let Roxie do it on her own terms.

He looked up at Roxie when she mentioned finding out the gender, apparently hoping for another boy. She then asked him for help with telling JJ, Jeanie and Jane. “I’ve gotta say, you’ve done a great job at hiding it so far,” he said in a low voice, glancing at the doorway just in case someone happened to be within earshot. “Remember how sick you were with the twins and JJ? I would’ve thought the kids had at least thought about it. They must have learned about that stuff at school by now…”

She thanked him for keeping her secret and he sent her a small smile. “You know this is the first time you’ve trusted me with something like this since what I did all those years ago,” he said, referring of course to when he had spied on her family without her consent. “I don’t know, I…I wanted to do my best to -”

The sound of his mother’s voice calling for him stopped him mid-sentence and he turned towards her, a beaming smile spreading across his face. He rolled his eyes comically when she teased him about being in the kitchen. “Why does everyone keep saying that? Nobody can order pizza like I can!” When Lucy moved in for a hug, Syd reciprocated her tight embrace and stroked her arms while she cupped his face in her hands. In a deceptively sweet tone of voice she teasingly called him a senior citizen and reminded him that his children would grow up in the blink of an eye, leaving him and Roxie as ‘empty nesters’. “Aw, thanks, mam,” he said in a sarcastic tone. “If I have any questions about getting old, I’ll come to you first, okay?”

James then echoed the sentiment, reminding him of what he and had sisters had put them through back in the 50s, and Syd fired a sarcastic laugh his way. “Shut up and grab yourselves a drink, alright? And no hiding in the shadows, dad - this is your first family birthday party in years. Enjoy it!”

Syd delivered his hugs to Finn and George swiftly as Lucy ushered everyone out of the kitchen. “You’d think she owns the place,” he muttered to Roxie on their way out, but there was no spite in his tone - he always loved when his mother would visit and stay with him. Before they got too far out of the kitchen, Lucy stopped them and pushed a few bottles of alcohol into his arms, in such a way that he had no choice but to take them. “Good luck, mam!”

Once he had carried the bottles into the dining room and placed them on the drinks table, he looked at what he had brought in: a bottle of Don Julio tequila, a 15-year-old Redbreast whiskey and a 1941 Marchesi Barolo wine. “Wow, that whiskey is older than the kids,” he murmured. “And that wine is as old as me!” He looked over at Roxie. “Well, I can’t drink that without you. Not the vintage Italian stuff. That sounds like something special enough to drink to celebrate the new baby - you know, when your prohibition is over.” His eyes looked over the spirits, and he decided to pour himself a measure of the Redbreast. “To be drunk slowly,” he quietly uttered to himself. He turned around to face Roxie, leaning back on the drinks counter as he took a small, controlled sip of the strong alcohol. Without a word, he placed the tumbler down and moved over to the box of decorations.

He withdrew a selection of colourful banners to be draped along the walls, and a packet of balloons that were to be blown up and tied in bunches. “Alright, this might keep us occupied for a while,” he noted. “You’re the one with a creative eye, Roxie - if you show me where the best place is to hang these up, I’ll pin them to the walls, and then we can make ourselves dizzy blowing up as many balloons as possible for our son to have fun popping at the end of the night. How’s that sound?”

Interactions
Bellz Roxie

Mentioned:
Bellz Lucy, Finn
Misty Gray James, George

 

[Misty Gray]

May Thatcher's Place
~ East London ~

Christian Brooks​

Christian was taken slightly by surprise when May rushed out of her seat. That was nothing compared to how he was momentarily caught off-guard as her back and bottom lightly rubbed again him as she slid in front of him to open the door. Christian's mouth opened as if he was about to speak, but without any words to complete the task. Instead, he glanced down, which only made him feel more awkward as he diverted his eyes anywhere but on May. Thankfully, she was distracted by Tom, so didn't she the reddening of his face as he tried to compose himself.

No sooner had Christian pulled himself together, May then fell into him as she lost her footing. "Steady, there," he remarked, instinctively holding his hands out in case he needed to stop her from falling. Had Tom not been present, he would likely have made a joke referring back to her being Irish but still unable to handle her alcohol. Instead, as May looked up to him, he momentarily gained eye-contact with her. "No worries..." Christian said as she apologised for falling into him. One awkward moment was replaced with another as May introduced him to her brother. Christian caught the way Tom scrutinised him and seemed to be giving him the kind of unspoken warning he'd seen from the brothers or fathers of women he'd dated in the past. Was that what Tom thought was happening between him and May now? Christian was about to speak up to clear the confusion, but before he could, he found himself returning the other man's handshake. "Nice to meet you too," he replied, sending the man a friendly smile. He was sure May would set her brother straight on how she and Christian knew each other.

As May ushered Tom inside, Christian reached out to grab the door so he could close it behind them. As if May brushing up against him and Tom's initial assumption had now planted ideas in his head, Christian found himself momentarily gazing at May from behind as she walked away from him back to towards the table they'd been playing cards at. He caught himself looking and mentally berated himself, grateful neither she nor Tom had seen him. The attention instead was directed to her suggestion they both let her cook dinner for them. "Oh, no. I couldn't..." Christian began to politely decline the offer. Something about the way she'd been with him and that he'd caught her earlier slip up about not having friends made him feel compelled to stick around. It wasn't out of pity, but more that he knew what it felt like. Sure, he considered the Kings and a select few others he'd met over the years to be friends, but there was a time he'd felt isolated in London, with the closest thing to a social life being investigating crimes and having obligational drinks with his former Police colleagues. He was sure both he and May would benefit from making another friend in each other.

"Well, I suppose it saves me cooking up some poor effort of Sunday dinner just for myself," he remarked. Perhaps he'd played it down too much and should have been more enthusiastic in accepting. He wasn't sure why he was playing it cool, though he suspected it was to ensure Tom's mind was put at ease about him not being romantically involved with May. No sooner had he taken a leap in accepting May's offer for dinner did she then suggest the three of them went out for drinks after. She really wanted to spend time with him and Christian didn't have the heart to let her down. Because he was definitely only accepting the invitations to please May... or so he thought. "I... Well, maybe just for a couple of hours. But I don't want you Irish lot getting me drunk and taking advantage of me. Us Scots hardly drink, don't you know?" he joked.

Christian was able to regain full composure as Tom questioned May about her apparent discomfort. Though the attack on the nightclub was public knowledge, the Sullivans suspected of being behind it was definitely not public knowledge and Tom, whether knowingly or not, was now employed and related to the very people causing trouble in London. He might be her brother, but May was right not to tell him the truth, instead brushing off his concern. Christian's default stance was to be open and honest, but that integrity was always trumped by his loyalty to the Kings. Essentially, not betraying them came before his natural desire to tell the truth. He just hoped he wouldn't have to hold back the truth about her father for long. Until he had spoken with Bruce or Spencer, he had to keep tight-lipped where Trevor was concerned.

Taking a seat back at the table, Christian took a moment to collect together the cards that May had managed to leave in a mess when she'd rushed out of her seat. As he did, he looked to Tom. "So, Tom. What brings you to sunny London?" he casually asked. As he tapped the deck of cards on the table to straighten the pile out in his hand, he realised his question could be taken the wrong was by May, considering she knew of his profession. Having said that, perhaps she'd be right, but it was by now simply automatic of Christian to seek answers. "Is it May's cooking? If it is, then I'm in a for treat, aren't I?" he added, with a smile.

BasDorcha (May, Tom)

 

[Bellz]

Finn Sullivan
Syd Porter’s House
~ That’s a no go on the location ~ ​

Finn had let out a laugh as James mentioned that Lucy was even worse than he’d remembered before he had been sent off to jail. "Not surprising, there isn’t anyone who would dare tell her off beside you.” The doctor teased. Finn shook his head, "Now I’ve never been to prison but I like to think that Lucy is more of a hardass than some of the guards there. She doesn’t take shit from anyone.” The man said. He was glad that he could joke around with James, the man seemed comfortable enough and Finn wanted to make sure it stayed that way. He knew how hard it had been for George when he’d gotten out of prison and sympathized with that 100%.

"I’m sure you’ll find some structure with Lucy around, as I’m sure you are well aware she’s quite the organized gal. Conor, Sinead, and I used to say she was worse than Shannon in the fact that if you didn’t have anything to do, Lucy would find something for you to do.” Finn looked to George for a moment as he’d noticed James had glanced his way, knowing that George would understand more than Finn would. James then turned the conversation onto the two of them and Finn smiled. "It’s a little interesting trying to get used to how quiet it is here. I mean, this place is nothing like the hustle and bustle of the city. My mind did well in that area if I’m being honest with you, but we missed being around family and with the recent turn of events, it seemed like the wisest thing to do was to come back home.” He murmured, looking to George once more to see if he agreed with that statement.

James mentioned that Lucas had become a bit of a character since he last saw him. "Tell me about it, that kid has a mind of his own.” Finn laughed and nodded at the age he had been. "Around that age, yes, it’s amazing how much he’s changed. Quite the Chatty Cathy if you ask me, I think he gets it from Georgie here.” Finn teased, nudging his husband’s side playfully knowing that their son most likely got his ability to talk a lot from Finn. "I think he’s really blossomed here, being around all of his cousins has certainly had a good influence on him.” Finn said with a smile.

"Speaking of kids, your grandchildren as sprouting like weeds. Isn’t it crazy how time seems to fly? I hope more are in your future now that you are a free man, Thomas and Olivia are your best bet for more it seems! Though as much as I love them both I can’t imagine either of them being parents.” Finn chuckled. "How are you and Thomas by the way? I know things have been pretty rough between the two of you, you’ve seen him since you got back right?”
with: James + Georgie Misty Gray

 

[Bellz]

Roxie Carriveau
Syd Porter's House
~ ACCESS DENIED ~​

"I don’t know why I am so surprised when she pushes us out of the kitchen like that, but your mother hasn’t changed in the slightest.” Roxie said to Syd as they walked into the dining room. Moving to shut the sliding doors, she looked to Syd and explained, "You know how nosey JJ is, he’d want to sneak a peek at our handy work.” The brunette let out a small smile before looking curiously at the bottles Lucy had shoved into Syd’s hands. She let out a low whistle, clearly impressed by the selection and when Syd said he couldn’t drink the Marchesi Barolo wine without her she placed a hand on her heart. "Bless you for not making me watch you drink that.” Roxie smiled widely, "Ah, sounds like a date then.” The words had slipped from her lips without her really thinking, "Uh, I mean…sounds like…a good time.” Good save. Her mind sarcastically mocked her to which she shook her head. Watching him pour a glass of whiskey, Roxie pointed at him teasingly, "Don’t get too drunk now, I can’t reach as high as you and I don’t think me standing on a chair is a good idea in my condition.” She playfully mocked his words and watched him silently take a sip.

He then moved to grab a few selections of banners from the box as well as a packet of balloons. "Sounds like a mighty fine plan if you ask me, you get to do all the hard work and I can just sit back and point where I want things!” Roxie wasn’t sure what had gotten into her but she was feeling a lot more upbeat than she normally did. Moving to pull out one of the dining room chairs, Roxie sat in it and pointed towards where the center of the dining room was, where the bookcases were. "I think you should put the happy birthday banner right there.” She started watching him for a moment as he reached to grab it, trying with everything she had not to openly stare. "I know this is going to sound odd, but I’m actually freezing…do you mind if I turn that fireplace on for a moment.” She said, rubbing her bare forearms before standing. "I’ll get it, don’t worry.” Roxie said, wanting him to continue to hang up the banner as she instructed. Once the fireplace was on, Roxie closed her eyes as the heat greeted her kindly. "You said that I had done a great job at hiding, you know, this.” She motioned to her stomach, "Weirdly after finding out, I wasn’t sick anymore after a few weeks. Very different from our kids. Not sure what it is but this time around is just…different.”

Roxie shrugged her shoulders before moving to sit back down in her chair, ready to instruct him to hang something else up when the familiar fluttering feeling in her stomach alarmed her a bit. "Oh!” She let out a gasp. Roxie hadn’t exactly been thrilled with her pregnancy up to this point, having to deal with the fact that her child would never know their father was enough to cloud the whole experience but as she looked to Syd a wide smile formed on her face, making sure to let him know she was fine. "Sorry, that’s just…the first time I’ve felt the baby actually move. Forgot how bizarre that feels.” She said, deciding to stay standing as she placed her hand on her stomach. Walking closer to Syd, she looked up at the banner, "You know that’s crooked, right?” Roxie asked softly, looking into his eyes for a moment before they widened as she felt the baby fluttering again. "I can see that look in your eyes, you know, come here.” Roxie took Syd’s hand gently before placing it lightly on her stomach. She watched his face as the baby kicked his hand so faintly that if he wasn’t paying attention he’d miss it completely. "Remember how hard JJ kicked? Brat would kick me right in the bladder and I swore he found it hilarious because I’d have to run to the bathroom like 12 times in the middle of the night.” Roxie shook her head, laughing softly. Her face turned serious as she lightly placed her hand on top of Syd’s, "I don’t think I ever thanked you…for what you did for me back then.” The brunette murmured, her blue eyes searching Syd’s.

Normally this close of interaction would make her uncomfortable but at that moment, she was completely comfortable with the closeness. "You didn’t have to do anything for me, and yes I know I was carrying your son but…I had said some things to you after that night that…” Roxie paused, her throat closing with unexpected emotion as she shook her head. Clearing her throat, Roxie had to tear her eyes away from him. "Thank you for everything. And for what you are doing now. I don’t deserve any of it but I don’t think I would have made it this far without your help.” Her eyes dared to glance back at him as she bit her lower lip.

"It’s truly a mystery to me how you haven’t found another girl to dote on.” She said with a smile, her eyes watering slightly. "I’m just sorry I couldn’t be that girl for you.” Her voice dipped to a whisper as her lip threatened to tremble.
with: Syd Pyroclast

 

[Bellz]

Blake McCarthy
Adam Harper's House
~ Drumcondra, Dublin ~​

When Adam's voice turned serious, Blake straightened up as he removed his arm that had been wrapped around her. She frowned softly, wondering what was troubling him. He soon said he had a lot to think about in the weeks that they had been apart, and it wasn't about the two of them as he knew how much he loved and wanted to be with her. This caused a small smile to form on her lips but as he said that he had some news, the smile fell from her lips only leaving a puzzled expression on her face.

Adam clarified that the news in now way affects how he felt about her and that he wanted to be with her, but he wasn't sure how it would affect how she felt. Blake was starting to get a little worried when Adam mentioned Elena, "Yea, sweet kid, knew how to make a mean drink." Blake murmured fondly, wondering where he was going with what he was saying. He stated that Conor had Adam interrogate the kid to which Blake shook her head in disapproval. To Conor, the girl had been a risk which basically anyone he didn't know would at this point.

Blake saved her snarky remark for later as Adam went on to say that after enough pressure Elena had come clean and told him that she'd come to find him. He didn't miss a beat as he revealed that Elena was his daughter to which Blake looked at him with wide eyes. He clarified that he never knew until a few weeks ago to which Blake nodded her head, "No no..I believe you. But a daughter! Adam, that's wonderful!" Blake's surprised expression quickly turned into a natural smile as she moved to hug him tightly. "Please tell me you didn't scare her to death while doing Conor's bidding?" She asked as she pulled away from the hug.

Her thoughts then turned to Elena and exactly how she came to be, Blake was by no means jealous but simply curious. "Her mother...who is her mother?" Blake asked, "How come she didn't want to stay in Cuba with her? I mean, obviously she wanted to find you but it must be safer there than it is here at this moment in time...does she not plan on going back? And oh my god, Thomas! Does Thomas know?!"

Last time Blake had talked to the young man he had been extremely smitten with Elena and as far as Blake knew they were currently living together. "Is she gonna continue to live with him now that you know she's your kid?" Blake asked yet another question. "Shit, sorry, I know this is a lot..."
with: Adam Misty Gray

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Moretti Family Home
~Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn~

Elvian Moretti

​

Hearing that Valentina had been upset about Gabriel not allowing her to exact revenge on Steve was a shock to Elvian. She was aware the girl wanted to be there, but she didn't know how upset she had really been about it. Just knowing that Teddy, Gabriel, and Marcus took care of the men responsible for hurting her should have been enough, but it wasn't. Elvian shifted in her seat with her brows furrowed, wondering how she could have missed it. Granted, even if Gabe had allowed her to join them Elvian wouldn't have wanted her to attend. Elvian may not have seen or killed anyone herself but she could imagine that it would keep her up at night. Val was already having nightmares because of her attack - Elvian wouldn't have wanted her to have nightmares because she took a life.

Gabriel's voice calmed her face and she looked over at him with a more neutral expression. He began to express how proud he was of their daughters - something she hadn't heard as much before. A small smile creased the corner of her lips hearing him admit out loud and with Valentina sitting across from him. Maybe if verbally expressed his feelings and how proud he was of them then they wouldn't have as many arguments as normal. The smile slowly disappeared the moment he called Tatiana 'different' in which she had to roll her own eyes. It'd been many a battle for him to realize their daughter was a lesbian and that her sexuality meant nothing - she was still their daughter. She mumbled under her breath before gesturing the cross over her body and turning to her husband. "You were doing so, so well.

Elvian let Val finish her statement before clearing her throat and addressing her. "I don't think he meant it that way," she started, "But more so... Celebratory. That even other people are noticing what a wonderful job it is she's doing - even someone as stiff as Damian. I mean, Erik says the same and he's-," Elvian paused, unsure if revealing his nature to the table would be okay. Ava had told her about her cousin in private so maybe she shouldn't. "Lower on the totem pole," she quickly recovered. "Anyway, the point is it has nothing to do with her sexuality but her skill set.

Valentina expressed her desire to be free of her father's suffocating ways, something Elvian struggled with. On the one hand, she understood her daughter's desire to be free and independent of him - she was the exact same way when she was young and growing up in Romania - but on the other, she understood Gabriel's suffocating tendencies. His entire family had been killed and what's left of it had been dwindled down to five people before Teddy, the kids, and Ava. It was understandable for him to want to protect his family and make sure none of them were hurt or killed. But doing so had clearly caused his daughter to be resentful towards him and Elvian would rather him loosen the reigns than the two of them never speaking to one another. Gabriel then spoke up, responding to Valentina in kind and Elvian couldn't help but smile.

He'd agreed to stop underestimating her and giving her credit where credit was due. Just hearing him say it meant they were finally - after decades - getting somewhere. Hearing his true reasoning and intentions behind some of the things he did make sense, but again, she wondered how many arguments could have been prevented had he just said so? She knew he didn't like explaining himself - to her or to anyone, for that matter - but it really did save him a lot of trouble. "Your father just has a funny way of showing how much he cares about your well-being," she teased, leaning over towards him to kiss his cheek. "But he always means well." Once upright in her seat again, she took both of their hands in hers. "Don't you both feel so much better? You just need to talk more and actually hear each other, for once."

Val, Gabe ( Misty Gray )

Syd's House
~Dublin Equivalent to Area 51~
Rhiannon Sullivan

​

At the mention of how fun it was to have an older sister compared to an older brother, Rhiannon smiled."Way more fun than having Leo sometimes! He's great and takes me ice skating, but Michelle and I can go shopping!" Being able to have an actual girl talk with someone whose mind wasn't preoccupied had been great. Aliana hadn't been exactly present as of late and because of it Rhi was feeling a bit abandoned. Now that Michelle was here she had been able to focus on something other than her mother and the things she had been hearing as of late. Jeanie mentioned Leo bossing her around, asking if Michelle did the same. "Ugh, she doesn't, which is the best part! I can literally do whatever with her and she won't like, berate me for it." While she knew sometimes Leo meant well when trying to give her advice, it was still unwarranted and she didn't ask.

Hearing the exasperation in Jane's voice about unpacking made Rhi laugh, grateful she never had to deal with it. "That sounds super boring and like a lot of work. I'd offer to help but..." She shook her head with a playful smile on her face. "The idea of unpacking to organize everything sounds like the worst. I'll be with you in spirit," she giggled. Jeanie mentioned her clothes and Rhi nodded, understanding her situation all too well. Over the years, she had collected sparkly dresses in different colors and designs for all the figure skating she had done. It had gotten to the point where a portion of Ali's closet now housed some of her dresses.

Jane's sudden change in attitude didn't go unnoticed as she said and mentioned Roxie. When Rhi heard about the shooting and what happened to Matthew she couldn't help but feel bad for her cousins. Matthew was nice enough and they seemed to like him, so hearing that he had been killed was heart-wrenching. Jeanie commented that the house change had been to run from something, causing Rhiannon to furrow her eyebrows together in concern. Though Rhi loved having her female cousins living much closer to her, she figured it would be hard for them to adjust. New country, new house, new school. They'd basically been unrooted and had to start anew again, which couldn't have been easy. "I'm sure you guys will still love it here once you get all settled." She said, trying to be positive for them.

Leo and Natasha were then brought up, Jeanie having seen the two of them making out. As a victim of their spontaneous make-out sessions in the living room, Rhiannon turned up her nose and shook her head in disgust. "Ugh, tell me about it. You don't have to hear his cheesy jokes or walk into a common space to see it 24/7!" Rhi stuck her tongue out, pointed to the back of her throat, and made a gagging noise. "As much as I wanted them to finally start dating I didn't think I would be so grossed out by it." She shook her head before Jeanie then mentioned her parents weren't getting along. "Yours too? My parents have been acting weird for the past few weeks - Leo too." Rhiannon paused for a moment, hesitating to say anything before she just went out with it. "I think it has something to do with what Lucas told me about Aunt Sinead and Liam," she said, pausing to see if they knew anything. If not, Rhiannon would go on the inform them about the attack. "I think... I think my mom was too. And maybe even Leo."

​

Twins ( Bellz ) ( Pyroclast )

 

[Bellz]

Natasha McCarthy
McCarthy Residence
~ Sutton, Dublin ~ ​

Natasha raised an eyebrow as Leo said her name, looking towards him curiously. His fingers had crept under her shirt and he was caressing her like he normally did but she knew things weren't going to end like they normally did. "Yea?" She asked lightly, turning her eyes away from the TV to look into his eyes. "Of course I do..." The blonde murmured and let out a small giggle as his fingers tickled the skin on her back as he lifted up her shirt a few inches. Her breath caught in her throat as he kissed her stomach and for a moment she was speechless as he said that she meant the world to him...

Much Much later... ​

Turns out, she didn't have to say much and as she laid under the covers next to Leo she was once again speechless, in the best of ways. Turning on her side, she laid her head against his bare chest and closed her eyes for a moment just listening to him breathe. When she did open her eyes, she moved to prop her head upon her hand. "Well, it's safe to say that we are really really really best friends now." She teased, giving him a goof smile. "Hope you haven't changed your mind about me after this...I know I'm not...an expert or whatever." Natasha's cheeks turned pink as she looked away from her boyfriend a moment.

"No going back after this and I definitely don't want to...that was just..." She trailed off but reassured Leo with a smile, "I'm literally speechless and you know that doesn't happen a lot!" She moved to kiss his lips gently before sighing and leaning back against her pillow once more. She felt like she was forgetting something and it was bothering her, as she lay there she was mulling over her thoughts trying to figure it out. "Oh my god! I totally forgot I ordered food!” Nat said as she shot out of bed, pulling her comforter with her to cover herself.

After fishing for her clothes that had been strewn all over the room, she dropped the comforter and got dressed quickly before heading down the stairs to see if the food had been left at the door. She had given the takeout place her card number so there wasn’t any reason to take the food other than not getting a tip. Opening the front door, Nat smiled as she saw the pizza she had ordered just sitting on the table on the front porch.

"Food’s here!” She called to Leo, moving the boxes into the kitchen. Once he had eventually made his way into that area, she shook her head, "I can’t believe I forgot about the food. It’s a little cold but nothing a microwave can’t fix." Nat smiled optimistically before moving to grab some plates. "Surprised you didn’t hear my stomach growling. I haven’t eaten anything since this morning." She warmed up her own food before moving to take a seat at the island in one of the bar stools. Watching him move around the kitchen, Natasha placed her hand under her chin and smiled at him. "Did you ever think we’d be here, like this? I mean, I’m sure you didn’t before because you had zero clue that I even liked you but I mean when we went on that make-up date you took me on. I hope I’m a lot more entertaining than those other girls you were with…not that they weren’t nice or anything." Natasha scrunched her nose, not able to hide her jealousy as she shook her head in embarrassment. "I’m just gonna stop while I’m ahead." She mumbled, moving to take a bite of her pizza.
with: Leo Melanin-Gxdess

 

[Pyroclast]

The Royal Taphouse
~ Bethnal Green, London ~

Bruce and Billy King​

It took everyone by surprise to hear the words ‘I’m sorry’ come out of Trevor’s mouth. Bruce watched him with utter disdain as he insisted that he was a changed man and apologised for suggesting Bruce was to blame for Laura’s death. An apology should have been what he wanted to hear, but any satisfaction was dampened when he once again pointed out that Laura had been old enough to make her own decisions. Of course she had been, but it didn’t seem tactful to stand before Bruce and the three King brothers and talk about how Laura was responsible for her own demise. Even hearing the man admit that he had taken advantage of Laura’s impulsive and naive nature was more upsetting than it was satisfying.

For the moment, Bruce remained silent, unsure how much of a secure grasp he currently had on his emotions or his temper. Normally he found it easy to remain composed and collected, but seeing Trevor had stirred up a lot of sore memories and feelings and so he didn’t trust himself not to lose all control if he allowed himself to react to what the man was saying. Billy still hung back, though with a clear view of everyone in the room, so was able to catch the glances his brothers occasionally sent his way. He couldn't believe he was hearing his father talk about his mother’s death. Only minutes before, he had had no idea what the man even looked like, and now suddenly he was getting a family history lesson from the point of view of someone in whom he had absolutely no trust.

Trevor seemed to be trying to get them on his side by explaining that he had loved Laura and that things had been going well with Spencer when he was first born. This naturally riled up the eldest King brother and Billy eyed him nervously. He was sure Spencer hadn’t told him everything Trevor had done, but he had heard enough to know that he had put Spencer through a great deal, practically robbing him of his childhood, and so to hear Trevor speak of how good things had been - even if only in the early stages of Spencer’s life - made it no surprise that Spencer would want to hurt him. Before he could, however, Trevor anticipated his reaction and held a hand out to stop him, defending himself by reminding him once again that he had since changed and now had an income that would allow him to pay Spencer back for the money he had taken from him twelve years ago. As if it was money that Spencer cared about.

Bruce only continued to stare Trevor down when he asked for more time to explain himself, while his two eldest nephews fired back at him. His eye began to twitch as Trevor admitted to coming back to scrounge money from his kids and when the man went on to say how he had almost died after getting knocked down by a drunk motorist, he couldn’t help but wish he could take the driver out for a meal and shake their hand. The few years that Trevor had been in his life, before Laura passed away, all Bruce wanted was for the man to take responsibility for his actions - yet now that he was apparently trying to become a better person, attending AA meetings and counselling sessions, Bruce realised that he didn’t care.

It was becoming harder to hear the man talk about Laura - how she had loved her children deeply, and how it was his fault he hadn’t helped her when she had developed a dependence on the drugs. There was a burning in Bruce’s throat by now, the grief for his sister welling up more intensely than it had in years. Even Billy, who barely remembered his mother, was feeling a lump beginning to form in his throat when his father told him and his brothers how wonderful Laura would have been as a mother had it not been for Trevor’s selfish attitude and behaviour. When he was little, being told stories about the kind, motherly things she would do for them used to make him cry, because he couldn’t remember it and he wanted her in his life. Bruce had been the best father figure he could have hoped for and Darcey provided them with a stable and inspiring female role model, but neither of them could make up for the loss of their mother.

While Bruce fought to pull himself together, Alex let out his anger on Trevor, thankfully making the point that his efforts were too little too late and that it was low of him to try to use their grief for their mother as a way of gaining their forgiveness. His words were powerful, and when he paired them with an aggressive grab at the man’s collar before demanding him to stay away from Billy, Harper, Callum and Eddie, Billy looked away. The uncomfortable feeling of being seen by his father was still there - not that he had nothing to be ashamed of, but because he didn’t think the man deserved to know anything about him. He even felt uncomfortable when Alex mentioned Callum and Eddie, unsure if their father even knew he had grandchildren. As far as he was concerned, the less Trevor knew about the family, the better.

The overwhelming situation finally caught up to him and Billy pushed himself off the wall, taking a step towards his father. “What the fuck are you doin’ ‘ere, Trevor?” he questioned, a look of sheer disgust on his face. “Did ya’ think you was doin’ us a favour tellin’ us this shit? You know we don’t give out medals for soberin’ up and gettin’ a job, right?”

“He’s come to beg,” Bruce said. “‘Cept this time it ain’t just for money, is it, Trev’? Nah, he wants his kids to see what a top role model he’s become for society, and he’s anglin’ for Dad of the Year. He wants you to forgive him, and let him back into your lives.”

“Well, that ain’t happening!” Billy scoffed. “You’re nothin’ but a stranger to me. I don’t give a fuck how your life’s goin’, as long as it has fuck all to do with ours. You could save the lives of a hundred people and you’d still be dead to me.”

Watching his nephews each get riled up by their father brought out Bruce’s protective side, further angering him for the man’s unannounced visit. “Come on, Trevor,” he said, keeping his voice low so it wouldn’t crack again. “This ain’t about me or your kids. It’s about you wantin' closure for yourself. All that time I thought I wanted an apology from you, but now you’re finally showin’ some remorse for what you did, you still manage to make it about you. Are we expected to care if you can or can’t live with yourself for all the damage you’ve done to this family? Like Billy said, we all got used to you not bein’ around. You might as well be dead.”

Interactions
Misty Gray Spencer, Trevor
Melanin-Gxdess Alex

 

[Misty Gray]

The Royal Taphouse
~ Bethnal Green, East London ~

Savannah Callahan & Callum King
Kane Stenberg​

Savannah had held Callum's hand the full walk from the park to the pub, with Danny alongside them placing the child safely in the middle. They soon reached the pub, which had been reopened a short time ago following Trevor's unexpected arrival. Savannah noticed the giant that was Kane standing by the entrance along with another of the Kings' security guards. It suddenly seemed more like a familiar scene from home, where her own family were always on guard. It was no surprise, considering the London nightclub had been blown up a couple of weeks ago. She looked to Danny and let out an apprehensive sigh. "If you feel uncomfortable, you don't have to join us," she said, giving him a chance to escape whatever issues her arrival might cause.

"Miss Callahan," Kane flatly greeted the woman. He'd never had any issue with Savannah and had tried to keep out of any personal dramas Alex's cheating had caused, but her appearance now was far from ideal. Kane wasn't one to be personable with others, but he certainly knew when a person was better off to walk away and avoid stress. "Now is not a good time. I strongly advise you to reconsider," he warned whilst not giving away the Kings' current business with Trevor. His attention was briefly pulled away when Callum broke from Savannah's grasp to rush towards the door. Kane was quick to hold his hand out to prevent the boy from entering the pub. "Hey midget," he said, having a rare moment where he actually flashed a familiar smile, for the boy's sake.

"We've come all this way and Callum is excited about seeing Alex and the others," Savannah said, hoping Kane would understand.

"You're all going to need searching. Nothin' personal," he said, looking to his colleague and signalling for him to give both Savannah and Danny a search for weapons or anything else untoward. Whilst there was no chance Callum could have anything concealed on him, the boy did have a backpack on him. Kane had liked to think he could trust Savannah, but since her family had blown up the Kings' nightclub, he would now treat any of the Sullivans as suspicious. Kane didn't usually have to be tactful, but even he didn't want to upset a little kid, especially not Alex's. Crouching down so he was much closer to being on the child's level, he pointed to Callum's backpack. "My idiot friend here," he said, thumbing back to the security guard who was dealing with Savannah and Danny. "He told me you've got Barbie dolls hidden in that backpack. I said that was crazy and you ain't into girls' toys. Can you do me a favour and let me prove it?" he asked.

"Um, well, I don't play with girl toys. Hattie has Barbies, but not me!" Callum protested. Still he took his rucksack off of his shoulders and handed it to Kane so the man could check. After a quick search, Kane zipped the bag shut and handed it to Savannah as she held her hand out to take it, whilst she tried not to look annoyed.

"I'll make sure everyone knows you don't have any dolls," Kane finally assured Callum before standing up straight again. Looking to Savannah and Danny, he let out a relenting sigh. "Just be warned, tensions are understandably high at present. There's a lot going on," Kane said, before stepping aside to let them enter the pub.

Savannah looked to Danny before nodding for them to enter the pub. She figured Kane was just referring to the explosion, which she already knew was going to make her visit uncomfortable. Trevor, she was completely unaware of. Callum rushed into the pub ahead of the others, taking a moment to look around before he spotted Shona and the others, not wasting any time, he rushed towards the table they were seated at. "Shona!" he excitedly called out as he climbed up onto the seat beside her. "Where's Daddy?" He then noticed the baby Darcey was holding and, remembering Savannah mentioning his cousin had been born, he quickly pieced things together. "Is that Edward? Oh wow!" he enthused.

Callum had managed to make a big entrance and somehow prevent an initial awkward moment, but that didn't make Savannah feel any less anxious as she entered the pub and approached the family's table with Danny alongside her. "Hi everyone," she greeted Shona, Darcey and Erik. It was a tricky enough situation in itself, seeing as there had been both devastation and happiness in one evening for the Kings. "Shona... Everyone. I had no idea what was going to happen and I'm disgusted that it did. I truly am. There was no way I could stay away, not when I heard about it and that Harper was seriously hurt," she assured her. Seeing Callum's smile as he looked to his baby cousin, she was reminded of how the explosion had been bad enough, but to also leave a mark on what should have been a happy memory for the Kings. "I wish circumstances were better, but congratulations are in order - I'm glad you and Edward are well. Callum has been so excited to meet his cousin and see Alex."


Kerry had arrived for her shift shortly after Trevor had been taken into the office and the pub reopened. She'd been filled in on the situation by the other barmaid on duty and was now concerned about how it was affecting the Kings, especially the sons Trevor had abandoned. Whilst she wished Harper hadn't been injured, she at least figured her friend had been spared having to see a father who bailed before she was born. Kerry had just been getting into the swing of her shift when she saw Savannah and Danny follow Callum into the pub. She couldn't help but get the impression things were about to turn more awkward, including for herself, considering she'd already told Savannah she was staying in London and that she was horrified at what the Sullivans had done to the Kings. Whilst she would never blame Savannah for it, it still meant she felt there was a distance rapidly growing between them and not just geographical.

Melanin-Gxdess (Darcey, Erik) Pyroclast (Danny, Shona)

 

[Misty Gray]

The Royal Taphouse
~ Bethnal Green, East London ~

Spencer King and Trevor Stewart​

Everyone had been surprised to hear Trevor apologise, but none had seemed to change their opinion nor have their anger at the man reduce in the slightest. Spencer didn't need Trevor to tell him anything about the kind of mother Laura was. He may have only been thirteen by the time she died, but in the years leading up to it, he had enough intelligence and awareness to judge things with his own eyes. Despite the drugs and neglect, he deep down knew that when she was able to think for herself, his mother showed her children affection. He remembered the little conversations they had when his brothers were asleep and Trevor was out. He remembered promising her he'd look out for her when Trevor had left them. A promise he felt he'd in the end failed to keep.

Spencer had caught the look Alex show him for letting Trevor keep talking, but he remained silent as he sat in the chair, almost like an invisible spectator sat in the middle of a scene unfolding around him. It was clear his brothers didn't want to hear anything Trevor was saying. He doubted any of them wanted to hear it. But maybe Alex and Billy needed to hear it. For all of the talking Trevor was doing, neither Alex nor Billy were softening to the man. If anything, it was reminding them of why they hated their father and perhaps giving them added fuel to hate him more. Maybe this would be closure for them once and for all. Their father walking out never to be seen again always left a gaping hole of wonder wide open. But perhaps Trevor showing up now would provide surprising closure. Now they would both know what the man was like and they'd never need to wonder 'what if' again. Alex expressed as much to Trevor, saying himself that the man was dead to him, one way or another.

"Easy now..." Trevor calmly addressed Alex as the younger man rushed as him and grabbed in by the collar. He followed Alex's gesture towards Billy and then the point towards the door. Trevor knew about Callum by now and had even learned of the boy's mother being related to the Irish Mob. He'd also been made aware that Spencer was now a father, though the baby's name had been a mystery until Alex had just told him. Harper, he also knew much about, even if he'd never seen her with his own eyes. He knew she'd been injured in the explosion and was recovering in the hospital. "Fair enough, son," he agreed with Alex's demands to stay away from all of the younger family members. Trevor hadn't meant to call Alex his son, merely a natural term rolling off of his tongue. He nodded his head when told to choke on his apologies, willing to let Alex get all of his frustration out without denying him of it nor further provoking it.

Next up, Billy stepped forward to question why Trevor was there at all. The older man staying silent as only now was he able to take a better look at the youngest of his sons, who had only been a few years old when he'd abandoned them. Bruce was quick to speak up, claiming Trevor was there to beg and get his kids to forgive him. This was followed by Billy, like Alex, also proclaiming the man was dead to him. Trevor held his tongue as Bruce continued on, getting him to admit he was after closure for himself. His ex brother-in-law pointed out how even in his apology, Trevor was still making it about himself. "I don't believe any apology is ever completely selfless, so I won't offend you by claiming I have nothing to gain from it. I've just had many years to take a look in the mirror and see what a lowlife I was back then. For years, I've not only regretted allowing Laura to spiral but also walking out on you all. I get it, none of you want me here, you want me dead, and that's understandable. But when I heard about the nightclub, my heart sank and knowing any one of you could have died just knocked more sense into me. I know none of you want or need me here, and Bruce has done a fine job at taking on the responsibilities I've been too much of a selfish fuck-up to do. I just couldn't stay away any longer, not without seeing you all. I've lived with it for years, knowing what a despicable person I was and now I'm taking steps to be better. I don't need anything from you, not money, not drugs - I ain't about that now. I just needed to see you all."

Somewhere in the middle of Trevor's speech, Spencer had looked up to his brothers, whilst remaining in his seat. "You boys don't have to feel obliged to listen to this. You owe him nothing," he assured them, hoping they knew they could leave the room at any time without judgement. He didn't want them to feel trapped or forced to face their father. For himself, Spencer was not ready to budge yet. He hadn't heard enough from Trevor to silence the man for good nor to just up and leave the room. There was the fact that Spencer, whether selfishly or not, felt Trevor had not yet acknowledged the abuse he gave him. But more than that, Spencer wanted to see Trevor prove he was still a piece of shit and one who could never change.

The truth was, seeing Trevor standing opposite him was stirring up a lot of concerns in Spencer about himself. Despite despising the man and everything he had done, it didn't take much deep thought for Spencer to believe he hadn't done enough to be a different person to his father. The drinking, the smoking, the betting, and the love of football - they were all things Trevor had always been into all those years ago. Trevor had told them he and Laura were in love at the start, doting on Spencer when he was a baby. But Spencer remembered some of the arguments between his parents, with Laura once telling Trevor the biggest mistake she made was staying with him when she first became pregnant. Spencer would in no way ever wish away his three siblings, but perhaps if his mother had left Trevor from the start, she would have still been alive now. Then, to top everything off, the longer Spencer looked at Trevor now, the more he recognised the physical resemblance in himself and in Alex. Spencer worshipped Shona right now, but what if he started to become overwhelmed? The sleepless nights, the responsibility of having a wife and baby to look out for. What if, despite his better judgement and efforts... What if Spencer was destined to follow Trevor's footsteps? Would Shona be left wishing Spencer had walked away from the start? All of these thoughts were rendering Spencer speechless as he waited for Trevor to say or do anything, something that would set Spencer straight one way or another.

"What about you, Spence?" Trevor dared to ask. "Bruce and your brothers have all made it clear I'm dead to them. You could have slashed my throat out in the pub and you're clutching on to that penknife for dear life," he said, pointing to the retracted knife Spencer had forgotten he was holding. "You're the last person I expected to be so quiet."

"If you don't know what I'm waiting for, then you really haven't changed. Take a moment to think back. The fishing trip is always my favourite reminder of the weak bully you were back then..." he trailed off, looking to Bruce as his uncle knew in plenty of detail how Trevor treated his eldest son.

Melanin-Gxdess (Alex)
Pyroclast (Bruce, Billy)

 

[BasDorcha]

​

May thought for a moment about the way Christian’s arm felt when he caught her, and she flushed, casting him a quick glance. She looked up at her brother, her perked an eyebrow at her knowingly. Tom grinned a cheesy grin, realizing that he had interrupted, and it wasn’t just a causal interruption either. May had a thing for this guy, but it was very early. He had never seen his sister act this way, but by looking at the guy, there was still a good bit of awkwardness there in general. He thought about the girls he had dated – plenty of them wanted an army guy, so it wasn’t hard to pick one up. By no means had be experienced anything serious, be he hadn’t been a virgin since he was sixteen. Stretching, he shrugged, opening the sweet container and taking out a chocolate, and popping it in his mouth.

Silently, he decided he’d take this night to rest and catch up on some sleep, letting her enjoy her plans, but first, he was going to let her squirms some.

“Great! I’ll make us some grilled cheese sandwiches and I started some homemade tomato soup this morning, is just been chilled since I didn’t need it yet.” She clapped her hands, her already young looking face suddenly looking much younger Clearing the table of everything except the sweets, May headed to the kitchen to start cooking. Tom looked up and smiled at Christian.

“Don’t worry, I wont be cramping your style all night, I actually need to get some rest, so you can go ahead with her. Just treat her right, yeah?” The smile on his face seemed genuine and relaxed, but there was a dark spark to his eyes that the smile didn’t reach, that was silently threatening. “I’ve never seen her act like this, so I’ll give you my trust, for now.”

Sitting forward, just as May walked back in with the flowers in a vase, the darkness disappeared as he looked at her. Love and warmth was all he showed looking at her. It was easy to see that they had a very close relationship, even for brother and sister. “Smell’s good Maeve, do you need any help?” May, still a light pink and now realizing she had asked Christian out on a date.. with her brother was regreatting the decision. Not because she didn’t want to go out with him, but because she had let her mouth get ahead of her brain because Christian flustered her. She hadn’t been like this since the first guy she dated. That thought brought a deeper blush to her cheeks.

“Tommy, if you’re tired at all, we could go out another night…” May shifted awkwardly, and Tom laughed, deciding it was time to put her out of her misery.

“Don’t worry sis, after lunch I’m going to go lay down. You go out and have fun for me, I wouldn’t feel right if you stayed home because of me.” This brought a big smile to her face as she clapped and nodded, stepping back out of the room only to return shortly after with plates of sandwiches and bowls of soup. Setting them down, she sat between them, smiling. “I hope you like it.”

Mentions: Misty Gray

 

[Misty Gray]

Sullivan Family Home
~ Sutton, Dublin ~

Sinead Callahan​

Sinead frowned when Aliana reminded her of the time Teddy had tried to get a rise out of Conor by claiming he'd slept with her whilst he was in jail. "What a low thing to do. I hope that man was ashamed of himself for being so devious!" she complained. Both Aliana and Michelle seemed concerned about Conor's hot-headed nature, especially if the Morettis were going to try being manipulative to him. She reached out to take a long drink of her alcohol and then briefly studied Aliana as she placed her glass down. There were certain names and situations which stirred up emotions within family members, and one particular name was likely to do so to her sister-in-law now. Still, Sinead knew he needed mentioning. "I may not like a lot of what my brother has done recently, but I have faith he is now much better at keeping calm and controlling his aggression." She looked to Michelle for a moment. "When your father was in prison, he was seeing a counsellor. Now, Maddox turned out to be a nasty, twisted man who was working with Moretti, but... He did manage to help Conor with his temper. So much that Conor has since become better at thinking before punching," she attempted to reassure them. "I have hope that he will exercise that restraint today."

Sinead smiled when Aliana pointed out how calm and collected Peter was. "That's probably because I get all of the histrionics and giddiness out there for the both of us. He gets to just sit back for the ride," she joked. Despite her humour, she was aware things were tough in Aliana's marriage. Sinead and Peter had been through a lot of troubles over the years, and there had been some times where Sinead had been heartbroken at the thought he was going to leave her. "Things can get better for you and Conor too. Heck, if today's meeting goes well, maybe he can stop thinking about fighting and having to protect us all, so he gets time to be happy again, with you and the kids," she reassured her.

Sinead was glad to hear Aliana was healing well. "Oh, Finn is a saint. You should make sure to pop in and see your uncle soon, Michelle," she told her niece. "He's such a sweetheart. And his and Georgie's boy is a couple of years older than your Michael, but I'm sure they'd get along. Not to mention my Liam will be happy to have another lad to join his group of friends." Sinead looked back to Aliana as she mentioned her concerns about Leo. "Do you think he can open up to his friends, though? At his age, he probably finds it easier to confide in them rather than his parents. And isn't he dating Natasha now? She seems like she'd want to listen to his worries."

Sinead listened as Michelle explained how her marriage had broken down. She pulled a disappointed face as she heard how the man had cheated on her for a younger woman. "And in your own bed? What a silly, silly man. I know he's the father of your children, but it sounds like you'll be better off without him! And the fact his fancy-piece ditched him too - well that's exactly what he deserved." Sinead faintly smiled at mention of Conor trekking to Australia to teach the man a lesson. "Oh, I'm sure he would. Don't plant idea in his head," she joked. "I'm glad you're ready to move on. It may not be Portugal, with those tanned hunks walking on the beach in their shorts, but there's plenty of attractive men here in Dublin. I may be married and old now, but I know a hottie when I see one on the street," she commented, hoping to lighten the mood. "Oh, hey, and are you bringing my niece and nephew here to live? Australia seems lovely and all, but they don't have us lot there!"

Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana, Sydney)
BasDorcha (Michelle)

 

[Misty Gray]

Adam Harper's House
~ Drumcondra, Dublin ~

Adam Harper​

Adam watched for Blake's reaction to his news. He noticed her eyes widen at the revelation about him having a daughter, which made him wonder if she wasn't going to be comfortable with it. They'd only just got to a mutual place in their romantic relationship but now he'd added a newfound daughter into the mix. However, Blake spoke up to say his news was wonderful, causing a relieved smile to appear on his face. He took it as a positive sign it wouldn't affect their relationship. When Blake moved into hug him, he returned the gesture, wrapping his arms around her and placing a kiss on the top of her head. When she asked if he'd scared Elena whilst doing Conor's bidding, Adam didn't immediately respond, but then Blake pulled away from the hug so she was able to see his face. "Well..." he awkwardly bit his lip. "You have to understand that her story didn't add up, at all, and I had no idea I was her dad. I had to treat her like anyone else under... questioning," he said, clearly meaning 'interrogation'. "History has taught us even an innocent young woman can't always been trusted. So yeah, I approached it how I would anyone else. Elena was upset and crying, and I felt like a complete arsehole for it. Then, after she'd told me the truth, I felt like an even bigger arsehole," he admitted. "But she's okay now. We're okay," he assured Blake.

Blake then went on to fire out a barrage of questions about him and his daughter. Adam raised a curious eyebrow and reached out to place his hand on her shoulder, giving her a look that told her to calm down. "Jesus, Blake. Let my poor brain keep up," he playfully told her. He then took a moment to process the questions she'd asked him. "Her mother is a Cuban woman named Isabella. I barely know the woman. She was... Well, you know my history, Blake. Back in the sixties I had plenty of trips to Cuba and often that involved me hooking up with women. Isabella was basically that - a woman I slept with a couple of times after Liam Sullivan's parties. Turned out I got her pregnant. And to make me look like even more of a dickhead, a few months down the line, Isabella tried to talk to me and I blew her off. Now, I realise she must have been trying to tell me she was pregnant and I basically told her to fuck off. I was rude and I blew my chance of knowing Elena from the start," he admitted. "Certainly not my finest moment," he added, understanding if Blake wasn't impressed with him. "So, um... Growing up in Cuba, Elena's had it rough. They didn't have much money and the poor kid seems relieved to be well away from there. Technically, it's safer there, but she's already happier here," he explained. "I don't think she'll want to go back."

When Blake asked if Thomas knew, Adam quickly shook his head. "I'm pretty sure he doesn't know, yet. The only people I've told are Conor and Syd, because I needed to report back on my findings about Elena. They had to know for the business and I made them promise not to tell anyone else, not until I had chance to tell you first. I didn't want you to find out from anyone else," he assured her.

Adam nodded when asked if Elena was going to continue living with Thomas now. "Sure. I mean... it's a bit late in her life for me to start setting any rules and telling her it's too early to live with her boyfriend. But, if something did happen where she can't stay with him, then she will always have a place in one of my spare rooms," he told Blake. "This is all new to me and her being an adult herself, well, I don't know how much is too much, y'know? I don't want to be sticking my nose into her business, but I also want her to know I'm here for her, as any dad should be."

Bellz (Blake)

 

[Misty Gray]

May Thatcher's Place
~ East London ~

Christian Brooks​

Whilst May went to get started on dinner, Tom addressed Christian to inform him he wouldn't be cramping his style all night. "Well, I--" the private investigator began, before the catching the rest of what the younger man had to say. Tom had asked him to treat May right, to which Christian was briefly rendered speechless, only to then be informed that May was acting out of character, something which Christian had wondered about himself. "Oh, well I can assure you, I don't have a lot of style to be cramped," he awkwardly remarked. "So don't let me get between you visiting your sister." Pausing for a moment, he looked in the direction of where May had headed, before eventually looking back to Tom. "But, of course I will treat her right. I wouldn't be a gentleman if I didn't. I'll make sure she's safely back in here by the end of the night... Before I return to my own house for the night, of course," he assured Tom. Christian was sexually experienced from previous relationships, be they short or long-term, but something about having a lady's brother present made him feel quite awkward and obliged to display that he wasn't some kind of pervert or risk.

When May returned with the vase, Christian sat back and let Tom do the talking, though he was now much more aware of May's blushing. Perhaps it was the lingering effects of his concussion, but he was feeling off of his game at present, somehow missing obvious clues and mannerisms that would usually stick out so clearly. Perhaps there were other factors at play and not solely his recent injury. Christian raised a curious eyebrow as May suggested to Tom they went out another night, apparently echoing Tom's words moment ago about not cramping their style. Once Tom confirmed he was going to skip on the night out for a lie down, Christian flashed an awkward smile, awaiting confirmation from May about if she still intended on going out for drinks with him. Judging by May's big smile, it was an affirmative on the night out.

After disappearing for a short time, May returned with the sandwiches and soup. "Thank you, May," he politely told her before reaching to take a sandwich. "The last woman to cook for me was my mother, but visiting Scotland was a long way to go for dinner," he remarked. "And not worth having to sit through her mithering. 'It's not too late to become a lawyer, Christian-Oliver'," he humorously commented, quoting his mother's words and tendency to use his first and middle name to address him. He took a bite of the sandwich and chewed it, waiting until he'd swallowed his mouthful before speaking again. "No, this is tasty food and free of the nagging," he assured her.

BasDorcha (May, Tom)

 

[Bellz]

Harper King
Le Hospital
~ London, England ~​

Harper rolled her eyes as Jeremy complained about her not thinking of something less intense to start with. "You don't know me at all do you, I'm the most intense person in the family." The blonde informed him with a tired smile before silencing herself in order to listen to his answer. He stated that he thought his parents would be proud of him for doing what was right and Harper thought that was a pretty interesting answer. Most people weren't exactly keen on their children joining this line of work her family did, but the way Jeremy had put it seemed that his parents may have overlooked that if alive today.

He went on to say that his real parent was his Uncle which Harper could more than relate to. Bruce was the only parent she had ever known. Laura had died before Harper had the brain capacity to remember what she looked like. Bruce had never neglected to show her pictures of her deceased mother and it amazed Harper how much of herself she saw in Laura. Trevor had walked out before she was even born and Bruce along with the rest of her brothers spared her from ever having to look at him in pictures. Harper's insatiable curiosity always wondered what her father looked like, but she squashed it the majority of the time as she reminded herself that the man who helped create her never wanted to meet her or get to know her.

Jeremy said that his Uncle would be proud of him, for he was a big believer in doing what you wanted as long as you did it well. Jeremy added that his Uncle valued loyalty and honesty. Something that her own Uncle seemed to value. Jere stated that he had plenty of loyalty but when it came to honesty...he never finished his sentence. Harper's eyes narrowed as she watched his expression change ever so slightly. She'd been around him long enough to spot the difference in his expressions. But before she could formulate a thought and put that thought into words, she felt the cool liquid coming from the drip bag beside her enter into her veins, causing her to relax even further into her bed as he vision slightly tunneled.

For a moment Harper had forgotten what he was talking about, what had caused her to narrow her eyes in such a suspicious way. She rolled her head to look at her heart monitor for a moment before she heard him muttering something that she couldn't quite understand under the effects of the morphine. Rolling her head back to look at him, he looked expectantly at her and she suddenly remember what she had asked him in the first place. "Clearly, I don't know enough about either of my parents to understand what they would have thought of me..." She said, slurring her words slightly as she closed her eyes, trying to concentrate on what she was trying to say without distraction.

"Part of me feels the whole reason Trevor walked out before I was born was that he figured I would be a disappointment...and my mother...she, I guess, was just too far gone with all the drugs." Her voice was hoarse with sudden emotion as she cleared her throat and opened her eyes once more. "Uncle Bruce...I think is proud of me. I mean, he's always busy with my brother and what they are up to, so we don't talk as much as we used to. But I think he's just happy I'm staying out of the way. Probably wished I had a better job though...that I actually used my theater degree or something." Harper blinked slowly as she looked at Jeremy. "Your turn..." She paused to take a deep breath, "Mister."
with: Jeremy BasDorcha
mentions: Bruce Pyroclast ; Trevor Misty Gray

 

[Misty Gray]

Syd Porter's House
~ £100 and I'll snitch with the location, Dublin ~

James Porter and George Sanderson-Sullivan
​

James grinned at Finn and George's comments about Lucy being tough and nobody daring to tell her off. "Aye. Luce whipped me into shape more than any prison ever could," he joked. He nodded in agreement as Finn spoke about him finding structure with Lucy around. "Oh, no doubt. If it wasn't for her, I'd probably lose track of time fixing shit up in the garage and forget to eat or every day. At least I've got her to drag me inside for dinner. Honestly, I'm just looking forward to some normality for the first time in my life. Just Luce and me hanging out - maybe add some dogs into the mix," he thought aloud. "She definitely takes after her mother when it comes to being organised and getting others to pull their weight. Thankfully, I'm not scared of Luce. Shannon, however... That woman used to intimidate the hell out of me, and I've never been easily intimidated!"

George looked to his husband as he spoke about the move back to Dublin. "Finn's right about it being much quieter here than in New York. I grew up here in Dublin, though, so I'm quite used to it. New York was pretty loud and busy," he admitted. "But we made it work," he said, sending Finn a fond smile. "I'm an easy-going guy, so I can adapt to most environments. But it is nice being around family and friends." George laughed along as Finn spoke of Lucas being chatty, likely because of George himself. "Hey now, the boy has a lot to say and I encourage that. It's helped him settle in with his cousins and I think he's going to do great at settling in when he starts school in September. Sinny is hoping he'll bring Liam out of his shell a little more in the process."

James laughed as Finn suggested more grandchildren might be in his future. "Well, as long as they're grandchildren. I'm too old for kids in the house 24/7 - I've done my time," he remarked. "I can't see Thomas rushing into having kids any time soon, though I am interested to meet this new girlfriend of his. Not that he's in a zone where I don't want to push him right now," he explained, but figured best not to drag their conversation down with that conversation. "And Olivia? I don't see that any time soon. She's a lot like Arlene and when your cousin told us all she was pregnant, we were all shock, right?" he asked, fully aware Finn's cousin, Arlene, had never seemed like the family or maternal type. "No, I think Olivia is happy focusing on her work at the gym and having freedom to hang out with friends. That, and she's keen on working for Conor, which Luce and I keep shooting down." Finn did go on to ask about his relationship with Thomas and James lightly shrugged. "Still treading on eggshells, if I'm being honest. I've seen him once, when Luce invited him over for dinner. Started off rough, but we got talking in the end. We just haven't said much to each other since," he admitted. "After some of the shit we had with Syd when he was younger, I don't want to push Thomas into any kind of reaction if he feels cornered."

Bellz (Finn)

*****
Liam Callahan and Lucas Sullivan

When JJ led them over to the water guns in the yard, Lucas' eyes practically lit up. "Oh man. Your dad is a legend, am I right?" he asked before rushing to grab the biggest of the toy guns. "Hope anyone who dares to step outside is a fast runner," he joked, with a playful laugh. Liam, however, picked up the first toy gun he could reach and though he went to fill it with water, he didn't show much enthusiasm as he held it in his hand. All he could hear in his head was his mother's voice telling him how bad guns and violence were. Even though they were only toys, he also wondered what Father Healy would think of such games.

Lucas let out a whistle as JJ questioned him about the move from America. "Dublin is pretty dull, I gotta admit. But maybe that's just because George... Dad... Maybe it's because I can't start school until September, so I'm having to study at home all of the time. I miss being in a classroom and hanging out with other kids during breaks. You guys have fun at school, right?" he asked. He caught the way Liam lightly shrugged, but then looked to JJ with an eagerness, hoping for more enthusiasm from him about their school. "Also, the streets are quieter in Dublin, and fewer cars. It took me a while to get used to how quiet it all seems." He nodded along at mention of New York being dangerous. "Oh yeah, it seemed more dangerous. Hearing cop car sirens was pretty normal over there, but I don't hear that so much here. But then again, I hear Dublin can be dangerous too," he trailed off looking directly to Liam.

Liam quickly shook his head when JJ asked if he'd been to New York. "No, my family came back here before I was born - to get away from all of the danger. But now it seems to be dangerous enough here too. My mum's real protective, especially since... y'know," he started to explain. "Mum is alright now, but she..." Liam gripped onto the plastic gun he was holding as he thought back to the attempted kidnapping. "She thought she was dying and there was so much blood. Even though she's always been gentle and overprotective, I'd never seen her look so upset. I didn't want to believe she was dying, but she nearly did and I can't stop thinking about that. Y'know? And now my dad is in New York speaking to the people responsible. Those arsehole Morettis. They're the reason we all moved back here!" Liam offloaded, stopping to take a deep breath.

"Oh, geez, yeah! That's why my Dads brought us back home too. Those Moretti folks are in charge of things in New York, I think. Like, not in charge like the cops or the Mayor. The way like, Conor is in charge here. Pretty ballsy of them to show up here in Dublin though!"

Bellz (JJ)

 

[Pyroclast]

Syd's House
~ Wouldn't you like to know, weather boy? ~

Syd Porter​

Syd hadn’t realised that his suggestion to drink wine together after the baby was born could have sounded like a date until the word slipped from Roxie’s mouth. From the way she quickly tried to recover what she had said, he assumed she hadn’t meant it that way, either, but nevertheless the thought was now in his mind. She was right, it did sound like a date…but that’s definitely not what it would be. No matter how much he cared about her, nor how many past memories of their relationship were being stirred up as they spent more time together, Syd had no intention of preying on her while she was grieving.

A small smirk appeared on his face when she referenced the ‘condition’ she was in, warning him not to get too drunk to finish decorating. “Don’t worry, I intend to see this party through to the end,” he assured her. “It is my house after all…and the host has gotta be the sensible one, isn’t that right?” He was mostly being serious, but he knew he wasn’t going to deny himself having at least a bit of the fun he wanted everyone else at the party to have.

No sooner had Syd opened up the large ‘Happy Birthday’ banner from the decorations box than Roxie announced she was cold and suggested starting up the dining room fire. “Oh -” he began, about to go and do it for her, but then Roxie went and did it herself. “Sure, I guess it could be warmer in here.” In all honesty, Syd wasn’t cold at all, but he wanted her to be as comfortable as possible. Syd turned back to the banner, looking up at the section of wall Roxie had pointed to. He was just pinning one side of it up when Roxie spoke up and motioned to her pregnant belly. Syd turned to look at her as she explained how the sickness wasn’t as bad with Matthew’s baby as it had been with her first three. Once again, a reminder that the baby wasn’t his - which of course he knew, but so much of being around her while she was pregnant was sending him back into the past. “Well, Matthew was always a less intense guy than I was, so it figures the pregnancy would be easier,” he lightly joked.

Just as he had fixed the other side of the banner up to the wall, Roxie gave an audible gasp, immediately grabbing Syd’s attention. “What’s wrong, are you okay?” he asked, spinning round and taking a step towards her. Her smile stopped him in his tracks, however, and she explained that she had felt movement from the baby for the first time. Still keeping his eyes on her as she walked towards him, Syd said nothing. She looked up at the banner, commenting that it was crooked, but still his eyes remained on her. When she turned to face him, their eyes met and he became instantly conscious of how close they were standing. He tried to step back to create some distance but instead she took his hand and placed it on her stomach. Syd blushed uncontrollably, not quite sure why she was letting him feel it. The movement was faint, but he could feel it beneath his palm nonetheless, and he was struck by a strong memory of her previous pregnancies, back when they had been close and in love. He remained silent as an unexpected lump formed in his throat. Clearly Roxie was having the same memories, because she brought up JJ and how hard he used to kick when she was pregnant with him. Syd let out a soft laugh, but it faded along with Roxie’s and his face fell serious again when she placed a hand over his and expressed her gratitude for what he had done for her back then. Standing so close, he found himself falling into her blue eyes as she gazed up at him, and his heart started to pound in his chest. “What…what d’you mean?”

Her gratitude seemed to come out of nowhere and Syd wasn’t sure what to think of it. She apparently didn’t believe she deserved his help with the pregnancy after the way she had left him…but her reasons for leaving him were so understandable, even to Syd, that he would have done anything she asked to try and make up for what he had done. Yet now she for some reason seemed to believe that she didn’t deserve it. “Roxie, no…” His voice came out soft and he shook his head, but she continued before he could say more, stating that she was surprised he hadn’t managed to find love after her and that she was sorry she couldn’t be that person for him. She was on the verge of tears, and he could feel his own eyes misting up as he processed everything she was saying. There was guilt all over her face but he couldn’t place it, unable to see what she had to feel guilty about. Had their 13 years of distance been partly due to some misunderstanding?

“No,” he repeated, placing a hand on her cheek to make sure she wouldn’t look away again. “Why wouldn’t you deserve my help? After…after what I did, I would have done anything for you. It was me who ruined what we had, I broke your trust and drove you away…” He paused to try and swallow the lump in his throat before his voice could break. “I don’t know why you’d think you don’t deserve it, Rox…Look, if I could take back every lie I told and everything I did and said that ever hurt you then I would. But in the end you deserved so much better than me, and…and when you found him, I just…” His words got stuck then, suddenly feeling guilty for resenting Matthew’s seemingly flawless character. Really, he should have been nothing but grateful to the man for caring for the woman he loved. “I was just grateful you’d got away from me, and found happiness.” The welling tears in his eyes suddenly spilled over and he turned away to catch them, feeling foolish for crying over her again.

Interactions
Bellz Roxie

 

[BasDorcha]

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Tom heard Christian before May returned and nodded his agreement and that their part of speaking was over. As May set down the food, they all dug in, and he mentally made a note that Christian was a momma’s boy, but in the better regards. He had a tone of respect while talking, even though he was commenting on how she mothered him too much. “Hey, I’d taking mothering to much over mothering to little. May always mothered me to much.” He laughed and May rolled her eyes, threatening him with her spoon.

“That’s very sweet Christian. Sounds like your mother is a lovely woman. I’ll be glad to cook you dinner whenever you like, its something I enjoy but never have anyone to come by and eat it.” May had dipped the corner of her sandwich into the chunky soup with fresh tomatoes, before realizing how pathetic she was making herself sound, her skin blushing deeper than the meal. She dropped her head, trying to cover her shame. Clearing her throat as if she had choked, she decided to pretend no one heard her. “I can’t see you as a lawyer though, you’re too good at what you currently do. Besides, I can’t have you dropping out when I just gave her a big mystery to solve.” She grinned, looking at her brother. “Mom sent over a picture of my supposed real father, Christian here is going to see what he can find out. Honestly, I’m thinking that aside from you and Alfie, I should give up on having any more family.”

For a moment, May even thought about never having a family of her own. She’d be bringing a lot of drama and who would want to settle down with that? Tom sat up, suddenly interested again. “So Christian… What do you do that would make that within your realm?” There was an intense look on his face as he looked at the man across the table from him, not necessarily threatening or tense, but a serious sort of curiosity.

Seeing Christian enjoy her food though brought the smile back to May’s face, but a second later she kicked out, hitting Christian instead of Tom though she gave him a deadly look as if to try and shut him up from his protective brother act. When Tom never flinched May proceeded to appear as if she was trying to disappear, sinking down in her seat.

Mentions: Misty Gray - Christian