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Realistic or Modern Family Ties: 1980s Gangs - The Multiverse

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Misty Gray

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Family Ties: 1980s Gangs

The Multiverse


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:: IC THREADS ::
::
1948-1949 :: 1959-1960 :: 1971-1972 :: 1985-1986 ::
*******
Index
Jeremy's Revised Life BasDorcha BasDorcha
Trevor is a Decent Human Misty Gray Misty Gray
James and Lucy Didn't Work Out Bellz Bellz
Stella Got Knocked Up Instead of Shirley BloodThunder27 BloodThunder27
Aliana Marries Tommy Melanin-Gxdess Melanin-Gxdess
Benjamin's Mother was Saved Misty Gray Misty Gray
Roxie was in on it All Bellz Bellz
Savannah was More Like Angel Misty Gray Misty Gray
Darcey Marries Bruce Melanin-Gxdess Melanin-Gxdess
May was Darcey's Secret Daughter Melanin-Gxdess Melanin-Gxdess

Misty Gray Misty Gray Bellz Bellz Pyroclast Pyroclast Melanin-Gxdess Melanin-Gxdess BloodThunder27 BloodThunder27 BasDorcha BasDorcha
 
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Jeremy’s Revised Life


The night had been long, and Jeremy had been working an exhausting turn with Harper King, following her around like the assignment said. He had known Harper her whole life, having grown up with the King brothers and then moving into the family firm with them. She was like a little sister to him, and so the brothers were like his. The family had been like his own for years, he even got the invite to family meals when they threw them. Lately, Bruce had employed Jeremy as a bodyguard for Harper, which he didn’t mind because he’d rather it be him then some greenhorn taking care of her anyways.

In the evenings, when Harper would call it a night, he would finally take some time for himself. Most nights, he just stayed around her place and used her guest room. Tonight, was different, he felt the need to head out and get some socializing in. He had thought he might run into one of the boys at the pub, so he headed over to Mercury, the less glitzy of the King’s alcohol venues. Before going, he had dressed up in a casual suit, brushed his hair, and splashed himself in some of the rarely worn cologne. The taxi dropped him off at the bar before driving off. He looked around and saw the streetlights kicking on as he entered the building.

Once inside, he clearly saw that if any of his friends were around, they weren’t here for fun, but the office was dark, and only a few people littered the seating area. Without really looking at the voice coming from the stage area, he headed to the bar to be helped by Laura. She took his order and said hello but was too busy to sit and chat. He sipped the whiskey on ice and slowly turned around, his eyes landing on the woman singing on stage. She had a voice that he didn’t except to hear, and she was pretty. She sung while playing the piano, her auburn hair shining under the stage lights.

He gulped and realized he was staring rather rudely and sat back, fixing his face in the process. After a second, he stood, taking his drink with him, heading to the table closest to the stage. He sat and watched and listened, enjoying the riveting performance. She had a voice made to sing jazz. Every once in a while, he would catch her eyes, but she was so involved in her music she was lost in it. When she finally stood up and stepped off stage, he stood, nervous like a school, and clear his throat before asking, "Can I- uh… Can I buy you a drink? I’d love to talk to you more about your music.”

The woman smiled and nodded, holding out a hand to introduce herself, “Maeve, or May. Take your pick. Not often someone actually ask if they can buy me a drink first. Most men just feel entitled to do so.”

“Well, I figured I’d at least give you a chance to reject me sooner rather then later.” He laughed and there was a slight glimmer in his eyes. She laughed with him, and the headed to the bar together.

The rest of the night was spent chatting about everything from their favorite music to how they ended up in London. Jeremy told May about how he had grown up with his uncle because his parents had died when he was a young child. May told him about finding out her father was not the man who sired her. He told her about his uncle dying of a heart attack, she told him how her father left. For each story, the other had a matching or similar story. It was the early dawn hours, long after everyone else had left, when May looked up and realized that Laura had already shut down the bar and left them sitting there talking in the low lamp light of the building.

“Will you get in trouble?” Jeremy asked her softly, sad to see their night coming to an end.

“No, I had to lock up anyways, and I get paid the same no matter how late I close, so no big deal. Still, we should maybe move this somewhere else. Maybe somewhen else, for that matter.” May smiled at him big, grinning eyes that drew him in. he didn’t want to be somewhen else, but here, and now.

“We can go for breakfast…” Jeremy started to ask her before he realized he couldn’t. He needed to be back at work soon. Scratching the back of his head, his ears turned pick at the tips, as the reality of having to leave hit him. “We can go for breakfast another time, tomorrow maybe?” May just laughed and nodded.

“Are you asking me on a date Jeremy? Because I’d like that. I’m here most nights, you can come by and see me sometime here too.” May walked behind the bar and picked up a pen, writing her number on a coaster and handing it over to him. “Here, if I’m not here I’m normally home, you can call me here. I’m off tonight, if you’re not busy.”

The pinkening ears got pinker as he took her number and slipped it into his pocket. “Tonight? I can do tonight. I’ll be off a little late, but I’ll pick you up after, if that’s alright.” May agreed and asked him to call her before heading her way, then led him out of the building, locking the door behind him while she finished closing up. The rest of the day went by slower then normal. He met Harper back at her apartment, took her to work, checked in for messages, and waited for her to get off. The Sullivan’s were up to their normal shady business, Savanna hadn’t brought by Callum for a good while, and Alex was trying to work out how to see him. Someone had kidnapped Moretti’s kid, and the retaliation he heard about from the Moretti’s in London was nothing short of brutal.

Jeremy liked to take his free time during the day to come up with possible outcomes of situations based on what is currently happening. On more than one occasion it had saved his or someone else’s arse while on a job. It also helped when there was a briefing or meeting about something that was being planned. Jeremy decided to drop in and see Bruce soon, or Spencer, to lay out some of his thoughts for them. Spencer and Bruce had always made him feel heard and respected, it was part of why they had been such good friends for so long.

When Harper got off of work, he took her over to see Billy. Billy had recently been caught confessing his love for Erik Snowden, one of the Moretti’s that had been placed in London. He had worked with Erik a few times since they had been sent over, but he had known Billy most of his life too. Things were becoming less awkward between them all as Billy realized Jeremy wasn’t going to change how he felt or acted about his friends’ choice in romance. It helped that Harper had already gotten use to Jeremy being with her day after day and that made things easier as well.

Once the evening set in, he dropped Harper back at her apartment, making sure she was set to go for the night. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” Harper had teased when he said he was leaving for a second night in a row.

“That leaves me a very long list of things I can do. I think I’ll be alright. I’ve got the pager if anything unusual happens, please don’t hesitate to call. I’ll come straight back.” The laughing face calmed into a stern and serious look, causing Harper to roll her eyes before he stepped out and headed down to his car. It didn’t take long for him to pull up outside the address that May had given to him. She came out looking stunning, and Jeremy had to gulp to swallow the lump that formed in his throat. He had never been particularly good with women, but he was older now, more in control, and ready to face the dating world. Lately, he had also realized how lonely he’d become. Work filled most of his time, in one way or another, but watching his friends move on in their lives and he was still single and not even close was a wakeup call.

Jumping out of the car, he headed around to the passenger side and opened the door for her. “You look amazing, I hope you didn’t go through too much trouble.” Closing the door behind her, he jumped back behind the driver’s seat like a nervous cat. When May complimented him, then lightly patted his hand, it brought a natural and warm smile to his lips. Tonight, was going to be wonderful. He had already decided to avoid any place owned by the King’s, he wanted to take her somewhere she wasn’t used to going on a daily basis. They headed downtown and parked next to a street with rows of restaurants. “Common, ladies’ choice.”

May had laughed at him, picking a spot that looked like a cozy nook, with deli smells wafting out of it. He sniffed the air and nodded, taking her in. They spent the next two hours, sipping their drinks, eating much better food then he anticipated, and playing one round of questions after another. Jeremy lost track of time until his beeper went off. Looking down at it, a simple message of “I’m fine” was on it. He scowled at Harper’s joke and continued on.

“Let’s take a walk and see what trouble we can get into.” He grinned and offered her his hand as they stood. He left payment on the table, along with the tip, and guided her out the door. They walked down the main strip, coming upon a fountain. They walked around it, idle laughing and telling jokes, when close by the sound of jazz began drifting through the air. Jeremy began to hum along, and soon so was May. They sat there, on the edge of the fountain, and listened while they were talking.

A few songs in, a duet came on, and on cue they both took their parts and started singing.

I've got the world on a string, sittin' on a rainbow.” Jeremy stood up, and pulled her to her feet, causing May to laugh and come up dancing with him.

Got the string around my finger.” She sung back to him as he pulled her in and put his hand on her side, together singing, “What a world, what a life, I’m in love! I’ve got a song that I sing.” Jeremy spun her out, pulled her back, and again they continued.

As the song came to an end, he gave her one last spin, unnoticed of the crowds that had formed from her beautiful singing voice, and his. He pulled her close as the spin ended, and dipped her, spontaneously kissing her as the fountains shot up behind them and the crowd broke out in applause. Setting her up right, Jeremy turned six different shades of red, while she soaked up the attention. She seemed so enjoy the performance, as if it was a practiced act. He furled his brow, not wanting to share her with the limelight, it was their moment.

Stepping back, he gently guided her away, but in the back of his head, something began to feel off. On the outside, everything was great, but as he watched her, more and more, he realized almost everything she did was an act. If she was smiling at him, her eyes wandered to see who saw her smiling. If she was laughing, she laughed too loud and too long. If she leaned into him, it seemed strategically placed for when someone coming towards them would notice.

Jeremy brushed it off, deciding to let it go for the night. He escorted her back home, walking her to her door, he leaned in to give her a kiss goodnight. May, possibly a bit tipsy from the wine, or maybe being genuine, grabbed his shirt collar and pulled him in.

When the morning sun arose, Jeremy quietly slipped out, leaving her a note to see her again soon on the counter. The next few days she did not call, nor did she answer when he called her. As his mood became increasingly angsty and dark, Harper had started giving him a harder and harder time. Finally, she stopped teasing him all together, letting him soak in his terrible mood. He was confused, had she written him off? Sure, he’d felt a little unsure about her, but he didn’t think it had been so terrible that he wasn’t worth a call later.

The days drifted by, and him and Harper started speaking more, laughing more, and it felt more like normalcy instead of forced servitude. When they were walking home from her job one night in the rain, they even had a moment as he prevented a car from swerving into her. It had lightened his mood, although he would never consider Harper as more then his sister, at least he didn’t think so. He had a long hard think about it afterwards, confused by the feelings it brought up. As he lay in bed thinking about it, his pager began peeping loudly.

When he looked, he noticed May’s number flash across the screen. He sat up and called her, surprised when she answered the phone. “Hey Jeremy, sorry I haven’t been answering you, I took a trip back home unexpectedly. I uh, I actually found out something interesting. I am going to be moving back to Ireland, but I’d like to see you before I go. Can we meet up?”

Confused, but not wanting to miss out on a chance to find out what was going on, he left quietly and headed to Maeve’s apartment. The inside was quiet, and when he walked up, he didn’t notice any lights. Had she fallen asleep while he was driving over? It wasn’t that long of a drive. When he knocked, May’s voice invited him in, but it was dark when he opened the door. It was a moment of confusion before he heard heavy steps – to heavy to be Maeve’s – behind him. Instinct kicked in, and suddenly he was in brawl.

The man tried to wrap a cord around his neck, but Jeremy’s brute strength pulled it away from his neck with ease. A second later, he slammed an elbow into the attacker’s nose, smashing it with a resounding crack. Smash, another hit. Crack, another broken bone. It was over as fast as it started, and Jeremy reached near the door and threw on a light. May stood, gun in hand, watching him from across the living room. “Don’t move, pretty boy.”

Growling, he glared at her, his eyes narrow and full of rage. “What the hell is this, why? Who is paying you?”

“No one. I went home and found out I’m family with the King’s enemies… I figured out that if I could bring them something of importance, I could finally have a place in the family. Unfortunately, you’re not high on the list of demanded items. However… Harper, the niece of his enemy, that might be interesting. Imagine how much Bruce would give to get his niece back? He’d take London over without a fight.” May looked at a watch on her wrist and grinned, “Should be about over.”

Suddenly, Jeremy realized everything that had happened. Rushing Maeve, the girl wavered a second to long, and he was on her. He was never one to hit a woman, but she did threaten his charge, his friends, his family. It wouldn’t fly for even a second. A swift hit knocked her out, and the gun slid into pocket. He quickly tied up the two and rushed out, making the ten-minute drive from Maeve’s apartment to Harpers in less then five. He didn’t even turn the car off as he pulled up, he just jumped out and ran. Harper’s scream broke the air, and Jeremy burst with renewed strength. The door to Harper’s apartment had been kicked in, and the sound of gun shots filled the air. Jeremy couldn’t breathe for the fear in him. Years of history flowed into his head as he rushed up the stairs.

Images of young Harper as a little sister, again as a young teen, her as barely an adult at a return from school party where they had almost kissed. Harper’s face after the car sped by, when he nearly kissed her again. Every emotion, every fear, exploded in him, and he realized on the last step of the stairs, his heart could not take her dying.

When he finally stepped into her apartment, two bodies were on the floor, blood flowing out freely. Jeremy finally took a deep inhale when he seen Harper, standing near the kitchen, with the gun in hand. Just earlier that night she had threatened him with that gun for falling through her chair, and he had thought she would never need it. Now, he couldn’t believe he ever thought such a thing. He stepped past the bodies, blocking her view, carefully taking the gun from her. The look in her eyes as she looked up at him, stole all that fresh air straight from his lungs. Without thinking, he kissed her, deeply, his fingers pushing through her hair, his tall body leaning her back just slightly.

When he finally released her, before she could tell him off, he began speaking, “Harper, I’m sorry. I’m sorry I wasn’t here, I’m sorry I didn’t protect you. Still, I am so proud of you, you crazy, amazing woman. As I rushed here, I thought I’d lost you. I was suffocating. It took all of five minutes of thinking I lost you to realize I never want to lose you. If you’ll have me, I’ll protect you, every day, for the rest of your life. Even if you don’t, just know I’ll always be nearby to come running when you need me.”

Harper’s immediate response was to shove him away once her mind returned to her. Her cheeks were blushing, and she looked angrier than he thought she would be, but instead of yelling at him for kissing her, she waved a hand at the men on the floor, “Seriously, Jeremy, you couldn’t wait until we at least cleaned up the floor? I can’t be romantic with dead guys around.” She gave him a small smile to let him know she wasn’t completely mad at him, before they both went to work cleaning the apartment, calling her brother and uncle, and trying to return to a feeling of safety.

With Harper’s home now revealed, they spent the night at Jeremy’s place instead. It was his uncle’s old home, with many rooms and space, but he slept on the couch next to the bed, just to keep an eye on her. True to his word, he stayed with her, but after that night, nothing was the same.

This writer is happy to report, in this retelling of Jeremy’s life, Harper and he have married – but she still won’t let him consider having kids yet.
 
Trevor is a Decent Human

Mercury Nightclub and Cocktail Bar

- Saturday 8th June 1985 -​

Featuring:
Stewarts: Trevor, Laura, Spencer, Alex, Billy, Harper, Savannah
Others: Bruce, Darcey, Erik, Jeremy
Mentioned:
Shona, Shirley, Callum

Almost 38 years ago, Trevor Stewart and Laura King were months into a relationship filled with fraud, drugs, and alcohol. They were clouded by the instant gratification and hedonism, barely looking back to take account for what they were doing to themselves. Then, Laura discovered she was pregnant and when she told Trevor, the news knocked him for six. Everything had been fun until that point, but Trevor was forced to stop and think, to evaluate what kind of path they were heading on and how him entering into the naive young woman's life had the potential to destroy her. From that moment on, Trevor was determined to ensure they both led a better life, one free of drugs, where their unborn child could enter a much better world. Much to Laura's brother's, Bruce's, distaste, the couple soon married. The path wasn't an easy one, with Trevor having to work hard to prove himself to Bruce. Along with that, Trevor had to stand by Laura to stop her from being lured back in by the drugs once their first child, Spencer, was born. They managed it and over the years Trevor finally gained Bruce's respect. As the years went on, Alexander, William, and Harper were born.

Over the years, the Bruce King's business empire grew, with the family eventually going into partnership with the Sullivan Family - the Irish Mob running Dublin. It came with challenges at first, but the two managed to work well together and even form friendships. This relationship was further strengthened when Savannah Callahan married Alex, and their son, Callum was born, four years ago. Along with his sons, Trevor worked for Bruce. Using his persuasive skills and charm, Trevor had proved to be a vital asset as one of Bruce's key business negotiators. The biggest problem affecting the family were the New York based Moretti Family, who had issues with the Sullivans and any organisation choosing to side with them. There was often a threat looming, in both London and Dublin.

*****​

trev.jpgTonight, the Londoners were having a family get together at Spencer's nightclub. His wife, Shona, was due to give birth anytime, so they decided to have one last party before Spencer would likely be too tired from looking after his newborn. Shona hadn't been feeling well all day, so she chose to skip the night out and stayed at home with her friend, Shirley, there to keep her company. Trevor and Laura had been running late as she was struggling to pick out the right outfit, but once they arrived at the club, they were pleased to see most of the family were already present. The atmosphere was lively and the music loud.

The first table they came to was one occupied by Bruce, Darcey, Billy and Erik. Laura was quick to greet her brother with a warm hug before giving the others one two. Trevor greeted them all too, with a friendly 'hello' and a smile. "Now Bruce, when are you going to make a honest woman of Darcey, here?" he asked.

"Trevor! That's none of your business," Laura said, playfully nudging him and flashing a smile. Still, she always hoped the two would get together. Ever since Bruce had lost his wife and children in a car accident, Laura had hoped he would find happiness again. Not that his close bond with his nephews and niece wasn't enough, because they all doted on their uncle. She just wanted to see him find someone for himself and Darcey always seemed perfect for him. "And what are you boys up to?" Laura asked, resting a hand each on Billy's and Erik's backs as they sat next to each other. "Hey, handsome, you look after this one," she told Erik, before placing a kiss on Billy's cheek. Sensing that Trevor was about to pester Billy about getting a girlfriend, Laura took her husband's hand to lead him away. Of course, Laura already knew Billy's secret as he'd confided in her about his sexuality. And though he hadn't admitted it yet, even to himself, Laura could tell he had feelings for Erik. Trevor was completely oblivious and Laura wasn't going to break her son's trust by spilling his secret.

Although Laura had led him away from one table, Trevor then led Laura to one in the far corner of the club where Alex and Savannah were sat together. "Bloody hell. You two have just spent a week together in Ibiza and you still can't keep your hands off each other. Feel free to stop smooching and come socialise with the rest of us at some point," Trevor teased the married couple. "When's the rugrat back home?" he asked.

"Lovely to see you too, Trevor," Savannah drily remarked, but flashed a bright smile. "Conor is coming here to meet with Bruce on Monday, so he'll be bringing Callum home then" she explained. "We'll join the party soon. Don't you worry. Alex will be busting out his best moves before the night's over," she joked, playfully nudging her husband as she did.

"You two be good," Laura softly warned them. "And Savvy, tell your mother to come visit soon. We're overdue a catch-up." Laura then stepped forward to give Alex a hug. "We missed you, darling," she told him. He might be a grown up, full of confidence, but with his love of partying and crazy vacations, Laura still worried about him the most. Having at one time been addicted to drugs and alcohol herself, she always wanted to be sure all the partying was still fun for Alex.

"Alight, Romeo. We'll leave you to it," Trevor relented, before he and Laura left the couple alone.

Before they could take a seat at the table with Harper and Jeremy, Trevor and Laura were intercepted by the eldest son, Spencer. The man was in high spirits, both emotionally and as far as alcohol was concerned. He pulled Trevor in for a manly hug, giving him a firm pat on the back. He the moved on to give his mother a hug, holding her close before planting a kiss on the top of her head. "Glad you could finally make it," Spencer spoke up as he broke away from the embrace. "Better late than never, huh?" he teased.

"What time did you start drinking, mate?" Trevor asked his eldest, noticing he was already on his way to being drunk. "Getting all the boozing in while you can? All you'll want to do when the sprog is born is have an early night."

"Ignore him, Spence. He's full of it tonight," Laura reassuringly told Spencer. "You'll have plenty of nights out, because you've got a queue of babysitters lined up, with me at the front!"

murphy_2011_a_l.jpgSpencer smirked at Trevor's expense before holding his hand out to gesture to Laura. "Nice try, Dad. Besides... I know how to multi-task. Business, parties, and a kid? Piece of piss!" he joked. Allowing his parents to continue on their way, Spencer moved on to his original destination - his uncle's table. "Evening, Bruce!" he greeted his uncle with a firm pat on the back and a friendly smile. Spencer tended to clash with his father, their personalities often colliding and resulting in arguments. With Bruce, Spencer didn't often come to blows, and he had a great respect for the man who was both his uncle and his employer. "How are you lot doing?" he asked, pulling up a seat to sit between Billy and Bruce.

Meanwhile, Trevor and Laura finally made their way to the table they intended to sit at, eyeing up the empty chairs at the table where Harper and Jeremy were seated. Whilst he was practically family, Jeremy was also employed to protect Harper. Trevor was certain the man had the hots for his daughter, but he'd kept his suspicions to himself, especially when Laura told him he was usually oblivious to what was going on with his kids' love lives. "We thought we'd come cramp your style for a bit," Trevor told them, sending Jeremy an acknowledging nod. He then sent his daughter a warm smile, never able to fully process how much she resembled her mother.

"Harper, my beautiful," Laura excitedly greeted her daughter, pulling her in for a close embrace. Being outnumbered by the men in their family, Laura and her daughter had a strong connection. The ladies had to stick together. "You look lovely," she assured her. "Once I've had a couple of drinks down me, we're both hitting that dancefloor!" she enthused. As she took a step back, Laura looked to Trevor with a playful glint in her eyes. As if he could read her mind, he quickly shook his head and mouthed the word "no". Laura responded by nodding. "Yes!" she compelled him as she reached out to take his hand. "Come oooon. You said you'd do anything for me. Let's dance, Trev!" she pleaded, playfully pouting.

Trevor let out a relenting sigh. "You've got me wrapped around your little finger, Lollie," he gave in, accepting her hand so she could lead him to the dancefloor.

The couple hadn't managed to get far when the bright flash of light and deafening boom filled the nightclub. As the explosion ripped through the bar and outwards, those close to the epicentre were obliterated instantly. The club fell darker, only the pre-sunset light now illuminating the room through the windows. For many, the loud explosion had left them with a ringing in their ears, but over that, they would hear further loud sounds as parts of the structure and ceiling caved in. The impact of the explosion had throw Spencer back, out of his chair, where he then forcefully hit his head on the floor. He'd been out cold for no more than a minute, but he woke to the sounds of sobbing, screaming, and shouting, all over the crackling of the spreading fire. His forehead had been cut open, with blood streaming down his face. He struggled to focus beneath his blurred vision, but managed to concentrate hard enough to see and hear Bruce calling his name as he helped him to his feet, with Erik's and Darcey's assistance.

As soon as he was outside, Spencer's attention was focused on his nearby youngest siblings. Harper was being looked after by Jeremy, after she'd broken her leg during the commotion. Billy's face was bleeding, but he was more focused on making sure Harper was safe. Spencer knew not everyone was accounted for, but before he could question it, his attention was drawn to his other family members now hobbling out of the club. In his arms, Trevor was carrying Laura, with Alex and Savannah aiding him. The latter two had been relatively unscathed, and other than clear cuts and probably minor fractures, Trevor seemed well enough. It was the woman in his arms that worried everyone the most.

Carefully placing his wife down on the ground, Trevor firmly put his hand to her cheek, desperately hoping for her to open her eyes. "Lollie. Come on!" he begged her. When the ceiling had caved in above them, Laura had pushed Harper out of the path of the falling debris, taking the brunt of it all herself. Crushed under the debris, the back of her skull had hit the wooden floor with exceptional force, and a splintered piece of wood had plunged into her chest, piercing her lung. With Alex's and Savannah's help, Trevor had been able to free Laura from the debris that was pinning her down. However, as he now kneeled over her, Trevor moved his fingertips to her neck, hoping to feel a pulse. "No. No... Lollie, please..." he desperately begged. As Spencer's legs buckled beneath him, he fell to his knees, even with his injuries and slight intoxication, he knew what was happening. Bruce rushed past him and got on on the ground beside Trevor, reaching out to check for a pulse or any sign of life, but found none. With a grave expression, he turned to his nephews and niece, letting out a solemn shake of his head.
 
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James and Lucy didn't work out

Chicago - 1948
stephen-amell-th.jpegLucy found it odd that as grown adults, Sinead, Carrick, Finn, and herself were all playing hide and seek. But it was something to take the edge off the growing war that had been started by her hand with the Romanos and her family. Conor ha caught her attention as he walked through the door, beckoning her over. "Sorry to put a downer on things, but James is out having a smoke with David and you should probably catch up with him while you can." Lucy looked at her brother in confusion, "What do you mean-?" "He-" Conor started but James said her name and Lucy looked over to see him, "Can we talk? In private." He interrupted, his tone flat as he spoke.

Lucy wasn't familiar with the flat tone he used, as it wasn't one that had ever been used towards her but his face said it all. Looking between her brother and James, Lucy slowly nodded her head and followed James outside of the house into the driveway. Knowing he had just come from a meeting with Vinnie and Giovanni...Lucy had a feeling that the man said something about the kiss they shared. One that Lucy had been forced to share. Lucy's blue eyes looked up at James but she didn't say anything, waiting patiently for him to speak first.

James had noticed the way she was studying his face, "So, the meeting didn't go so well for the Sullivans. Vinnie will always be slimy," He told her. "Speaking of slimy, Angel had plenty to say for himself too. He was please to confirm it was him who locked me in the bathroom." He placed his hands in his trouser pockets and kicked some loose rocks away from his feet. "But you pretty much told me that anyway. Do you remember, when we got home on Halloween and it took you a while, but you told me what had happened with Angel? You said you were scared and I accepted that. I was just glad you'd been able to tell me everything eventually." James looked up to meet Lucy's eyes. Lucy stared back, her own eyes starting to water. "Was there something you forgot to tell me?"

430eae839ed3918760efaed8a6ab5499.gifLucy didn't want to deny any of it, he knew what she didn't tell him. "It was selfish of me to keep the truth from you, James. Angel kissed me and I said nothing. I did nothing! I should have slapped him, yelled at him, something!" Lucy's voice cracked with emotion. "I just wanted this to work. I want us to work." She cried.

"Why didn't you do anything? Am I not enough for you, Lucy?" James asked. His voice was calm and Lucy felt like she was losing him. "James, please, that kiss meant nothing. Absolutely nothing. You have to listen-" She reached out a hand to place it on his cheek. He reached out and grabbed her wrist, firmly enough to stop her motion but not enough to hurt her. "I let you get to me, Lucy. I allowed you to break through and show me I had feelings. You lied to me. How can I trust you after this?" Lucy looked helplessly at him, watching as the only person she'd ever loved dropped her hand and started to back away, shaking his head as he stared at her in disbelief and disappointment. " James...please, please don't walk away! We can fix this!" Lucy said, but didn't dare to follow him. James shook his head, "This is past the point of fixing, I let you in and you let me down. Never again." Was all he said before turning on his heels and walking towards the house.

Lucy's voice caught in her throat, wanting to scream to him that she was sorry but as she watched him walk away, she knew he wouldn't change his mind.

***

Chicago - 1949
Amber Heard as Kristen 004.jpegLucy Sullivan had never been the same since that night James had told her it was over. She'd gone on a million dates since and no man compared to him. After a while, Lucy had given up. Content with just finding solace in being absolutely alone. She had seen herself marrying James, having a family, and growing old with him. An entire future she had imagined had been completely shattered because she had been dishonest. Lucy tore herself up for it, drug abuse, self-harm but she could never bring herself to just end it all...death would have been too sweet of a release. One she didn't deserve. Eventually, she found help, saw a therapist...she didn't keep in contact with her immediate family much these days despite living in the same city and she had absolutely no idea where James had ended up. It was as if fate knew they weren't meant to be together, for she never accidentally ran into him or caught a glimpse of him while out and about. Her family had informed her that they would be returning to Dublin but Lucy wasn't going to follow. She couldn't bring herself to face them or James after all the trouble she had caused.

Lucy had hit rock bottom and she didn't know how to pull herself out. But one day, she'd drove past the orphanage in the middle of Chicago. Kids were playing out in the fenced-off area to the side of the building. Lucy had been thinking about adoption for a few months but as she stopped at the light next to it, she decided to take a look inside. Lucy had enough connections within the city that if she wanted to adopt, the process would be relatively easy but she wasn't expecting anything when she walked inside. Lucy looked around the main entrance of the building and a woman stepped out, "Can I help you?" She asked and Lucy looked to her for a moment, like a deer in headlights. "Are you here to apply for adoption?" Lucy was speechless as she nodded her head softly and the woman smiled softly at her. "Would you like to wait for your husband to park the car before I show you around?" The woman asked. "Um...I'm not married." Lucy murmured to which the woman looked at her closely. "You know we don't get a lot of single applicants...are you sure this is something are ready to take on?" The woman asked. "You know...I'm not..but maybe the tour will change my mind." Lucy said gently to which the woman nodded her head. "Follow me, please."
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Lucy listened and followed the woman down the hall and upstairs to where the first set of rooms in the orphanage was. Most of the kids were outside, getting in playtime so Lucy peered into the rooms with 4 or 5 sets of bunk beds. It broke her heart to think these children didn't get their own room, their own things...that they didn't have parents to love and hold them at night. The tour had gone by rather quickly and Lucy was almost positive that today would not be her day to adopt. Suddenly, a boy with dark hair came running down the hall, being chased by two girls who were screaming at him for messing with him. The boy ran past the woman in charge of the orphanage and rushed to hide behind Lucy. "It's not my fault!" He said, clearly out of breath. The woman who had given her the tour started to scold him about latching onto Lucy in the manner he did, but Lucy just raised her hand and smiled, "It's quite alright, I grew up with a brother just like him." The blonde murmured before moving to get down on his level. "What's your name, little love?" Lucy asked, looking into the boy's big blue eyes. "Syd." The boy said, "You're very pretty, you know." Lucy let out a laugh, "Why thank you, Syd. You're quite the charmer aren't you? Tell me, Syd, how old are you?" She asked to which the boy answered 8 years old.

The woman from the orphanage started to go on a tangent about how he was a troublemaker. Lucy looked up at her, her eyes narrowing as she openly talked about the boy's troubles. "Don't be so prude, I'm sure you caused a good amount of trouble in your youth." Lucy said, looking from the woman back to Syd. "I think what you need is a good home and someone who understands you, don't you doll?" Lucy asked, staring into the boy's eyes for a long moment knowing in that exact moment that she wanted to be his mother. She had found someone who needed her just as much as she would need him. Looking into Syd's eyes, she saw hope for a future that had faded. "How would you like to come home with me, my boy?"


I would like to thank Misty Gray Misty Gray and Pyroclast Pyroclast for letting me us their babes!
 
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~What If...Stella Got Knocked Up Instead Of Shirley?~
Cast Stella Kwon | Lucy Porter | Sinead Callahan | Jasmine Zegarra | Chase Zegarra | Conor Sullivan | Syd Porter | Alliana Sullivan | Emery Callahan
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~Congratulations, You're Pregnant!~Although she had been feeling queasy all morning, Stella was not about to back out of a job. Having worked in the Irish Mob for a few months now, the up-and-coming Bounty Hunter was eager to prove herself to Conor after learning the ropes from Chase. For today, a rival gang had been selling illicit drugs to high-school students in their territory. Serveral times now, they had been asked and even ordered to stop by Adam, the Mob's Head Enforcer, but have refused and the sales continued, much to the dismay of Conor himself. With even Adam having had enough, he decided to send Stella along Syd, the Family's Underboss, to pull a hit on the drug dealers. Despite numerous attempts to shake the nausea feeling that she's been dealing with, it had worsened the faster that Syd drove. "C'mon, Stel, don't get all carsick on me now! It'll be a quick job. C'mon, just hold on!"

"I'm fine, you're just driving a little too fast." Stella replied, looking as if she was about to faint.

"This is why I go alone most of the time. You Rookies can't even handle going passed sixty miles per hour! What the hell did Chase fucking teach you!?" Syd asked as he shifted the car into the next gear and the car began to speed up even more.

"Okay, I'm gonna be honest, I really don't feel so good..." She said as her vision went a little blurry. "I was already feeling shit before you even started the car..."

"THEN WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY SOMETHING!?!?" Syd shouted as he hit the steering wheel out of frustration.

"I'm gonna need you to slow..." She took deep breath. "S-Slow down..."

"We're almost there! Look you just-" Before Syd could even finish that sentence, Stella rolled the window down as quickly as she could, stuck her head out of the window and blew chunks, causing even Syd to gag. "Damn, Girl, what the fuck!?"

After feeling as if she puked her guts out, she spat out the excess saliva before sitting back down in the car, at which point Syd was pulling over before grabbing his pistol. "Don't go anywhere, I'm gonna go take care of it. You stay right here. It's obvious that you're in ZERO condition to be holding a gun, let alone. Just...Don't die on me, okay? We'll head over to my Chase after this and you can go lay down for a bit. I don't wanna explain to Chase that you died before the job even started and the last thing I need is him breathing down my neck because something happened to his Precious New Protégé."

"Yeah...I'll...I'll wait here. I'm only gonna slow you down and probably get us both killed..." She slumped back into her seat, laying against the car door.

Syd shook his head and got out of the car before closing the door. Just as he was walking away, Stella passed out from the nausea...

~Six Hours Later, The Zegarra Family Home~
Around Sunset, Stella finally awoke. She wasn't in a car anymore. Instead, she was laying on a couch. As her vision cleared, she saw a few people sitting on another couch, with Syd being one of them. As soon as she saw Chase's face though, her heart sank. This was her chance to prove herself, that she was capable out on the field, but instead, she got sick and fainted before it all even started. Conor was there too, so all Stella could feel was dread. Frowning, she slowly sat up and wiped her eyes. "I was wondering when you'd wake up." Conor said, breaking the silence. "You wanna tell me what happened?"

"I got carsick and fainted..." She sighed, before looking Conor in the eye.

Conor then looked at Syd, who only nodded and eyed Stella with disappointment. Chase only frowned as he made eye-contact with his protégé. "It's okay, Stella, shit happens. I'm not even mad at you. But if you weren't feeling so hot, why didn't you say something?" He asked, showing concern.

"I just didn't want to disappoint the boss here, so I pressed myself to keep going. And I didn't want all that hard work we put into training together to go to waste." She responded.

"You got guts, kid, I'll give you that, but...you gotta be straight with me next time. Lying won't get you very far. Just rest up and go the Doctor's tomorrow morning. But seeing how you were today, I think I'll have someone go with you." Before Conor could suggest a driver to take her to the Doctor's tomorrow morning, both Jasmine and Aliana, Chase and Conor's respective wives, entered the room.

Jasmine was holding a tray with a teapot and a few tea cups. "What is this about a visit to the Doctor?" She asked, setting the tray down on the table in front of Stella while Aliana began pouring tea for everyone, but gave Stella the first cup.

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Stella proceeded to accept the cup of tea, her frown turning into a slight smile. "Thank you, Mrs. Zegarra."

"Please, it's...it's just Jasmine to you. I think we're well passed you calling me Mrs. Zegarra, dear." The older woman responded in kind, before looking at Conor to give him her full, undivided attention.

Aliana folded her arms as both her and Jasmine took a seat with Stella. "Stella wasn't feeling the best today when I sent out on a Job with Syd here, so to play it safe, I thought we'd have her pay a visit to the clinic." Conor responded.

Both Jasmine and Aliana looked at each other. "We'll take her. I think it's better for other women to accompany her. Might help her feel more comfortable. After all, the two of you are married men, so being seen with another woman wouldn't a good look." Jasmine said, before looking at Syd. "And I'm sure you have better things to do, seeing that you don't really play well with others." She then looked towards Stella. "Drink up dear, hopefully you'll feel better before bed time. You can stay here tonight. That way when you wake up, Aliana can come get us and we can go to the Clinic immediately."

The Following Day...

After a relatively restless night at the Zegarra Family House, having slept in the living room on the couch, with only her duster as a blanket. Granted it was big enough. With the rest of the house still asleep, Jasmine quietly made breakfast for Stella so that she wouldn't have to go hungry while they were at the Clinic. Stella took it slow, leading Jasmine to wonder what was wrong as she drank her coffee. Hopefully it wasn't anything too serious and was just a case of food poisoning and what lingered after, unless she caught a cold. At that point though, Jasmine would be upset, but she doubted it as Stella showed no symptoms. After Stella was finished eating, Jasmine took the empty plate to rinse off the remaining food residue before the two went outside, right in time for Aliana to show up in her car.

~Half an hour later, at the Clinic~
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It was not long until the trio arrived at the Clinic. After checking in at the Reception Desk, they went to the waiting room. The whole time, Stella could not help but feel anxious, wondering what was wrong with her. Could she be pregnant? No...There's no way. Shaking her head at the thought, Stella just relaxed in her chair while both Jasmine and Aliana started checking out the magazines on the tables. It wasn't long until Stella was called over by a Nurse. Aliana only gave her a reassuring smile. "It's okay, we'll be out here when you get back."

Stella nodded before getting up and following the nurse through the door...

~Two Hours Later~
Stella came back out, looking completely dejected. Upon seeing her face, both Aliana and Jasmine shared worried glances with one another. "Is everything alright? You're not sick or anything, are you?" Aliana asked, concerned.

Stella shook her head before looking at both women. Her face looked pale, which was enough for Jasmine's blood to run cold. "Well don't leave us in suspense, dear. What's wrong?"

The young woman sighed, closing her eyes briefly as she thought about having to tell Chase when they get back to the Zegarra House and later, Conor. "No, I'm not sick. Thankfully. And it wasn't food poisoning that caused me to blow chunks out of a moving car. I'm...I'm pregnant." Those last words shocked both of the older women as they looked at each other. "And...And I'm scared..." She said before covering her mouth and, for the first time since her Sister left to study abroad in London, started to cry.

Aliana and Jasmine both moved to hug Stella, holding her close and trying to comfort her, rubbing her back and brushing her hair as she cried.
~Grandmother To Be~~Eight Months Later~
Stella wasn't exactly the most thrilled about the news that she was expecting, because this meant that she wouldn't be able to carry out her job as a Bounty Hunter for the Mob, she had built quite the strong support network among the women in the family, from Jasmine herself to Aliana, Sinead, her Sister-in-Law Lucy and Daughter Emery, whom Justina had become good friends with. Now at eight months pregnant, she was mostly playing the waiting game and only wearing maternity dresses as they were easier for her to put on. Overall upset that she could no longer fit into her pants, Justina proceeded to lay in bed, mostly bored out of her mind. As she glanced down at her stomach though, there was a knock on her door. Slowly, she got out of bed to go answer the door. Looking through the peephole, she saw...Sinead? Surprised, she opened the door. "Oh, hey Sinny, kind of a surprise to see you today."

"Well I didn't want to be leaving you here coped up in this little apartment by yourself. So I was wondering if I could take you out for lunch today." Sinead replied, smiling. "Mmm, how far along now, dear?"

Justina blushed as she straightened out her hair. "Eight Months now and...It's a Boy."

"Wow, time sure flies, doesn't it darling? And you're still very beautiful. I'm sure your Son will grow up to be a very handsome young man." She said before Justina ushered her into the home before shutting door. "So how's the nursery coming along? Did Chase stop by to help you like I had asked him last week?"

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"Yes, Sinny. He did. Him and Lucy helped me build the nursery over the weekend and Chase told me that he and Jasmine look forward to getting another Nephew. Or at least, that's what he told me." Stella still blushed. "When I first told him and Conor, they didn't seem so thrilled. But I'm glad that he has a change of heart."

"Well if he didn't, he would have gotten quite an earful from me." Sinead replied as Stella proceeded to take her to the nursery. "Do you have a name for the little one?"

"Not yet. Still wondering on what to name him. For now I just call him my little Prince." As she opened the door, Justina placed a hand on her back and the other on her swollen belly as they looked around the nursery. Everything looked very well put together and it was all so clean. "And...I wanted to thank you for being so supportive of me during the pregnancy. Without you, Lucy...Ali and Chase...I don't know what I'd do..." A tear rolled down her cheek.

Sinead proceeded to give Justina a hug. Once their stomachs touched, the baby started kicking against Sinead, prompting her to smile and even kissing Stella on the forehead. "No thanks is needed, dear, you deserve all the love you can get, even if you think you're Conor's big bad bounty hunter. But just remember, you're a Mother now too."

Stella smiled as she looked at her belly, which kept her and Sinead apart. "Even though I wasn't so thrilled at first...Now, after these eight months of carrying him...I've come to love my Son and I'd do anything for him. Anything. I just hope he'll love his Family as much as they'll love him." She then guided Sinead's hands to her stomach, prompting the baby to kick even if he was familiar with his Grandma Sinny's voice as well as her touch. "And there's been something I've been wanting to ask Emery. But haven't gotten the chance to since we haven't seen each other in over a month."

"And what would that be?"

"I want to ask Emery to be his Godmother. But...I don't know how she'll feel about that. And I'm kinda scared of what she's going to say."

Sinead frowned as she saw Stella's face, looking down at the belly as she felt another kick. "Well, you'll probably be seeing her next week, I'm gonna be having a dinner party next Saturday. You can ask her then when you guys get to talk one-on-one." Sinead then proceeded to massage the area that her Grandson had kicked to soothe the unborn baby a little bit before getting down on one knee, keeping both hands on the firm baby bump. "You're such a strong boy. Don't kick too hard okay, we don't want you hurting your Mommy." She said before giving the belly a gentle kiss. "Grandma Sinny loves you very much."

She then got back up to her feet before reaching out to straighten out Stella's hair. "Now c'mon, I'm getting a little hungry. Let's go grab lunch now."

Before Stella could agree, her stomach answered for her by growling very loudly, prompting her cheeks to turn red as she pouted. Sinead smiled and let out a small chuckle. "I guess my Grandson feels the same way. It's alright, Stella, it's nothing to be embarrassed about, we're not in public."

"If we were, I would have started crying out of embarrassment. Anyway, I'm ready to go." Stella said as they left the Nursery and started walking, or in Stella's case, waddling to the front door.

Stella proceeded to put on her slippers and straightened out her dress. "You know, that dress looks really good on you. It goes very well with your belly. The purple really pops." She said as she opened the door. "When we get back, I can give you a massage while I bond with my Grandson."

"I'd love that a lot." Stella smiled as they left, with Stella locking the door behind her.
~The Last of The Bump~
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Now in the final stages of pregnancy, Stella could only wonder how much more stubborn her Son was going to be about staying in his Mommy's tummy. This upcoming evening though was another family gathering and of course, Stella had been invited. While her contractions had been acting up all morning and have gotten stronger over the last week, Stella was a little apprehensive about going. After about two hours of deciding on whether or not to go, Stella went through her closet to get another floral dress to wear to the party. She wasn't really worried about it getting messed up because she probably wasn't going to be pregnant for much longer. She ended up packing her Hospital Bag, just in case. Not comfortable with driving, she proceeded to call Emery and asked if they could carpool together since her apartment was on the way to the Sullivan Family Home.

~At The Party~
It wasn't long until they had made it to the House. It felt rather early to Stella. "How are you feeling, Stella?" She asked, glancing at the humongous belly.

"I'm alright. Just...need a comfortable place to sit down. Not gonna lie, I'm so over being pregnant." She replied as she put both hands on her back, which was also starting to hurt along with her feet, to which Emery frowned a little. "Don't worry, I'll help you over to the couch once we get inside. Did you want anything to drink too?"

"Sure. Probably just water. I can't really have alcohol right now. Wouldn't be good for the little one." She grimaced.

Emery proceeded to knock on the door, to which Lucy had answered and she smiled upon seeing Emery and Stella. Delighted that they both made it to the party, she ushered them both into the home before giving each of them a hug, starting with Emery, her Niece. "It's wonderful to see you again, dear. Please, make yourself at home." She said before turning to Stella. "And Stella, I'm so glad you could make it. Here, a hug for you too, dear." She proceeded to give Stella a hug as well, granted it was a little awkward because of the swollen belly. "By the way, you look stunning and I love your dress."

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"Thanks Lucy, that means a lot. Just hoping this bun isn't gonna be baking too much longer. Otherwise he'll be overcooked." She replied, commenting on the pregnancy.

"Emery, can you help her over to the couch? I don't want her to be on her feet any longer then she needs to."

"Sure thing, Auntie." Emery said before helping Stella into the Living Room and onto the Couch.

Stella was relieved to finally be off her feet, even though she wasn't standing for too long. Emery then left to go use the restroom. Syd proceeded to walk by and saw Stella caressing her belly, which was tense and aching. "Wow, Stel, you've put quite a bit of weight on since I've last seen you." He chuckled.

Upon hearing the comment about her weight, Stella's cheeks turned red as she started feeling self-conscious about the pregnancy weight gain. She then flinched when she heard a loud smack, turning to see that Lucy had smacked him in the back of the head, prompting a shocked reaction from Sinead who had just entered the room after sending Liam to go play with JJ, Jane and Jeanie. Stella simply cradled her belly as Lucy raised her voice. "You Buffoon! I've raised you better than that. You should know not to say something like that to a woman, especially a pregnant woman! Now you go apologize right this instant, Syd Porter!"

Syd glared at his Mother before looking back at Stella, who now was terrified due to hearing Lucy's loud angry voice. "Sorry Stella, I didn't mean to be so insensitive." He sighed.

"Water under the bridge, Syd." Stella responded, actually feeling bad for him. "Just think before you say. Anyway, go enjoy your drink. Since I can't." She added, a hint of envy in her voice due to not being able to drink.

~A few hours later~
As the party progressed, Justina proceeded to join in mingling with some of the other guests and even enjoy the food that was out. As she went to grab a refill for her glass of water, she felt a weird sensation before something started gushing down her thigh. "Oh...that can't be good..." As Emery walked by, Stella grabbed her shoulder, prompting her to turn around. "Whoa, Stel, are you okay?" She asked, the look on Stella's face worrying her.

"Can you go get your Mom? My water just broke..." She said before slowly letting go so that Emery could go get Sinead.
Thank You To Misty Gray Misty Gray Pyroclast Pyroclast Melanin-Gxdess Melanin-Gxdess Bellz Bellz for allowing me to use your characters for this part of the Multiverse!​
 
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Aliana Marries Tommy


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“Don’t marry him.”

Standing across from Aliana Cartwright in front of the closed door had been Conor Sullivan. He was standing in a suit - the bow tie hanging loosely around his collar. His hair was a mess and it looked as if he had been up all night. His eyes were glued to the ground and he was playing with his fingers, anxious about what he was doing. He knew it was wrong and selfish and made him out to be an asshole but for once he was going to do the opposite of what people thought of him.

“What?” Aliana stood with her hands at her sides confused and taken off guard by his words. She hadn’t even seen nor heard him coming into the room so it was taking a moment for her brain to catch up. She’d heard what he said, but didn’t understand why he was saying it. Her heart started beating faster and she wondered if it were because she was anxious about Conor’s sudden appearance, what he was about to say, or the fact that she was due to be married in a few minutes. To be quite honest, it could have been a combination of all three. She had never seen herself getting married to anyone. Well, that wasn’t exactly true, was it?

No, she had never seen herself getting married to anyone other than Conor Sullivan.

It was always the two of them, walking down the aisle with family and friends watching. Seana would give her away since Allen was in prison and Savannah would be her flower girl. Conor would be waiting for her with Ryan, James, and Jackson supporting him from behind. Blake, Sinead, and Lucy would be waiting to hold her bouquet and cheer her on - make sure she didn’t chicken out because she was terrified of the future. The priest would drag the ceremony on but Ali wouldn’t care because she got to stare into the eyes of the man who had changed her life. They’d seal their union with a kiss - and knowing the two of them, they’d give the whole place the show of a lifetime. The two of them would start a life together and she’d be happy.

Except, he wasn’t the person she was getting married to today. The person she was marrying today had been the actual man who had changed her life. Who made her realize what love was and open herself up to the possibility of it. Thomas Dempsey may have been young but the man was wise beyond his years.

After a few moments, Conor finally lifted his head to look at her and it broke his heart to see her in that dress - no matter how beautiful he thought she was in it. He let out a chuckle, giving her a sad smile. “You always did talk about a lace dress.” He softly spoke, voice almost full of admiration. Something about the way he said it made her suddenly feel self-conscious as if she had betrayed him. She talked about a lace wedding dress when she was fantasizing about her life with him during pillow talk. Was it in poor taste to wear such a design for another man?

“Don’t marry him,” he said once more, unable to look her in the eye as he made such a demand.

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“I didn’t ask you to repeat it,” she said softly, though her voice had been full of annoyance and confusion. “Why are you-,” she shook her head and placed her hand on her stomach - she was feeling sick. “What do you want?” He looked up at her with eyes full of regret and desperation. How could he have let things get to the point where she was about to walk down the aisle to marry another man? How had he let things get to the point where he was about to lose her for good? He had to make it right.

“I need you. I need you to not marry him. I don’t want you to give up on us.” His voice broke with each syllable and the closer he got to Aliana the further she backed away because she knew. She knew the moment she felt his touch she would be undone and the last thing she wanted to happen was her losing herself. She put her hand out to signal him to stop moving towards her, eyes getting misty. “Conor, stop.” Despite her plea Conor ignored her. “Please don’t do this.” She could feel the tears about to start pouring and willed them - begged them - not to fall . Her makeup would be ruined otherwise.

Conor was standing a few inches away from her now and had placed his hands on her cheeks - and she let him. So quickly her resolve to not have him touch her had been broken because that was the effect he had on her. Aliana knew she should’ve pushed him away, told him to let her go but she couldn’t bring herself to do so. Instead she tried to turn away from him but every angle she turned her head he would follow so she closed her eyes. “Look at me,” he softly commanded and she shook her head. “Aliana, please look at me.” His voice was desperate and willing, until she finally looked at him.

The look on his face absolutely shattered her heart and she let out a shaky sigh. His eyes were red and sad and full of desperation. She let out a sharp breath and leaned her face into his hands, a tear finally falling down her face. Conor softly wiped it away before swallowing the lump that had formed in his throat. “I love you.” Ali sucked in air through her teeth before shaking her head. “Oh, you’re being cruel. You’re being an asshole.” She said, shoving him away. He was and he knew this. But it didn’t matter to him as he was about to lose the love of his life forever. “How? Tell me how.”

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His question enraged her and she hit him in the chest, brows furrowed out of frustration. “How?!” She started pacing the floor, gesturing with her hands. “I’ve been second in your life ever since we agreed to try a relationship. When Leo got hurt. When Alex showed up,” her voice cracked and she tried to choke back more tears. “When Leo was killed. You were never there.” Whatever tear had managed to fall she made sure to catch before it left a black streak down her cheeks. “And I understand that Alex is the mother of your child and that you didn’t know about the kid but for fuckssake you didn’t even talk to me.”

Conor just watched as she paced the room, nodding his head in agreement and understanding her frustrations. “You’re right, I wasn’t. I had shit going on Al-,”

“We all have shit going on - grow up! It’s time to be a fucking adult.” Hearing those words come out of her mouth stung him the same way it had whenever anyone else told him the same thing. Sinead and Lucy. Even Ryan and Jackson had, at one point, said the same to him. It was the truth, but it didn’t mean he wanted to keep hearing it.

After taking a deep breath, Ali continued. “Every single time you needed me I was there. Not Alex, me. The nights you needed a shoulder to cry or to drink or even fuck your emotions away you were in my bed. I did that for you and you chose her,” Ali tried to calm herself down, her emotions gradually taking over as she revealed the secrets she had kept for so long. “And I’m not mad you chose her. I’m not mad that you wanted to make it work for Michelle - please believe I’m not. I’m angry because you acted like I didn’t exist. Like what we had was nothing when it meant everything to me. The one person who acted like he cared about me more than anything betrayed me without a second fucking thought.”

It wasn’t until she finished talking that she realized how angry she was - that she hadn’t been breathing. She took another deep breath and delicately wiped away the tears from her cheeks, turning away. Conor just stood staring at her tears falling from his own eyes as he realized just how much he had hurt her. Aliana had always pretended not to be bothered by a lot of different things that it was always hard to tell, but he felt like he should’ve known this. He should’ve known all of this.

“And Tommy he-,” she continued, shrugging her shoulders. “He was there. He was my comfort and my support and he made me see what being a priority meant and what it felt like. He would never hurt me the way you did.” For some reason, those words stung and pissed him off at the same time. “That may be the case, Ali, but what about you, huh? You’re standing here acting like you’re some sort of saint - Tommy know about that kiss?”

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Aliana let out a gasp, scowling at him. The audacity of him to try and turn things around on her was astonishing. That kiss had happened a year ago and she regretted it. The memory of it had been shoved into the back of her mind, never to be thought about again until Conor brought it up. “I admit I have faults and I’ve fucked up, but do you? Tommy loved you even then and you betrayed his trust just for a kiss. What does that say about you?” Conor moved towards her again and just like before Ali backed up. Only this time, her back hit the door trapping her in front of her ex. Conor placed both of his hands against the door on either side of her head so she wouldn’t be able to escape. He had a point to get across and he was going to do so by all means.

He was acting out of character, he knew it, but that’s what she was doing to him - what his emotions were doing to him. “It says you’re just as fucked up and messy as I am and that’s why we work.” It was hard not to agree with his words, but they were still cruel and were only said to try and get her to leave Tommy at the altar. Conor moved his hands to her face once more and Aliana started crying, shaking her head. “No, no, no, no. I’m not. I’m nothing like you. I’m- I’m not. Not anymore. Tommy changed me. Tommy’s better for me. He-,” Ali took in a sharp breath of air before looking into his eyes. “He’s not you.”

He’s not you.

Those three, simple words were enough. Most people would have interpreted it as her saying she wanted to be with Conor and not Tommy, but Conor knew exactly what it meant. To him, it solidified the narrative that Tommy would never put Ali through any pain or strife or heartbreak and that he - more likely without meaning to - would. And it was with those three simple words that he understood how futile his attempt was. How awful of him it had been to even be here like this. He nodded his head in understanding, slowly dragging his hands down the wall until he was able to wrap an arm around her waist and place the other behind her head.


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Aliana let out a hesitant sigh and instead of punching him in the face she let him embrace her; because she knew and understood that he was desperate to hang on to what they had. Honestly speaking for a brief moment she had felt the same. But then she started talking about Tommy which turned into thinking about Tommy and she realized he was who she needed to be with. That sometimes fate had other plans and if she and Conor were meant to be then it would be him waiting down the aisle for her - not her fiancé.

For a moment they just stood there, wrapped around each other. Her crying had stopped and she just listened to the sound of what could only be his heart breaking. “I’m sorry,” he finally said, breaking the silence, “I shouldn’t have done this. I let my emotions get the best of me.” Ali sniffled, “When haven’t you.” She whispered. Conor let out a slight chuckle, placing his chin on top of her head. “Sounds about right,” he said, taking a slight pause. “You look beautiful, by the way.”

“Thanks. I can’t breathe in it.” Her joke seemed to ease the tension between the two of them and shift their emotions to a lighter tone. “Conor, you’ll always be in my heart,” she started, looking up at him. “But it belongs to Tommy now.” She wasn’t saying it to start another argument or get him riled up, but to make him understand the nature of their relationship. And Conor understood this. Which is why he smiled, nodded his head, and placed a long kiss on her forehead. “I know,” he whispered, “I know. I just wish I hadn’t been an idiot.” Ali looked up at him shaking her head.

“In another life, babe.”
 
Benjamin's Mother was Saved

Main Cast: Kurt, Dolores and Benjamin Reznik. Arlene Sullivan. James Porter. Lorelei Bryant.

Spring 1969 - Change the Future

1643843018457.pngIt had been five years since Arlene had stopped working for the mob. Following her pregnancy, she had decided she wanted her daughter to live in a safer world than the one she had occupied for so long. The woman had eventually moved to Connecticut, fully aware of how many enemies she had in New York, particularly East Harlem. Once in a while, however, Arlene made a trip back to New York to visit her family. Olivia was four years old now and loved visiting her relatives, especially her Aunt Lucy and Uncle James. With her family practically adopting Kurt into their circle many years ago, Arlene made sure to check in on Dolores and Benjamin, given the man was unable to do so from prison. She could see the woman was struggling with her drug addiction, but there was only so much she could do to help a woman who didn't want to accept it. However, Arlene's concern multiplied even further when she managed to get Benjamin to open up to her for the first time. Things were much worse than Arlene had thought and Aidan confirmed Francesco Moretti was involved.

As James was the boss of the Irish Mob, Arlene arranged to meet with him and Aidan to get him to step in. Dolores and Benjamin may be relatively unknown to him, but Kurt had gone to prison because of his loyalty to the Sullivans and Arlene was not about to watch his wife and child suffer. Sat on the sofa opposite James, with Aidan stood nearby, Arlene hadn't hesitated to get to the point. "Isn't it about time you dealt with Francesco Moretti? The motherfucker killed Liam and now he's destroying Kurt's wife. She's trapped in an endless cycle of drugs and prostitution, and once he's finished with her, he'll leave her to rot. I know I left this business a long time ago, but after everything we've been through, I need you to do this for me. I won't ask for anything else again." Arlene ran her hand through her hair. "I know it'll cause some shit with the Italians, but they're nothing in this city. Francesco killed Liam, so even if you don't do it for the Rezniks, do it out of principle and duty. He killed Liam and he has to pay for that."

James nodded his head in agreement. "Believe me, his death has always been on the cards," James informed her. "I'll make sure Kurt's wife and kid have somewhere safe to stay. She's going to struggle to get off that shit, but Aidan here can look out for her," he suggested. "I will deal with Francesco, before he finds someone else's life to ruin."

*****​

1643843026463.pngA few nights later, Dolores found herself sat in the worn out armchair in her run down apartment. With her arms folded tightly around herself, she shivered and trembled, both the anxiety and effects of the withdrawals consuming her. The sound of the knock at the door caused her head to snap up as she looked forward in fear. Reluctantly, she stood up and walked towards the door, unlocking it before slowly pulling it open. A deep sense of dread overcame her, as if it was a walk to her own death. There, she saw the commanding figure of Francesco Moretti as he practically looked down on her. The man repulsed her, and tonight in particular, she couldn't bear to look him in the eyes.

Francesco didn't give her much choice whether or not allow him inside as he muscled his way into the apartment and she naturally stepped aside to allow him to. "You could have at least cleaned yourself up a bit. You look a mess," he spoke to her with disgust. After he locked the door behind them, he moved further into the apartment and invited himself to sit down. "You're going to have to make it worth my while if you expect more--" he began, falling silent as he heard footsteps approaching before suddenly staring down the barrel of James Porter's gun.

1643843036820.pngFrom her hiding place in Benjamin's small bedroom, Arlene stepped into view and used both hands to beckon Dolores towards her. The woman worriedly scurried towards Arlene, who didn't hesitate to pull her into an embrace before leading her into the bedroom and closing the door behind them. She got her to sit beside her on the bed before placing a reassuring arm around her. "You did good. You're safe now, love," Arlene reassured the sobbing woman, hoping to distract her from the inevitable sound of the gunshot. "You'll be back at Luce's with Benjie soon."

Out in the main room of the apartment, James glared down at Francesco in disdain. Having given Arlene time to get Dolores out of the way, he finally focused on the poor excuse for a human. "You took your time avenging Liam Sullivan," the Italian's thick, defiant voice spoke to James, in a mocking tone.

"This isn't just for him, you slimy piece of shit," James darkly assured him.

"Oh?" Francesco asked, letting out a dark chuckle. "Bigshot like you has time to give a shit about some dirty fucking whore--"

Before Francesco could finish, James squeezed the trigger, sending a loud bang echoing through the apartment. The Italian's head snapped back; a bullet lodged in the centre of his forehead. Another gunshot rang out a the second bullet ripped through Francesco's throat. The eldest Moretti brother; Liam's killer and Dolores' abuser, had finally been snuffed out in seconds.


Summer 1973 - Reunited

1643843047848.pngEven if James hadn't killed Francesco when he had, he would have killed the man later. The war which then developed with Gabriel Moretti out for revenge was inevitable, even if happening sooner than expected. The Morettis had proved to be stronger than anticipated with Gabriel in charge. After two years of bloodshed, death, and despair, the Irish Mob signed a peace deal with the Morettis and relocated to Dublin before any more loved ones could suffer. Along with her daughter, Olivia, and close friend, Aidan, Arlene joined her family in Dublin. Having formed closed bonds with Arlene and the Porters, Dolores and Benjamin also moved to Dublin. It had been difficult moving so far away from the prison Kurt was in, but it was the safest thing for them, and Dolores couldn't bear to live in a city controlled by the Morettis.

By 1973, Dolores had been completely clean of drugs for four years. She found work as a waitress a few evenings a week and some days she helped out at a photography shop. Having given Benjamin his first camera back in 1968, the boy had grow to love photography too. It was the mother and son's favourite way to bond. They would spend most weekends in the park taking pictures and having picnics. Despite being so close to a mob family, life in Dublin was good for them. Dolores had been given a new lease of life and she loved it.

Benjamin missed his father, counting down the days to whenever his mother and Aidan could take him to America to visit. In all the time between those visits, Benjamin was able to distract himself by hanging out with his friends. The likes of Leo Sullivan, Olivia Sullivan, and Thomas Porter were always fun to be around.

Benjamin loved his friends, but nothing could compete with how happy the 11-year-old was the day he came home from school to find Kurt sitting on the couch with his mother. The boy had dreamed for years of being able to have both of his parents at home and there they were looking as close as ever as they smiled brightly in his direction. "Dad!" The embrace he gave his father was nothing like the hugs they'd shared during the prison visits. Those ones had been brief and delivered with prison wardens breathing down their necks as though they'd done the worse thing in the world.

Dolores placed her hand to her mouth as she watched her favourite two guys finally properly reunited. She had come so close to the edge, destined to be thrown out into the gutters, if she even survived that long. But now, she had everything she could dream of. "Oh my..." Dolores said, trying to choke back her happy sobs. Kurt released Benjamin so he could hold Dolores tightly in his arms, placing a reassuring kiss on the top of her head. "I love you so much, Kurt," she said, her voice muffled as she spoke into the muscular man's chest.

"I love you too, baby. I ain't leaving you ever again," he reassured her. After a long while, Kurt and Dolores moved apart, the man then focusing on Benjamin. "Hey, kid. Go get changed out of your school uniform. The three of us are going to the park. You and your Mum are going to teach me how to take pictures as good as all yours," he told him, having flicked through some of the photo albums while he waited for Benjamin to get home from school.

Dolores couldn't hide the smile from her face as Benjamin rushed to his bedroom to get changed into some regular clothes. "I can't remember ever feeling as happy as I do right now, Kurt. I'm so glad your friends helped me and that I found the strength to hold on for you and Benjie."


Summer 1985 - The Engagement

1643843060878.pngBenjamin had known Lorelei since he was eleven, but he didn't know her as well as he did the others in their group of friends. It wasn't until years later, when they were both young adults. that he'd first realised he was attracted to her, and two years ago when he'd finally plucked up the courage to ask her out on a date. Suffice to say, the date had gone well and the two had been in a serious relationship since. The fact they had the same group of friends and her family were on good terms with his parents was an added bonus. He'd gone from watching his mother deteriorate whilst they struggled to survive in a dirty apartment, to now having all of the family and friends, as well as security, he could hope for.

Benjamin was in love with Lorelei and he was certain she felt the same about him. Between their families' business and their own personal obstacles, the two of them had been through a lot and he couldn't imagine anyone else he would want to share the rest of his life with. So, this evening, he'd arranged to take Lorelei out for dinner but had asked her if she could meet him at his photography studio first whilst he finished up on a project he'd been working on.

However, when Lorelei stepped into his studio, she was blown away as she stepped into an unrecognisable place. The walls were lined with curtains of fairy lights, with thin white fabric draped in front, allowing the orange bulbs to softly shine through, illuminating the room in a gentle golden light. A pathway of flowers and candles were placed in a straight line line, creating something of a pathway for Lorelei to follow. After she'd taken just a few steps, Benjamin came into view in the middle of the heavenly-looking setup. A broad smile rested on his face, albeit tinged with a hint of nervousness.

1643843071303.png"Lorelei..." he began, a lump forming in his throat as he looked into the eyes of the woman he loved. As he took a couple of steps forward, his trademark clumsiness showed itself as he knocked over one of the candles with his foot, causing the flame to singe some of the paper confetti on the floor. Benjamin was quick to stamp out the small flame, letting out an embarrassed laugh as he shook his head at himself. "Dad said I shouldn't risk fire and should have got artificial candles!" he remarked. He cleared his throat before looking back to Lorelei, trying to focus on the matter at hand as he looked into her eyes. He could easily get lost in those eyes of hers, but he had to snap out of it. "Lorelei, I..." he began. Carefully, being mindful of his reputation for being accident-prone, he got down on one knee. Retrieving the ring-box from his pocket, he opened it up to show her the sparkling gold engagement ring. "Ever since we first started dating, I knew there was something special about you. Every day we spend together, I fall even more in love with you. I want to spend the rest of my life loving you," he told her, his voice nervously faltering. "Lorelei. Will you marry me?" he asked, looking up to her with only love in his eyes.

Lorelei covered her mouth with her hand, unable to contain her excitement. Everything had been so beautiful and for him to finish off by proposing had been the icing on the cake. She quickly nodded her head and reached out to take his hand, helping him up to his feet. "Yes! Yes, I will!" she said, quickly and repeatedly nodding her head as she spoke. Benjamin couldn't hide how happy he was. As he slid the ring onto her finger, he could help the stray tears that escape from the corners of his eyes. Once she'd had chance to look at the ring, they leaned in to each other and began to passionately kiss. Benjamin wrapped his arms around her to pull her in close. When they eventually parted from the kiss, Benjamin moved his head back a little to look into her eyes. "I love you so much," he softly told her.
 
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Roxie was in on it all

Main Cast: Stefano Carriveau, Roxie Carriveau, James Porter, Lucy Porter, Syd Porter

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"You simple child!" Stefano said, shoving his daughter so hard that she stumbled back against the wall behind her. He slapped her hard across the face, her left eye taking the brunt of his backhand as she screamed."Stefano!" Roxie’s mother called out, in a desperate attempt to try and get his attention off of Roxie. Angelica reached her hand out and Stefano turned, striking her across the cheek with the back of his hand. Roxie went dead silent, the slap causing both women to freeze. Stefano turned back towards Roxie, his finger pointing at her, almost touching her nose. "You had one job, Roxanne. One fucking job." The man shook with rage. "What is the point of keeping you around if you can’t even get that mentally handicapped Porter to fall for you! Do you know how your failures make you look, how they make me look?" Roxie was still silent, unwilling to answer out of fear of being hit like she’d been hit so many times before. Ricky wasn’t here to save her, her mother tried but she was put in her place. Stefano grabbed her painfully by the shoulders, causing her to cry out, "Answer me, Roxanne!!" He shook her like a rag doll before throwing her with such a force that she landed on the tile on her hands and knees, trying to keep herself from sobbing as she bit down on her bottom lip.

"Now, I’m not an unreasonable man, Roxanne." Her father said, straightening out his tie and the cuffs on his neatly pressed suit. He looked in the mirror in the hallway they were all standing in, her parent's home. Roxie didn’t dare get up from her position, staying exactly where she was as she turned her head to look up at her father. He clicked his tongue, "You got blood on my new suit." Stefano said lowly before turning to her. Roxie looked back down at the tiled floor beneath her as her father’s leather shoes came into view. The blood that had gotten on his suit slowly crawled down the tip of her nose before falling to the floor, staining the immaculate white tile. Stefano crouched down in front of her, using the hand that struck her to grab her chin, causing her to flinch as he lifted her face for him to see. "You’re a disappointment to me, Roxanne. From the moment you were born until the day you die, you will be nothing more than that to me. But disappointments can be useful." He mused, brushing back a stray piece of hair from her face as she flinched again. "I’m giving you one last chance to prove you’re worth the life God so kindly gave you. He’s watching, Roxanne. Do not disappoint him as you have me. He put you on this earth for a reason. A reason which, as a follower of him, is beyond me. But a reason nonetheless. Prove to me you’re worth keeping alive."


July 10th 1971

The Plaza Hotel, Manhattan

images (1).jpegRoxie was in the hotel lobby bathroom trying to compose herself before the Porters arrived for their tour of the venue. She had charmed her way into getting them to work with her, not knowing that she was going to lead them to their death. Her hands shook as she leaned against the sink. Clenching her jaw, Roxie let out a frustrated groan. It was either successfully kill them or she herself would be killed. I’m giving you one last chance to prove you’re worth the life God so kindly gave you. Roxie felt like she was going to be sick. She was just the bait to him, the bait who was supposed to lead Syd Porter into trusting her, into falling for her. She was supposed to play a role in his demise, in the family’s demise. A role she didn’t want to be a part of but out of fear was forced to.

After composing herself, Roxie added a bit more powder under her eye that had been slowly darkening since the day she’d been hit. Looking in the mirror, she tried to smile naturally and scared herself at how well she was able to do it. Can’t fake the fake happiness she’d been feeling her entire life. Porters would find her cheer disposition believable. As Roxie walked back into the lobby, she thought about Savannah, her best friend, and roommate. If Roxie was successful, she’d lose family. Walking towards the rotating hotel doors, she stepped into the sunlight, Can’t go slapping him again today, Rox. Syd Porter had pissed her off by making her feel insecure and accidentally pouring a drink on her while she was dancing with Mitch, a lawyer she’d met at James Porters' birthday party. A man she could see herself falling for if she was deserving of such a man. After this, Roxie wouldn’t deserve anyone.

The cars carrying the Porters had arrived and Roxie walked to open the door for them, "Welcome!" God. Her voice was sickening, so sweet, so cheery. "Thank you for taking time out of your busy lives to come to see this wonderful venue. I promise you, you won’t regret this tour." They wouldn’t live to regret it.

As Roxie talked and ushered them inside, she noticed that most of the Porter’s had their eyes on the building, taking in the sights. But as Roxie looked at each of them, her eyes fell on Syd and she noticed him staring at her. Her cheeks warmed as their eyes locked for a few moments. If she would have stared any longer, her lip would have started to tremble so she tore her eyes away. She was forced to look back at him as he followed up on James’ question about security asking what the policy on bringing their own staff in was.

At this point, Roxie was on autopilot, answering the questions about security with ease. As she led them all towards the elevator’s Roxie knew at this time the cogs of her father’s plan would be turning and she had no more control. She would lead them to the ballroom where they would meet their demise. Falling in step with Syd, Roxie turned to look at him, "You Porters are all work and no play, huh?" She asked, flashing him one of her best smiles. She observed him for a moment longer than she should have before the elevator opened to the ballroom and she resumed the tour.

Riccardo had made his appearance, as he was supposed to and Roxie had to clasp her hands together to keep from revealing how much they were shaking. Everyone seemed to accept Riccardo’s peculiar way of answering her question.

The tour was going as smooth as it was going to go and when one of the servers from the kitchen came walking towards her, her heart dropped. He had given them the samples and she noted the small box that he had sitting on one of the tables. It was her cue, to play it dumb like she needed to. Roxie furrowed her brows in confusion as she looked to the server and he smiled regardless. "This cam in for our guests, on behalf of the charity, Ms. Carriveau." The man said in broken English to which Roxie smiled, "This would be for you then!" Roxie said, gesturing to James and Lucy, lifting the box with her shaking hands before handing it to the blonde.

Lucy was perplexed as nothing was in it and Roxie knew that in just a few seconds everything would turn to chaos. Lucy tried to say something but before another word could be said, an explosion erupted from above. Roxie stumbled despite anticipating the explosion but what she hadn’t anticipated was a small piece of ceiling colliding with her head. The brunette cried out as she was knocked to the ground, too dizzy to stand up. Syd was at her side almost immediately, helping her to her feet. "It’s okay, you’re alright." He reassured her. She felt sick, the wound on her head was bleeding profusely but she was silently wishing that would kill her first as he led her to safety.

The shock of the explosion, her head injury and the fact that she had not succeeded in killing off the Porters was causing her to operate in a daze. James and Lucy didn’t hesitate to scream at her, thinking she had planned the explosion. As they stood outside of the hotel, Syd started to defend her and Roxie watched the man in awe. It was the first time someone had ever come to her aid…who defended her actions. Roxie was seeing the man before her as a different man from when she’d slapped him at the party. Did he like her, hate her? What was it? In another life, maybe she would have been able to find out.

The fighting brought her back to the present and Roxie stood up which Syd protested to. "Syd, please. Let me talk, okay?" Roxie asked hoarsely, looking as she had all of his family’s attention. The gun that she had nearly forgotten about weighed heavily on her thigh. "Syd, you are wrong about me." She saw his expression change from day to night and the brunette looked helplessly at them all. "But you don’t understand…I knew what was going to happen, I did!" Roxie shouted to which the Porter’s bodyguard, Dante, took a step forward brandishing his weapon immediately. Her mouth dried as she tried to get her words out. "If you are going to kill me, fine, but please…listen to me." Roxie’s voice trembled as she looked to Syd. "Maddox is lying to you, he’s working for Gabriel, for my father. They’re working against you, all of you. Everything that I have with Savvy, our friendship…it’s completely real. But I didn’t meet her by chance, it was all a setup." She cried. "And I’m sorry, I’m so-" She pulled the gun from her thigh holster and pointed it towards her chin. "sorry!" Her eyes looked at Syd, the last face she would see and wanted to see as went out on her own terms, doing something for herself for the first time in her life. Pressing the gun under her chin, her eyes never left his as she pulled the trigger.
 
Savannah Was More Like Angel

Main cast: Sinead Callahan, Giovanni "Angel" Gambino, Savannah Gambino, Vinnie Romano, Gabriel Moretti, Peter Callahan, Emery Callahan, Ethan Turner, Steve Kelly.
Mentions: Lucy Porter, Syd Porter, Conor Sullivan, Adam Harper.

Chicago - Monday 30th May 1949

1643917519527.pngSinead was still in shock after the attack at Lucy's weeding to James. Angel, the father of her child, had led the attack which led to the bride and groom, along with Conor, being injured. Friends and employees in attendance had even been killed. Sinead had always tried to see good in Angel, but after learning he was the man who killed her own father and even now continued to hurt her family, how could she ever look past that? They'd been separated for some time and she hadn't told him he was going to be a father. It was better for her and her unborn child if Angel was not a part of their lives. Unfortunately, whilst the man was attacking her loved ones, he'd still jumped in to save Sinead from being hurt and in doing so, he couldn't miss the size of the tiny woman's stomach and the fact she was pregnant.

Sinead had to attend an appointment with the doctor, to make sure her baby hadn't been harmed during the stress and her fall during the attack. She hadn't expected to see him, but as she paced the waiting room, she was approached by Angel, who didn't hesitate to ask if it was his child she was expecting.

"Sinead, I love you. No matter what's happened or what anyone says, I cannot begin to describe how much you mean to me." A smile came to his face, although his glazed eyes suggested tears were imminent. "Under any other circumstance, I would've been overjoyed to see you're carrying my child. Ever since I fell in love, I've wanted nothing more than to start a family with you." He stepped closer to her, holding both of her hands in his. "You're my whole world and I'd give up anything to be with you." [Enzyme]

Seeing his smile and the possibility of tears from him, she placed her hand to his cheek and sent him a sympathetic look, perhaps even one of pity. She lowered her hand just in time for him to take both of her hands in his own. He told her he wanted to be with her, that he loved her and wanted to start a family with her. This was what she had dreamed of since she was a child. Perhaps not in the order things were happening, but she had always wanted to have her own family and with a man she loved. "You would give up anything?" she softly asked. Sinead placed both of Angel's hands on her belly, letting him feel the bump where their baby was growing. "I have only ever been with one man," she assured him. "This baby means the world to me. I have so much love to give this child and I intend to make sure they have the best life possible." She placed her hands on top of Angel's, letting him continue to process that was his baby she was carrying.

1643917506132.png"I would give up anything." He moved his hands from her stomach to the sides of her soft face. "I was confused before, but now it's never been more obvious." Everything else faded away as he stared into her eyes, the windows to his soul completely thrown open. "It was always you, Sinead. I've thrown myself into harms way for you and would do it a million times over." He knew he would leave everything behind at this point to be with her. He had found a woman he could truly give his heart to and she was now holding his child. There isn't much more a guy could ask for. [Enzyme]

Sinead listened to Angel's words and sighed as she processed them. He was telling her everything she wanted to hear from him and for a time she was almost drawn in. But when she looked into his eyes, all she could see was the pain and suffering he had caused. Her sister was in hospital and she wasn't even sure James would survive. Sinead bit her lip as she raised her hands and gently pulled Angel's hands down, away from her face.

"I asked you before to stop doing terrible things. I asked you to stop doing Vinnie's dirty work for him but you said you couldn't. I believed in you and I thought that one day you would choose me over that monster. I wanted Giovanni..." She took a deep breath, surprising herself with how well she was holding it together right now. "Throwing yourself into harms way to protect me doesn't count when you're saving me from the danger you created in the first place." Sinead shook her head as she placed her hand on his shoulder, both to keep some distance between them but also to touch the man she had loved. "I fell so deeply in love with you and you were so kind to me. You were so sweet and loving - I wanted to be with you forever. All the while, you murdered my daddy. You tortured my family. Just yesterday, you ruined what should have been the happiest day in my sister's life. David is dead. James might die. Lucy and Conor were rushed to hospital. All of that is because of you, Angel." Sinead's voice faltered as she forced her emotions back. "You are Angel. Giovanni is gone now... I'm so sorry, but you can't be in my life anymore. I don't even think you should be in our child's life, not after everything you have done." Sinead pulled her hand away from him and folded her arms in front of herself. "Goodbye, Angel."

*****
1643917559564.pngLater that evening, Angel had met with his boss, Vinnie Romano, where he proceeded to inform the man of the situation with Sinead and his unborn child. As they walked by the docks, Vinnie slowed his pace as Angel looked out onto the water and seemed overall emotionally affected by Sinead. He needed snapping out of his personal woe. "I don't doubt Sinead was different. I saw many months ago that she was not like her family," he agreed with the younger man. "When I told you to get close to her, I expected she would fall head over heels for your charm but I hadn't counted on you being taken in so deeply too." Vinnie sighed as Angel spoke about how he felt he'd had his chance with Sinead and the baby ripped away. "Angel, I don't think that is the life that you were ever intended to have. Some people simply aren't born to love and settle down. I care about you, which I hope you know by now, but did you ever really think you were meant for that kind of life - wife, children, mediocre job? You should stick to what you're good at and you're damn good at what you do. You had a little fun with Sinead, but now it's time to focus on your work." He cleared his throat. "Having said that. It's your damn kid and there is nothing stopping you from seeing it. The Sullivans might think they can stop you, but when have they ever succeeded in that?"





Chicago - Monday 25th July 1949

zoey-deutch-crying.gifIt had been three weeks since Sinead had finally been able to bring baby Savannah home from hospital, following her daughter's premature birth. It had also been three weeks since Angel took Lucy and James hostage, blaming them for turning Sinead against him and the fact he'd never see his child. Sinead had managed to talk Angel out of killing the Porters, appealing to the softer side she'd always tried desperately to believe existed. Angel let his hostages go, but as he appeared to surrender to the police, he raised his gun, prompting the cops to fire a barrage of bullets, killing him in an instant.

With his existing hatred for the Sullivans and then his anger at Angel's death, Vinnie wasn't prepared to let them get away with depriving Angel of his child. Sinead had gone out for a stroll with Lucy and their bodyguards, pushing Savannah in the pram as they made their way to the park. It was a bright and sunny day, but one Sinead would only ever remember as dark and horrific. Severely outnumbered, they were ambushed by armed gunmen. Nobody was killed, but Sinead may as well have had her heart ripped out, because the assailants abducted Savannah from her pram.

Not matter how much they looked or how far they spread their search, they couldn't find Savannah. The Romanos were the suspects, but none of them would ever reveal the truth. It was a secret they would soon go to their graves with, when Vinnie and his family were slaughtered by James and the Russians. When the Sullivans eventually moved to Dublin in 1950, leaving the Russians to take over in Chicago, Sinead couldn't join them. Along with her bodyguard, Peter, who she had been growing very close to, she moved to New York, where her Uncle Jack Sullivan ran things along with Liam and Arlene. Sinead lived in hope of finding her baby but wasn't rewarded for her faith.

Vinnie had been behind the abduction and one of his employees, Marco, keep Savannah hidden. When the Romanos were wiped out, the Italian man fled with the baby, settling in Miami where he would eventually pledge loyalty to the Morettis.

New York - Saturday 31st July 1971

c30b6ab935174425c9f963ffdf4ce140.jpgOver the years, Savannah had been trained by her adoptive family within the Italian Mafia. She was made to train until she was sick, leading to her eventually becoming proficient in armed and unarmed combat. With her related to the Sullivans, she was to be used as a weapon. For years she had been told lies, practically brainwashed, with the intention of her growing to despise the Sullivans - the Irish part of her lineage. All the while, she'd been told of how good a man Angel was - a man desperate to see his daughter but deprived. A man who was slaughtered by James Porter and Conor Sullivan, all on Sinead's request. Savannah learned to hate those names. Her own mother had supposedly been so cruel to have her father murdered. She wanted nothing more than to get revenge, but she was compliant with the Italians who had taken her in, and who assured her she would get her opportunity if she was patient.

Of course, after his brother was murdered by James Porter, Gabriel was determined to destroy the Irish Mob. His focus turned to Savannah, who he couldn't wait to use as his secret weapon. For two years, he took her under his wing, making sure she remained focused and maintained her hatred for the Irish. She proved a great asset, using her innocent and pretty looks to spy on many of his rivals without batting an eyelid.

July 1971 came along and it was finally Savannah's chance to begin watching those who had murdered her father suffer. Sinead, Lucy, and Syd had been snatched from outside a cafe by the East Harlem Crew. The intention was to cause as much stress and chaos fr the Irish Mob as they could, ready for the Morettis to finally make their presence known in New York. Gabriel took the opportunity to pay a discreet visit to New York, taking Savannah with him. The three Irish family members had been taken to the basement in some non-descript East Harlem base. From behind the two-way mirror, Gabriel and Savannah stood, watching on as her biological mother and aunt, and adopted cousin were taunted and tortured.

Savannah's eyes were firmly fixed on the redheaded woman who fearfully sobbed, clearly terrified by the ordeal. "That's your mother. The woman who had your father killed. The side of your family who not only wiped out the Romanos, but have now wiped out most of my family too," Gabriel reminded the young blonde woman. Seeing the usually stoic and collected Savannah flinch as Sinead cried out in pain after one of the thugs sliced her arm with a knife, Gabriel subtly shook his head. "Don't let her fool you now she's in a vulnerable position. She would never share any concern for you. No. One day I will let you see how much she misses you. You can watch her with her husband and kids - the people she replaced your father and you with."

Savannah nodded her had. "Good. I would like to kill all of them," Savannah coldly assured him. Having snapped out of her brief lack of distraction, she straightened her posture and watched on with interest as the three Irish Mob members continued to be tortured.


New York - Friday 18th February 1972

ghvvgh.jpgAlong with her jazz club, Sinead owned a music shop in New York. As she was getting her paperwork together ready to close the shop soon, she couldn't help but observe the young blonde woman who had her back to her as she appeared to be flicking through books of sheet music. Sinead subconsciously rested her hand on her stomach as she once again started to feel nauseous. She wasn't showing yet, but her fourth baby was due to be born in five months' time. As with when she was pregnant with Braden and Emery, her hormones seemed to make her long for her firstborn even more. It has been over two decades ago, but she always thought about her daughter. Where was she? What was she doing? What kind of life was she living? Was she even living at all...?

Sinead soon snapped out of her thoughts and perked up as her husband, Peter, and daughter, Emery entered the shop. "Hey, honey," she greeted Peter, giving him a hug and a kiss on the lips. When he asked how she was doing, Sinead pulled a frown. "This little one in here is making me feel sick today. Totally worth it, of course," she sweetly told him.

Savannah placed the book of sheet music back on the shelf, looking over her shoulder to see Sinead place her hand over her stomach, clearly pregnant with another child. Another replacement. "Does the bitch even think about me at all?!" Savannah thought to herself. Her eyes were then drawn to the piano as the younger redhead, Emery, began playing a familiar sounding melody. Clearly Emery - her half-sister, in fact - was into the arts. Some kind of spoiled show-off, no doubt. Savannah couldn't help but think how perfect everything was for the family - for the woman who killed her father and then cast her aside.

Before Sinead could ask Savannah if she needed any help, everyone's attention was drawn to the two men who stepped into the shop. As Steve locked the door from the inside, Ethan wasted no time in aiming his AR-15 at the Callahans. "You three. Down on your knees, right there!" he commanded them, pointing the the open space in front of the cash desk.

"Please..." Sinead began, not only worried about her family but also the young female customer. Her concern for the latter was soon washed away when Savannah stepped into view, holding a handgun of her own as she beckoned Emery to hurry up and kneel down between Sinead and Peter.

"We meet again, Mrs. Callahan," Ethan taunted the tearful woman as he reminded her of the torture she, Lucy and Syd had endured at his hands last summer. "Told you Mrs. Callahan was a stunner," Ethan told Steve, who stood alongside him with a bright, unsettling grin on his face.

"Alright boys, try focus, would you?" Savannah asked, lightly hitting Ethan's arm to get the point across. There was nothing fun about this and she certainly wasn't about to listen to them perving over her biological mother. With Ethan's gun trained on Peter and Steve's on Emery, Savannah crouched down to get a closer look at Sinead's face. "Do you even recognise me at all?" she calmly asked her mother, maintaining a level of eye-contact that Sinead clearly found unsettling. "I'm the daughter you abandoned. The one whose father you had murdered before he ever had chance to know me. Did you ever think about me again? About Savannah?" she bitterly hissed. Sinead turned to Peter and Emery, almost wanting clarification that she wasn't hearing things. Their worried and confused expressions made it clear she'd heard the blonde woman right. "LOOK AT ME!" Savannah snapped, forcing Sinead to quickly turn back to face her, not wanting to do anything that could lead to Peter or Emery getting hurt.

savvvvv.jpg"Savannah?!" Sinead asked, clearly stunned by her words. She quickly shook her head, not believing it could be her. When she looked hard enough, she could see it. That familiar resemblance. Those eyes. The features and tiny birthmark on her forehead reminding her of the baby who had been so cruelly snatched away from her. "Is it really you?!" Sinead asked, more tears breaking through and streaming down her face as she choked up at the thought.

Savannah slapped Sinead across the face as she send her an intense, cold stare. "This isn't a fucking reunion. This is revenge for what you did. You had my father killed and you dumped me on some Italian's doorstep when you decided you couldn't bear to look at me. So I'm going to repay you in kind. You're pregnant, aren't you?" she asked, raising a curious eyebrow. "So how about I go right ahead and put a bullet in your husband here. Make sure your next baby is born never knowing their daddy."

"Leave them alone!" Emery snapped but stopped as Steve inched his gun closer to her.

"You're wrong! Whoever told you I abandoned you and that I had your father killed was lying," Sinead desperately pleaded with her. "Your father worked for the Romanos. They tortured and killed people I loved. Your father murdered my own dad in front of my eyes. You ask anyone in my family what happened and they'll tell you the same. You go asked the cops in Chicago how Angel died. That he raised a gun to them and the cops shot back. He was killed by the police after he took my sister and brother-in-law hostage. And you... You were snatched from in front of me. My sister and I were ambushed by some gunmen and they took you from me. I searched for everywhere for you. I never stopped searching for and thinking of you."

"Clearly didn't look hard enough," Ethan remarked.

"Shut up!" Savannah snapped at Ethan. She the stared back at Sinead. "And don't you spew out these damn lies to me. You never gave me a second thought. You and your perfect little family. Maybe I ought to snatch them all away from you," she said, glancing to Peter and Emery. "Let you know how it feels to be alone, with no family who cared about me."

"These people lying to you are just trying to hurt my family. They don't care about you, only about taking more business. Please, you have to believe me," Sinead cried, clasping her hands together as she desperately pleaded with her. "I loved you the moment I knew I was pregnant and I would never in a million years have abandoned you. That picture on the wall behind me. That's me holding you. Why would I have photographs of you everywhere if I never wanted you. I'm begging you. Please, just give me chance to prove it to you. Let me tell you the truth...

Savannah's eyes fixed on her mother's as the terrified woman pleaded with her. Over the years, she'd stood in on and even assisted with interrogations. She'd watched people beg for their lives and plead their innocence. She believed by now that she knew how to read people. The woman pleading with her now - her mother - seemed to be telling the truth. Savannah couldn't help but feel compelled to believe her, but she knew she couldn't back down now. Not with two bloodthirsty men waiting for her cue to act.

"Sav, don't be listening to that shit. Kill this prick now, or I will!" Ethan warned her, aiming his gun at Peter. Savannah took a deep breath to maintain her composure and she slowly stood back up. She had worked alongside Ethan and Steve for some time now, and for the most part they worked well together, but she did not appreciate them commanding her. The Morettis were her employers - Gabriel her mentor. Gabriel, a man who so desperately wanted revenge against the Irish Mob. A man who would do anything, no matter what. Perhaps even train her to destroy the Irish family from the inside? Savannah gripped her gun, for once struggling to decide how to proceed.

Before anyone could act, a loud crashing sound was heard as the shop door was kicked in and a group of armed Sullivans burst into the shop. Sinead screamed out in shock as the shop was engulfed into chaos, with the loud sounds of bullets exploding around her. When all fell silent, Sinead opened her eyes to see both Peter and Emery were okay. Ethan and Steve was sprawled out dead on the floor with their own blood pooling around them. By her feet, Savannah was crouched over, clutching at her waist where a bullet had ripped through. "Muuuum--" Savannah spluttered as she looked her mother in the eyes. The young blonde could sense the gun trained on her from behind. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she anticipated her final moments before the trigger was pulled.

"No. Wait!" Sinead called out, willing Adam not to shoot her daughter. Savannah had already dropped her own gun, which Sinead reached out the retrieve, before safely handing to Peter. "Don't shoot my daughter, please. We have to help her!" After looking to Peter and his teammates in confusion, Adam reluctantly lowered his gun. Sinead moved closer to Savannah, trying to see how severe the gunshot wound was, whilst not letting the sight of so much blood make her throw up. "Get Finn, please. We can help her. Let me help her," she desperately asked. Ever the hopeful idealist, Sinead wanted to believe that she could find her daughter somewhere beneath the years of lies and brainwashing.
 
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Darcey Marries Bruce

Summer 1951

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Carousels had always been Darcey’s favorite attraction. How someone had the mind and skill to produce something so simple yet so complex was always awe-inspiring. The way the machinery rotated and the animals bobbed up and down together at different times grabbed her attention. And don’t even get her started on how beautifully detailed the carousel animals were. Each one gold but painted with different colored accessories to make them stand out. It caught her eyes at every festival and this one was no different.

Darcey linked her arm with Laura’s, the two girls laughing at nothing in particular. It was the summer and the two of them had decided to dress for the weather - Laura in a flowing dress and Darcey in shorts and a spaghetti-strapped shirt. Bruce and Trevor had been trailing behind them with smiles on their faces. Despite the two of them not ever really being able to get along, whenever they were around the two women they were able to set their differences aside to make sure they enjoyed their time out. Both Darcey and Laura were always keen to give the two men an earful when they ruined outings and it was the last thing the two men wanted to hear on such a positive day. They were finally attending the nearly year-long festival that had been sat near the Thames in Southbank, London. It had been the biggest festival the four of them had ever visited and they were determined to make memories while they still could.

The girls had stopped at an ice cream stand, peering over the open cart at the different flavors being presented to them. "Oh, strawberry sounds divine!" Laura stated, watching as the man reached down to scoop it onto a cone. "I say chocolate is even better," Darcey replied. Once Laura had her cone in hand the man went for Darcey's. The younger girl was already working on her ice cream by the time Bruce approached the man to pay. "All this sugar's going to make your teeth rot," he stated shaking his head. This had been their fourth sweets stop in as little as thirty minutes. Before it had been cotton candy, lollipops, and a candy apple. "Does ice cream even really count? It's not candy," Laura stated matter-of-factly as they started moving again. "It's still full of sugar." Darcey rolled her eyes, licking the already dripping ice cream from her hand before it got sticky. "Oh, you're such a bore! There's nothing wrong with a sugar binge every once and again. Maybe if you had some you'd have more fun." Darcey then stuck out her cone for him, beckoning him to taste it before nodding her head towards Laura - who had been apparently offering Trevor her ice cream as well. "See? Just like that." Bruce then sighed, looking between Darcey and the ice cream before giving in and leaning forwards to taste it. "Happy?" He said, mouth full of the frozen treat. With a playful grin on her face, she nodded. "Ecstatic!"

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Darcey and Bruce had been dating for quite some time now and he was in love with her even before then. He'd known for years that she was the woman he wanted to marry but he could never find the courage. During one particular night they spent under the stars he'd asked her what sort of future she saw for herself. She smiled and told him she wanted to show the world that women were just as powerful as men - maybe even more so. Darcey had been headstrong and would work towards her goals by any means necessary - and it was with that realization that he knew he couldn't propose to her. To make her a wife and a mother meant to take away her dream and he couldn't do that to her and wouldn't. He loved her too much to destroy the future she'd envisioned. So, he settled to have her in any way he could for as long as he could.

"Bruce," Darcey shouted, "Look!" Bruce blinked a few times before looking up to see what Darcey was pointing at. A smile quickly spread across his face the moment his brain registered what he was seeing. A carousel in all its splendor and glory. Laura and Trevor had wandered off somewhere - no doubt doing something risque. Though he didn't care for Trevor too much he knew he would more than likely stick around to make sure his sister didn't get hurt. He allowed himself to move forward with his hands on his hips until he was standing next to Darcey. There was a childlike grin on her face and when she looked at him, his eyes lit up. Seeing her so happy made his heart skip a beat and he subconsciously placed his hand over it as if telling it to slow down. "Will you hold this for me?" She was handing him her ice cream and before he even had a chance to get ready to hold it she let go. Whilst he fumbled - an inevitably - dropped the cone, Darcey ran to the nearest unicorn and made her way on top.

The ride was already in motion, the music blaring over the speakers and the lights flashing. Darcey wrapped her hands around the pole to keep her balance as the ride rotated around. Every time she saw Bruce she would wave to him in excitement and he would wave back with a smile. After the fifth rotation, Darcey finally hopped off and ran to him - stumbling and working to gain back her equilibrium. Bruce caught her just as she was about to tip over from the dizziness and she laughed, causing him to chuckle. "Where would I be without you?" She asked, holding on to his arms. "On the ground, I imagine." Once she was steady again she threw herself into his arms catching him off-guard. Her arms wrapped around his neck and his around her waist. For a moment she said nothing and just looked into his eyes until Bruce grew sheepish. His face turned red and he cleared his throat. "W-Why are you staring at me-," she kissed him midsentence and Bruce faltered as she pulled back. "Ask me to marry you," she said with a dreamy smile. Bruce just stared at her in confusion and shock, surprised at her words and her demand. "Wha- I- I don't have a ring, Darcey." Was the only thing he could manage. "Who cares? Just ask me."

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Bruce tried to figure out what was going on in her head and where the sudden demand came from. When he realized it was a lost cause he just shook his head. "You mad woman, I-," as much as he wanted to do so, he thought back to that night and gave her a sad smile. "Darling, I can't." The moment Darcey heard those words her smile slowly faded and turned into a frown. "What do you mean you can't? It's just four simple words. Will. You. Marry. Me." She slowly said each word as if showing him how easy they were. "I know how to say them it's just I can't ask you that." Darcey could hear the words coming out of his mouth and even saw the saddened look on his face, but she was still confused. She thought things were going well and that he loved her just as much as she loved him so why wasn't he asking her to marry him? Why was he acting so weird? Darcey dropped her arms and took a step back looking off to the side. She was hurt and it showed all over her face - Bruce being the only person she gave permission to see her emotions. He picked up on this and shook his head.

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"Darce, it's not that I don't want to-," she turned to him, cutting him off again and snapping. "Then why? Why won't you ask me? Are you afraid or something? Or do you just not think I'm a marriable woman?!" Bruce tried to get a word in but she wouldn't let him until he eventually grabbed her by the shoulders. "Because you're a free spirit! You have goals and aspirations and when you set out to do something you give it your all. If I asked you to marry me you'd forget about those dreams because you've given us and our future family your all. And I can't do that to you. I'd rather watch you on the sidelines and cheer you on than watch the light dwindle from your eyes." His thumbs rubbed her shoulders as he took a heavy sigh, watching her face grow soft. She closed her eyes and put her hand on her hip, shaking her head. "Oh, Bruce," she started before it slowly turned into laughter. "Is this about that night? It is, isn't it? You fool," she held her sides as Bruce crossed his arms in confusion. When she'd settled down she looked up at him. "I love you, right? And you love me. So long as that remains the truth I can do anything. WE can do anything."

Bruce then smiled at her and chuckled. That determination, that strong will of hers was the reason he imagined a life with her. Someone, as driven as he was, is what he needed in his life and Darcey was perfect for it. "Now," she said, pushing her hair from in front of her face. "Let's try this again." With a shake of his head, he grabbed her hands in his and kissed them. "Darcey Winona Hargraves, will you marry me?" Darcey took a moment to pretend to think about it. "Mmmm... No." Bruce stared at her, eyes wide and mouth open, and watched as she backed away from him. "What do you mean no?" With a shrug, Darcey placed her arms behind her back. "You don't even have a ring!"

***​

Fall 1959
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"Amelia! Bring me your ribbon so I can finish your hair!" Shouted Darcey. She was standing in the corridor of her home, putting on one of her dangly earrings in the mirror. In a few minutes, she and her family would be leaving for dinner. Tonight was special as it was her anniversary and though she would love to only have dinner with her husband, a surprise party was being thrown for them instead. Or rather, something. Laura had accidentally spilled the beans and asked Darcey not to tell Bruce and pretend to be surprised when the time came. Darcey agreed and was then given the task of getting her entire family out of the house for dinner. A few times she thought Bruce had figured her out, but thankfully he hadn't. "Richard, you have thirty seconds to have your shoes on your feet and be in front of me, mister. And Clara-," she started, only to be interrupted by her husband.

He was holding their youngest in his arms while his bowtie remained untied and laid across his collar. "What about Clara?" He asked, a smile on his face. Darcey returned it in kind before softly rubbing her hair down the girl's head. "Clara, tell your father he needs to finish up before we're late." The young girl just giggled and turned to Bruce, confirming he heard what her mother had just said. Bruce grinned and nodded his head as if it were his young daughter who had told him what to do. "Yes ma'am, I shall." Once he placed Clara on the ground he looked to Darcey and gestured to the tie. She playfully rolled her eyes and set about doing it up for him. "You have two hands and can do this on your own, you know," she teased. "Oh, but it looks even better when you do it for me, love." Darcey looked up and playfully glared at him before finishing up. She gave him a pat on the shoulder once she was finished to move him out of her way.

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"Why don't we stay in tonight?" He asked, leaning against the table that sat against the wall. "We can have dinner here. Just the five of us." Darcey called for Amelia again, who finally appeared with a yellow ribbon in her hand. "I couldn't choose," she told her before turning around to let Darcey do her hair. Darcey set out to tie the ribbon in the girl's hair before responding to Bruce. "Darling, we already made the reservations and the children are already dressed. We've gone through all the trouble already so we're going." She was hoping the assertiveness of her voice would be enough to deter him from wanting to stay home. Laura had worked tirelessly to get this surprise party ready for them and she wasn't going to just abandon the idea altogether. Bruce opened his mouth again, only to be interrupted when his son walked into the room.

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"Shoes are on!" He shouted, saluting his mother with a smile. Darcey glared at him, knowing full-well the running joke and reason behind his salute. Bruce, however, was tickled by it and let out a chuckle, earning him a glare as well. He cleared his throat and turned to him. "You know your mother hates that, boy, knock it off." Though his words sounded stern, he had secretly winked at him before turning to Darcey once more. "Alright, you have a point." He walked over to her, placed his hands on her hips, and planted a soft kiss on her lips. This earned an, "Ewww," from all three of their children. "Can we at least have dessert at home together? Just you and I?" He whispered. Darcey couldn't help but smile at his question before returning the kiss. "Dessert is the reason we've got three of these," she stated, darting her eyes to her children. "What's one more?" Bruce playfully asked, only to have Darcey push him away. "Okay! Children, grab your coats. It's raining!"

Once their children had been strapped into the car Bruce began their journey towards the restaurant. With one hand on the steering wheel, he used his other to grab hold of Darcey's hand to bring to her lips. Darcey smiled and looked at him, the windshield wipers squeaking in the background. "What's this?" She asked, to which he responded, "Eight years." Darcey chuckled and shook her head. "Feels like a lifetime, at this point." If she were to be honest, they had basically been together for a lifetime. Ever since they both lost their parents in the war they had each other. "Has it been everything you wanted it to be? Have you achieved enough?"

The question made Darcey pause to think. Back then, she wasn't sure exactly what she wanted to achieve. Power, status, money. Technically, she had it but it was all through Bruce. She wanted something of her own - something she could build from the ground up. But when she glanced behind her she realized that she had built something. The three children sitting in the back seat had been something greater than she ever could have imagined. Being able to watch them grow up and start their own families was perhaps better than anything she could have ever thought of for herself. From his peripheral vision, he could see her smiling back at their children and was happy he'd let her talk him into proposing to her that day. The past 8 years they had spent building their family was more than he could ever ask for.

And in a split second and a bright flash of light, it was all taken from him.
 
What if May was Darcey’s secret daughter?

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The subconscious is such a funny thing to have. When you’re asleep it sends you subliminal messages about what you’re truly feeling and when you’re awake it nags at you until acknowledged. Most people can push away those thoughts and calm them down for years while others can’t until something was done about them. Darcey, however, was one of those people who could ignore it for years. In fact, for the past 20+ years, she’d managed to bury something so deep that it could ruin the life she’d built for herself. There were often times when she thought about her biggest misdeed but then came to terms with it being the right thing to do. Not only for herself but for the parties involved. And it wasn’t an easy decision, either, and she’d thought about it for an entire year before making her decision. Though it broke her heart and kept her awake at night in the beginning, she knew that this course of action was the proper one. Otherwise, things would change and she was sure it’d be for the worst.

A shop bell rang as Darcey pushed against the door, alerting those working in the cafe they had a customer. She was greeted promptly and she responded in kind before finding herself a seat by the window. A few seconds after she’d gotten herself settled, a waiter walked over and asked for her order. Since it was hot out she opted for a lemonade along with a cinnamon roll. She’d had a sweet tooth lately and was more than determined to get her fill. Once he’d disappeared again she looked out the window, her hands shaking. Today was the day she finally shut up that nagging voice in the back of her mind. She was nervous - anxious about how things would go when she told the truth.

That she and Bruce shared a child and that child worked at the nightclub.

The only reason she knew that the daughter she’d given up over 20 years ago worked there was that she’d told her. Amelia - or rather May, the name she went by - had found out she was her mother a while ago. Working at the nightclub was her way to get close and learn more about the woman before approaching her. Or at least, that’s what May told herself. The truth of the matter was that she was far too nervous to say anything. How does one go up to the mother they’d never known? “Hey, I’m the kid you gave away. Nice to meet you,” just didn’t seem to cut it. There was also the added pressure of messing up the life Darcey had created for herself. There was one such night when May had seen the woman with what she’d heard had been her family; Bruce King. Spencer King and his wife, Shona. Alex King and Billy King and Harper King. To May, it looked like she had long since moved on from her, causing her to rethink her decision.

The deciding factor behind her approaching Darcey and telling her the truth had been on a night the two of them shared a drink. Darcey had only meant to pop in for a quick shot before heading home, but after noticing May looking a little down ended up staying the entire night. It was a night May didn’t have to work until closing - allowing the two women to chat in the VIP section after the girl’s shift had ended.

“You didn’t have to do this,” May told her, fidgeting with her fingers at the table. It was too weird to look Darcey in the eyes knowing what she knew.

“I’m aware,” Darcey started, leaning back in her seat, “I don’t do things I don’t want to do.” She said matter-of-factly.

The corner of May’s mouth twitched before she nodded her head in understanding. “Then,” she said, forcing herself to look up at her. May would be lying if she said she didn’t see the similarities in their features - piercing eyes. Narrow nose. It caused the words to get caught in her throat until she coughed them out. “Why did you?”


For a moment Darcey couldn’t answer. Why did she feel so drawn to this young woman? Why had she felt the need to comfort her when she looked down? To hide her confusion, she shrugged her shoulders. “You remind me of my niece,” she said simply in reference to Harper. It wasn’t a complete lie, mind you, but it also wasn’t the entire truth. “And normally when she’s not her spitfire self something’s wrong. And you aren’t your spitfire self today.”

Something about knowing how much attention Darcey had paid to her made her want to cry. Is this the sort of mother she could’ve had growing up? Someone to notice when something is wrong with you in a split second? Not to say her foster parents weren’t great - they were. But, they weren’t as great as Darcey seemed to be.

“I’m just distracted,” May said, biting her lip. She started fidgeting again, eliciting a ‘Tsk’ sound from Darcey.

“What’s got you so nervous today, hm? Are you in some sort of trouble?” She asked seriously.
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May quickly shook her head to ease the worrying. “No! No, nothing like that. I just. I have a bit of a dilemma.” She looked away again, though this time towards the crowd of people on the dance floor.

“Well, go on. What is it?” The demand was clear in Darcey’s voice as she raised her glass and drank from it.

“What’s what?” May slowly turned her head to face her once more, pretending to have not been paying attention. Luckily for her, Darcey hadn’t picked up on the deceit and instead shook her head.

“The dilemma. Maybe I can help.” Darcey was so sure, May thought but didn’t even know she was the dilemma. How would this change their lives, May wondered. Would it even matter to know Darcey as her mother now? Did Darcey even want to know her? All these questions swirled in her head and were making her sweat.

“Um,” she started, swallowing the lump in her throat. “It’s- As you know, I’m adopted.” May was avoiding Darcey’s eye as she tried to explain, forcing herself through the words. “I found my birth mom.”

Darcey’s eyes lit up in response, a smile growing on her face. “That’s fuckin’ amazing! How’d you pull it off?”

Seeing the excitement in her voice and eyes only caused May to grow a bit more confident in the news she was about to share. “Oh, well, your guys’ PI, Christian. He comes ‘round sometimes and we talk and he offered to help me out.” Granted, Christian only confirmed what she already knew. Having another PI double-check was good for her - plus, it gave her a reason to see him.

It was the first time she’d heard about the two of them spending time together and Darcey raised a curious brow. “You’ll have to tell me about that afterward,” she teased. “Now, is the dilemma whether or not you should speak to her?”

May just nodded.

“And? What, you’re afraid?”

Another nod.

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“If my experience with this shitty thing we call life has taught me anything it’s that it’s too short. You shouldn’t be afraid of anything because it’ll hold you back from everything.”

May let her words sit within her for a moment, using them to summon up the courage for her response. She was right. Whatever happens, happens and she shouldn’t be afraid of it. If Darcey accepted her, amazing. If not, then she could at least go home and say that she tried. Her heart would be broken and her world shattered but over time it would heal and put itself back together.

“You’re right,” she said, leg bouncing under the table and heart beating so fast she couldn’t breathe. She locked eyes with Darcey and forced herself to spit it out. “Darcey, you’re my mother.”




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The sound of the bell brought Darcey’s mind back to the present. In walked Bruce, a serious look on his face as he looked around. It wasn’t until he lay eyes on Darcey that the expression changed to one of both relief and happiness. Darcey waited until he was a few feet away before she stood up to greet him with a hug and a kiss on his cheek. With his arms wrapped around her waist, he hugged her close.

“Did you already order?” He asked, making his way to where she was sitting.

“I did, but you can just add your order to mine. My treat,” she said before sitting across from him. It was the least she could do, she thought, considering the conversation they were about to have. The waiter returned for Bruce’s order and he asked for whatever Darcey had ordered - Darcey waiting until it was too late to tell him what it was.

“Cheeky,” he said, placing his elbows on the table.

“Should’ve asked first. You know I’ll get you to eat sweets any chance I get; you’re truly missing out.”

Bruce shook his head. “I can guarantee you I’m not.” He watched on as Darcey playfully rolled her eyes at him before changing the subject. “Now. You’ve asked me on this little date. And while I’m always keen to spend time with you, Darce, you sounded different. What’s going on?”

Darcey feigned offense, placing a hand over her heart. “I can’t ask my oldest friend- my dearest friend out for a light snack?” She was trying to delay the conversation until after they got their drinks and food. Darcey didn’t want to be interrupted when she explained everything.

“You can,” Bruce said, still skeptical. “It’s just not like you.”

“Perhaps I wanted to try something new.” She shrugged her shoulders as Bruce shook his head, a chuckle leaving his throat. At this point, he should be used to Darcey’s crazy shenanigans anyway. Before he could make yet another comment the waiter returned with both the lemonade and the cinnamon rolls. Bruce’s eyes grew wide at the size, looking up from his plate. “Darce-,”

“You should have asked, Bruce, you never ask before you say you want the same as me.” Darcey interrupted, immediately going for her lemonade. Her mouth was growing dry with anticipation and though she was still giving out playful answers and quips, she was nervous.

Though she was ready to start talking about why she brought him there a few seconds ago, she waited until they were both halfway done with their cinnamon rolls. In case this was their last time talking or going out, she wanted the last few minutes to be memorable. If this turned out to be the worst day of her life, at least she would have this moment to remember.

“Alright Darce, I’ve eaten what feels like a pound of sugar and cinnamon for you. Will you tell me what’s going on?”

Darcey chuckled and shook her head. “Don’t act like you didn’t enjoy it.” She paused, watching as the smile on Bruce’s face grew. “Fine.” Darcey placed her arms on the table, moving her plate out of the way. Clearing her throat, she started. “I’ve had something I wanted to tell you for so long- should have told you for so long.” Bruce’s eyebrows furrowed at the way her voice wavered, but he didn’t interrupt. “Do you… Do you remember that night? When we were looking at the stars?”


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The night in question had been a few days before he made things official with Olga. It was Darcey’s birthday and she, Bruce, Laura, and Trevor had all gone out to celebrate. Olga had drunk a bit too much with Darcey deciding it was time for them all to go home.

“What?! No! It’s your birthday!” Laura said, hanging on to Darcey’s arm. Bruce had been holding Olga up, the latter shaking her head and slurring her words.

“Yeah! Birthday! Stay longer.”

“But Olga’s going to be sick as a horse! I’ve partied enough, let’s go home.” Darcey made a move, only to be held back by Olga.

“Can’t let you! Trevor and Laura will take me home. You and Brucey stay.”

Both Bruce and Darcey looked at each other before trying to decline her offer.

“I can’t just leave you-,”

“Brucey! Darce is best friend. Can’t leave her alone on birthday!” She giggled, continuing to slur her words before tearing herself away from him and standing between Trevor and Laura. The two of them didn’t protest the idea and it wasn’t long before the three were climbing into the back of the taxi.

Watching as the car disappeared into the night, Darcey turned to Bruce. There was a worried look on his face and Darcey could tell he was worried about Olga. “Hey. We can wait for thirty minutes and then go home. She’ll be asleep by then so she won’t even know we didn’t actually stay out,” she said, placing her hand on his arm. Bruce covered her hand with his own before looking down at her, nodding his head. “Yeah. In the meantime, what would you like to do?” He begrudgingly gestured towards the club. Darcey noticed the reluctance and shook her head laughing.

“I think I’m all clubbed out,” she said. “However, the stars are in full bloom tonight! You know that hill overlooking the ravine? The stars look amazing there!”

“Hill overlooking the ravine it is.”

It didn’t take long for them to arrive at the clearing in the forest. No one else was around, which was perfect. It meant things would be quiet and Darcey could watch the stars in peace. While Darcey got out of Bruce’s car, Bruce remained inside checking his watch. Ten minutes had passed which meant they only had twenty minutes left before they had to leave. Knowing Darcey, however, she might be too reluctant to leave. Darcey climbing onto the hood to lay down startled Bruce as he quickly got out. “Darce! Isn’t the hood hot?!” The concern was clear in his voice, causing her to laugh.

“My dress is long enough to protect my legs and even still, the hood is not that hot. Quit worrying so much and come over here.”

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Letting out the breath he was holding, Bruce shook his head and decided to join her side. The two of them were laying on their backs looking up, a few feet of space between the two of them. The sky was illuminated by the full moon along with the stars that dotted the sky. It was always a sight to see, Darcey thought, and so-

“Beautiful.”

Unbeknownst to Darcey Bruce had been staring at her for some time. The words slipped out of his mouth and when he realized it his face turned red. “The stars. Aren’t they?” He said, trying to recover.

Darcey just stared at him with a soft smile on her face. “I’m not the stars, though, am I?”

Bruce gave her a half-grin, shrugging his shoulders. “You may not be but you do shine like them. Maybe even brighter.”

Despite how serious Bruce may have been Darcey immediately erupted in raucous laughter. “Bruce! Why would you say something like that?”

“Because it’s the truth.”

“You think I’m shiny like the stars?”

“Brighter.”

“What the hell does that even mean?”

Bruce propped himself up sideways, resting on his elbow as he looked down at Darcey. “It means that even in my darkest days I know I can count on you to be my light.”

“But why can’t I be the moon? The moon is nice.”

“Because eventually there will be a time when the moon isn’t in the sky. But stars? They’re always there just like I know you’ll be,” he whispered.

In the time they’d been talking Bruce forgot about the thirty-minute agreement they’d made. The two of them had been so into the conversations they were having that neither had realized they were now only inches away from each other.

“How can you be so sure?” She asked, glancing from his lips to his eyes.

“Well, you’ve been here for this long.”

The two of them locked eyes and for the first time in a while, Darcey’s heart tried to leap from her chest. Every bit of her brain was telling her it was bad - consider Olga, consider what would happen - but she opted not to listen. Instead, she listened to her heart - something she’d been ignoring for years.

It was Darcey who made the move to kiss Bruce on the hood of his car; to initiate him pulling her closer into him and returning her kiss. However, it was Bruce who made the move that ended up with two of them back in the front seat - this time with Darcey laying on Bruce’s chest and the windows fogged up. Though it was something magical the two of them shared and would cherish forever, both of them felt guilty. What about Olga?

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Bruce and Olga weren’t exactly exclusive, but Darcey knew what his intentions were when it came to her. She also knew Olga was the better woman for him. She was an angel and loved and cared for him, along with her desire to have children. Darcey felt selfish for kissing him and causing all of this to happen, which is why she could no longer bask in their post-coital bliss.

She sat up and buried her face in her hands, shaking her head. Bruce followed suit and looked at her. “Darcey? Are you alright?”

“Oh, I made a mistake. I should’ve never let this happen,” she said, voice breaking.

“A mis- Darcey, no it wasn’t. It was a conscious decision by two consenting adults.”

“It was too! What about Olga, Bruce? She’s into you and thinks you’re going to ask her to be your girlfriend soon!”

“I- well,” Bruce let out a heavy sigh, “Olga… Isn’t the one I want to be with - you are.”

“Bruce. Don’t. You know-,”

“You don’t want kids. I know, and that’s okay.” He leaned forward to cup her face in his hands. “As long as we’re together, that’s okay.”

For a moment, Darcey considered it. But as the life she wished she could have with Bruce flashed in her mind she could only see a man unhappy with the decision he had made. She pushed his hands away, sliding back until she was pressed against the passenger window.

“I won’t let you make such a big sacrifice.”

“It’s a compro-,”

“No! A compromise is me making you eat a little bit of sugar instead of a lot. This would be you giving up something that would make you happy, Bruce. I told you. I’m not going to change my mind; I don’t want kids.”

A silence hung in the air as Bruce settled on her words. The tone of voice, the serious look in her eyes. Even the lack of her tells told him she had made up her mind and wasn’t lying. Getting her to change it was futile and would only end up causing her to resent him. For the first time in years Bruce had finally accepted that though he and Darcey loved each other, they would never be together.



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Back in the present, Bruce’s brows furrowed at the thought of such an unfortunate memory. That was the night everything had changed. “I do. Why are you bringing that up?”

Darcey was fidgeting - something she never did. Bruce noticed this and was starting to worry. He placed Darcey’s hands in his and beckoned her to open up to him. He knew it was hard for her to do even though they’d been friends for so many years, but he really needed her to. She was stressing him out.

“You got married, what, three months later?”

Bruce nodded to confirm, wondering where she was going with it.

“And I left after - for a year.”

“You’re scaring me Darce.”

“I don’t mean to, it's just,” she paused, feeling her throat go sore and tears begin to fall from her eyes. “I did something terrible and I need to know you won’t hate me for it.”

Now filled with worry and curiosity, anxiety and anticipation, Bruce just stared at her - bringing her hands closer. “You know I could never hate you.”

Slowly nodding her head, she let out a dry chuckle. “Holding you to that… Um. Well, the reason I left is because I… Was pregnant.”

The words were shocking to hear. He didn’t know what he was preparing for, but a statement as such was not it. Bruce didn’t know how to react or even what to say and it didn’t help that she wasn’t done talking.

“And for a while, after I needed to decide what to do. I knew if I kept her over time I would grow to resent her and- and blame her for things. I knew that I would be a horrible mother. And not only that but you were married to Olga and were about to start a family and I couldn’t ruin that so I- I gave her up. To a really lovely family, Bruce, and they raised her quite well.”

The moment she’d mentioned not wanting to ruin things between him and Olga everything clicked. “Darcey,” he started, slowly releasing her hands. “Are you sayin’ the baby you gave up,” his voice cracked, “Was… Ours?”

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The way Bruce seemed to retreat into himself and away from her made Darcey feel sick. She didn’t think he was going to respond this way, but then again she didn’t know how he would respond. Yell at her. Stay silent. Be in disbelief. Anything was better than what was happening now. Bruce was staring at her, trying to find out if he was hearing things correctly; that Darcey had gotten pregnant, given the child up, and that it was his. Things he had no idea about. Things she had kept from him.

“Bruce, talk to me,” Darcey said, tears streaming down her face. She thought she would feel a million times lighter after she’d told the truth but she hadn’t. Sitting across from Bruce and watching him try to figure things out in his head, made her feel a million times heavier.

“I had a right to know,” he finally said, balling his hands up into fists. “You shouldn’t have kept that from me, Winona.”

Winona.

Her heart shattered and she wondered if he could hear it. Bruce had only ever called her by her middle name when he was truly upset with her. It only happened once before and even back then it hurt to hear. She was always ‘Darce’ or ‘Darcey’ or ‘my love’ and now? Now it was Winona. She knew better than to think things would be the same after this, but she didn’t think it would be like this.

“I know. And it ate at me for decades, Bruce, and I wanted to tell you I just-,” she shrugged, looking at her hands as if they had the words she needed to say. “You were so happy. And you deserved to be happy - with Olga. And Amelia. She deserved to be with a mother that would choose her without a second thought and I- I couldn’t do that. I know I couldn’t.”

“That’s a lie,” Bruce growled, keeping his voice down. “Look at the way you handled the boys and Harper. You would’ve been a great mother but you couldn’t get out of your own way.” From the sound of his voice, Darcey figured Bruce had thought about it before and was now showing his anger at her. Bruce loved Olga with every fiber of his being but these days he couldn’t help but think about what could’ve been with Darcey.

Darcey shook her head in response, not wanting to have this conversation again. “It doesn’t matter. What’s done is done. What does matter, Bruce, is that she’s here. She’s in London.” Knowing that the daughter he didn’t know he had was around and that Darcey had spoken with her softened Bruce up. It wasn’t by much, but it was enough for Darcey to be able to wipe away the tears. Luckily, the waiter came back to their table to clear it, giving both Darcey and Bruce a break before their conversation resumed. A lot of emotions were swirling around; more than either one of them had dealt with before.

“So you’ve spoken to her then,” he said, crossing his arms. “When? Who is she?”

“She only told me a week ago and we’ve been getting to know each other. I wanted to wait until things calmed down a bit before I brought it up to you.” She paused for a moment, the bell ringing in her ears. Right on time, May walked through the doors with a nervous expression on her face. Darcey glanced at her and back to Bruce once he’d reiterated his question.

“Darcey, who is she?” Once more Darcey made eye contact with May as the young girl walked over to their table. Bruce watched as Darcey got up from her seat to both greet and hug May - a curious look on his face. He’d seen the young woman at their nightclub, but surely she couldn’t be-

“Bruce,” Darcey started, her hands on May’s shoulders. “This is Amelia- or, rather. May,” she softly smiled at her before biting her lip.

“Our daughter.”
 

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