Realistic or Modern The City: 1990s Gangs - IC Thread

[Bellz]

Donovan Residence
~ Gran Canaria, Spain ~

Finn Sullivan
(Hugh Donovan) ​

" Now before we leave are you sure there isn’t anything else we can assist you with?" Finn asked the small child who had called for an ambulance and the fire brigade, over a scraped knee after falling down some stairs while heading out to play in the wonderful weather. Much to her mother’s dismay, she had been too late to cancel the call and when Finn, or Hugh as he was known in Spain responded like he would any normal call, she had been surprised. The little boy shook his head, pacified now that he had a bandage on his knee and a piece of candy that his fellow paramedic had given him. Looking at his mother, Finn smiled as she apologized again, "No need, ma’am, all part of the job, big or small, we love doing what we do. Now remember kiddo, take those stairs one step at a time, okay? And if anything changes, don’t hesitate to call us again. Thank you for being such a good patient!" The boy smiled widely at him, saying thank you and Finn nodded, "You’re welcome! Stay safe, both of you." With that, he hopped into the small truck that had been the only thing left behind after the call had proven to be just a minor one. At 67 years old, Finn hadn’t really thought he’d still be working, nor had he thought his entire family would have been scattered across the map essentially due to Interpol. But if anyone knew Finn, they knew he didn’t complain.

Sure, being a paramedic wasn’t being a Doctor, but it was at least something in the medical field. After his identity along with others in his family had been taken from them all, he wasn’t allowed to practice medicine anymore. That…had been a particularly low blow for Finn, it was something that he’d earned completely on his own, outside of the Sullivan name. Most of his family had chosen something within the crime realm and had stuck with it, when Finn had decided he wanted to go to medical school, his parents laughed at him. Apparently, the crime life was hard to step out of and they didn’t encourage it but he didn’t listen. Many years later, he was the one laughing with several medical degrees and a successful career as a doctor well before the time he was 30. Little did he know that was only one of the uphill battles he’d have to fight, women were another issue in his life, which he had just chalked up to his career and having to (always joking, of course) compete with his favorite cousin Conor, who was like a brother to him. Out of his entire career, medical degrees…all of it, George Sanderson put all of it to shame. None of his earthly possessions mattered in the shadow of that man and it was then Finn realized that his sexual orientation was within the social norm and that was perfectly fine with him.

Happily married, with 2 beautiful children that were not their own and another beautiful child that was partially his through surrogacy, Finn started a life that was so full with George and he had everything he could ever possibly want. When they landed in Gran Canaria, Spain, after the raid the one thing he didn’t have was his right to practice medicine and it proved difficult. Still, Finn carried on…at least he tried, he went through some lows that seemed uncharacteristic considering Finn was one of the most positive people in almost every one of his family members' lives. When it was decided that he could at least venture into something medical related and he landed on becoming a paramedic, he found his rhythm again. Really at the end of the day, he had his family. Even Conor, Ali and Rhiannon, and Sydney were nearby, which was a blessing in itself. Even if he did find Conor in his fridge almost every other day. He didn't need his career in medicine. Being a paramedic was fulfilling enough and while it wasn't a career, he treated it as something to keep his old bones busy and food on the table. He still had everything he could possibly need with Georgie and Lucas. Even if he was missing his other two kids terribly, if they were still out there if they still knew they were alive. Finn had returned home several hours ago, working the earlier morning shifts in order to have the evenings with his husband as usual since Lucas tended to be out and about with Rhiannon or his other friends. He got comfortable on the sofa as his husband instructed, sitting tight as he watched him return with a bottle of wine and two glasses.

"I think sir would. Thank you, love." Finn chuckled, smiling widely at George "I never grow tired of that accent. Will have to thank the Feds for giving me the name Hugh." He leaned forward to help with the drinks and once they were settled Finn looked to his husband as he spoke, his brows raising as George informed him that Lucas said that he would join them to watch a film tomorrow. He then said that they should treat him for saving the woman’s life on the beach. "I wholeheartedly agree, he did a wonderful thing." Finn had been absolutely over the moon after hearing that Lucas saved a woman on the beach but he couldn’t help but feel a bit worried, not only did that take a toll on someone, saving someone’s life, but he had been out a lot. As if reading his thoughts, George cleared his throat, turning more serious. His husband mentioned them needing to talk to Lucas. Between working and clubbing, George said he hadn’t seen him eat a proper meal and Finn had been noticing much of the same. While he had been working himself, he had noticed their son looking more tired yet a lot more wired…something that he was keeping a silent yet close eye on. Finn opened his mouth, about to weigh in on the subject when the front door opened and then closed.

"Well hello there!" Finn said after George asked if his eyes deceived him, his face switching from its serious expression to a wide smile. Sitting forward on the couch, Finn looked to Rhiannon, "Don’t you look lovely dear, keeping out of trouble I hope?" He asked his niece after George greeted her before listening as Lucas answered George about the wallet question, "Gatecrash, huh?" Finn could only go that far, hearing the grogginess in his voice immediately, Finn’s smile started to disappear.

When Lucas started to struggle to walk in a straight line towards an empty seat, George had sat forward but Finn was starting to stand up. George asked Rhiannon what was wrong and when Lucas started to open his mouth, Finn was waiting for him to answer but that didn’t stop him from inching towards their son. Immediately noticing the familiar color draining from his face, the way he covered his eyes with his hand, Finn shuffled around their coffee table towards their son, "Lucas!" He said, not bothering with their given names anymore as he reached out to grab their son just as he fell unconscious. "Oh god." Finn gasped out, grabbing Lucas firmly before scooping him up into his arms and moving him to the sofa next to George. He placed Lucas on his back so he could breathe before looking up at Rhiannon, "How many times has he fainted? Any convulsing? Did anyone put anything in his drink while you both were out, anything like that?" He knew he was firing off a million questions but he had to know in case he had to do something different. While talking, he grabbed the sofa cushion from behind himself and placed it under his son’s legs to keep his legs elevated and help the blood get to his brain to hopefully restore consciousness quicker.
with: George + Lucas Misty Gray ; Rhiannon Melanin-Gxdess
mentions: Conor

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

The Frost/Fitz Residence
~ Wouldn't you like to know, England ~
Riley Frost​

Riley continued to glare at Rachel as she tried to push the idea of broccoli on her. Vegetables were the worst already - broccoli was the worst one of all. And sure, she was supposed to be a good example for Laura and get her to eat her veggies. Grow strong and healthy and all that good fun jazz but, "Fuck broccoli," she muttered under her breath as Rachel slid her plate in front of her. The small, green tree-like food was sitting in the corner of her plate and she immediately grimaced. Why she hated broccoli so much was an enigma to her, but she always had a visceral reaction to it when it was presented to her. It didn't change when she got older and only seemed to get worse over the years. Riley then glanced over at Laura to see how she was fairing; the same it seemed. Only she was making an effort now. Riley let out an annoyed sigh and opened her mouth to say something, only when she looked up no words came out. Instead she observed Rachel cleaning off the counters.

Even before the accident and their reunion, Riley had been... Protective of Rachel; borderline possessive, really. Her attachment issues were to blame this time around and it wasn't until they started seeing the family therapist that it had gotten better. And while the possessive attitude was no more the protective one was. So when it seemed like something was off with her wife she wanted to know the reason - wanted to know how she could make it better and what she could do for her. It wasn't something anyone had ever told her she needed to do either. It was just something she had taken upon herself to do because of how much she loved her. Riley started to eat around the broccoli while intently listening to her explain her day. Running had been something she understood to help Rachel. So even though Riley hated the idea of her pushing herself she was relieved she at least had an outlet. "That's great - you're almost to your goal. Just don't push yourself too hard, you know that right?" She raised her eyebrows at her before settling them. "Either way I'm proud." Riley mocked sniffled, wiping away fake tears. "I've got the hottest wife at the school."

With Riley and Rachel on such different schedules, it really was difficult for them to spend more time together. Riley had been thinking about cutting some of the days she worked down so that she could be around more. But with her trust issues, she didn't really trust anyone else to handle certain business aspects of her nightclub. Instead of responding she just gave her a smile and nodded her head in agreement. It would be nice to sleep in and cuddle and watch movies all day... Maybe she should try and schedule something, she thought. Have them both stay home from work and school? That would be-

The sound of Rachel's voice scolding Laura brought Riley back down to earth. She looked to the floor where a couple of florets sat and Riley immediately laughed. She threw her head back and held her sides trying not to laugh too hard. "Oh, fuck, Laura. You're the best kid I know." The moment Rachel said they would eat the broccoli together, however, the laughter stopped abruptly. Riley raised her eyebrows at Rachel and shook her head. "Absolutely the fu-," she paused then, looking at Laura before looking at Rachel and then down at her plate. With a look of disgust on her face she poked at the florets with her fork. There was no way out of this. That much she knew all too well. With a groan she stabbed one and raised it to her mouth and quickly shoved it inside. It took everything in her not to make a face and pretend to enjoy it giving her daughter a thumbs up. "Delicious."

 

[Pyroclast]

The Foley Residence
~ Berlin, Germany ~

Max Foley (Syd Porter)
Josie Foley (Jane Porter) and Sebastian Foley (Sebastian Porter)​

Not a day went by when Syd didn’t think about the family and friends he had lost. For a time, Syd’s day to day emotional state was defined by the surrounding traumatic events in his life: the murder of James, whom Syd had only just found out was his biological father; the sudden displacement and forced immigration to Germany; his sectioning; his mother’s dementia and subsequent death; the sudden and tragic loss of Harper King, whom he had come to be close friends with after meeting her inside a psychiatric hospital; and, of course, the decline of his relationship with his daughter, Jeanie, who decidedly left the family at the age of 18. Even with the uncomplicated birth of his son, Sebastian, to lighten his life, Syd never had a single full day of peace and happiness. No matter how hard he tried, his efforts to stay calm would snag on a painful memory and cause him to unravel again.

It had taken years, and many more hospital stays, but finally he had come to a point where he could - at least, most of the time - think about each of them without getting worked up. Every morning he gave a ritualistic acknowledgement to them all; his late mother and father, the late Harper King, his brother and all his aunts, uncles, cousins and honorary family members. He found that usually, once he acknowledged them, he could move on and focus on other things. On top of that, he tried to incorporate some meditation into each day, whether that was in the form of fixing up cars in his garage, walking the dogs or simply sitting quietly in a room.

This Sunday evening, he had seated himself cross-legged on the rug of their spacious upstairs study and was gazing out at the woodland foliage that grew tall past the window, connecting the house to the nature outside. Syd wasn’t known for his ability to keep an office tidy, but with his extensive and prized record collection out on display and the large glass doors bringing light in from the balcony, a messy desk wasn’t enough to disrupt the calming atmosphere of the room. One of the doors was ajar, drawing in the scent of wet grass from outside, and the sheer blue curtains floated around the opening where a light breeze blew in. Some of the trees were just starting to yellow, indicating the dawning of autumn. All that Syd could hear was the light rain pattering onto the balcony, the distant bass line of whatever rock music was playing downstairs, and his own steady breaths. His service dog, a German Shepherd named Penny, was curled up beside the curtain, drifting in and out of a snooze.

Life could be peaceful after all. Syd had long since accepted that he would never become fully in control of his emotions or actions - his decades of trauma and mental illnesses made sure of that - but right now, just sitting calmly and listening to the rain, Syd’s head felt clear. Roxie’s voice called out to him from downstairs, announcing dinner, and he smiled to himself, almost too subdued to move at first. He didn’t call back, but got up and closed the balcony door, which prompted Penny to get up and nuzzle his hand. Syd got down into a crouch and gave her a good rub behind the ears, and that's when he noticed Roxie come to the door.

“Hey,” he said with a soft smile, and stood up. “We were just coming down.” As he watched her, he noticed her smiling down at her wedding ring; the very ring Lucy had passed down to her, along with James’, with which Roxie proposed to Syd. Syd still felt Lucy’s presence around him often, but it felt especially comforting to know that that special ring on his wife’s finger had once belonged to his mother. It kept her close. It also seemed to imbue their marriage with strength - or that’s how Syd saw it anyway. Lucy and James had had a long, happy and successful marriage, and for all the hardships they had endured together, their love for each other never wavered. That Syd had found that same love with Roxie made him feel like the luckiest man in the world.

Still wearing a beautiful smile, Roxie went on to explain that the children were downstairs headbanging to Green Day and that Sebastian had got himself hyper on chocolate. Syd chuckled at the picture of mayhem that were their children and moved over to Roxie. She asked him if he was okay, noting that he was quieter than usual, and he placed his hands on her waist and kissed her. “I’m fine,” he said. “Just doing some meditation stuff. Maybe it’s time we switched places, though, it sounds like you could use a break from all the chaos down there.” Just then a roar of what some people might call singing sounded through the floorboards, and Syd grinned. “You take some rest after dinner, I’ll lead the chores with J.J. and Lucia, and Jane can keep Sebastian entertained and out of the way.” He raised his hand up to hold her face, and tenderly caressed the skin beneath her eyes with his thumb. She looked tired, but tiredness didn’t often slow her down. She was used to managing a busy household, after all. Still, Syd wanted to make sure she wasn’t completely wearing herself out. “Come on,” he said, taking his wife by the hand. “Let’s go see how they’re getting on down there.”

With the deafening rock music no longer reverberating through the house, Jane retreated from her bedroom with her terrier, Bo-Bo, in her arms. She carried her downstairs and into the kitchen, where J.J., Lucia and Sebastian were waiting. “I heard mam calling, where is she?” Jane asked the room, and set Bo-Bo down, whose tail was wagging profusely at all the exciting smells. “I’m gonna feed the dogs before we eat.”

“Josie!” Sebastian cried out, causing her to stop and turn on her way to the pantry.

“What is it, Sebastian?”

“Do you want pancake hands and waffle feet, or waffle hands and pancake feet?” he asked. In his excitement, he dropped his red crayon on the floor and he leaned over to look for it. “Oop.”

Jane stooped to pick it up and passed it back to him. “What?” she laughed.

“I’m drawing you as Pokémon and you’re a Pokémon made of food,” he explained. Jane waited for more explanation, but when none came, she looked over his shoulder and thought for herself.

“I see,” she said. “In that case, pancake feet so I can swim through syrup, and waffle hands so I can clap my enemy’s heads and cover them in potato!” And she demonstrated by lightly clapping her hands against Sebastian’s cheeks. The boy squealed with his sweet little laugh and went back to his colouring with extra enthusiasm. Jane looked over to J.J. and gave him an amused shrug before making her way towards the dog food.

“Alright!” Syd suddenly said, appearing at the doorway. “What’s all this about dinner, then?” He turned back to Roxie and gave her hand a squeeze. “Is it a wine night?”

Spoiler: Pets

Syd's German Shepherd, Penny:

Jane's Biewer Terrier, Bo-Bo:

Interactions
Bellz Roxie, J.J., Lucia

 

[BasDorcha]

Carter Technologies

~City of London, London~​

Abel Stewart

So he'd been right. Ezekiel had already considered what Abel might need as incentive to make it a painless as possible agreement. Was it going to be truly painless? Not by a long shot. Pulling out from Farringdon was going to cause him to look very bad for future business. It was not favorable in the construction world to have a reputation for backing out of settled deals - it tended to cause more people to want to do less business with you in the future and you'd have to prove yourself all over again. Staring at Ezekiel, he said nothing while he continued processing and started with rapid fire decision making. He took a long look over at Trevor, a somewhat sour look on his face for the briefest of instances. He knew why Uncle Trevor was there now - Ezekiel thought he would help ply him into agreeing, and if he didn't, could talk him into it anyways.

He wasn't sure he appreciated or even liked that plan. It felt dirty, and underhanded. Abel had been lucky to avoid most of Carter's shady business so far, just paying his dues and working a normal job, no interference. He supposed everyone was just on a timer for the day it would go off and Ezekiel Carter would be asking something of them. It was just his turn. This was not the way the world was for his father, and as he wondered what his dad would say, he had to remind himself that. There was no one putting the squeeze on contractors in the days of the King's, at least not the way Carter was using his power to control anyone and everyone. He ran the company without someone constantly breathing down his neck.

These days, everyone had a Carter employee watching them. Anyone worth knowing in London knew it, even those of little important had heard the name. It was a household name now. Abel squeezed and rubbed along his chin, contemplating. Somehow, even though Ezekiel was smiling, agreeing, offering up coffers of gold the way he was speaking, Abel felt a chill run through his body, and heard the underlying threat. You either work with me, or you're my enemy, and I will not suffer enemies. Abel wasn't an idiot, he knew how to read between the lines, and Ezekiel was speaking plainly enough he could see behind the other man's professional and friendly face.

Abel took a pregnant pause to think, refusing to rush to the first words to come to mind, no matter how the man made him feel pressured. "It's an enticing offer, Ezekiel. You know I like running an above board business, and I don't like what you're asking. I'm sure you can understand that. But…" Abel took a deep breath, thinking a moment more. As much as he didn't want to admit it, Abel couldn't say he was wrong about Farringdon. The blue prints had been a mess, they spent more time fighting to get things approved then necessary, and the man wanted quick, lego block builds, not something of decent quality. So why was he hesitating? The old saying that a deal was a deal played through his mind. Still… This came down to more than breaking a deal, to breaking the safe guard his family had experienced from the Carter regime.

A sigh escaped his lips as he offered out his hand to Ezekiel, nodding. "So be it. I'll do it, but only because I don't agree that Farringdon is going to be good business myself. He wants shoddy, overly quick work that, if done his way, might do damage to my rep anyways. I can't have that."

 

[Misty Gray]

Danny and Savannah Vaughan's House &
Peter and Sinead Callahan's House
~ Lake Windermere, Cumbria, UK ~

Savannah Vaughan and Sinead Callahan
Lily and Summer Vaughan​

Sundays living in Lake Windermere were meant to be relaxing and calm, yet by the late afternoon, Savannah had found herself rushing around the house like a headless chicken. Although she’d made a quick dinner for the family rather than preparing a full Sunday roast, time still seemed to be slipping away in the blink of an eye. Not only was it the first day back at school for the children tomorrow, but Savannah had to be in Manchester the same morning for a modelling shoot that would keep her away from home until Tuesday. She couldn’t have passed up the work and thankfully along with Danny she also had her parents and siblings on hand to help where needed.

With Danny entertaining Summer and August with a film, Savannah had the help of Lily as she cleaned up in the kitchen. Lily was a lot like herself and her mother, always wanting to help and make sure everything was tidy. The child was also perceptive enough to understand when Savannah was particularly anxious, something Savannah as a child had been aware of with her own mother’s mental health struggles.

“Mum, it’s clean,” Lily said as she noticed Savannah wiping the same worktop she’d already cleaned to death. “Can I come see Granny and Grandad with you?” she asked, knowing Savannah was shortly heading to see Sinead and Peter to give them final instructions for tomorrow’s school run, given Danny would be busy working his shift at the family’s café.

“Of course you can, love, but we’ll have to leave Coco here,” Savannah said, referring to their 12 month old ruby King Charles Spaniel. Turning to her daughter, the woman crouched down to the girl’s eye-level. “Remember, me and Daddy won’t be picking you up from school tomorrow. Nobody other than Granny, Grandad, your aunts or uncle will ever pick you up, okay? If anyone else tries to collect you, go to the teacher. Okay?”

“Mum, okay. I know!” Lily said, fully aware given she’d been told half a dozen times already. “And you already told the teachers Summer can’t eat nuts and I don’t like meat. You’ve got it all sorted!” the girl said, flashing a smile.

“Good girl. Alright, get your coat and we’ll go to your grandparents’ now.” As the girl rushed to find her jacket, Savannah made her way into the lounge where Summer had talked Danny into letting her watch ‘Casper’, the movie, and August appeared to have joined them too. Approaching the sofa, she leaned in to placed a kiss on Danny’s lips. She had always been a humble person despite her family’s business and her career in showbiz, but ever since Danny had been shot 12 years ago, she found herself even more thankful for every day she had with her husband. She loved Danny and their children more than life itself, so despite her anxieties and past traumas, she felt like the luckiest woman in the world to have them all in her life.”I’m going to see Mum and Dad - Lily’s coming too. I won’t be long, babe.” She then looked to Summer and August who were sat at either side of Danny, with Coco on Summer’s lap. “You all be good and enjoy the film. Don’t forget, it’s bathtime tonight and school tomorrow,” she softly reminded them, prompting a groan from Summer who wasn’t at all a fan of the confines and structure of a classroom.

*****​

From November 1985 and the year that followed, things had been so chaotic for Sinead that she somehow took everything that came her way without faltering or mentally relapsing. It was likely the fact that Savannah had been sectioned and Danny ended up in a coma following the shooting at the Halloween party, meaning she felt she had to step up to put both of their needs before her own. With the rest of the family forced out by Interpol and made to take on new lives and identities, the Callahans were left behind, albeit made to move away from Dublin to Kildare to stay close enough to the hospitals Savannah and Danny were each in. For that first year Sinead had been very much focused on visiting Danny and Savannah, makes sure they had everything they needed, as well as looking after Liam who struggled with losing his best friend, Michael, his other friends, family, as well has losing the bond he'd built with Father Healy. It was a difficult and hectic year.

It was only some time after both Savannah and Danny had both be able to come home that everything caught up with Sinead. The thought of never seeing the rest of her family again; not being able to even speak with Lucy and Conor, tore her apart. It took some time after their move to the Lake District for Sinead to settle again. With the help of her medication and family's support, she was eventually able to accept her new life.

Between owning her own café, doing some piano tutoring, and caring her her grandchildren, Sinead had warmed into her life now. Though she never stopped missing her departed family, she's grown to appreciate those she still has close to her. Living by Lake Windermere also proved to be peaceful, with the dangers of her family's criminal lifestyle having being left behind 12 years ago. Although she misses all of her family, she doesn't miss the pain and trauma she'd suffered most of her life, from watching those she cares about hurt or killed, to being stabbed and tortured herself. This was the quiet life she always wanted, but she'd hoped all of her family would be a part of it. She was at least grateful to have Savannah, Braden and Emery all living nearby, along with their own little families. Liam had moved to Manchester six years ago to study and more recently had moved to London to pursue his career in graphic design. She was glad her son had been able to break away from crime for all of his life and was now happy doing his own thing, even if she did miss him.

With the kids going back to school tomorrow, Sinead hadn't invited Savannah or Braden over for dinner, figuring they'd be busy preparing things at their own homes. She'd instead spent much of the evening at home with Peter. After making them both a hot drink, she joined her husband in the lounge. Although their marriage had suffered bad patches, especially in the sixties, Sinead felt they were now as strong as ever, growing old together in bliss. "Okay, Petey, This one is yours," she said, handing him his drink before placing her own down on the table and practically sinking into the sofa. She then snuggled up on the sofa next to him and kissed his cheek. "I love you," she sweetly told him. "I wonder what they're all doing now. Luce, Conor, Finn..." she wondered. Although it had been upsetting, James dying had brought closure. With her siblings, knowing they were out there was always difficult, especially at birthdays and Christmas.

Sinead was snapped out of her thoughts when there was a knock on the front door followed by the sound of it being opened and closed. Lily soon rushed into the room and gave Sinead a hug before hopping up onto the sofa to sit beside Peter to cuddle him. "Hiii!" she happily greeted them, her smile as soft as Savannah's was when she was her age. Whenever Sinead looked at her granddaughter, she saw the spitting image of a younger Savannah.

"Hey," Savannah greeted her parents as she sat on the armchair across from them. Having already spoken with Sinead earlier, she looked to Peter and smiled. "How are you doing, Dad?" she asked him.

Bellz (Peter)
Mention: Pyroclast (Danny, August)

 

[neverbackdown]

Daisy's Cocktail Bar & Nightclub
~ Soho, London ~
Cassandra Stewart
​

As he called her a lovely gal and turned his attention towards her, Cassie felt a sudden heat fill her cheeks as a soft blush began to spread from her ears to her nose, the warmth spreading through her face as her stomach filled with a jittering sensation, almost like butterflies erupting from their cocoons and fluttering around in the pit of her stomach. She looked towards the ground for a moment as she willed the blush to settle.

Keep cool Cassie, play this cool...

"Im Cassandra but everyone just calls me Cassie" she spoke softly as she lifted her head to look at him again. Cassie bit her lip as she thought of what to say next, a part of her wanted to ask what he was doing here and what that was all about with Daisy and the harsher looking man but thankfully this time she had a bit more sense than to give in to her naive side. It wasn't that she didn't know about the dark underworld that her family seemed to have some sort of hand in, it was more that she was oblivious to most of it and in a way she supposed, protected from it by her family. She had no business being involved in it and to be honest she didn't want to be either.

"So come here often?" the echo of a laugh could be heard in her voice, a soft yet somewhat amused smile at her own comment present on her lips as her eyes remained on him. She had never been very good at flirting, something that she definitely needed to work on. She could just never seem to find the right words to say or the right expression to play on her features, normally allowing a smile or a laugh to pass at her own attempts due to amusement but yet also an uneasiness of her own flirting or lack thereof. But for a handsome man, she'd definitely give it a shot.

Int: Mav BasDorcha

 

[Bellz]

Peter and Sinead Callahan's House
~ Lake Windermere, Cumbria, UK ~


Peter Callahan ​

1985 to the present had been...well, just as chaotic as one could expect given Interpol's raid. With Savannah having been sectioned due to Danny ending up in a coma and James having died, Peter was almost sure that his wife was going to falter and he had been ready to catch her like he always did, minus a rough patch they faced in the sixties but when she hadn't, he was incredibly proud. Still, he was on high alert. All of the family had been relocated out of Dublin, including themselves, though by some grace, they had been allowed to be close by to Savannah and Danny. Braden and Amy ended up close in the same area as well, sparing any more heartbreak that they were facing being ripped apart from their family. Emery as well. To Peter, the way the lines had been drawn on who went where and did what didn't make any sort of sense but...he was just grateful for the family he did have with him still. Peter had focused on Sinead and Liam for the first year while Sinead focused on Savvy and Danny, as well as Liam. He was just picking up any pieces and keeping on top of anything that needed it. The change was especially hard on Liam, who had lost his best friend, his other friends, and his family. Peter spent as much time as Liam wanted with him in order to make up for any lost time he didn't have with the others, just wanting to make sure the kid could enjoy his childhood while he still had it.

Peter was still on standby with his wife, while he had been impressed by how she was handling everything, he had been married to her for so long that Peter was aware that eventually...the shock of it all would catch up. When it did, Peter was the shoulder to cry on, even allowing himself to mourn with her about the losses they all suffered. Which had always been a more difficult thing for him to do. While Peter didn't have any siblings himself, Conor and Lucy welcomed him into the family as if he was just like they did with James. Peter still struggled with James' death from time to time, thinking about it for a few years after he passed and wondering...just like everything else if it had been real. With everything having happened in such rapid succession, reality had a funny way of wanting to escape you when all you wanted to believe was that you could wake up one day and things were back to the way it was meant to be. Even if you were pretty stable. Nevertheless, Peter was there through thick and thin with the love of his life, as he always had been and always would be, extremely proud of her for continuing forward, and eventually, the pair adjusted to their new life...which actually turned out to be rather peaceful.

Sinead kept herself busy, owning her own café, and doing some piano tutoring, and while Peter wished that he could do the same...age was starting to catch up with him. Wounds that he'd received during his time in prison that had since healed but had always given him a hard time even in his younger days flared up more often. Keeping him down for longer. Despite that, Peter still felt the need to help his wife and often fixed anything that needed adjusting at the café regarding maintenance, as his mind was still as sharp as ever as well as anything around their house. When he wasn't doing that and Sinead was busy, he was helping with the grandchildren and if she was home helping care for them, he could also be found doing the same. They kept him young, as he fondly said. Peter missed the family they lost, he always would but he adjusted well to the life they had now. He knew Sinead missed her family so much too, but both of them seemed to not care for the reminders of the violence and the suffering that they left behind. It was the life she always wanted, after all, Peter had been...so against it in his younger years but he had felt so obligated to her family who had given him a second chance at life. Now that obligation was lifted off his shoulders he could just enjoy the time he had left with his beautiful wife, children, and his grandbabies.

Soft twinkling music played in the background of their lounge, just like it did almost every evening they had together alone. The kids were meant to go back to school tomorrow so this was the first time they actually had the place to themselves in a moment. It was quiet, peaceful and Peter's eyes had slipped closed for only a moment while Sinead was in the kitchen preparing a hot drink. Okay, Petey, her voice called to him and when his eyes opened, he gave her a sweet smile, looking up at the beautiful angel before him, reaching his hands out to grab the drink from her. "Thank you, Sinny. Now come here beautiful, rest your feet a while." He said, moving to place his drink on the side table for the time being before moving his arm on the sofa cushion for her to fall into. When she did, he chuckled, a big smile still on his face as she snuggled into him, kissing his cheek. "I love you too." He murmured back, before listening as she wondered what the rest were up to right now.

It was a difficult thing to think about from time to time, what they were all up to. If...they were even still out there. Peter didn't even entertain that thought with Sinead, knowing that would trigger her greatly but it crossed his mind now and then. It was a possibility given that they were all up there in age now and things could happen...Peter opened his mouth about to answer her with a lighthearted reply when there was a knock on the door followed by it being opened. While he had no reason to be anxious by knocks on his door these days, they didn't fail to get his heart racing for half a second. "Lilypad!" Peter said, his voice animated as he smiled at his granddaughter, who reminded him so much of Savannah it nearly took his breath away at times. Lily hugged Sinead first before coming to cuddle Peter on his other side which he happily accepted, wrapping his other arm around her and kissing the top of her head, "Hello you, being good for you Mom I hope? Ready for school tomorrow?" He asked.

When Savannah entered the room, Peter's head turned up, his smile softening for her, if only to calm his energy in her presence. "Hello, sweet pea," He greeted much more gently for his eldest daughter, "Me? Oh, I'm just fine. These old bones keep creaking but that won't slow me down. Granddad's about as old as the dinos at this point." He said, his voice teasing as he looked down at Lily with a laugh. "I've been fixing some things around the house here and there. But other than that, I've just been here. How are you? Where are Danny, Summer, and August? Normally you've got the whole horde with you."
with: Sinead, Savvy, Lily Misty Gray

 

[Misty Gray]

Carter Technologies
~ City of London, London ~

Ezekiel Carter and Trevor Stewart​

It was familiar territory for Trevor to be involved in this kind of situation. When someone looked like they weren't going to bend to Ezekiel's terms, then it was over to Trevor to use his silver tongue and to switch on the charm to guide them towards the right choice - the one that benefitted the Carters. That was just as far a business contracts, sales, and typical negotiations went. There had also been times where Trevor had to use his persuasive nature in far more unsavoury situations, ones where the person in Abel's spot wasn't in an official meeting room, but more a underground or remote location with the choices they faced being more of a life or death situation. Trevor had stood witness to what happened when a person refused to do as the Carters wished in those situations. He'd seen enough in his lifetime before working for Ezekiel to not be squeamish about violence, gore and torture, but it still took its toll. The hardest days of his life working as a double-agent were those when he was in the company of the likes of Damian Nicolosi. Yet, somehow, despite no immediate threat of violence, sitting with his nephew and Ezekiel was harder than all of that. Regardless of what Abel decided, he knew neither came without problems for the young man. Trevor just knew from experience that agreeing to Ezekiel's proposal was the safer choice for now and they would have to worry later about the finer details of what going into business with the Carters would entail. If Abel refused, Trevor wasn't overly happy with the position he'd be put in by Ezekiel to talk his nephew into agreeing. Or was it complying?

One thing Trevor knew for sure was that Farringdon had definitely found his way on to Ezekiel's bad side and that was something he would need to make Interpol aware of in their next covert meeting.

When Abel spoke up and said he liked running an above board business, it inferred Ezekiel wasn't. The man ran his hand down his tie as though to smooth it out as he stared down on the man in that moment. However, there was a "but" to Abel's response, so Ezekiel was inclined to let him finish. Eventually he agreed to his proposal, citing that Farringdon wasn't good business for him. "That's a wise decision, Abel," Ezekiel began, sitting back in his seat in a relaxed manner. "Farringdon is cheap and his existing hotels are tacky. You're the expert where construction is concerned, but I can see a mile off the corners he cuts and I can already picture the eyesores he would want in this city." Sitting forward, his expression turned serious. "But let us get one thing straight. My business is above board. What you will be helping me build will be a legitimate enterprise. So I advise you to avoid insinuating I am running anything other than that," he warned in a matter-of-fact tone.

"So where do we take this from here?" Trevor asked, wanting to avoid things going awry and instead focus on the deal. He was glad his nephew was accepting without him having to talk the young man into it, so the smoother this continued to go, the better.

Ezekiel was receptive to what Trevor was doing, but he wasn't in the mood to derail the matter at hand either. As long as Abel knew to watch his words in future. Smiling at the man in question, he retrieved his diary from on the table and opened it up to find an open spot. "Abel. If you come back here on Tuesday, 3pm, we'll sign the contracts and you'll bring me some form of evidence you've reached out to Farringdon to terminate the contract you have with him to build his Fawlty Towers knock-off." Standing up, Ezekiel waited for the two Stewarts to do the same before reaching out to give Abel a firm handshake by way of sealing the deal until the contracts were signed.

Once they were done, Ezekiel walked around the table to open the meeting room door and signal for one of his security guards to come to them. "A pleasure doing business with you, young Mr Stewart. We will speak again on Tuesday, but until then my security will help you find your way out," he told him, with a friendly smile. As soon as Abel had stepped out of the room, Ezekiel reached out to place his hand on the doorframe to stop Trevor from following his nephew. "Just a few more minutes, Trevor," he said, waiting for the others to walk away before closing the door and beckoning Trevor back to the centre of the room. "Make sure your nephew doesn't bottle it," he asserted.

"I will do, but he understands. He knows the score," Trevor assured him.

"I agree. He seems smart enough to know what's in his best interests. But what I mean to say is, make sure he doesn't change his mind if he decides to discuss it with his parents. I'm sure you know whether or not Philip will be smart enough to stay out of it, though it was his business before Abel's and he might be protective over it. But I know Sarah and she doesn't know when to keep her nose out. If I get the slightest wind of her trying to cause waves, I will shut her up for good. So you make sure your nephew stays on the right path and then his meddling mother won't end up six feet under." As soon as Trevor confirmed he agreed and understood, Ezekiel returned to his more charming demeanour. "But now, you go enjoy the rest of your evening and your day off tomorrow. I need you here bright and early on Tuesday for the quarterly savings review."

BasDorcha (Abel)

Abel and Alice's Home
~ Bethnal Green, London ~

Alice Stewart​

Alice was meant to have been going to the club to meet Daisy and Cassie for a few drinks, but as the day went on and the evening drew closer, she'd began to talk herself out of it. Despite being all for the idea when she agreed a few days ago, her mind had since had chance to catch up to her where she no longer wanted to go out and face anyone. She didn't want to have to get dressed up and worry about how she looked for one night. With the new school year about to start the next day, she already needed to mentally prepare herself for that. Having to deal with the staff and students whilst ensuring she looked presentable.

Rather than going out for drinks, she was instead looking forward to a quiet night in with Abel. That soon fell through too, with her husband been called in to Carter Technologies for some urgent meeting that couldn't possibly wait until tomorrow. Were she not already aware of the hold Ezekiel seemed to have over some of the Stewarts and Kings, her insecurities might have made an appearance to convince her Abel just wanted to be away from her. It wasn't a worry she'd had until a year ago when she was told she couldn't have children; that she and Abel wouldn't be able to have them together. Given her battles with anorexia, she couldn't help but blame herself and at times wondered if Abel blamed her too. The fact that she was infertile only made her feel even more self-conscious about herself, that maybe one day Abel would decide she wasn't enough for him.

Alice had finished getting everything ready for work tomorrow when her mobile phone began ringing. Rushing from the kitchen to where she'd left her phone in the lounge some time ago, she almost tripped over her black cat, Salem. "Whoops!" she playfully muttered along the way. When she picked up the handset she saw Daisy's name flashing on the caller ID and immediately realised she'd forgotten to tell her and Cassie that she'd decided to give the club a miss tonight. She spoke with Daisy on the phone for a short time before hanging up. Although Jakob's girlfriend seemed relaxed and understanding about it all, Alice was sure she was deep down annoyed with her for forgetting to inform her she wasn't joining them at the club. Thankfully, she got along well with both of Abel's siblings, Jakob and Cassie, so she was sure they wouldn't hold it against her for not showing up tonight. She just hoped Sarah wouldn't get wind of it. As much as she loved her mother-in-law, the woman could be quite intimidating and she didn't want her to think she was too useless to even send a text.

As the evening went on, Alice found herself thinking more about where Abel was. She hoped the meeting was nothing serious and Ezekiel wasn't living up to the bad name he had around the Stewart households. Sitting on the sofa, she switched on the television and set the remote control down on arm of the sofa. "What shall we watch, Salem?" she asked as the cat jumped up onto the seat to curl up in an empty space beside her.

BasDorcha (Abel)

 

[Misty Gray]

Daisy's Cocktail Bar & Nightclub
~ Soho, London ~

Zachary Costa​

Melissa played along, saying she wouldn't mind the view of Zachary from behind that the pervy drunken man was currently getting. "Is that right, huh? Play your cards right and maybe I'll treat you to your own look," he played along. "Although, that would mean I've got my back to you and where's the incentive for me in that scenario?" He couldn't help but smile at her shift to something a little more nervous as she thanked him for complimenting her dress. Whether she believed he was being serious or not, Zachary would teach the drunk man a lesson in manners, but Melissa declined his offer to do so. Her joke about her having a problem with the man if he now kept staring Zachary's way did draw a flirtatious smile from him. "Is this right?" he spoke in a mischievous tone as he leaned his elbow against the bar and kept his eyes fixed on Melissa. "You sound a little jealous... I like it," he flirted with her. Whether it was the alcohol talking or not, Melissa didn't seem to be holding back and Zachary wasn't about to pass up the opportunity for a flirtatious exchange.

When asked if he was out on duty all night, Zachary briefly looked in the direction of where Maverick was standing apparently talking with Cassie. "Once I've dropped the package off I'm free for the night..." Listening to her mention wanting to make sure not of her friends ended up with dancefloor injuries, he shrugged his shoulders. "They're grown adults so you should let them look after themselves - or not, but they'll learn from their mistakes," he lightly joked. He then flashed a charming smile at her observation that he was down-to-earth. "I don't mind at all. Despite when I'm in work mode, I'm sure you'll find I am a pretty laid back guy."

Looking over his shoulder at Maverick again, he turned back to Melissa. "Once I finish and I've ditched my partner for the night, maybe I could swing by here again and rescue you from your supervisor duties for a bit. It's not exactly something that warrants the great outfit you chose for tonight, but I could take you for a quick spin - my own personal London tour - to give you some fresh air before bringing you back here to make sure your friends find their ways home... That is, of course, if nobody is waiting for you at home. Family... boyfriend?" he curiously asked.

Bellz (Melissa)

 

[Misty Gray]

Carter Technologies
~ City of London, London ~

Will Roberts​

With Reign in her office, Will remained standing patiently on the corridor, his long-since perfected posture remaining professional and upright even without anyone around to see him slouch if he did. He took his work phone out from his pocket to check no text messages had come through whilst he'd been distracted by his attractive superior. Even with the convention ongoing, things weren't hectic as was usually the case, with weekends typically being Ezekiel's days off from the office, as well as Will's direct teams'.

Will was a patient man, the fact the minutes were ticking by didn't concern him or cause him to grow restless. Ezekiel had kept him standing waiting on many occasions and so he'd grown accustomed to standing by on corridors, no longer feeling awkward as time passed him by. His eyes landed on one of the paintings that hung on the corridor. It was an original of London's Tower Bridge, worth thousands of pounds. Will knew the value as he'd had to personally oversee the procuring of that artwork along with others. It had seemed to have been on this wall for some months now, though. Will made a mental note to look into having the artwork switched around. One of the many things he'd learned about his boss was that the man despised complacency and instead championed change. Ezekiel liked to be ahead of the curve and even something as small as a painting on a corridor wall could invite his disapproval.

Hearing her office door being slowly opened, Will turned around, expecting to see Reign standing tall and ready for them to move on to continue with their duties. Instead, she was peaking her head out through the gap in the doorway as she softly asked him for a favour. Aware of the people further down the corridor, he made sure to be discreet in entering her office, given that she was giving off the impression he needed to be careful. When she fully beckoned him in, he entered the office and allowed her to close the door behind them. He could see she'd put on another well-chosen outfit; a form-fitting purple dress. He stopped short of complimenting her as it was clear she hadn't completely finished the process of putting it on, which he was quick to figure was linked to the favour she required of him.

Reign asked Will to help her with pulling up the zip of her dress. Their eyes met and despite her serious expression, Will smiled in warm manner. "Two minutes? You should have called me in sooner," he lightly commented. He stepped behind her and carefully moved some of her hair out of the way of the zip and instead draped it over the front of her shoulder. Holding the two sides of the top of her dress together with one hand, he delicately pulled the zip up with his other, careful not touch her back too much in case he came across as being too handsy. Still, as he finished, he briefly placed his hand on the back of her shoulder, feeling her warmth on his skin. "There. All done," he said, removing his hand and returning to stand in front of her before he could give in the the tension he felt in the room. "You look--" he began, but stopped as he felt his phone vibrating in his back pocket. Still snapping himself out of the moment, he fumbled to grip the device in his hand and he accidentally ended the call just at the same time he saw Ezekiel's name was the one displaying on the caller ID. "That was--" he began, before hearing the firm knocking on the door of Reign's office.

"Reign?" Ezekiel's voice was heard from the outside of the door. The man looked to his phone with a puzzled expression. He wondered what could have caused the call to Will to cut out - he doubted his assistant was stupid or brazen enough to intentionally reject his call. Although he had knocked on Reign's door, Ezekiel wouldn't wait long before trying the handle and inviting himself into the office. He owned the building, after all. As he gave her a moment to respond, knowing she'd been seen heading towards her office, he briefly looked at the corridors walls. It didn't take long for him to make the assessment that an update was needed. That was a second task he would be setting for Will when he got hold of him. The first being ensuring the contracts for Abel were prepared by the legal team within the next 36 hours.

Hearing Ezekiel's voice outside the room, Will's eyes widened. Whilst they hadn't been doing anything wrong, he did feel like his boss wouldn't deem zipping up his daughter's dress was part of his job description...

Bellz (Reign)

 

[BasDorcha]

Daisy's Cocktail Bar & Nightclub

~Soho, London~​

Maverick Tudyk

The blush that coated her cheeks was endearing. He wanted to reach out and touch them as the rosy color spread from ear to ear and down her nose. She turned the prettiest shade of red that was adorable to watch. How he had so easily made her blush was proof of the innocent feel he got from her. As her eyes stared at the ground, he couldn't help a small chuckle escaping his lips. For a moment, a predatory feeling rushed through him, knowing how easy it would be to sweep her away if he really tried. Still, he reigned it in because he was not that guy anymore. No, he was a good boy these days, at least he tried to be. Before his son, Henry, he was a womanizer with the best of them. He flirted, he took home the hottest women, used and discarded them the following morning with no intent on having a longer relationship with them. Then he met Nicole, his ex-girlfriend. That woman had kicked his heart around, broken it a few times, left it lying in the dirt, and the man had truly changed. None of that mattered anymore. Upon finding out that Nicole was pregnant, he had become the ideal boyfriend only to have her leave him shortly after Henry was born never to be heard from again.

Catching her eyes as she looked back up at him, he offered her a sincere smile, eyes holding hers. "It's nice t' meet ya, Cassie. My full name is Maverick Tudyk, but everyone just calls me Mav. You can too, if you want." His smile turned into a playful grin, winking at her along the way. "I don't normally come to Daisy's per say, but I do come once in a while. I like to hop around a lot when I've got downtime, find whatever the best scene is for the night. What about you, I don't think I've seen you around here before." He turned, putting a hand against the bar close to her and leaning into it so his tall form almost seemed to lean into her, his shaggy hair falling around his face as he tilted his chin down to get a better look at her.

"Maybe you'd like to dance? Or we could go shoot some darts, have a drink, maybe grab some food after we're done here?" Like a predator narrowing in on a prey, his eyes grew to a smoldering half closed look, as if he was focusing only on her and what she wanted. Realizing he had turned on the deeper charms without meaning to, he sat back and made sure there was some space between them. Mav had a streak that was hard to break, but he had actively worked hard on doing so for years yet sometimes, when the right kind of pretty girl was near him, instinct still kicked in an every molecule of his body screamed to be the alpha dominant male and make his intentions known, and it happened without effort. The true effort came from not being that man anymore. No, Maverick WANTED to be the boy next door, showing only his kind heart and good intentions to lead the best example for his son. Still, the inner man whore wanted to do what it new best - seduction and satisfaction. Cool it, Mav. She's just a girl, and an innocent one at that. This is not some dance floor harpy who knows the game and wants to play.

neverbackdown - Cassie

 

[Pyroclast]

The King Residence
~ Cagnes-sur-Mer, France ~

Raphael Delon & Ken Parker (Bruce King)​

The hesitation from Darcey after Raphael asked her how she was put a slight doubt in his mind. He worried about her; she was the closest thing he had to a mother these days, since he had had to leave his own mother behind when he went into hiding, and he felt some responsibility to protect her and take care of her. Especially after she and Bruce had saved his life before they even knew each other. He tilted his head, trying to catch her eye. “Eleanor?” he prompted.

The woman didn’t answer him directly, instead bringing up a piece of her history with Bruce. Raphael placed a cigarette between his teeth and went to light it before placing the pack on the table between them, tapping it in offering. He had never heard the full story of the couples’ romantic history, only pieces here and there. He knew not to ask about their past, just like they knew not to ask him about his. They knew they each were in hiding and were living under new names. It gave them a mutual understanding and respect for each other. Whatever they had done in their past lives was not of the others’ concern; all they needed to know was the level of threat that may chase them, so they knew what to look out for.

Raphael held his eyes on her as she recounted the doubts, dreams and obstacles that kept her from pursuing a romance with Bruce. “You told him to marry another person?” he repeated, leaning forward slightly in surprise. “That’s relationship suicide, Eleanor, even I know that!” Of course, he was teasing, but even though the story was retrospective he could sense a seriousness in her tone. He sat back again and took another drag of his cigarette. Darcey explained how Bruce had lost his children, wife and sister in a short space of time, and that she had supported him in raising the nephews and niece he was left with. Still, despite their apparent coparenting and the feelings involved, their relationship remained platonic.

He couldn’t help but smile with her when she spoke fondly of how she had ended up with a family and a successful career, something she never expected was possible. But his smile fell when she claimed to be their mother. Whoever these people were, she mustn’t have seen them for a long time. They weren’t in her life anymore. Raphael knew what it was like to lose contact with loved ones, including his own mother…but he imagined it wasn’t the same as losing touch with a child. He thought he detected a wistfulness in her voice, but then she chuckled, calling herself stupid for not realising that she and Bruce were made for each other until she almost died. She reminded him that life was too short to wait for what he wanted, and he frowned slightly, wondering if she meant something in particular. Before he could work out what to say, she asked him how he was doing.

“Oh, I’m very good, thank you,” he answered quietly, still a bit affected by her words. He fell quiet for a moment. “What’s making you think about this stuff, Eleanor? You know it’s not good to dwell on regrets. You have him now, and he loves you. Does it matter how long it took to get there?”

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *​

A back office, somewhere vaguely familiar. Oak panelled walls, file cabinets. A closed door.

“Bruce, we’ve gotta get ‘em out,” Spencer implored, standing close, his voice lowered yet filled with urgency.

“I know, son.”

“No - now. They’re here now!”

A bang comes from behind the door and they both look towards it. “I’ll cover ya’, you make sure everyone gets to the exit, alright?” Bruce takes the gun from his holster and pushes through the office door.

A thin crowd is scattered through a large club venue. Harper is among them, a baby in her arms. He sees the panic in her eyes when she exchanges looks with him, and then the main doors of the building blow open. A team of agents swarm into the room, guns raised. Bruce watches Spencer run to his siblings, and they all start directing the rest of the crowd to the exits. Bruce, meanwhile, rushes forward and ends up locked in combat with the agents, backed up by some fellow gang members.

Soon the room falls silent. Bodies scatter the floor. Bruce heads for the exit where the crowd and his family escaped through. The sun blinds him momentarily, but once it fades, he finds himself standing in an empty park. The crowd has left no trace. His family is gone.

He is alone.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *​

Bruce opened his eyes in a daze. It took him a while to place himself, to identify the voices nearby, but he soon figured out that he was on his and Darcey’s patio, and that the voices belonged to her and Raphael. He felt odd, like he hadn’t quite left wherever he had been. Like he had left someone behind. Not just someone - his family. Spencer, Harper, Alex, Billy…they were fresh in his mind, like he could have seen them all yesterday.

Drawn to the conversation nearby, Bruce pulled himself upright from his sun lounger and swung his legs over the side - and that was when he noticed the smiley face drawn in suncream on his chest.

“Who did this?” he asked groggily, and Raphael looked over at him and started to laugh. “Cheeky bastard! Better watch where ya’ fall asleep or you’ll wake up without yer’ eyebrows…” He rubbed in the traces of suncream that were left, but it was too late - a big smiley face had been left on his skin from his time lying in the sun and he would have to wait for it to fade.

Raphael was still laughing at him when Bruce moved over to the table to swat him on the head. “There one of these for me?” the older man asked the table, gesturing at the mojitos.

“Yeah - yeah, I’ll go and bring yours,” Raphael said, still trying to stop his giggles as he moved back into the house.

“Cheeky bugger,” Bruce tutted, taking a seat next to Darcey. He reached out to stroke her cheek. “You look a little distant, darlin’. Everythin’ okay?”

Raphael soon brought out a fresh glass for Bruce and rejoined them at the table. “Voici, monsieur,” he said, placing it in front of him. He had calmed down since his fit of giggles, sobered by what Darcey had been talking about before. He never minded not knowing everything about their past, but when he looked at the couple he could see in their eyes that they had been through a lot.

“Cheers, son,” Bruce replied, and raised his glass at the others before taking a sip. “Mm. Delightful.” He smacked his lips. “What’ve you two been chattin’ about, then?”

Raphael glanced at Darcey. “Oh, we talked about love, and things like that. Carpe diem - that kind of thing.”

Bruce raised an eyebrow at the pair. “Oh?” he asked. “Someone got your fancy, Romeo?”

“No, no,” Raphael chuckled, bowing his head. “But I think maybe I should think about it more. Family, and that kind of thing. You know, you both are made for each other.” He glanced at Darcey again, finding himself repeating her words. “I don’t want to miss my chance to find that person.”

Interactions
Melanin-Gxdess Darcey (Eleanor)

Mentioned:
Misty Gray Spencer
Bellz Harper

 

[Misty Gray]

Peter and Sinead Callahan's House
~ Lake Windermere, Cumbria, UK ~

Savannah Vaughan and Sinead Callahan
Lily Vaughan​

Lily couldn't help but giggle at Peter's nickname of 'Lilypad' for her, as she always did. When asked if she was being good for her mother, the girl nodded her head in an animated fashion. "Of course," she confirmed to him, turning her head upwards to look at her grandfather's face. "I'm ready for school. I've got my bag packed and I already know I'm going to plait my hair. I'm going to wear my tights in case it's cold and... oh and all I have to remember is to get my lunch out of the fridge to put in my bag before we set off," she said as she thought of everything she'd been planning with Savannah. "And Mum's got everything ready for Summer and August too, even if she has gone over the list like a million times already," she said in a breathless tone.

Savannah rolled her eyes as her daughter went on. Sinead had clearly caught onto it and was sending a concerned look in her direction in that moment, given the blonde woman's battles with anxiety and OCD. "It's all in hand," she assured her parents. "There's just a lot going on this week so I need to make sure it all runs without a glitch!"

Lily laughed along when Peter compared himself to a dinosaur. "Maybe I'm going to start calling you Grandpa-saurus Rex!" she enthused.

Savannah listened as Peter told her he'd been fixing some things around the house. "Well, I'm glad you're here," she softly told him. When asked how she was she smiled back at him. "I'm good, just been pretty busy today and I'm not looking forward to driving out to Manchester on my own again," she told him, having never enjoyed driving. Still, when it came to needing to get out for modelling work or visiting Callum, she would rather that than rely on public transport given Lake Windermere didn't have a lot of travel options. "Danny's watching a movie with Summer and August. I would have brought them but I want to try make sure they're relaxed enough to go to sleep early for school in the morning. They're too excitable when they come here," she said, sending Sinead and Peter a knowing grin. "You know how giddy Summer can be."

"Oh jeez, she doesn't shut up, sometimes," Lily said, rolling her eyes as she spoke in an exasperated tone.

"So, will you both be okay with the school run tomorrow?" Savannah asked her parents, her tone now turning more serious. "They need to be there for 8.30am and they finish at 3pm. If Summer doesn't have her jacket or a bag with her, then she's most definitely left it in the classroom and she'll need to go back in for it. And if she says she has tummy ache in the morning, I guarantee she's faking, because she doesn't like school. Free spirit and all that," she said with a fond smile.

"Oh, isn't she just a sweetheart?" Sinead asked, with a loving pout.

"Mum!" Savannah disapproved before looking to Peter. "Dad, please make sure Summer goes to school. Don't fall for her cute act," she said, knowing Sinead could be a sucker for that. Having got all of that out of her system, she let out a sigh and decided to change the subject. "So, have you see Brady this week? I've not heard from him in a few days with being busy and all." She then thought of her other brother. "I did hear from Liam though. Mostly because Emmy called me from his place," she said, as Emery was visiting Liam in London for a couple of weeks. "Sounds like she's been trying to drag Liam out to all the rowdy nightclubs but he's having none of that," she remarked. "I was thinking I might head to London soon too and pay Callum a visit," she told them.

"Oh he'd loved that," Sinead said. "But make sure he comes here soon too. I miss him."

"Teenage strops and all?" Savannah commented. "It sounds like he's been causing Alex and Kerry some headaches again and he was texting me earlier complaining about his dad taking Kerry's side," she said, more than certain Kerry hadn't done anything wrong. "He behaves for you two though, so next time he does come up here, maybe you both could have a word with him and see if he listens?" she asked Sinead and Peter. "It might sink in coming from you guys seeing as what me and Alex say goes straight over his head," she sadly told them.

Bellz (Peter)

 

[Bellz]

Peter and Sinead Callahan's House
~ Lake Windermere, Cumbria, UK ~

Peter Callahan ​

Peter listened with great interest as Lily went over everything she had ready for school. The bag was packed, she was going to plait her hair and wear tights in case it was cold, and she needed to remember to grab her lunch from the fridge and put it in her backpack before they went on their way. Peter had smiled enthusiastically, nodding along with every word she said. He loved hearing about it all. "Hey now, you can never go over the game plan too much, your mom is a smart cookie, just like you." He said, giving Lily a wink, and giving her nose a little boop. Peter had sensed just like Sinead that something was up with their eldest daughter but he didn't want to overwhelm her with any unwanted attention at that moment so he just continued to talk to his granddaughter.

Savvy reassured that everything was in hand and she just wanted to make sure things would go smoothly to which Peter simply smiled at, still keeping his attention on his granddaughter. His eldest daughter had no reason to explain to him why she needed to do what she did. These were her kids, she could parent them the way she wanted. Peter felt Savannah was a much better parent than himself in many ways, taking after Sinead in that arena so he had no room to speak or judge. When Sinead and he first met, Sinead had just suffered through a complicated loss with Angel and Peter was simply the man who was meant to look after her because it was his job. An orphan who grew out of the system and had gotten into a mess of trouble that nearly cost him everything until Conor and James decided to give him a second chance at life. Peter wasn't really a big believer in love at first sight or anything before he'd met Sinead but when he saw her with Savvy the day they met...he fell hard. He wasn't a perfect father, he'd be the first to admit it but...he did the best he could day in and day out and loved them all fiercely.

"Granpa-saurus Rex! Now that's a name! I quite like the sound of it. Peter said in response to Lily before he had gone on to answer Savannah. When it was her turn to answer, he was pleased to see her smiling back at him. He nodded hearing that she was busy today and when she said that she wasn't looking forward to driving to Manchester on her own again, Peter frowned, "If you ever need a ride, Sav. Just ask, you know your old man doesn't mind driving. While I still can and all that." He said in a teasing tone. Hearing Danny, Summer, and August were watching a movie in order to get the kids to relax made Peter smile, confirming his thought, his daughter went on to say they get excitable when they came over to the house which made him laugh. "We really do just give them all the sweets in the world and send them back to you with no consequences, don't we?" Peter said, looking over at Sinead with a playful smirk on his face. "Perks of being a grandparent. Looked forward to it for years and now that we have it, I will continue to abuse it I'm afraid."

When Lily complained that Summer didn't shut up sometimes, Peter snorted, giving her a gentle squeeze. "We got a lot of chatty Cathy in the family, Lilypad. Hate to break it to you but that might not ever change. You'll get good at tuning it out though, don't worry." He was sure he would get a dirty look from his wife so he dipped his head and laughed, "But always listen to your sister, young lady." Peter gave Lily a wink that she could only see before returning to the conversation as Savvy addressed them both. Her tone was serious as she said the kids needed to be there by 8:30 am and then they finished by 3 pm. Peter was nodding along, keeping all the information his daughter was giving him stored in his head. When the information of Summer possibly faking a tummy ache because she didn't like school came up, being a free spirit and all, Peter wasn't surprised by Sinead's reaction causing him to chuckle as he looked at his wife with a fond smile.

That smile turned softer with a serious look in his eyes Savannah turned to him asking him to make sure Summer goes to school and not to fall for her cute act. "Aye aye Captain." He said before his face turned serious. "I raised you four kids with your lovely, sweet, kind mother here. I'm Doctor fake illnesses. She'll stay in school. Education is important, even if it's dreadfully boring." He said, his voice serious though a slight smile played on his face again. Savannah knew she could trust him. He rarely ever broke his word. When the subject was changed to Brady, asking if they'd heard from him, Peter nodded softly. "He's a bit busy himself right now. With the kids and Amy, his electrician business, and then I guess Hattie is keen on moving to London too...he's been a bit frazzled. He has been meaning to call you though, I would expect to hear from him soon. Might be a bit of a brood though, so be prepared for that." Peter said reassuringly, giving Savvy a smile. That smile stayed in place when she said she heard from Liam, "Smart boy, he doesn't need to be going to any of those rowdy nightclubs." Peter commented lightly, not a fan of that himself.

Savannah went on to say she might head to London soon to pay Callum a visit and Sinead said he'd love that to which Peter nodded his head. She beat him to the punch in making sure the young man come to visit them too. He missed Callum greatly. Hearing that he was causing Alex and Kerry some headaches was unsurprising, considering the family situation was complicated for the boy. "We can handle the teenage strops and all." Peter commented, "We dealt with Brady and Emery. We are experts." Savvy then said that Callum behaved for the two of them which made Peter smile yet again, though it faded ever so slightly when she mentioned them having a talk with him. While Peter would be more than happy to have a talk with their grandson about this stuff, he felt like...it could go one of two ways and he didn't want to damage the good relationship they had with him. But, Savvy and Alex were struggling. Peter hated to see them struggling, especially Savannah who was looking so sad sitting before him just talking about it.

"I suppose we could have a talk with him. But it could go sideways, I have to give you that warning now. Teenagers are like wild animals. Unpredictable. He may react well to what we are saying or it might just make him more upset." Peter looked to Sinead to see if she was okay with that arrangement, knowing that it would be risking her relationship with Callum too. "We want to help in any way we can."
with: Sinead + Savvy + Lily Misty Gray
mentions: Alex Melanin-Gxdess ; Danny Pyroclast

 

[Bellz]

The Gray Residence
~ Berlin, Germany ~

Nicolas "Bucky" Gray ​

His father said he missed Harper too, which put Bucky at ease but when he forced himself to look up at his father, away from Atticus, he was surprised to find Jeremy smiling at him. That reaction perplexed him, causing his brows to furrow together in confusion. Silently, the boy nodded his head, ashamed. He was forgetting her voice, feeling terrible to even admit it. While there were reminders of what she looked like everywhere in the house, her voice was hard to remember. Once a vivid sound in his dreams, it was starting to become a muted sound, most of the time...when she showed up...she didn't speak anymore. As if his own brain was afraid to try to fill in any pieces for fear of getting it wrong and offending her. The boy tilted his head, watching as his dad stood and walked to the row of videos along the TV wall. Bucky had never really asked too much about any of the videos on that wall, never really gave them much thought at all actually.

Jeremy popped one into the VCR before moving back to the couch, this time next to him as he wrapped his arm around him and pulled him close. Bucky let him pull him in, allowing the close contact in his moment of what he was perceiving to be a bit of weakness. The guilt was eating at him. What kid forgot his mother's voice? Even if she was gone or dead or whatever happened to her? He should be remembering these things right? Bucky felt troubled but listened as his dad said he might have some karaoke recording somewhere too as well as a few times she had been on stage. Bucky looked up at his dad, his eyes blurry from tears as he said with appreciation in his voice, "Thank you." It was all he could get out before the TV turned on.

When Bucky turned his head, he noticed it was Christmas time in their house, with his dad behind the camera following his mum around as she dutifully tried to shoo away both him and Bucky, who looked small, away from the food. "You both are going to spoil your appetite before everyone else gets here! Now come on, you know my rule, out of the kitchen!" His mum was saying, playfully slapping at the camera lens, a big smile on her face, though it was hard to see clearly with her hands in front of it. Her voice...while he had been forgetting snapped back into his memory like a rubber band. Bucky was sure it sounded different for others, but to him, his mother's voice carried the cadence of a song that was unique to her and only her. It was warm, and inviting and sounded almost as if she were singing to you even if she was berating you about staying out of the kitchen. The sing-song tone of her voice was indicative of her talent on the stage, which Bucky knew about but only through what she did at home. He was sure if anyone was on the receiving end of her hollering it would be troublesome...but he couldn't think of his mother like that. The smile that formed on his face just listening to her voice at that moment caused his eyes to close momentarily before opening again to watch more of the video.

When she turned around, Bucky saw himself having grabbed a frosted cookie and Harper had placed both of her hands on her hips. "Right for the cookies, frosting all over those chubby little hands! Making more messes than I can clean, kid!" Bucky watched as his mum grabbed the younger version of himself, his little hands caking her face with frosting as she let out a half yell, half laugh. Harper looked towards the camera but slightly above it, at Jeremy, her face looked a little thinner than Bucky remembered. Cheekbones were slightly sunken in, and the skin under her eyes was a little darker clearly tired but she was smiling so brightly, he couldn't help but smile back. "This is all your kid right here! Not mine! Painting my face in frosting. It's a good thing I love you so much!" She hummed, moving to give Bucky a bunch of kisses on his face listening as he laughed before kicking his feet, trying to get her to stop. "Pretty sure your dad needs some frosting on his face too!" She said in a sing-song voice, moving young Bucky towards the camera. Bucky then looked up to his dad, tears having poured down his face unnoticeably now as he smiled up at him. "You all looked better with frosting...personally." He said, trying to contain himself as he moved to wipe at his eyes.

"And what's with you all callin' me fat?! Chubby hands hmmm?" Bucky laughed, though the tears were still rolling down his cheeks, "I have pretty slender hands now thank you very much." He didn't raise his hands to make his point, instead just leaning into his dad and hugging him tightly, continuing to just watch his mum for a long moment. She had set Bucky on the ground, moving towards the sink to grab a wet cloth to wipe his hands. Not bothering to even wipe at her face first. Bucky had come towards her when she knelt down placing his hands on her again a little more forcefully, causing her to fall on her butt, both of them erupting into laughter as she gave up and just grabbed him, frosting and all holding him tightly. "If...if she's out there...I dunno, I hope she's okay." Bucky knew that was an odd thing to say but looking at the screen, it felt like she was there with them at that moment. He wanted her to be. They were meant to have the 4 of them too. A little brother or sister. His jaw set, growing serious as he realized what he said was rather stupid. Looking back up at his dad, he knew he'd most likely given up on the thought of her being out there a long time ago. "Ahh, that was stupid. Forget I said that." His eyes grew a bit dark now, watching the screen and after a moment he turned away, shaking his head. "You can turn it off now."
with: Jeremy BasDorcha

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Interpol Headquarters
~ Berlin, Germany ~
Erik Snowden​

Erik couldn't help the laugh that sputtered past his lips at Wesley's teasing. "US?! All of your words blend together to make new ones that don't even fuckin' exist," he exclaimed, shaking his head. At the mention of liking them hairy Erik playfully shrugged. "They're nice to look at but when it comes down to it, I like a nice clean shave. Less interference," he winked. The air settled into a more serious one in the following moments. It seemed to be the norm more often than naught these days, too. A good and light moment followed but a tense and more serious one. It gave Erik whiplash. "You know how much his safety means to me," he whispered- as if afraid someone might hear him. His eyes soon drifted to Wesley's with a knowing glint. What was known and understood didn't need to be talked about and Erik knew his counterpart understood that when it came to Billy.

Knowing that he could come to Wesley with any concerns and suspicions gave Erik hope. There weren't a lot of people he still trusted these days but he was glad Wesley was one of them. He appreciated that the man would give it to him straight and would never sugarcoat things. The bond they'd develop before and after Harper's passing had been deep. So when he explained that he was pushing to be a part of the meeting, Erik nodded his head in understanding. He still wasn't sure if he could believe that these new people were trustworthy enough but he was going to place his trust and faith in Wesley. If he believed that they were and that things truly had changed then maybe Erik should too. "I just," Erik started, shrugging his shoulders. "We can't go through this again, you get me? It was too much the first time and now with everyone settled and having moved on and started families? It'll be a million times worse than it was 12 years ago." Erik knew he didn't have to explain himself to Wesley but sometimes he needed his thoughts and feelings validated. He wanted to make sure that he was thinking soundly and wasn't just holding grudges... Well, he was. But that was different.

"Oh, but we are at the top of the world," Erik shifted, crossing his arms and leaning against the table. "Best city in the world and good ole Frankie just emphasized how great." With a wink he watched the smile on Wesley's face once again disappear. He'd gotten quite adept at reading his friend and knowing when the mood was about to change - he just didn't know to what just yet. And when he began to speak about how upset Harper would be with him right now his family faltered. For a moment Erik just stared at him. He was right, he knew that. But it seemed like over the past 12 years there were more and more anniversaries to remember and a good portion of them weren't the good ones. In particular, while this was also the day Billy publically confessed his love for him, it was the night Harper tried to take her life. He couldn't think about one without thinking about the other and it didn't feel right to do so. As if he were placing more importance on one compared to the other. Erik snorted. "She was such an annoying fuckin' person, wasn't she," his tone was light and playful, indicating the sort of relationship they had. That though she irritated him every day as the voice of reason he loved her for it all the same. "Don't cry over me. Live your life. Blah, blah, blah," he mocked. But deep down inside he knew she was right.

Wesley mentioned going to visit Harper's grave and Erik hesitated. While Erik himself had gone nearly every day since she died, he didn't think Wes had done the same. But it seemed now he may have a reason and he wasn't going to deny him this. "Actually, yeah. That would be great, thanks." He then watched as the man across from him seemed to fold into himself - Erik clearing his throat to grab his attention. "She wouldn't like what you're doin' either, you know. Avoiding her grave and all. Blamin' yourself." Erik shook his head at him. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. You're soundin' like a hypocrite there, Lucky. So come on. We gotta stop so you can bring her flowers, too."

 

[BasDorcha]

Carter Technologies

~City of London, London~​

Abel Stewart

Abel watched the man's face carefully. He knew what he had said, and so did Ezekiel but it needed to be said. Abel might be willing to make an agreement now, but it wouldn't happen every time and this meant that eventually, they were going to end up going head to head and Abel was certain he couldn't afford to stand up to the man the way his nature wanted him too. It would be bad for his family, and worse for him. He'd taken a dig at him in the most subtle way possible yet wasn't surprised he had picked it up. Mentally, as Ezekiel gave his not so elusive threat, Abel didn't flinch. They both knew this wasn't above board - the silent reminder that if he didn't comply his family and wife, even himself, would be at risk was still hanging in the air whether it was said aloud or not.

Truth was, Ezekiel terrified him - he knew well enough what the man was capable of. Abel had always prided himself on reading people with a fairly decent skill, and the vibes that came from the man before him was danger at max level. It was a little bit of a relief to hear him reconfirm that this business, at least, was going to be legitimate. His eyes flashed over at Trevor to see how he was handling his nephew being threatened. Trevor was a harder man to read - probably what made him good at whatever it was he really did for Ezekiel - and Abel wasn't quite sure how he was feeling. If he was concerned he did a good job at keeping his cool and not rising to it.

As the conversation came to a close, Abel stood, adjusting his suit before reaching out to shake Ezekiel's hand. As he did so, he had a mental image of shaking hands with the devil flash before his eyes, a split second image that seem ominous and prophetic. He had the intrusive thought that he had just made the worst choice possible, but the deal was done and sign in blood, so to speak, and he couldn't change now. Ezekiel was not the kind of man you broke deals with. Gulping silently to himself, he found his way to the door as Ezekiel stopped his uncle. He turned to look, a questioning raise of his eyebrow the only communication he attempted before nodding and continuing on.

On his way home, Abel decided to stop and grab a few things to make the night easy. Pizza, wine, and a bouquet of flowers in pink and purple for his wife. He had to apologize for taking a meeting on their Sunday together. The drive home was a quiet one, no music playing and thankfully no one to intrude upon his thoughts. The image that had flashed before him kept replaying in his mind. He tried to shove it away into the nothingness of forgetting but it kept coming back in full force. There was an ominous feel to the day and Abel for one didn't like it. Sighing, he shook the thoughts from his head and pulled into his home.

As he pushed open the door balancing the packages he had, he called out loftily into the house, "Alice, my love, are you home?" He headed to the kitchen to drop the things he had in his hand, grabbing the flowers as he sought her out in the various rooms, heading straight to her if she called back to him. He handed them to her, a big bundle of purple and pink roses, and smiled. "Part of me wishes you had gone out with your friends - you need time with friends - but I'm glad you're here and we can have some us time too." He swept her into a kiss, nudging her nose with his. "How are you feeling?"

Misty Gray - Ezekial/Trevor/Alice

 

[neverbackdown]

Daisy's Cocktail Bar & Nightclub
~ Soho, London ~
Cassandra Stewart
​

Cassie gave a small nod the soft smile still present on her features as he introduced himself "Well its lovely to meet you Mav" His wink nearly threw her again but this time she kept her composure, not allowing the blush to spread once more. One time was embarrassing enough and she was not prepared to spend the night looking like a neon stop sign. She wanted to come across as attractive and grown up not like a little school girl. Her mother always seemed to be someone who could hold her own and at times Cassie wished she could be more like her to hold the same confidence as her mother exerted, the thought of her mother blushing was genuinely amusing to Cassie because she was sure that it would never happen.

"Hmm and how does the scene look for tonight, is this the right place" she asked a small smirk playing on her lips at her attempt to flirt but she quickly changed back to her smile as she mentally shivered at her failed attempt, or at least what she believed was her failed attempt. Flirting was never Cassie's forte and to be honest she always felt strange doing it. Don't get her wrong she loved being flirted with but when it came to her flirting back, well she felt like the titanic preparing to sink. Cassie took a sip of her drink before looking back at Mav as he asked his next question. Her head tilted slightly as she leaned into the bar. "yeah I suppose I've not been here very often, although would probably make my night outs cheaper if I did for the free drinks" a small laugh was evident in her tone as she spoke.

A small frown passed Cassie's lip for a second as Mav leaned back away from her but she quickly replaced it with a grin as she tilted her head slightly to the right in thought. She bit her lip as she looked around the bar, her eyes landing on the door Daisy had gone through but there was still no sign of Daisy coming back and maybe she wasn't, maybe she had to do some work or something serious. Cassie might have been more disheartened had she been alone but right now she was kind of happy that the two girls were nowhere to be seen.

"Im guessing Daisy isn't coming back and Alice bailed completely on tonight so yeah maybe we can do something" Finishing the last sip of her drink, Cassie gave a small shrug as her eyes came to settle on his once again "Im pretty easy going so what do you want to do she asked as she pushed herself of the bar and stood straight and looked up at him. It was only then that the height difference between the pair really hit her as he appeared to tower over her, okay now she definitely had to start seeming like an adult.

​

BasDorcha

 

[Bellz]

Daisy's Cocktail Bar & Nightclub
~ Soho, London ~

Melissa Sullivan​

The sudden boldness from herself was coming out of absolutely nowhere but, she was going to run with it given she had no intention of joining her friends at this current moment. Noticing Zachary briefly looking towards where Maverick was, Melissa had nonchalantly followed his gaze, curious about what exactly this package was but knowing better than to stick her nose in business that it didn't belong.

Even if she was already a bit tipsy. She had mentioned not wanting to leave her friends to injure themselves but in all honesty, she was just trying not to sound too eager to ditch them and sound like a shit friend. This just wasn't her scene, crowds made her nervous and she was desperate to leave. But...leaving on her own just wasn't a good idea, especially with that man who had been staring at her before still trying to stare through Zach. It was all fun and games to joke about his staring problem, but he was still a hazard. "You would think they'd learn." She lightly laughed, "The company I tend to keep is the exact opposite, though I do enjoy their free spirit." Melissa joked in return, just before she had observed that he was much more down-to-earth. His charming smile made her blush, per usual.

Briefly, she wondered if this was going to be bad for business, as in, when they would see each other at work next. But...at the current moment, she was just a little too inebriated to care and she was enjoying his company far too much, as she usually did even when they were at work. Melissa just always kept it way more professional. "Ah, well that, I do believe. Glad I get to see some of you outside of work or at least, part of you anyway." She corrected herself, knowing that he was still working before the man looked over his shoulder at Maverick again.

At the suggestion that once his shift was over he could swing by again, Melissa tried not to smile too widely, wanting to play it cool while not trying to blow it. It did fade ever so slightly as he asked if someone was waiting for her at home, family, or a boyfriend. None. Nothing was sad about not having a boyfriend but the family thing hit home for her still. Realizing she'd gone a bit quiet, the brunette cleared her throat, brightening her smile again. "No family..or boyfriend. Just little ole me in my apartment. I like to think this outfit is very versatile. I haven't had much of a chance to explore London considerin' I'm worked like a horse, a personal tour sounds lovely and look at you knowin' that I need to be back here so I can make sure the kids are alright." Melissa let out a little laugh, "You go finish your job before I get you in too much trouble. You know where to find me. Supervisin' and all. And don't worry about Mr. Perv over there, I've got a pretty mean left hook. Or so I've been told." She said, smiling lightly to show she'd be fine on her own despite the nervousness she displayed earlier.
with: Zachary Misty Gray

Carter Technologies
~ City of London, London ~

Reign Carter ​

Despite her serious expression before, Will's warm smile had managed to break the ice just a little, "Oh ha ha. Well, next time I know to call in the zipper guru." Her tone was teasing, a small smile playing on her lips. She was a bit jumpy though, this was not the situation she wanted to be caught in, especially in the office. While it wasn't anything serious, it could look that way to anyone outside of her office. The woman was silent allowing Will to step behind her as he carefully moved some hair out of the way to get to the zipper, moving it to drape over her shoulder. It was all...in the oddest way, incredibly intimate. Even though it shouldn't have been. Maybe it was the notorious tension that she didn't want to believe was there between them. He zipped the back up with ease and Reign smiled gratefully to the wall in front of her, teeth and all. His hand rested on her shoulder and she tried to ignore the tingling feeling that flooded through her, her cheeks burning. "Well you made that look far easier than my fumbling about. Thank you, Will." She commented, once he said he was done, feeling slightly foolish for not being able to get it without his help. The tension in the room was all that could be addressed then, feeling like it was closing in but fortunately, the man took the initiative and moved to step in front of her, breaking it some. The man was just shy of complimenting her before his phone buzzed. That seemed to snap them both out of whatever hold the tension had them in, Reign looking away from him as her throat cleared.

Will was about to announce who called him and Reign could only guess it was her father when there was a firm knock on her door, her father's voice calling her name from outside of it, causing her eyes to widen at the same time Will's did. Her mind immediately went to the seat in front of her desk, "Sit." She commanded to Will, her finger pointing to the chair before she moved to grab her wet clothes and move to sit behind her own desk. There wouldn't be time for her to sit but she could at least throw her clothes in her desk drawer. Doing so, she closed it with her foot, letting Will sit before saying, "Come in!" Trying not to sound too frazzled, though given what had happened in the conference, it would be appropriate. Looking at Will instead of her father, she said, standing tall behind her desk with her hands behind her back.

"As I was saying, I want Sophie to do a better job at screening the staff that comes through this building for these conferences. It's important that we keep a professional image. She's fortunate that the drink was spilled on me and not someone important to our business. But I know I don't need to tell you that, I'll be sure to tell her that once we see her, seeing as how I didn't get the chance to talk. Reign just looked at Will using him as a way to focus for a moment, her tone was tight but she was just playing a part. Her frustrations had already been addressed in the elevator, he'd patiently listened and helped her greatly.

As if they'd been in a meeting discussing what Reign wanted, Reign finally looked at her father a serious expression on her face. "Hello sir, sorry for that. We went down to check on the conference and a waitress spilled a drink all over me. I had to change clothes and then I was briefing Will on some things I wanted him to speak to Sophie about after I changed into something not covered in alcohol." The woman looked slightly irritated as she shook her head but she quickly let the issue roll off her back, "How did the meeting go?" She asked, wanting to know more about what came of it and also not stick to the subject of something that was already embarrassing to her. She had intended for her father not to find out somehow but with Will having been in here with her, she had to throw herself under the bus to keep them both afloat. Her eyes went briefly to Will before returning to her father, waiting for that update.
with: Will + Ezekiel Misty Gray

 

[BasDorcha]

The Gray Residence

~ Berlin, Germany ~​

Jeremy Gray

Holding Buck close, he watched the video play on the screen with misty eyes. He missed Harper with every bit of himself, heart soul and body. He still craved her like an addict that couldn't have drugs. It was like a sickness, the way he still hoped the find her one day. Softly, he kissed the top of Nicolas head and whispered. "It's okay." The movie started and Jeremy watched it silently, absorbing the refresh of memories he hadn't thought of in too long. Every day he thought about her just a smidge less, and every day his guilt at forgetting her grew so he worked harder to find her. Everyone thought he should give up, move on, continue his life, but no one seemed to understand that she was his life. Bucky was his life now, but that didn't make her any less of his life. If anything, finding her was priority because Bucky needed his mom if she was still out there. A body had never been found, and Jeremy would never give up until it was.

The small child on the screen was picking at food with him as they raided the kitchen early on Christmas day. She was shooing them out, and for a moment, he just wanted to pause on her face, smiling, and burn the image into his head - not that he couldn't recall it without the video. Now interested in following her, Jeremy had trained the camera on Harper following her around the kitchen as she chased little Nicky. As Bucky grabbed a cookie, Harper got him again, causing Jeremy to laugh out loud both on the video and in person. Soon she was covered and he was laughing again. He forgot how much things had been different then, how sickly Harper had been and trying to recover and how much he had been drinking at the time. In the background of the video, Jeremy saw the telltale signs of it, a drink sitting on the counter just barely visible.

He regretted that he had gone through such a phase while she was here, but he hadn't handled her attempts at self-harm well at all. For years he blamed himself, feeling like he hadn't done enough, that it was his fault she kept doing it. Eventually, the drinking led to her blaming herself for his faults and inability to move on. It had been a rocky time in their marriage, almost ending it. The tears flowed freely this time as he started to cry. He missed her so much. When Nicky looked up talking about them both looking better with frosting, Jeremy laughed softly and nodded, agreeing. "We sure did kid, you had the right idea."

He hugged his son back, squeezing harder than intended for a moment. They watched in silence for a few minutes more, when Bucky's next comment broke the air. Jeremy remained silent a moment, shaking his head as he went on to say it was stupid. "It's not stupid son. I still believe mom is out there somewhere, that something happened that prevented her from coming home… So if it's stupid to hope that if she is there, she's okay, then I'm as stupid as they come. Every day I say a prayer for her, wish her home, and keep looking. I'm sorry I work so much Bucky… But I promise one day, we'll either know I did everything I could to find her, or I'll bring her home, one of the two."

He tried to comfort his child the best he could. He finally released him just as the door bell rang. Standing, he fetched his wallet and greeted the pizza delivery person at the door, barely looking at them from the vision of Harper still dancing in his eyes. Setting the pizza down in the living room on the coffee table, he smiled at Bucky as he turned the TV to a normal channel. "Find is something to watch?"

Bellz - Bucky

 

[Misty Gray]

Peter and Sinead Callahan's House
~ Lake Windermere, Cumbria, UK ~

Savannah Vaughan and Sinead Callahan
Lily and Summer Vaughan​

Lily rolled her eyes when Peter pointed out there were a lot of talkative people in their family, knowing it was true. "You'll have to teach me how to tune it out," she said with a giggle. Her grandfather then telling her to always listen her sister caused her to raise a sceptical eyebrow. "Sure," she said, returning the man's wink, "if only so I can tell her she's wrong," she joked.

Savannah softly smiled when Peter pointed out that after raising her and her three siblings, he knew all about faking illnesses, so he reassured her that Summer wouldn't be able to get out of going to school in the morning. "Thank you," she told him. Hearing him say that school was boring made her think if boredom was the worst thing her children had to suffer whilst at school, then she was more than content. When she was a kid, she'd had to fight for her parents to let her go to school, as the dangers her family's criminal lifestyle put on them meant Sinead had been intent on having her home-schooled. And when Savannah had won the battle and was allowed to go to school, she ended up being bullied for much of the time. Knowing her own kids were safe to go to school and reassured none of them were being bullied when there was what drove Savannah to pushing them all to attend, learn, and make friends.

Although Peter mentioned her brother was busy, it felt good and normal to hear that he was busy with not only his family but his electrician business too. Gone were the days of violence and danger, instead replaced by something resembling normality. Whilst she missed her extended family and best friend, Roxie, knowing her children had the chance to break the cycle of her family's past criminal lifestyle was what made her feel content with her new life. The mob had almost cost Danny his life, taken her own sanity, and had led to her Uncle James' death, just before Interpol stepped in, so Savannah could now only associate Dublin with bad memories. "Glad to hear he's keeping out of trouble," she knowingly commented. She looked between her parents with curiosity at Hattie's intention to move to London. She knew the quiet life of the Lake District wasn't for everyone and Liam himself had made the move to London a few years ago. She was sure Emery would do the same, but given her record, it wasn't something her sister could do without Interpol's approval. "Well, I'm sure if she does want to go, she'll have Liam nearby to keep an eye on her. Alex and Kerry I'm sure would be there for her too," she said, knowing Sinead would no doubt have her reservations, given how much she'd tried to talk Liam out of moving away.

"Well, they'd better do, because I'll be worrying about her every day otherwise. London is a big change from here, and this is coming from someone who was born in Chicago and lived in New York for all that time," Sinead reminded them.

"Brady might be a bit of a brood?" Savannah repeated Peter's words in an amused tone. "Lily... Remember that bunch of chatty family members? Well, you've also got a bunch of brooding ones," she told her daughter, glancing to Peter himself with that comment, with the man joining Braden and Liam in the brooding category. "Fitting into neither category, I can assure you that you'll get used to it, like I have."

Although it had been something she'd thought about asking her parents in advance of speaking with them this evening, hearing Peter' reservations about him and Sinead having a word with Callum made her question if it was the best course of action. Callum was displaying difficult behaviour and being rude to some of his family members, but he didn't act up for his grandparents, including Trevor. She bit down on her bottom lip as he considered Peter's warning and a glance to Sinead told her that her mother had the same concerns.

"Your father's right, Savvy. Us two having a talk with Callum could push him away from us too. We're not going to let him get away with bad behaviour and if he tries to give me attitude I'll tell him what for, but maybe we shouldn't risk upsetting him too. Your dad and I do want to help you, honey, but I think the best thing we can do is keep being the ones he might be comfortable turning to when he thinks you or Alex is mad with him," Sinead tried to put it as delicately as she could.

Savannah listened to her parents before slowly nodding her head. She understood what her parents were saying and couldn't deny it would be reassuring knowing Callum would at least trust his grandparents to turn to when he was in a bad place with his own parents. "I think you're both right... Forget I asked," she told Peter and Sinead, quickly nodding her head. "The last thing I want to do is have him turn on you both too. You can be the good cops," she lightly suggested. "I just hope he grows out of this soon and doesn't get himself into trouble. I worry about him getting caught up in our endless cycle..." she said, but stopped short of spelling it out, figuring her parents knew she meant she wanted him to avoid being in trouble with the law, which was their family's - and Alex's family's - trademark problem.

Bellz (Peter)

 

[Misty Gray]

Abel and Alice's Home
~ Bethnal Green, London ~

Alice Stewart​

Alice had heard the car pulling into the driveway so knew before Abel even opened the front door that he was home. Still, she remained comfortably seated on the sofa, even when Salem jumped down and rushed towards the front door to inspect who had entered the house. "Yes, I'm home," she called back to her husband when he asked from elsewhere in the house. She figured she didn't need to tell him which room she was in and that he'd find her on his own accord. When he did find her, she turned to see him holding a bunch of roses which he proceeded to hand to her. "Oh wow! They're beautiful," she told him as she got to her feet to accept them and placed a quick kiss on his lips. As she took in their scent and delicately touched the flower petals, she looked back up to him with a bright smile on her face. "What's the occasion?" she curiously asked.

When he mentioned part of him had wished she'd gone out with her friends, she shrugged her shoulders but then smiled again when he said he was glad they could instead spend time together. When he swept her in to kiss her, she let out a small laugh. "You're in a good mood," she playfully told him. When he asked how she was feeling, she stepped away and sought out an empty vase to put the roses in. "I'm okay," she replied, quickly nodding her head. She picked up an empty glass vase and set it down in the centre of the fireplace. "I'm a little nervous about going back to work tomorrow, but I'm sure once I'm there and back in the classroom it'll all feel normal again," she assured him. She then set about arranging the roses in the vase, making a mental note to add some water to them when she next went into the kitchen. Turning to Abel, she put her full attention back on him as she interlocked her fingers together in front of her. "I'm glad I stayed home, to be honest. I'm sure Cassie and Daisy won't hold it again me. Besides, one is your sister and the other is your brother's girlfriend, it's not like I won't get to see them again soon," she reasoned.

Her face then turned a little more serious as she sat back down on the sofa and prompted Abel to join her, unaware he'd brought home pizza and wine. "How was your meeting? What did Ezekiel want that was so important to call you in on a Sunday evening? That man is so dodgy," she remarked. When she first met Ezekiel and for some time after, she thought the man was lovely and charming. As the years had gone on, she'd learned from the Stewarts and others that the man wasn't quite what he seemed. He was dangerous and she didn't like that her in-laws had found themselves tied to him.

BasDorcha (Abel)

 

[Misty Gray]

Carter Technologies
~ City of London, London ~

Will Roberts and Ezekiel Carter​

Upon hearing Ezekiel's voice, it was clear the same kind of thoughts were going through Reign's mind as she mirrored Will's wide-eyed reaction. Will was normally quick-thinking, but on this occasion his mind failed to snap into action. Luckily for him, Reign was fast to react and told him to sit in the chair at her desk before she rounded it to stand at her own side at the helm. When she called for her father to enter the office, Will took a moment to ensure he was his usual composed self before turning his head to look to the doorway where he expected his boss to step into view.

Ezekiel had opened the door on Reign's word and when he entered the room he was curious to see Will sitting there. The older man chose not to speak yet, wanting whatever was going on to continue without him interrupting. As Will turned back to face Reign, Ezekiel closed the office door behind himself and step forward into the room to observe. His daughter looked serious, so he was keen to hear what was being discussed.

Will listened as Reign spoke about Sophie. Although she was now addressing him to give a valid reason them being alone in her office, he took her words on board. It had been Sophie's job to ensure the staff she had working that evening were competent, but Will, along with Reign, also held some responsibility in ensuring things were running smoothly and that Sophie had things under control. "Of course," he said, nodding in understanding as Reign said they would address the situation with Sophie when they saw her next. "I will assist wherever I can."

Ezekiel approached the desk but remained standing by Will's seat as he looked at Reign who was now addressing him directly. Listening as his daughter explained what had happened with the clumsy waitress who spilled her drink, the man folded his arms at his chest. "Yes, I would appreciate this being addressed with Sophie. She's good at what she does, but needs to ensure she has competent staff working under her supervision as they'll only reflected badly on her own capabilities. The waitress had one easy job to do and if she can't do that then I'd appreciate Sophie does not have her work a public facing position in future."

With the conversation shifting to how the meeting went, Will made a move to stand up until Ezekiel rested a firm hand on his shoulder to instruct him to stay seated. "Take notes," he commanded his assistant who reached into his inside pocket to take out his small jotter. Will tended to remember every instruction he was given, but given the boss had specifically asked and that the situation had already started awkwardly, he decided to write down the notes on this occasion.

Ezekiel moved to the side of the desk, where he could see both Reign and Will rather than standing where either one of their faces were out of view. "The meeting went well. Abel has agreed to back out of the Farringdon contract and work on my development. He didn't need much persuasion, even from Trevor," he remarked. "Will. I need the contracts drawn up and in place ready to sign by noon Tuesday. Get on that with the legal team," Ezekiel instructed the younger man, clearly ignoring the fact he'd given him a short window to complete the task, especially after telling him he didn't have to come into the office tomorrow. Of course, Will silently realised he would indeed be in the office tomorrow. "I also need you to look into the art placements and signage on this level. It's outdated," he informed him. Having already picked up on the same before he entered Reign's office, Will had to stifle an amused smirk at his apparent psychic abilities. Or maybe he really had been in this job long enough to know how Ezekiel's mind worked.

"No problem," Will commented as he clicked his pen, ready to put it and the note pad away. Ezekiel's clearly had other ideas as he held his hand out.

"You also need to schedule in time with Reign to discuss the IT team and the fact Xavier needs to cut the deadweight." Ezekiel paused for a moment, giving Will chance to wonder if he was finished yet, but he still continued. "Lance Gledhill is flying in from the US in 12 days' time. I need to you ensure his flights, transfers, accommodation and the rest is dealt with as before. He's a creature of habit, so he wants the same as his last visit," he said, putting emphasis on the word creature. "That will be all," he said, finally allowing Will to put his pen and jotter away.

"I'll make sure everything is in place," Will confirmed, in regards to all of the tasks he'd just been set. The last of the tasks being he's least favourite, given how difficult and particular Lance had been on his visits before.

"Now. Were you both heading to the conference? I will accompany you there," Ezekiel told them.

Bellz (Reign)

 

[Pyroclast]

The Loch Inn Pub
~ Fort William, Scotland ~
​

Alicia & Eddie Miller (Shona & Eddie King)​

Shona could sense her husband’s frustration building as he listened to her. He wasn’t an aggressive man - not to her and the kids, anyway - but London was a sensitive subject for them both. She knew how much Spencer missed the family, friends and life that they had been forced to leave behind. The news of Harper’s death had been one of the hardest things they had ever gone through together, having to lean on each other more than ever since nobody else in their new lives even knew that ‘Nathan Miller’ had a sister to begin with, let alone that she had been killed in a horrible accident. They had to keep their grief a secret, which brought the couple even closer than they already had been. Harper’s death, just like the uprooting of their lives in 1985, was something that Shona knew neither of them would ever be able to fully move on from…but she was learning that dwelling on the past was making it harder to appreciate the present, and so she had been doing her best to accept their new reality as best she could.

Though he remained calm, the frustration could be heard in Spencer’s tone of voice when he argued that he couldn’t just switch off his feelings about London, in his cursing about Gary’s dull conversations and in his bitter reminder that he couldn’t forget about everyone they had lost. Shona sighed again, feeling herself grow frustrated now. “And I ain’t askin’ ya’ to, I just -”

Any risk of an argument was stopped short when Lottie entered the room. The girl came to sit next to Shona at the table while Spencer fetched her a glass of orange juice, and Shona rubbed her back welcomingly, showing her a smile. She was feeling a bit tense after the mention of London, more so that she thought it really warranted, and hoped that some family distraction would help to cheer her up. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there to help with your homework, lovely,” she said quietly to her daughter. “By the end of maths tomorrow, we’ll make sure you get it, okay?” Eddie showed up then, his clothes still a bit muddy from playing outside. “Hands,” Shona reminded him, and watched as the boy went to the sink to wash at her command.

“Eh, it was alright,” Eddie shrugged, when Spencer asked him if he had been having fun outside. But he couldn’t hold his smile back for long; he turned from the sink to face his father and his eyes lit up with excitement. “I only went and scored a header!!” He accepted his glass of juice and went to take a seat beside Lottie, practically dancing across the kitchen. “Aw, Dad, you shoulda’ seen it, it was pure barry,” he enthused. Shona smiled and raised an eyebrow at her husband, finding it weird to hear their Cockney son take influence from his Scottish friends in the language he used. “We was all playin’ earlier, and the ball was at our end and Rob kicked it over to the goal but it wasn’t gonna go in and Ben was gonna take it off us but I was there to block him and I jumped up and scored a header!!” He paused for breath, still beaming from ear to ear. “Ya’ shoulda’ seen it, dad. It was so cool.”

You’re a superstar, baby,” Shona said with a smile. “Hey, fork down! We’re still waitin’ for Logan.”

Eddie set his fork down and instead took a sip of juice. Despite all the exercise he had had that day, it was clear he was still energised from his enjoyable day of playing outside, practically bouncing in his seat. Spencer asked him if he was looking forward to going back to school, adding a teasing reminder that the summer holidays were over. “Ha ha,” he answered, heavy on the sarcasm, but didn’t answer the question.

Logan took everyone’s attention when he entered the room, prompting a gentle smile from Shona. She was aware that this time of year was difficult for him, especially since today marked exactly 5 years since Logan’s suicide attempt, which was thankfully interrupted by Spencer. Her husband saved the young man’s life that day. It was what should have been his daughter’s birthday, had his wife not been killed while still pregnant. Even when he smiled and chatted and went about his day as normally as he could, Shona knew that underneath it all the man was grieving. When she looked up and met his eyes, she could see the sadness in them, and the slight tension in his body as if it was an effort just to get through the day. However he was feeling, both Shona and Spencer were ready to be there to talk about it with him if he needed to once the children were in bed.

The man sweetly complimented her cooking, before asking her how she was. “Thanks, love,” she replied with a soft smile, resting her head on her hand. She wanted to ask him how he was in return, but didn’t want to risk compromising his emotional barrier in front of the children in case he was struggling enough already. “I’m doin’ just fine, thank you. All the better for havin’ you with us tonight.” And though her words sounded ordinary, she really meant them. Being conscious of what the day represented also made her especially grateful that Logan hadn’t managed to kill himself all those years ago. Being separated from everything and everyone she knew and loved had been enough to remind her to never take anyone for granted and to appreciate the good people in her life, and Logan’s attempt had only deepened her resolve.

He then asked Lottie and Eddie how they were doing, to which Lottie enthusiastically told him about her trip to the gym Spencer would be taking her on the next day, adding with confidence that she was about to become the toughest one of the family. Logan supported her by stressing that he would make sure not to provoke her to avoid getting beaten up. Shona had to laugh - her mood was already lifting, always happy to see her little girl so confident, as well as Logan being so sweet with her.

“She’s already tough,” Eddie played along. “You ever arm wrestled her, Logan? She’ll break your bloody wrist!”

“Language, Eddie,” Shona uttered, but she couldn’t tell him off sincerely when he was cheering his sister on. It warmed her heart when he was kind to her. A squeeze around the shoulder from Spencer reminded her that she had been about to get upset with him…but after all the interactions at the table, she realised she was feeling better already, and looked up to smile at her husband to let him know they were okay.

“When can I see you box?” Eddie asked Logan through a mouthful of cottage pie. “You get to come to my games. I wanna see you fight a guy!” He turned in his seat and playfully punched the man’s arm a few times.

Interactions
Misty Gray Spencer, Logan, Lottie

 

[Misty Gray]

The Loch Inn Pub
~ Fort William, Scotland ~

Spencer King (Nathan Miller)
and Logan Thomson​

Spencer had eyed Eddie with a curious suspiciousness as his son downplayed the time he'd been spending outside with his friends. Seeing the smile that broke through onto the boy's lips and the excitement in his eyes confirmed there was more to be heard. "A header?!" Spencer repeated, matching Eddie's enthusiasm as he did. Hearing the use of the word "barry'' prompted Spencer to automatically meet Shona's eyes and smirk back at her. If Logan had arrived for dinner by then, Spencer would have made a teasing comment that the man's Scottish vocabulary was rubbing off on his kids, though it was more likely Eddie's school friends to blame for that one. "I wish I had seen it, mate. With your skill I'm sure I'll have plenty more chances to though," he assured him. Spencer then listened on as Eddie continued to gush about the game he'd just had with his friends. He couldn't help but keep smiling, proud of his son and his enthusiasm for football, which was something he too held close to his heart. These were the kind of shared memories Spencer never got to have with Trevor but had always vowed to form with his own kids. Seeing Eddie looking so happy and confident always reassured Spencer that he and Shona had given their children the best of themselves.

Soon enough everyone, including Logan, was sitting around the dinner table and able to start eating. Spencer stayed quiet for a moment as Shona and Logan spoke with each other. He took the time to observe the Scotsman, noticing the deeper sadness in his eyes betrayed the brave face he was putting on. Spencer wouldn't forget what happened five years ago, when he found Logan about to take his own life through an overdose. Just like how finding his own mother's lifeless body back when he was a child or watching Harper be wheeled off into the back of an ambulance after her own suicide attempt 12 years ago, Spencer would never forget the state he'd found Logan in. It was likely because of Laura's death and Harper's suicide attempt that had made him just about kick some sense into Logan five years ago. Whether it was his initial furious reaction or the heart-to-heart that followed, Spencer was just glad Logan had seen sense and hadn't tried to take his own life since. Still, it didn't stop him and Shona from being cautious, especially when it came to specific anniversaries for Logan.

Logan nodded his head in understanding when Shona said she was doing fine and better for him being there with them for dinner. He wasn't oblivious that the elephant in the room was himself and the fact his child was due to have been born exactly five years ago, had they and his pregnant wife not been killed. Whilst he'd since moved on from thoughts of suicide, it didn't stop him from feeling particularly low at certain times of the year. He just hoped he could get through the evening without putting a dampener on the dinner the family had kindly invited him to. "Maybe next time I can cook a Sunday roast for you all," he suggested. Logan liked cooking but living on his own rarely filled him with the motivation to put in much effort. When he did have anyone staying overnight at his place, they were women he barely knew and he usually had them out of the door, and out of his mind as quickly as possible the next morning.

Logan couldn't help but chuckle when Eddie told him Lottie was already tough enough to break his wrist in an arm wrestle. "Oh aye? I won't be trying that then. I need my wrist to be in top shape," he began, catching Spencer's smirk as the older man clearly detected an innuendo in his words, "for whooping your old man's butt in darts," he quickly elaborated.

"Like you've ever beaten me, Logan. Dream on, mate!" Spencer was quick to set the record straight. He then looked to Shona and sent her a warm smile, appreciating the friendly banter and atmosphere around the table.

Logan smiled and quickly swallowed his food as Eddie asked him about watching him box. He grinned as the boy playfully punched his arm. "Hey now. I get enough of this from your dad beating me up!" he joked. "I've got a match on in a couple of weeks, though," he seriously told him. "Nothing big and I'm sure I'll knock the guy out without much effort," he assured him.

"I'm working on getting us in touch with a bloke who can line you up with some better opponents. Not my fault you're all soft up 'ere in Scotland," he teased Logan.

"Funny that. I heard from my mate in Yorkshire that you Cockneys are all soft. Now be a sport and hand me some of that army and navy!" he asked for the gravy, copying Spencer's accent in his use of Cockney rhyming slang.

Spencer was about to continue the banter but hearing Lottie laughing along told him his daughter was already getting distracted enough from her meal. Instead, he handed Logan the jug of gravy as he'd asked. "Lottie, eat your food," he directed his daughter who had yet to take her first bite.

"You eat your food," Lottie repeated back to her father in a sassy tone as she idly stabbed at her vegetables. Seeing Spencer's serious expression and that he was likely about to berate her for being cheeky, she flashed an angelic smile before looking away from him. "Logan, why don't you go have children too? Me an' Eddie could babysit and everything. It would be so fun!" She put some food in her mouth and chewed fast so she could swallow it and keep talking. "Mum, shall we find Logan a girlfriend?" she excitedly suggested. In her excitement, she swung her arm out to the side and knocked her glass over, the juice spilling onto Eddie's plate of food. As she quickly fumbled, she then knocked the glass tumbler onto the floor where it smashed.

Spencer had been about to tell Lottie off for her cheek but things soon turned awkward at her innocent questions towards Logan. Before he could derail the topic, his daughter managed to spill her drink and cause her own bit of chaos. Rushing up to his feet, Spencer told Lottie to stay seated as he rushed to pick up the pieces of broken glass from the floor. "Stay in your chair, Lottie!" he commanded her again, more to keep her safe from the broken glass than any kind of punishment.

"I'm sorry. It was an accident," Lottie said, turning to Eddie to apologise as she wiped her tearful eyes with the sleeve of her jumper.

Logan had been quick to his feet to retrieve a couple of tea towels. He handed one to Spencer and the other to Eddie to mop up any spilled juice. Seeing Spencer seemed to have the clean up under control, Logan took a step back from the table. Right before all of the commotion, Lottie's words had hit a nerve. Of course, it was innocent and sweet coming from the girl, but often such comments were more direct and from adults in his life. Whilst he was trying to move on from the wife and unborn child he'd lost, it wasn't easy. Not only did dates like today's make it particularly hard, but no matter how hard he tried, he hadn't been able to form a serious relationship since Katie. He wasn't sure if he could.

"I should... I should go," Logan told Shona, her attention and eye-contact the first he could catch. He chewed his bottom lip to suppress his emotions before quickly nodding his head and backing out of the room. When he reached the top of the stairs that led down to the pub area of the building, he stopped, gripping onto top of the banister rail as he felt his chest tighten. He knew today was going to be hard, but he still thought he'd be able to sail through it. And now he felt bad for walking out in the middle of dinner, especially amidst the sudden commotion. But the last thing he'd wanted to do was break down in front of Eddie and Lottie.

Pyroclast (Shona, Eddie)