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

[Pyroclast]

The Loch Inn Pub
~ Fort William, Scotland ~
​

Alicia & Eddie Miller (Shona & Eddie King)​

“Yesss!” Eddie cheered. “I wanna see ya’ knock him out! Can I go see Logan’s fight, mum?”

Shona looked at Logan and Spencer. “If they let kids into that sorta’ thing,” she said with a hint of uncertainty. “And if your dad goes with ya’. ‘Cause I ain’t goin’ - I’d hate to see Logan get hurt, I just couldn’t watch that…”

“It’s alright, mum, he won’t get hurt,” Eddie replied with confidence, turning to Logan with a grin. “‘Cause he’s gonna win!”

Spencer then clarified that he was going to set Logan up with some higher level opponents, and the pair started bantering with one another, with the Scot ending up speaking rhyming cockney slang in his best accent. Eddie laughed heartily, his mouthful of pie almost falling from his mouth. The attention turned to Lottie when Spencer realised she hadn’t started her dinner yet, and once the table fell quiet, the girl took her turn to speak. She suggested to Logan that he should have kids so that she and Eddie could play with them and babysit. Shona swallowed her mouthful and set her knife and fork down, glancing at Logan with caution to see if her comment was affecting him. It was a sore subject all year round, but poor Lottie didn’t know what that particular day meant for Logan.

“You’re just sayin’ that so you’ll have someone to boss around,” Eddie pointed out. “But I’ll still be the oldest, so I’ll always get to tell you what to do!”

Lottie asked Shona if they could help Logan find a girlfriend, but before she could work out how to respond, the girl knocked her glass of juice all over Eddie’s dinner and then onto the floor where it smashed. Spencer and Logan jumped into action immediately, with one sweeping up the glass and the other fetching tea towels.

Eddie just looked down in shock at his ruined dinner before Shona took it away. “It’s alright, love, this recipe always makes six portions,” she assured him, worried he might get upset with his sister and make everything worse. “I’ll get you a fresh plate - you just stay there, alright?”

That was enough to pacify Eddie, and so he started mopping up the mess with a tea towel that Logan had handed him. A quick glance to Lottie showed him that she was crying. “It’s okay, Lottie,” he said. “Don’t cry. It’s fine. I know you didn’t mean it, you’re just clumsy.”

“Eddie,” Shona warned him, passing him a fresh plate of food and Lottie a fresh glass of juice.

“Um, I already ate my vegetables,” he attempted.

“No you ain’t!” Shona retorted, and Eddie gave a playful sigh and turned back to his food, leaving Shona to console Lottie. “Don’t cry, love, everything’s okay now, look. Glass is swept up, your brother’s got his food, you’ve got your juice. Nothin’ to cry about, okay, sweet pea?” She hugged the child from behind, kissing her on the head and gently rubbing her chest to help calm her down.

It was when she stood up that she realised Logan was hovering and looking almost tearful. He told her he ought to go, and backed out of the room. But she couldn’t just let him leave on his own.

“Nathan,” she uttered to her husband. “You got this? I need to just…” and she gestured towards the door, bringing to his attention that Logan had left. Given that both she and Spencer knew how hard this day was, she figured that he would know what she was trying to say.

With Spencer taking care of the kids, Shona slipped out of the room to find Logan at the top of the stairs, gripping onto the banister.

“Logan?” she asked softly, approaching his side and placing a gentle hand on his back. He looked like he was on the verge of tears and her heart ached for him. Turning into him, she opened her arms to invite him into a close hug. “Come ‘ere, love,” she whispered. “We can go talk somewhere if you like?”

Interactions
Misty Gray Spencer, Lottie, Logan

 

[Misty Gray]

The Loch Inn Pub
~ Fort William, Scotland ~

Spencer King (Nathan Miller)
and Logan Thomson​

Lottie finished wiping at her eyes when Eddie told her it was okay. That was almost enough to keep her quiet until he said she was clumsy, to which she shook her head. "No, it was just an accident..." Accepting the fresh glass from Shona, she quietly thanked her mother and took a sip from it. When Shona reassured her everything was okay and she didn't need to cry, she quickly nodded her head. "I'm sorry," she said, leaning into her mother's embrace. She was aware she was often in trouble and people seemed to find her to be hard work, but she couldn't help it and didn't want everyone to think she was bad. She didn't want her family to think she'd messed up dinner on purpose or that she was intentionally destructive.

Spencer was just throwing away the last of the broken glass when Shona addressed him. He looked to her as she gestured to the door and alerted him to the fact Logan had gone. "Yeah..." he slowly replied as he let his thoughts catch up to him. Deciding this was one Shona would be better addressing in her more delicate manner, he nodded to confirm he understood. "Yeah, I've got this," he assured her.

"Do I have to pay for the glass, Dad?" Lottie suddenly asked Spencer, remembering that before dinner had started her father had caught her about to throw a glass in her frustration with her homework. He told her if she broke it she'd pay for it.

"What?" Spencer asked, lightly resting his hand on her back before he realised what she meant. "Ohhhh!" He returned to his seat at the table and looked at her expectant face. "No, you don't have to pay when it's an accident. But if you don't eat your dinner right now I might change my mind!" he lightly warned her.

"Okay. Okay!" Lottie said before focusing on eating her food. Somewhere between mouthfuls, she turned to Eddie upon remembering him saying he could always boss her around because he was the oldest. She once again stopped focusing on her food, setting the fork down on the table. "You can't boss me around when I'm a grown up because then we're both adults and so I can do what I want."

"You know who can always boss both of you around, no matter what? Me. So, both of you, get dinner eaten. Now," Spencer firmly ordered the two children. Returning to eating his own food, he couldn't help but think about Logan and if Shona was having any luck. He knew Lottie's questions would have got to the younger man.

Feeling Shona's hand on his back as she softly spoke his name, Logan took a deep breath to calm himself down. When she opened her arms out to hug him, he didn't hesitate to accept and allow her to hold him close. Shona and Spencer had been there through it all. Before he even met Katie, throughout his relationship with her, and ever since Katie's and their unborn child's deaths. There was nobody else he trusted with his feelings more than them. "Sure..." he said when she suggested going somewhere to talk.

When they were in the living room, Logan sat on the sofa with Shona. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be... It's been five years and I know I should have moved on by now. Lottie's comments were good points and I want to move on, I do, but..." Turning to look Shona in the eyes, he shrugged his shoulders. "It's an endless cycle. Is every year going to be the same?" he asked her. "I don't know what to do, Alicia. You and Nathan have been amazing to me ever since we met. I love training with Nathan and helping you out in the garden. I think the world of Eddie and Lottie. That's what makes this so hard..." Looking up to the ceiling and then back to her, he shook his head. "I wish I didn't have to leave you guys, but I don't think being here will help me if I ever want to move on. I first met Katie working downstairs. I still work behind the bar where most of our first memories were made. Wherever I look in the pub I remember little things about her, like how she was shite at pool or the time she pulled the worst pint I'd ever seen in my life," he said, managing a small smile. "And it's not just here in the pub. But this town altogether. I take a longer route when I walk to the bookies, just to avoid crossing the street where she was knocked down... I think I need to leave Fort William if I've any chance of truly moving on."

Pyroclast (Shona, Eddie)

 

[Pyroclast]

The Loch Inn Pub
~ Fort William, Scotland ~

Alicia Miller (Shona King)​

Shona loved the relationship that she and Spencer had built up with Logan over the years. Even though the man didn’t know their true identities, Spencer saving the man’s life after finding him trying to commit suicide had brought them all together, and a close bond had formed. Now, as well as being a friend, Shona felt like something of a mother to him even though he was only 10 years younger. She cared for him and his well-being, feeling a deep sympathy for his immense losses. After what she and the rest of the King family had been through both during the war with the Sullivans and the sudden split, as well as her own mental health problems and traumatising pregnancy complications, Shona had been left with the confidence that she could make it through anything with the right support. And since Logan had lost the woman he loved, Shona and Spencer both knew they needed to be the support he needed.

Relying on her husband to answer the children if they asked him where she and Logan had gone, Shona took the young man into the living room and sat down on the sofa with him. He seemed judgemental of himself, questioning why he should still be stuck on his grief when a whole five years had passed since Katie had died. As she listened, Shona placed a hand on the back of his head and gently combed her fingers through his hair in an attempt to soothe him. He talked about how much he appreciated her and Nathan and the kids, but his tone set her a little on edge. “Makes what hard, love?” she gently pressed, lowering her hand to stroke his back.

He told her he wanted to leave, that he felt staying in the pub - and in the town itself - was preventing him from moving on. Fort William was haunted with memories of his late wife and he needed a fresh start. Shona lowered her head and went quiet for a moment. Her latest experience with grief was when she and Spencer received news that Harper had been killed in a tragic accident, with her body never recovered. They had had several years beforehand to get used to not being around her, and in a way they were lucky that they had never had a chance to associate Harper with Fort William. But thinking about her still put an ache in Shona’s chest. Birthdays, Christmases, the anniversary of the split, they all forced her and Spencer to remember and grieve the family they had lost all those years ago…but throughout it all, Shona had at least found comfort in imagining them out there living their lives. So it hurt especially to know that Harper was no longer out there.

“I understand,” she said softly, raising her head to look Logan in the eyes. After a slight pause, she added. “I’m proud of you, for doin’ this. It ain’t easy to move forward after sufferin’ a great loss, but startin’ afresh sounds like it’ll do ya’ some good.” She took his hand in hers and gave it a gentle squeeze, offering him a smile. “You know, it…it never gets easy. Grief ain’t somethin’ you overcome, it’s just…somethin’ you learn to manage. And even as you move forward, and the day it all happened gets further and further into the past, you can still honour Katie and your baby. Not every year will be the same, love - maybe you’ll find that as time goes on, you’ll grieve in different ways. But you have a right to mourn them no matter how far ahead you are, and it’s okay if that never goes away.” A look of sadness filled her eyes, though her smile remained. “What you need is a fresh start, get away from all these memories glarin’ at you,” she agreed. “But don’t you be a stranger, you hear? You know you can always come to us. I’ll miss ya’, Logan…we all will. Please don’t forget you have a home ‘ere.” Perhaps more for her own comfort than for his, Shona drew him into a close hug and held him tight.

Interactions
Misty Gray Logan bby

 

[Misty Gray]

The Loch Inn Pub
~ Fort William, Scotland ~

Spencer King (Nathan Miller)
and Logan Thomson​

As Shona stroked his back to console him, it reminded Logan that the Millers were the only real family he had left. They were certainly the only people who really understood him and knew of everything he'd been through. His mother and stepmother were both dead, and as far as he was concerned, his imprisoned father was too. His foster parents had never shared an ounce of love or concern for him either. But the Millers had always been there for him, even when he was happy and settled with Katie he knew he could still go to them for anything. It's what made his decision to leave so difficult, given they were practically family now.

Although he'd expected Shona would be supportive of his decision, he still breathed a sigh of relief when she told him she understood his decision. Hearing her say she was proud of him for wanting to move forward and have a fresh start, he choked up a little, trying to hold back the tears as he returned her smile with a weary one of his own. He nodded along in understanding as she told him he would learn to manage his grief over time. He knew she was right, but he believed leaving Fort William would help make that process easier. He doubted he would ever forget Katie and his unborn child, but he was now realising he needed to move on and live the rest of his life, before it was too late.

Logan could see the sadness in Shona's eyes and though he knew she wanted him to do what he needed to, he still felt bad at the thought of upsetting her. "Oh no, I won't be a stranger. You're all stuck with me now," he said, managing a brief laugh. "Of course I'll visit. You, Nathan, Eddie, and Lottie, you all mean the world to me. You're all family to me," he reassured her. Feeling his eyes welling up with tears, he quickly wiped them with the backs of his hands. "I've got an old schoolmate living in York who I can stay with until I get on my feet. So, I would only be a few hours away," he explained. "Maybe with your lot living here and me moving to England, it'll balance things out a bit," he joked. His face then turned serious as he looked her in the eyes. "I'll miss you too, Alicia. You've done so much for me and maybe one day I'll be able to repay that, but for now, just know that I'm grateful for everything you've done. You're the best family I ever had," he told her.

When Shona hugged him, he wrapped his arms around her to hold her close. The embrace allowed him to lower his guard and he couldn't hold back the tears. When they broke away from the hug, Logan dried his tear-soaked face with his sleeve as he composed himself again. He was glad he'd been able to get it out of his system with the more nurturing and sensitive member of the family, as he anticipated telling Spencer would go down in a different manner. "I'll try visit as much as I can, then maybe you won't get time to miss me too much," he remarked. He then took a deep, apprehensive breath. "Thank you for listening and letting me get it off my chest. It's been a tough decision and I wasn't even sure if I had it in me to go through with it, but I know I have to do it. Thing I'm most worried about now is telling Nathan." It wasn't that he thought the man would be mad or begrudge him of it, but part of him felt like he'd be letting him down. Between working at the pub, helping run the betting and other off-the-records ventures, as well as helping out with the kids on occasions, Logan knew he'd be leaving Spencer with more work. On a personal level, he was sure the man would be sad to see him go too, but like Shona, he believed Spencer would understand why he had to leave.

Pyroclast (Shona, Eddie)

 

[Pyroclast]

The Harper Family Home
~ Manzanillo, Cuba ~​

Michael "Mig" Zegarra (Camilo Villaneuva)​

Michael had heard that one’s first love was the hardest to get over. However, all things considered, he thought he was doing a pretty good job. Yes, he had cried himself to sleep for weeks and struggled to cope with the awkward tension between them ever since, but with the help of God he found it in himself to forgive Collin for breaking his heart. Coming out to the family was a big deal, after all. Michael had loved him enough to want to take that leap together, ready to face everyone’s reactions as long as Collin was there at his side doing it with him. Because really, Collin was the only one who he knew understood what it was like to be gay in such a Christian country. Michael himself was a firm follower of Jesus Christ and devoted a lot of his time to his local church, but he believed that God loved everyone, regardless of sexuality, and he never doubted his faith because of his love for Collin. However, he knew the general community may not be so accepting, and so that was why he had wanted his boyfriend to face it together.

Despite forgiving Collin, Michael still missed him sometimes. The romance, the sex…but most of all, just him. His laugh, his warmth, his company, his piano playing. Michael was done crying; he had made peace with what had happened, and decided to remain in the closet for now with the trust that Collin would never tell a soul. But Collin was different. Unlike Michael, he didn’t have the teachings of Jesus to guide him through the pain, and so his feelings still showed. Their interactions became scarce, even during their families’ weekly Sunday get togethers, and what conversation they did have one-on-one was largely superficial.

Still, he liked to see him trying - a bit of small talk was better than being avoided altogether. The pair had decided to go on an evening stroll together, and to Michael it was such a big deal that part of him wondered if Collin was going to take the opportunity to talk openly with him for the first time since the break up. Even with the mild breeze, the evening sun was warm enough for Michael to go out with just a shirt and shorts, and the two walked off away from the house together, the chatter from their parents growing more and more distant. Michael would occasionally drop back ever so slightly to steal a glance at Collin, so he could gauge the air and work out the most appropriate conversation starter.

In the end, however, it was Collin who spoke up first. He turned to Michael with a smile, and made some playful comment about which of their parents would go down first from the alcohol. His bet was on Thomas, and Michael laughed, edging away from him a little to keep things balanced. “There’s tolerance, and then there’s self-control,” he added. “But I think you’re right, Thomas might just have the worst of both!” He let out another giggle, though mostly just pleased to be sharing a joke with the friend he had missed. “Well, let’s make sure we’re not back when that happens,” he added, but immediately realised that Collin might think he was suggesting they extend their walk for old times’ sake. “I just mean that - I mean…” His gaze fell to his feet. “We can go home whenever you want.”

Michael allowed a few moments of silence to pass between them before trying to turn the conversation around. “So, what’ve you been up to, Collin? Still playing the piano?” It may have sounded like boring small talk, but there was feeling in his questions. He kept his eyes ahead so as not to add pressure on him. “We haven’t really talked in a while,” he added lightly. “I’m sorry if that’s my fault. I just want you to know that even though I’m at peace with the way things are, I still care if you’re okay. So…are you? Okay, I mean?”

Interactions
Bellz Collin

 

[Misty Gray]

Alex King's Family Home
~ Bethnal Green, London ~

Trevor Stewart
Kerry, Callum and Harrison King
Christian and Chloe Brooks​

After leaving the office at Carter Technologies, Trevor had taken the elevator down to the underground parking lot where he didn't hesitate to get into his car and drive out into the open. He didn't drive far before pulling up into an empty roadside spot where he knew he would have a better mobile phone signal. He was aware he should be over at Alex's house for dinner, but he'd already warned he'd be late, so ten more minutes wouldn't make a difference. He found the entry for 'Anne-Marie' in his phone and started the call, tapping his free hand on the dashboard as his left hand held the handset to his ear. When he heard the female voice at the other end, he pinched the bridge of his nose as he detected a hostile tone. "I never said I'd call before dinner and I know the kid ain't going to bed any time soon."

"Just like you never said he could spend the week in London with you. Declan wanted to spend the last week of summer with you and your family, but you didn't bother to try make it happen," Anne-Marie argued.

"That ain't fair and you know it. I asked for the week off and Ezekiel denied it because we had so much work on," he said, letting out a sigh. Considering he'd met the woman whilst she worked at Carter Technologies, it was frustrating that she seemed to forget what her former employer was like. Even if she had only seen the man's legitimate side, she knew from Trevor back then how difficult the boss could be. "As soon as I finish work on Friday I'll drive up to Watford for the weekend. Keep the sofa free," he told her. Ever since Trevor had to abruptly end their relationship in 1992 for her safety when he began working for Interpol, any romantic feelings they had were destroyed beyond repair. Anne-Marie didn't speak to Trevor for almost a year and as hard as the first few weeks were after breaking things off, Trevor stopped feeling anything for her. It was only when she contacted him the following year that he realised he could never severe ties with her completely, not when she told him they had a son together. Having previously let down all five of his now adult (or deceased) children and then trying to be a better father over the last decade, Trevor knew he couldn't let his sixth child, Declan, down now too. It had been difficult juggling his work for Ezekiel and that with Interpol, keeping up with Alex, May and his grandkids, whilst trying to keep Anne-Marie in Watford far from the dangers of his undercover work. The criminal world and its dangers were nothing new to Alex or May, but he didn't want Declan to be put at risk as they would be if Anne-Marie ever returned to London. It was why Trevor tried to minimise how often he had Declan stay with him. "I've already cleared some time off in October, so Dec can stay with me during half-term, alright?"

"I guess it will have to be. It's his first day of school tomorrow, you realise that?"

"Of course I know! Just give him the phone so I can talk to him," Trevor replied in exasperation. He was no stranger to disappointing those in his personal life, but these days it wasn't through fault of not trying. With Alex being the only person who knew about his affiliation with Interpol, there were times he had to lie to his family. Whether it was lying about why he was still working so closely for the man who was making his family's life harder or simply why he worked such long, erratic hours, he could never be completely honest. It was becoming increasingly difficult to juggle everything, but Trevor was too committed to the cause to back down now and he needed to be in a position where he could protect his family. Given the meeting he'd just left, he knew he had to stay where he was if he wanted to have any power to stop Abel or Sarah from facing Ezekiel's wrath. It was times like this that made him appreciate the control Bruce and Spencer had once had over the city - even if they had been committing illegal, dangerous and violent acts of their own.

As soon as he heard his five year old son's voice speak on the other end of the phone, Trevor relaxed and smiled to himself. "Hey. Yeah, it's Daddy... Woah, okay, someone's excited about school," he said, chuckling as the boy enthused about packing his schoolbag for the day ahead of him. His granddaughter, Chloe, liked school but she was generally quite reserved and collected about it. Trevor had yet to meet a child as excited about school as Declan was and he wasn't about to put a downer on the kid's high spirits. "I think you're right, Dec. You're going to have a top day tomorrow. I can tell!" he met the boy's happy tone. It was nice, even if only for a few minutes, to switch off from the heaviness of his work and have such an innocent conversation for once.

After his call ended, Trevor continued his drive to Alex's house. By the time he arrived, the family dinner had already started, but he had warned Kerry he'd be late so it wasn't a problem. When he let himself into the house, he could already feel a tension in the air before he even stepped foot in the dining room. Perhaps it was the fact he'd seen Christian's car parked in the driveway on his way in and that he generally didn't get along too well with the man. "Evening all," he said as he entered the room. Not wanting to disrupt anyone from eating, he gave them all a respectful wave before telling Kerry he'd get the plate of food she'd set aside for him so she didn't need to get up. He then took his seat in the empty spot at the opposite end of the table from Alex. With Christian to his left, it was easy to sense where some of the tension was coming from. He smiled at his family before starting to eat. "So... What did I miss?" he curiously asked, mostly looking between Alex and May.

Spoiler: Seating Plan

Melanin-Gxdess (Alex, Lizzie)
BasDorcha (May, Jensen)

 

[Misty Gray]

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

Zachary Costa​

Zachary spent a lot of time in pubs and nightclubs, where it could be fairly assumed he enjoyed them. In reality, the majority of the time he was seen in Riley's, Daisy's, or anyone else's club was because it was a part of his job. He tended to choose quieter and more intimate places when he had the choice. Be it a nice restaurant, private bar, museum, or the theatre, he'd much rather be on those places than a loud club. Still, he couldn't deny there were times like now where he found someone making him willing to stay in a nightclub longer than he'd usually choose. He couldn't help but smile when Melissa said she tended to keep opposite company to her current group of friends. That suggested to him that she might be more for quieter environments too. "The things we do for our friends," he commented. "Or employers, in my current case," he lightly added.

When Melissa made her comment about being glad to see some of him out of work, then adding part of him, he held back from making the suggestive comment that instantly popped into his mind. He needed to be on his best behaviour at this stage. Still, he quirked a curious eyebrow when she told him she didn't have family or a boyfriend at her place, the latter being something he was glad to hear. If he was going to flirt with someone, he preferred to know they were single. "Then my personal tour, you shall get, and I'll have you back here in time to see to the children," he teased at her friends' expenses. "I won't be too long. I have every faith you can take on that guy yourself."

Before leaving the club, Zachary returned to Maverick, who looked to be passing the time flirting with Cassandra. Pulling his colleague to one side, Zachary spoke so only he could hear. "I've had a message through to let us know this one was the last job for the night. I can get the packages back to the base if you're wanting to stick around here," he told him. He briefly glanced to Cassandra before looking Maverick head on. In his work, he knew about a lot of people who could be linked to the Carters' business. So even if he'd never spoken with Cassandra, he knew who she was and who her family was. "I'm not about to stand in your way of fun, that's not my style, but just keep in mind that she's Sarah Stewart's daughter. If you get too attached, you might find yourself in a tricky situation," he told him. Zachary was a hitman and he knew it was likely himself who would be called on to put down the next person who was getting in Ezekiel's way, but he couldn't say for sure Maverick wouldn't be dragged into such an order himself. Zachary had on good authority that both Daisy and Sarah were living on borrowed time if they didn't back down, which meant an act against either of them would impact on Cassandra.

After leaving the club and dropping off the fees they'd collected from the various businesses on Ezekiel's request, Zachary returned to Daisy' club to seek out Melissa. If he did find her, he would walk over to her and make his presence known. With the physical and mental weight of packages of blood money being lifted from his shoulders, he could be completely himself now. "So, where were we?" he asked her. "Would you still care to go for that drive? I assure you the personal tour will not disappoint."

Bellz (Melissa)
Mentions: BasDorcha (Maverick) neverbackdown (Cassie)

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Alex King's Family Home
~ Bethnal Green, London ~
Alexander & Elizabeth King
​

Worry lines appeared on Alex's face, adding to their ever-growing collection. He knew that even though Callum had just told him he'd stop the teasing, he really only meant it for the evening. Tomorrow was a new day and a new opportunity for better jokes and teasing. Alex let out a heavy sigh handing the phone back. "Fragile or not - knock it off." He nodded his head toward the dining room in response to his question. Alex let Callum walk ahead of him as he shook his head. This family was going to be the death of him, he thought. Between his son and father's distaste of Christian and whatever the hell was going on between him and May, Alex often felt trapped in the middle. He had to make sure no one came to blows or anything of the like. The peacemaker, he thought. When the hell did that happen?

Alex soon joined everyone in the dining room and had to muster enough energy to plant a smile on his face. Everyone got settled and the only sound heard was the clinking of silverware on their plates. He and Kerry made eye contact - so in tune with one another that it was clear they both were feeling how awkward things were. His eyes drifted shot to Christian and back to Kerry as if trying to say that something was up. He gave a little shrug telling her he had no idea what was going on. What he did know, however, was that it was uncomfortable as hell. Callum then broke the silence, asking the whereabouts of his grandfather. As much as he appreciated someone starting a conversation, he wished it hadn't been about Trevor. The moment Christian commented on it he just knew things were about to get hectic. Is that what it was then, he wondered. Were May and Christian having issues because of her employment with Carter? Considering they knew the kind of man Carter was Alex wouldn't have been surprised if that really were the case. "Well," Alex started, a joking lilt in his voice. "When you're makin' the big bucks you gotta put in the hours, right?" He glanced over to Kerry willing her to back him up to try and make light of the situation.

The sound of the door opening nearly threw Alex for a loop. However, he didn't hear the dog barking. The lack of noise told him Trevor had entered his home and seeing him confirmed it. As relieved as he was that the man had made it, his appearance made the tension worse; heavier even. But Alex had hope that everyone would be on their best behavior... Trevor returned to the dining room, proceeding to ask for an update on what he'd missed thus far. Alex was going to brush off the comments and jokes that were made, but Elizabeth was faster. "Callum was being super rude to Uncle Christian. He told Harry to call him a pig." Lizzie shook her head before diving back into her food. Alex pinched the bridge of his nose and looked up at Trevor. "Nothing. You didn't miss anything." Lizzie perked her head up again, looking at her father. "Tell him about my idea!" She didn't even let her father get a word in before telling him herself. "Dad's going to put apple juice on tap so kids can come to the pub too! We're going to make so much money and now we'll be able to hang out with our parents there too."

Callum, Kerry, Christian, Trevor, Harry, Chloe ( Misty Gray ) May, Jensen ( BasDorcha )

 

[BasDorcha]

Daisy's Cocktail Bar & Nightclub

~Soho, London~​

Maverick Tudyk

Mav picked up his drink and took a sip, looking around again. "This place looks good I think. The rooms got a good feel to it tonight. Common, lets go take a spin on the dance floor." He grinned, ready to pull her along when Zachary showed back up. "One sec." He told her lightly as he was pulled to the side to speak to the man he arrived with. As Zachary told him he could get the packages back tonight, he broke into a big smile that didn't last long. It faded when Zachary pointed out whose daughter it was. A more serious look filled his face, bringing Maverick back down to earth as he looked back over towards the girl and seemed to reassess her. Something about the danger of the situation sent a streak of excitement through him, but the much more reasonable side knew that tonight would likely be the only night he could spend with her. If he got too close, he would be in a problematic situation. Nodding, he confirmed his understanding. "Got it, thanks for the heads up Zachary."

As he headed back to Cassandra, his face was much more serious, but he forced a light smile anyways. "Sorry about that, work talk you know. Common, let's dance now." He grinned, holding his hand out. Assuming she took it, he pulled them out to the dance floor, a bit of distance at first as a slower song immediately came on. He laughed, shaking his head, "Figure's, don't it?" He gave her a cheesy bow and offered his hand, then pulled her in and - with just the right amount of distance between them - began to dance slowly with her, hands on her waist, just spinning to the music as they went.

"I'm sorry about your friends, it's unfortunate they can't join us. I would be happy to show you all a good time. Now, I guess I get to focus on showing you a good time." He smiled brightly, already starting to forget the warning as he watched her lovely face. The music was perfect, the song Truly Madly Deeply playing over the speakers. Softly, he sang along, lost in the moment. "I wanna stand with you on a mountain, I wanna bathe with you in the sea, I wanna lay like this forever, until the sky falls down on me…" For a second in time, he was lost in the music, eyes closing gently, head tilted towards her as they continued to spin.

neverbackdown - Cassie

 

[BasDorcha]

Carter Technologies

~City of London, London~​

Abel Stewart

Upon finding his wife, a wave of relief flooded through him. The day had been fraught with tension, and a sense of dread had been slowly filling him but Alice made it all go away. Having her in his arms was the best medicine he'd ever found. The image of her smelling the flowers and gently caressing the petals put the happiest smile on his face, the anxiety melting away with the rest of the bad feelings that had been suffocating him for the past hour. As he kissed hera gain and she laughed, he laughed too, basking in the warmth he felt between them. "It's to say sorry for having to take a meeting on the one day off I had this week. I know work has been a lot and we haven't gotten as much time together as normal, and this is my way of apologizing. I'm glad you were here to be able to give them to." He smiled, caressing her cheek before she moved away to put the roses in a vase.

"Don't be nervous, you're a great teacher and you'll do a wonderful job. You always do." He stood back and watched her in a relaxed stance as she moved about selecting a spot for the roses. True to nature, they went right in the center of the room and lit up the space, much like she did. He admired her quietly, remembering all the reasons he married her. The woman was amazing and strong, graceful and sweet. He was sure he'd spend years falling in love with her over and over again. A nod of agreement broke his stillness when she pointed out that she'd see the girls again as they were family or family adjacent. "You sure will, we have plenty of opportunity to see them soon."

"Hold on, before we get started with what happened at the meeting." He smiled and disappeared back into the kitchen. He returned a few moments later, pizza box in one hand, and a tray pressed against his side carrying a glass of water, two empty wine glasses, and the bottle of Moscato he had picked up on the way home. He sat the pizza down on the coffee table, followed by the tray. "I mixed some sugar into the water to help the roses survive longer, if you'd like to go ahead and fill your vase while I open the wine?" He handed it over to her, a small smile on his face as he went about opening the wine and pouring them each a glass. "I figured we'd go classy today." A laugh broke the silence following as he handed her a glass when they both had returned to the couch. He opened the pizza box - her favorite inside - and pulled out a slice, munching down.

"The meeting was… not what I expected." He said, hesitant on how much he should involve her. Deciding on full honesty, which was his normal course of action with his wife, he began recounting what happened. He explained about the meeting, recounting it with as much precision as he could muster. When he was done, the slice of pizza in his hand mostly gone and his wine glass empty, he sat back and looked at her with a much more serious and pensive look. "So tell me, wife, do you think I made a bad call?" He wanted her honest opinion. "I am unsure myself, but I also feel like I didn't really have much room to make a different decision. He would have turned that retribution on my family, I feel, and I couldn't risk that. Plus, I really didn't like the way Farringdon wanted to do business. The man wants to cut corners, make cheap buildings, make them quicker then logical. I took the contract because it still would have been a good payday, but the more I worked with the man and his company, the less I liked it. In either case this, this is going to get messy."

Misty Gray - Alice

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Donovan Residence
~ Gran Canaria, Spain ~

Christina Donovan
(Rhiannon Sullivan)
​

Rhiannon listened intently as her cousin explained the source of his fainting spells, brows creasing. "Lucas," Rhi sighed, shaking her head. She noticed that he had been working more lately. Was a bit more energetic than usual but she never thought too much of it. Her cousin had always been a bit of a busybody when they were kids - she just assumed a bit of that was coming back in their adulthood. A part of her suddenly felt guilty for not paying enough attention to him. He was all she had left, in a way, so it was important to her that she looked out for him. "Why didn't you just come to me about it? You know you can confide in me about anything in the world and I'll always do my best to be there for you. You do know that, right?" She then watched as Lucas got out of the car, hanging back for a bit. It was hard not to blame herself for missing the signs even though she knew it wasn't her fault. He was just very good at hiding things. After a few more seconds she followed Lucas and stayed close - her arm wrapped around his waist just in case. "I'll be out in a sec, Marco," she said over her shoulder.

Lucas and Rhiannon then entered the home, rounding the corner to see George and Finn sitting on the couch together. "Thanks, Finn. Maybe you could tell Mom that next time you see her," she joked. "A soft smile appeared on her face as the former began to tease his son. Usually, birds would be singing by the time the two of them arrived back home. It was calm and quiet out; the sky still black. A rare sight indeed. That smile slowly disappeared as Lucas began to make his way to a seat, wobbling as he did. It was a good thing they weren't trying to keep his condition a secret. George then asked what was wrong with him, her lips parting to explain before Lucas beat her to it. Only, he couldn't get it out and he fainted again. Finn moved faster than she'd ever seen before and she immediately moved out of the way. She was about to turn frantic when she remembered that he was a doctor. He knew what to do but that didn't mean she wasn't worried about Lucas still.

Finn asked about a million questions and Rihannon managed to keep up with them all. "This is the second time he's fainted. The first time was back at the bar after we'd taken a shot. No one put anything in our drinks - I watched the bartender," she stated. After an incident a few years ago Rhiannon always made sure to keep her eye on the person making their drinks. "And no, no convulsing." She paused, wondering if they should hear it from Lucas himself or if she should just tell him. Considering he was just about to tell them before he fainted she figured it was okay for her to do so. "He- He did tell me that um... He's been taking energy pills to stay awake. Hasn't been eating properly and I doubt he's been drinking much water either." She paused again. Should she tell them the reason? Or did he tell her that because he was confiding in her? In the end she decided she would let Lucas tell them himself. "What do you need me to do? I can get some water. Some food? Some blankets?"

 

[Bellz]

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

Rachel Fitz
Laura Fitz​

Rachel had become too distracted by Laura's misbehaving to properly address Riley fretting over her. The blonde softly narrowed her eyes at her wife, as she laughed at the scene. "Language." Rachel sang softly, her voice gentle though there was a warning behind it as she looked at Riley before suggesting that they eat their veggies together. That seemed to get her to quit it almost immediately, which Rachel had to fight to hide her smirk. Rachel's head tilted as Riley was about to refuse, another swear about to pass her lips as Rachel's eyes widened. The last thing they needed was Laura going around swearing like a drunken sailor...again. Looking at her wife with a sort of pleading expression, Riley relented after a few moments, much to Rachel's relief, and a beautiful smile graced her face. Mouthing a thank you, she looked to Laura. "See? If Maddy can eat it, it's not so bad. Now no more making messes on my floor, or I'm gonna have to put you in time-out, young lady. Eat the rest of your food and I'll plop some dessert on your plate." Rachel popped a few of her broccoli florets into her mouth before watching Laura mimic them both with a smile, the little girl smiling along and attempting to give Riley a thumbs up in return even if her face was a bit upturned after chewing all the way through.

"Not so hard now is it ladies?" Rachel hummed, eating her food for a moment before taking a drink of water. Turning to look at Riley while also secretly looking at Laura from her peripherals to make sure she wasn't dumping any more broccoli, Rachel addressed what she said earlier, "I promise I'm not pushing myself any more than necessary. But as I said, I can't sit still for too long anymore, especially with the cold weather starting to settle in. My joints ache far too much." Rachel reached over to lightly stroke Riley's hand that was resting on the table, as it held her fork.

"I do appreciate your concern though, and your continued support. I feel like perhaps I don't say that as much these days as I used to. And don't give me that uncomfortable look you give me when I get all sentimental just sit here and take it, I appreciate you. And I love you. So deal with it." Rachel said, her eyes sincere and her smile kind, not a lie or a whiff of uncertainty in sight. "I do miss you, however, and I have been thinking about ways to move around my schedule so that we could have some more time together. This semester is already set in stone unfortunately but...next semester is up for grabs?" She suggested, wondering what Riley thought of that before her eye caught Laura trying to push food off her plate again.

"Ah ah ah! You cheeky little thing! Back on your plate and eat it, you only have two florets left. I'm very proud of you!" Laura gave her a rather sassy look, staying quiet as she looked to Riley for some sort of help. "Hey, come on." Rachel reached over, stabbing the florets with her fork before putting them in front of Laura's face. She had cleared the chicken and everything else. "Two more. That's it. Then dessert. What do you say?" Laura stared at it like it was the worst thing in the entire universe, nose scrunching, "No, mum." She said, her voice small, hand moving to swipe it away. Rachel backed her fork away with ease and she shook her head, "Okay, fine. I guess you don't want dessert." The older blonde moved to grab Laura's plate but she grabbed it and shook her head, apparently changing her mind. Rachel took her chance, moving her fork with the florets back in front of her face and the kid aggressively grabbed the pieces and chewed. Rachel barked out a laugh, "Sassy but thank you for finishing your veggies. I'll get you dessert." All the while, Rachel looked to Riley for her answer, standing to take Laura's plate and kiss the top of her head whilst not even finishing her own yet.
with: Riley Melanin-Gxdess

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

Melissa Sullivan​

Melissa smiled widely as Zachary said she'd get the personal tour from him and she'd be back in time to see to the children, which made her laugh lightly. "Take your time, I'll make sure he won't mess around." She hummed, allowing him to leave before splitting her attention between the drunken man who had been giving her far too much attention and her friends who were still dancing away on the floor. Fortunately for her, the drunken man who had been eyeing her seemed to catch the hint and had left shortly after Zachary had. Melissa had made it clear she wasn't moving from the spot she was in, even after her friends had attempted to get her out on the floor several times. She just wasn't the dancing type, especially in these types of venues. Nursing another drink in her hand, she drank it much slower this time, less nervous now that Zachary was gone even if that nervous energy was good, it still drove her to fixate on her drink far too much.

She was nearly finished with her drink and had just closed her tab when Zachary returned, Melissa spotting him from the corner of her eye. "You have remarkable timing, I was just closing out my tab." She said with a smile, her eyes glancing at her friends, having already told one of them that she was going to leave for a while but would return so that they wouldn't worry as he asked her if she still wanted to go for that drive he mentioned earlier. "That sounds lovely. And I don't think I would ever be disappointed in your company." She said lightly, turning her eyes back to him to meet them, her smile only widening before she nodded towards the exit.

Once they were out of the club, Melissa asked, "Everything went well, I trust?" She would follow him to wherever he was meaning to lead her, just eyeing the area around them casually. "Sorry if that's a nosey question, feel free to not answer. I know some stuff with work is better left unsaid." Melissa wasn't one to dive deep into what other people did at work, as she felt it wasn't exactly her business unless it was integral to her own job. But, she'd caught on rather fast that the company she worked for wasn't like the rest. In ways that she would rather not get into. "So this personal tour. What does it entail? I'm not gonna have to wear one of those cheesy tourist shirts, am I? I see some people wearin' those around here and I must say they look like a total...what is it my friends call them? A knob? Oh, hearin' it out of my mouth it sounds awful. Forget I even said that." Melissa said through small giggles as she shook her head, turning to look at him, her cheeks burning.
with: Zachary Misty Gray

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

Peter Callahan​

Peter hated to make Savvy upset or to let her down. He hated doing that to any one of his kids really but with Savannah, she had such a rough go compared to the rest...it just hurt more most of the time when he had to turn her down. Peter looked to Sinead at the same time his daughter had, curious to see what she thought. If Sinead thought differently, Peter would be willing to give it a chance. Callum's behavior was rather normal for being his age but, if left alone for too long it could get out of hand. While Peter wanted to help, he also felt that becoming the bad guy in his grandson's eyes wouldn't help him. He needed his grandparents to just be his grandparents and his parents, his parents. Those were healthy boundaries in families, ones that couldn't confuse a kid further. Callum was already confused enough as it was. Had already struggled enough. Hearing that Sinead agreed with him, Peter nodded along, listening as she pointed out things that he failed to point out. They needed to be the people he could feel comfortable turning to when he thought his parents were upset with him, that was very true.

Those boundaries could just help make things right again, even if it was hard to see it right now. Fortunately for them, Savvy was able to see reason, which Peter was relieved about. He didn't want to be in a difficult place with his kids any longer or any of his family if he were to see them again someday. He just wanted to be. Just wanted to enjoy all the time he had left with them. Hearing Savvy express her concerns caused Peter's heart to grow heavy despite his relief though, a frown etching on his weathered face. "Good cops are still cops within their own right. Callum can turn to us when he is in a sore spot with you and Alex but I don't want to say I'll sugarcoat things for him either." Peter mentioned lightly, knowing that might confuse Savannah now.

"That endless cycle you worry about is something that we can continue to stop through mindful parenting but you can't hover or crowd. If my advice is worth anything anymore, Sav, the best thing you can do for Callum is let him learn from his mistakes. Not serious ones. Never those. But small mistakes. He's lucky enough that he didn't have to go into hiding like the rest of his cousins. We are very fortunate for the same treatment. But that luck only goes so far." Peter was sure he didn't have to elaborate to the women in the room what he meant by that, his time in prison wasn't something he was proud of. Even if his grandson thought otherwise. "But he's old enough now, to know right from wrong. And soon not even you or Alex are going to be able to help him if he's caught up in a world of hurt with the law, god forbid. While my suggestions might be old-fashioned, the boy might learn from being a bit scared straight. But again, not over something serious. But they are just suggestions, this is coming from the good cop after all. Better for him to learn what could happen rather than experience it as I did. But I didn't have a family like he does, one that can teach him all this stuff. Not until your mother and you."

***
Braden Callahan
Heather "Hattie" Callahan ​

"Daidí, I'm not going to talk about this again with you." Hattie huffed, looking out the passenger window of Braden's utility work truck. He had just picked her up from a friend's house after her car oh-so-conveniently broke down. The perfect place and time to corner her about London with Amy and her other siblings running about to distract her father from his lecture at hand. "It's funny how you think you have a choice." Braden commented, his voice taking on a flat tone that Hattie was all too familiar with. Such a brood. The redhead rolled her eyes and scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "I don't see what the big deal is, Liam is in London, and Callum is there too! I can't stay under your constant watch forever you know, you are treating me like I'm 5 years old still." Her tone was just as flat, matching her father's as she turned to look at him, noticing the slightest twitch of his lips. He'd met his match with his eldest daughter. His other kids were sweet like Amy, sassy sure, but not nearly as broody. Hattie was sassy and broody and mouthy.

Realizing they weren't driving down their usual street to go home, Hattie looked confused. "Where are we going?" And Braden's broody expression shifted into a knowing smirk and Hattie's expression shifted into a glare as she recognized the familiar street that her grandparents lived on. "If you aren't going to listen to me, maybe you'll listen to your dear ole Grandma Sinny and Grandpa Petey, aye?" Braden pulled into the driveway and put his work truck into park and Hattie scoffed as the man hopped out of his truck.

"As if!" She growled, "That's not gonna change my mind, Daidí! You're playing dirty!" Hattie crossed her arms and looked around the truck. Night had already fallen over the sky, painting it black behind the clouds. She always hated the dark. Not feeling comfortable staying in the truck a minute longer, she hopped out saying, "H-hey! Wait for me!" All the while her father let out a low chuckle, pausing to let his eldest daughter catch up. When she did, he said, "Still afraid of the dark at 18, huh? Some things don't change, do they, Hattie?" The woman didn't say anything, just glaring at her father as Braden knocked on the front door of his parents' home.

Peter had just finished his sentence when he heard the knock, excusing himself from the ladies for just a moment, he untangled himself from Lily and Sinny, placing a kiss on both of their heads before heading to grab the door. "Well, speak of the devil and he shall appear." Peter said, a smirk playing on his lips and Braden gave his old man a similar expression. "The devil? Has Hattie been talking to you recently?" "Hi Grandpa!" She jutted out from behind Braden to wave at Peter, offering the man a bigger smile than usual. Laying on the love extra thick in case her father decided to turn them on her about the whole London thing. "Hattie! What a wonderful surprise, both of you. Savannah was just asking about you both. Come in, she and Lily are inside. They'll be made up to see you. As will your mother and grandmother." Peter stepped past to let them both in before showing them to the lounge area where they were all seated.

Braden gave a genuine smile at his mother. elder sister and niece upon entering and Hattie gave a similar one as well. "Sorry to interrupt, thought I'd stop by and say hello. It's great to see you all." Brady said sincerely, moving to hug his mother first before hugging Savvy and his niece. Hattie followed suit soon after before they both found seats in the space.
with: Savvy, Sinead, Ms. Lilypad Misty Gray
mentions: Callum, Alex Misty Gray ; Melanin-Gxdess

Carter Technologies
~ City of London, London ~

Reign Carter ​

While it didn't show on her face, Reign was relieved that her father hadn't decided to barge in at the wrong time. Things seemed to work out exactly the way they needed to as she took control of the situation as Will seemed to be out of commission for the moment. Which was fine by her, she was a lady who enjoyed taking charge after all, even if it was to save both of their asses. Reign had nodded along with her father's words about Sophie and the clumsy waitress, but when she shifted the conversation to how the meeting went, Will started to stand up, catching her a bit by surprise. Seemed like he was keen on getting out of hot water. Or at least away from the boiling. Given the situation they had placed themselves in only moments ago, perhaps he was out of sorts and didn't remember that maybe her father would want him here for this conversation.

Whatever the case, Reign lightly raised an eyebrow his way, subtly, of course, only for her father to place a hand on the man's shoulder and demand he takes notes. Reign watched her father move to the side of the desk where he could watch both of them, taking note that she wouldn't be able to relax her face for even a moment now. Hearing that the meeting went well, she gave a pleased closed-lipped grin. She didn't say anything though, as her father was quick to give Will instructions on getting contacts drawn up and in place all ready to go by noon on Tuesday. Reign couldn't help but feel like that was a short window of time. Again, she wouldn't say a thing. While she felt different from her father on certain matters like that, it often could be supported by the fact that it put many of their employees to the test. Will...didn't necessarily need such tests anymore but, the contracts were important and the sooner they were drawn up with the legal team, the better.

Her father then mentioned looking into the art placements and signage on this level, claiming that it was outdated. Will had...well, the look on his face was not something one unfamiliar with him would pick up on easily, but Reign could see him trying to hide something. Once again, her right brow lifted ever so slightly before the conversation included her name and the IT department, as well as Xavier. Then Lance Gledhill came up once again and finally, that was the last of the to-do list for Will it seemed, at least for now. Whatever we are paying him isn't enough. Reign thought for a moment before her father turned to them both.

"We were about to head back, yes." Reign said before her father mentioned accompanying them there. While she was slightly disappointed in her time with Will being cut short, she knew that after that moment a little while ago...it was most likely for the best. Most likely? No, definitely for the best. Her father saved her from doing something stupid and he had absolutely no idea. "Alright then, let's go. I am hoping there will have been no more accidents since we left." Reign gestured for the two men to step out of her office first, allowing herself to lock her door behind them before turning with them in the hallway. "Shall we?" She asked, looking at her father to lead the way, as he usually did.
with: Ezekiel, Will Misty Gray

Dublin

Bryne Family Home
~Dublin~

Veronica Sullivan
Jaxson Sullivan
​

Veronica and Jaxson were nosey, watching their mother leave with the turn of their heads as Wayne was zoned out. But when Veronica looked back towards Wayne and Seana, her brows furrowed in confusion. She was just about to ask what was going to happen now when their father entered the room, causing Veronica to look at him but Jaxson refused to acknowledge him at the moment, instead turning to his plate to eat his food. Veronica scrutinized Leo, trying to gauge what exactly happened in the kitchen. Sure, they heard it, but that didn't mean they understood all of what their parents were talking about. Veronica was nosey but she wasn't that nosey.

Leo asked about school and Veronica looked to Wayne, Jaxson, and Seana before deciding to speak up first, pushing her food around on her plate for a moment before picking up a piece of it with her fork. "I am. Though Mam says I have to be extra careful this year, it's apparently colder this year than last year and everyone's already getting sick. But I'm not gonna let that stop me!" Despite having been crying moments ago, she was trying to be cheery for her father, offering him a smile as Jaxson said, "Yea that's because you're always sick." To which Veronica elbowed him hard next to her causing him to let out a groan, "Not my fault you and Wayne took up all the space before we were born. Both of you were fat! And you're still fat, Jax! And I'm not always sick, I made it through the summer without getting sick. Don't be a jerk!" Veronica huffed before turning back to Leo, her eyes big and wide as she said, "Are you going to take us to school tomorrow with Mam?" I know she works there and all but it's the first day. You can't miss the first day!"

Veronica looked to Wayne and Seana to see if they would chime in before Jaxson said, under his breath, "Don't count on it." Causing Veronica to once again elbow him and Jaxson nearly grabbed her by the shoulders but controlled himself, glaring at her and saying, "If you didn't bruise like a peach, Ronnie I swear!" He grumbled before turning to his plate and Veronica rolled her eyes before turning back to Leo, picking at her plate and finally taking small bites. "How are you gonna make it up to Mam this time so you can come with us tomorrow then, hmmm? Don't listen to Jaxson. He's always grumpy. We can help you! He doesn't have to help you but we can, me, Wayne, and Seana!" Realizing she was volunteering them, she looked at them both before saying, "If-if that's what they want to do."
with: Leo, Wayne, and Seana Melanin-Gxdess

Berlin

Interpol Headquarters
~ Berlin, Germany ~

Wesley Roberts ​

"Oh, sweet jaysus." Wesley said, when Erik winked at him, saying that he liked his men clean-shaved because it caused less interference. "I'm not even goin' to begin to interpret what that means." The conversations with Erik were different from the conversations Wesley had with most people...well, with most people who were living anyway. One minute they could be busting up laughing and the next they could be deadly serious. Wesley appreciated that about Erik more than anything. The ease of being able to converse with him. He had that same relationship with Billy too, but there were things he couldn't say to him...or rather, wouldn't. For his sake. Same with Syd Porter. Same with Rory when she was around. Erik was in the thick of it now. The bond Wesley had with him was something he wouldn't take for granted. Just like most of the relationships in his life, Wesley was grateful for the people who sought to give him the time of day let alone their entire attention and trust. It's why to this very day he still was beating himself up over things that were well in the past now. Because for some people, it wasn't. And it wouldn't be when they got to London.

Wesley had to believe in the words he was telling Erik just as much as Erik needed to believe in them. It was easy to find the wrong in all of this. To pinpoint all of it and find the catastrophic bullshit that could drive you to the point of insanity, but...Klaus believed in it all. Wesley believed in Klaus. While Erik might not believe in Klaus the same way he at least trusted Wesley...which the Northern Irishman fought with himself every day that he wasn't deserving of such trust but he wouldn't let Erik down. Not again. Not ever again. Even if he died preventing it, if that's what it took, he'd let it happen. "I get ye, mate." Wesley still felt horrible for what happened 12 years ago. Regardless of why it happened, or the lives it saved, it still separated families. After seeing Harper and Syd go through what they were going through, and poor Billy all on his own with Charlie, Wesley struggled to find out whether this was the part he wanted to play anymore. It was either this or jail. But it was a trip, to play these people like a puppet on a string, to hide them from the world and act like their allies when they had separated them in the first place...torn them from their homes and family and friends. That kind of power was something Wesley never wanted. It kept him up at night. Too many nights. Still did.

The conversation did its usual light-hearted pivot, only for a moment as Wesley hadn't been able to keep up the charade for very long. Wesley found himself briefly smiling as Erik called her an annoying person, not being able to comment. The lump in his throat stopped any words from spilling out. But he was thinking about how loud she had been for such a small person. Or smaller. He was 6'1 after all. How he always had to pack extra headache pills on jobs with her specifically because she was always screeching at him. For good reason, of course. But back then, he was too busy boyishly crushing on her noticing how cute she was even if she was squawking at him and calling him stupid. Rude.

Wesley had even surprised himself at the offer of taking Erik to visit Harper's grave. But, he was just following his shrinks orders really. The man had stared at a spot on the table, not really noticing he was zoning out when Erik cleared his throat and spoke, telling Wesley that Harper wouldn't like what he was doing either. Wesley could hardly meet his eyes but nodded his head in understanding before a small smirk passed his face at the nickname Lucky. Once they were out of headquarters, Wesley was walking to his car with Erik only to freeze. It had been years. Four to be exact. Since he'd driven anyone. He had just started driving again 6 months ago and that was at the insistence of his shrink. Staring at the car, Wesley turned to look at Erik, his hands shaking slightly before he shook his head once. "I know I said I'd run ye over...but I don't think I can-" Wesley hoped Erik would get it before he dangled his keys between them. "Ye can drive if ye want. Or we can drive separately...or..or.." His chest was tight and he had to force himself to stop talking and shake his head. "Feckin' stupid. Is what this is, I'm sorry. I was thinkin' I could do it and drive ye, but I don't want to fuck it up. Or hurt ye. My hands are shakin' like some big chicken."
with: Erik Melanin-Gxdess

Manzanillo

The Santana Residence
~ Manzanillo, Cuba ~

Ferris Santana (Collin McCarthy) ​

The sound of Michael's laugh filled Collin with a warmth that just couldn’t be replicated, at least not by anyone who was in Cuba anyway. His mind briefly went to Lucas, as it often did lately since his breakup with Michael but he pushed him from his thoughts, knowing that he'd spent too much time and too many tears at that as well thinking about him. Collin had prided himself on thinking in the present most of the time and yet, most of his days these days were spent dwelling in the past. Over Michael, over Lucas…over Natasha, and the life he had in Dublin. But painfully, he continued on, Michael’s smile and laughter naturally tugging the edges of his smile up even further. Pretending he was okay when he most likely wasn’t. It wasn’t that Michael made him feel not okay…it was just Collin didn’t sit well inside of himself these days. This was confusing because his self-esteem would ebb and flow much like the ocean, one minute feeling confident and the next feeling like the lowest of the low.

In response to Michael not wanting to rush back, Collin laughed, "Ah, yea, I’m not in a hurry to rush back to that mess. Let my Mam and Dad deal with that." Michael then felt the need to explain himself and Collin’s cheeks turned a pink color, causing him to lick his lips and shove his hands into his pockets nervously they continued to walk. "Of course." He murmured, having figured he didn’t mean that they would extend their walk for old times’ sake but now his mind wasn’t so sure as he turned his head slightly to look at Michael who was looking at his feet as they walked together. Collin couldn’t see his face, which made things difficult.

Look away. His mind told him and dutifully, as if to preserve Michael’s dignity, Collin did, turning to stare out at their view on their walk instead. The familiar ache in his chest he’d gotten so many times before was back and he slowly moved his hand to his chest, placing it there absently. The few moments of silence between them went on for what seemed like forever and Collin wasn’t sure if the conversation was going to continue. He had tried. He wasn’t going to push it if Michael didn’t want it to continue. After what he’d done to him, Collin understood if Michael never wanted to speak to him again and yet here he was giving him that chance. If he turned around right now and left him alone right here, right now…Collin wouldn’t blame him. He felt he deserved it.

But as he was watching a few birds fly over the horizon, the sun continuing its slow descent into it. A few words in his head tangling around in the form of broken lyrics that he may or may not remember to write down later, Michael spoke, surprising him. Collin tried not to whip his head around too fast but failed, causing his eyes to see small black spots in his vision for just a moment, having to rely on his ears as he listened to him about what he’d been up to. If he was still playing piano. To anyone else, if they’d been with them, it would have sounded like mindless small talk. Obvious questions even. But Collin knew they were deeply rooted questions. Collin was too slow to answer, so Michael continued on and he could see him clearly, black spots having cleared from his vision and his own stupidity as well…at least for the moment. Why was he apologizing? Hearing that he was at peace, brought Collin so much relief, and yet, his heart still felt like it was at war with itself for what he’d done to him. Especially since Michael admitted that he still cared that he was okay. It was followed by the dreaded question, So…are you? Okay, I mean?

The blonde gulped. It was easy to lie to his Mam, to his Dad. To Thomas and Elena and anyone else who asked. They didn’t have to know because they didn’t know the half of it. But Michael was the only one who knew it all. Realizing he hadn’t said anything, Collin cleared his throat, dragging a hand through his hair as he gave Michael a boyish grin, his smile lines on full display for him as if he was perfectly okay. " 'Course I’m okay." He said, though his voice had cracked slightly at the end of the last word, betraying him immediately. "I just uh…just uh…" Collin’s smile faded as he realized he didn’t have anything to say, shaking his head, he once again dragged a hand through his hair, pulling it back anxiously. Something he rarely did in front of anyone else except Michael and his Mam.

"Still playin’ piano at the bed and breakfast, helpin’ out at the theatre…all that," Collin said, keeping things on the vague side. He wasn’t going to explain to Michael that after they broke up that he’d lost the will to play piano, and hadn’t been able to write a song since. Lyrics that used to come to him in his sleep were now tangled and zipped past him in his head, as they just had moments ago. Things he’d enjoyed before had lost their meaning after his breakup with Michael but he hadn’t felt right mourning it considering he’d been the one to break it off, so in this moment, he didn’t feel it was right to bring it up…especially since- "You don’t need to be apologizin’ to me, Mig." Collin’s eyes went a little wide at the intimate nickname he’d just slipped up on using and let out a sigh, "I should be apologizin’ to you…over and over again. So, I’m sorry I’ve been avoidin’ you like the plague but…I just don’t feel like…" The blonde looked to Michael, their eyes connecting, he couldn’t continue...
with: Michael Pyroclast

 

[Pyroclast]

The Harper Family Home
~ Manzanillo, Cuba ~​

Michael "Mig" Zegarra (Camilo Villaneuva)​

Collin’s response was so unconvincing that it almost made Michael laugh. Instead, he managed to just raise his eyebrows and give a nod. Maybe he was okay, but the fact he was so visibly nervous to tell him meant that they were far from getting back to being themselves around each other. Michael had done his best to get over it with forgiveness and empathy, but it still felt like a big deal to him to be in his company, much less to be alone with him. To see his sweet, expressive smile and the way he tugged anxiously at his thick hair. Without realising, Michael let out a sigh.

Despite the obvious signs that he was trying to put up a front for Michael, he had no real reason not to believe that Collin was lying about playing piano at the bed and breakfast and helping out at the theatre. Michael was around the B&B often enough yet hadn’t got to see him play, but he could put that down to coincidence. Besides, he didn’t mind so much that they saw less of each other given that they both needed space after the break up. “Well, that’s good,” he politely replied. “You were always good at piano.” He felt himself cringe slightly at the compliment, wishing he had managed to come up with something else instead.

The awkwardness lingered in the air for a moment before Collin suddenly told him he didn’t need to apologise. Michael’s eyes widened slightly upon hearing him call him by his nickname, and he was glad he was looking ahead at that moment so that Collin wouldn’t see his reaction. He supposed it shouldn’t have surprised him - Collin had always called him ‘Mig’ ever since they had become close friends, and then more. It was just that, having lost that closeness for some time, suddenly hearing it again took him back to better times. It made his heart lurch, threatening to undo his efforts to get over him. Collin began to apologise for avoiding him, but something cut him short, and he instead was left to communicate with his eyes.

“Stop a second,” Michael gently said, reaching out to touch Collin’s arm to bring him to a halt. He hesitated then, just listening to his own heart fluttering in his chest. “Look, Collin…I understand,” he began, not entirely sure where he was going. “I understand why things ended the way they did, I get why you couldn’t do it, I get why you need space. But I want you to know that I don’t feel badly towards you in any way. I forgave you a long time ago, and…well, I know it’s more complicated than that, but…I don’t resent you for the decision you made. And that made it easier for me.” His voice trailed off and he felt his face redden. Forgiving him had been the easy part, but Michael hadn’t anticipated that talking to him again would stir up so many feelings. “The only thing that hurts now is knowing that you’re going through this on your own. And not knowing how you are. Or how long it’ll be before you and I can be friends again…” His cheeks were tingling from blushing so hard. “Okay, I know that’s more than just one thing,” he said, with a sheepish chuckle. His mind taunted him by replaying his words over until he caught onto something he had said that might not even be correct. “I mean…have you found anyone you can talk to about this? About, you know…liking boys?”

Interactions
Bellz Collin

 

[Misty Gray]

The Donovan Family Home
~ Gran Canaria, Spain ~

Lucas Sullivan and George Sullivan
(Niall Donovan and Cillian Donovan)​

In the time George had spent with Finn during the active years of the Irish Mob, he'd grown used to helping his husband with medical emergencies. Be it gunshot or stab wounds, burns or lacerations, George had grown a thick skin and was able to stay calm no matter what medical issue landed on their doorstep. However, seeing his son fall unconscious in front of him wasn't the same and he rushed to stand up as the worry flooded to the forefront of his mind. This was his son and that made it difficult to hide his worry. He kept some distance as Finn, the expert, rushed forward to tend to Lucas and carried him over to the sofa next to him. With his hand over his mouth, he watched closely as his husband tended to their son, trying to decipher if Finn's worried reaction was because it was their son in need of help or if it was because he knew it was something seriously wrong.

"Lucas?" George spoke the young man's name, choosing his birthname given the situation and hoping for some kind of a response. When Finn fired out questions at Rhiannon, George's eyes shifted to her as he anticipated the answers. Having his drink spiked was certainly a concern, knowing how Lucas tended to lose a lot of his sensible thoughts and behaviours once he'd downed plenty of alcohol. His son was smart and capable of saving a person from drowning, but once he was out partying and drunk, George knew Lucas could get carried away.

George quickly nodded as Rhiannon explained it was the second time Lucas had fainted and that his drink hadn't been spiked, the latter detail at least being a relief. No convulsing was also a good thing. George sent Finn a glance, as if trying to read what might be going on in his husband's head. "Any ideas?" he asked, crouching down to Lucas' level but making sure not to get in the doctor's way. When Rhiannon then went on to mention Lucas had been taking energy pills and hadn't been eating or drinking properly, George let out a sigh as he slowly stood back up, looking down at Lucas. When asked what she could do, George looked at Rhiannon and sent her a reassuring smile. "Yes, please. There should be a bottle of water and some bars of chocolate in the fridge," he told her, briefly looking down to Lucas as the young man began to regain conscious and slowly open his eyes.

Growing up, Lucas had been a mischievous and outspoken kid, but George and Finn rarely need to discipline him as for the most part he was well-behaved. Their son had always been an upbeat, open-minded and cooperative kid, albeit prone to silly decisions once he started going out drinking. So it felt weird to George that he was feeling the urge to lecture his son when he was now a grown adult, but that didn't mean he wouldn't.

Lucas groggily opened his eyes as he reached up to massage his forehead. In a daze, he was suddenly caught by surprise when he saw Finn so close beside him. "Dad?" he mumbled before everything suddenly caught up to him. He moved to sit up, for a moment looking around as he saw George standing close by and then Rhiannon returning with some food and water. When George told him to eat, Lucas sheepishly nodded his head before taking the bar of chocolate in one hand and the opened bottle of water in the other. Between eating, he slowly spoke, knowing he needed to explain. "I was going to explain just now, before..." he said, looking down to the chocolate before taking another bite. He caught Rhiannon's eyes and looked to her to see if she'd told his dad's about the pills and poor eating. When he realised she'd saved him the job, he lightly nodded, grateful rather than annoyed.

"Listen, Niall," George began, remaining standing as he addressed his son. "You're calling in sick at work for the week - both jobs..."

"But Dad, they need me covering at the beach!" Lucas protested, quickly shaking his head. He turned to Finn to see if he agreed with what George was saying.

"Can you imagine what would have happened if you'd fainted whilst going in to save that drowning girl today? You could have put yourself in danger as well as her and I can't have that on my mind! If you're going to end up showing up at work in this state, then you'll be doing your team a bigger favour by not showing up at all. You need to take a week to rest and sort yourself out. Right now you're harming yourself with all of this."

Lucas looked down towards his feet on the floor as he listened to George telling him what he should do. After taking a long drink of water, he looked to Rhiannon with an apologetic expression for her getting caught in the middle of the issue before he shared his focus between Finn and George. "I don't want to rest," he said, taking another bite of the chocolate bar as he tried to find the words he needed.

"Christina, you can help yourself to food and drink if you need anything," George softly suggested to Rhiannon, but also sent her a look that told her she didn't have to stay if she was uncomfortable despite being happy if she did.

"I like being busy. I like partying. I don't like wasting time on my arse or sleeping," Lucas protested, the usually upbeat young man having to hold back the tears that threatened to escape his eyes. "If I relax or if I sleep too much, then I think about everything we lost. I miss everyone we left behind. Melissa, Robert, my cousins and friends... I miss our family and if I'm not constantly busy then I have too much time to think about everything that's missing." Lucas quickly wiped his eyes with the back of his hand.

Bellz (Finn)
Melanin-Gxdess (Rhiannon, Marco)

 

[Bellz]

Donovan Family Home
~ Gran Canaria, Spain ~

Finn Sullivan
(Hugh Donovan) ​

Finn hung on every word Rhiannon said, the second time his son fainted. The first time being back at the bar...nobody had put anything in their drinks, she watched the bartender. That was more concerning to Finn than if she had confirmed that she was unsure if someone had. Not convulsing either. George asked him if he had any ideas but the former Doctor shook his head softly, a bit stunned at the situation...which was rare. Finn's head was going a mile a minute with different things that could be going on when Rhi spoke up, Lucas had been about to say something just before he fainted but Finn was in such a panic that he had forgotten. "Energy pills." Finn repeated but listened further as Rhi said that Lucas told her that he hadn't been eating properly either which George had expressed his worry over just a little while ago. All of it wasn't good, and those energy pills were a hazard. They led to heart problems and even death for those who weren't taking care of themselves like their son was doing right now. If he would have fainted somewhere else, where no one could help him...Finn drew in a shaky breath just thinking about it. For once in his life, in an emergency, he wasn't as calm as he normally would be. Despite years of medical practice and being the level-headed one in the room, Finn was caving looking at his son in such a state of vulnerability and wondering how he could have been so oblivious to the fact that he was not taking care of himself.

Rhiannon asked what she could do and Finn opened his mouth to speak, his expression absent as he realized he didn't know how to answer. Fortunately, George knew what to say and what to do. His better half, the love of his life stepped in when he couldn't seem to pull himself together in that moment. Finn just continued to watch over Lucas, kneeling briefly and feeling his forehead which was clammy with sweat. Looking towards the clock on the wall, he decided if he didn't wake within a few moments, he would try to get him up with a trick that was taught to him in medical school. It wouldn't be pleasant but it would get him awake. Fortunately, Lucas opened his eyes and Finn sighed with relief, a small smile forming on his face as he swiped some hair from his son's forehead. Even if he was a grown adult now, Finn would always take care of him, especially in this state. But with that relief of him being awake came the worry and the elephant in the room, that they were going to have to speak with him about his habits.

While they never had to discipline him when he was younger, it seemed now...they would at least have to lecture him on the importance of caring for himself. "Hey kiddo, you gave us all quite a scare." Finn said softly, trying not to startle Lucas too much as he knew he would be confused at first. He moved his hand away from his son's forehead to allow him to massage his head and inched away to give him some room to breathe, but still stayed near enough to help him if he needed anything. When Rhi returned with the water and chocolate, Finn felt a bit poorly for not having been able to think of that or say what was needed...the panic of seeing his son so poorly set in and shocked his system. Pushing that aside for now, trying not to give it too much thought, Finn watched as Lucas moved to sit up, "Slowly, just move slow. If you feel dizzy, lay back down." Finn told Lucas, watching as he looked around. When Finn determined that he was alright, his eyes seeming to take everything in, not crossing and staying in focus, he nodded his head and stood up from his kneeled position. Moving to stand near George, his husband told Lucas to eat and Lucas did so, all the while Finn silently watched him, just analyzing his movements for any signs of distress that would need further evaluation at the hospital.

Lucas seemed ready to tell them what Rhi already told them, but their eyes met and it seemed they communicated silently...the information was already revealed and Lucas was relieved, at least it looked that way. George then addressed Lucas, calling him by his Interpol-given name as Finn crossed his arms, knowing a lecture was coming but waiting for George to take the lead on it. While it was hard to listen to their son protest, Finn backed his husband up, seeing Lucas faint was too much for him and he wouldn't allow it to happen again. "Your father is right, Niall." Finn said simply as he turned to him as if looking to see if he'd say something different. Finn was the last person in the world who enjoyed confrontation of any kind, especially when it came to his own little family. After everything they'd lost, including their other children, they couldn't have contact with...he'd much rather give Lucas the entire universe than have to sit and lecture him...but he also couldn't lose anyone else. Especially not Lucas or Georgie.

Finn gave Rhi an apologetic look and George offered for her to help herself to food and drink if she wanted it, an escape if she was uncomfortable. Something told Finn she'd stay given how close she'd gotten with Lucas. When Lucas spoke up again and Finn's eyes turned back to him, he saw the tears in his eyes and heard the tremble in his voice and Finn's heart immediately started to break. Hearing that he liked being busy, that he didn't like wasting time or sleeping to keep from thinking about what he lost...he was his son. Finn hadn't known what to do in the first year after having to be forced out of Dublin. He didn't know what to do with himself, with his time. Retirement didn't seem like an option, he just isn't the retirement type. "Well who says you have to sit around all day, my son? There are plenty of things to do around this place that don't require working or partying. Relaxing doesn't have to be sitting, or sleeping...it can be other things that you enjoy. Like...I don't know, hanging out with your parents? I mean, we miss you." Finn said softly, trying to help Lucas see reason as he cried.

Finn's own eyes watered and he slowly walked forward before moving to sit with his son on the sofa, looking at him with a kind smile as he said, "If you want to keep doing the things you enjoy, like being busy and partying, you have to slow down sometimes. Because we can't lose you, kiddo. Seeing you, like that, just now. Do you know what you almost did to your old man? I've dealt with hundreds maybe thousands of dying people in my years of medicine and seeing you like that floored me. I don't know what I would do if I lost you, and your father wouldn't either. And neither would Rhiannon." Finn hummed, moving to put an arm around Lucas's shoulder, thinking for a long moment. "I know you miss them, I miss them too. It's why I stay busy most of the time. But your father reminds me that slowing down and enjoying the moments I have with him and with you are still important. And it's good for your health. And right now, your health is suffering at the expense of trying to forget and that's not okay."
with: George + Lucas Misty Gray ; Rhi Melanin-Gxdess

 

[Misty Gray]

Alex King's Family Home
~ Bethnal Green, London ~

Kerry, Callum and Harrison King
Trevor Stewart
Christian and Chloe Brooks​

Kerry nodded her head in response to Alex's reasoning that to make more money Trevor had to put in extra hours. Whilst Kerry didn't know the whole reasoning behind Trevor continuing to work at Carter Technologies, she knew that he was using his position working closely with Ezekiel to try help the remaining Kings and the Stewarts. She was aware that her father-in-law had stepped in on a number of occasions to stop Ezekiel from asserting his authority harshly over Alex's and Trevor's families. So as much as she felt uncomfortable by his ongoing choice of employer, she also felt reassured at times where she knew things could be much worse without him there to appeal to Ezekiel's reasonable side. "Alex is right. Trevor must be making a bucket load as the Head of Sales," she pointed out.

With Trevor then at the table, Kerry was glad they didn't have to keep speaking on the man's behalf and hopefully the speculation about him going into work on a Sunday evening would be put to a stop. Of course, she wasn't too naïve to think the subject would be dropped given how Christian was quite passionate about his distrust of Ezekiel Carter. Whilst she believed he - and all of them - had good reason to feel that way about the man who was making their lives more difficult than needed, she didn't want to conversation to be going on at the dinner table and with the kids present.

Elizabeth was the first to answer Trevor's question about what he'd missed and the man put his full attention on his granddaughter to show her he was listening to what she had to tell him. He might have earned a reputation for being a terrible father to his own children all of those years ago, but he'd worked hard to become better than the man he was and that had shown itself in the effort he put to be the best grandfather he could to Alex's and May's kids. However, what the young girl told him took him by surprise. Hearing that Callum had told Harry to call Christian a pig was highly amusing to him, given his personal dislike for Christian and the man's choice of career. Despite the natural urge to laugh, Trevor's well practiced poker face and techniques to hide his true thoughts from Ezekiel kicked in to ensure he showed no sign of humour to those around the dinner table. Despite not having a great relationship with his son-in-law, Trevor wasn't about to set a bad example in front of his own grandchildren. Nor did he think it was nice to mock even Christian in front of the man's own children. "Well, Callum that's not--" Trevor began, about to address Callum on a serious level before Alex interrupted in a clear attempt to change the subject.

Christian remained silent, forcing himself to hide his frustration at not only Trevor's presence but also having Harry's comment repeated in front of the man. He was sure Trevor was deep down loving the moment, even if he did keep a straight face. After everything Trevor had done to the Kings in the past and then his willingness to continue working so closely with Ezekiel, Christian had no reason to trust or respect the man. Still, with the children present at the table, he knew he had to choose his words carefully too. He turned to May, checking to see how she was feeling. In an ideal world, she'd give him some sign to say she wanted to leave dinner early - to relieve them of the tension around the table. Although he suspected the tension between them both may continue at home, at least there wouldn't be an audience.

Clearly catching Alex's cue to move on from Christian being called a pig, Trevor exaggerated interest when Elizabeth told Alex to inform him of her idea. "Alright, now this sounds good. I'm all ears," he enthused. Alex didn't get chance to explain as the girl beat him to it, bringing a smile to her grandfather's face. "Apple juice in a pub? That's some idea, kid," he told her. "Most grown ups go to the pub precisely to get away from you kids," Trevor teased.

"You'd know about that," Christian uttered under his breath. Trevor turned to eye the man, prompting the detective to speak up for everyone to hear before he could be asked to repeat himself. "That could work, Lizzie. Some adults might like apple juice too. Ones who shouldn't or can't drink too much alcohol," he commented.

"He means alcoholics, Lizzie," Callum informed his sister. Having been told about Trevor's past addictions and mistakes, the teenager was perceptive enough to pick up on Christian's dig at Trevor.

Had the table not been occupied by five of his grandchildren, Trevor would have confronted Christian about his attitude and taken the opportunity to knock him down a peg. Instead, he had to brush it off. As dinner went on, the two men avoided any controversial comments and as was usually the case, once dinner was eaten, the kids all left the table to go play in the lounge and Callum headed to his room to call his girlfriend.

With all the adults at the table, Trevor decided to break the ice once Kerry had topped up everyone's drinks. He looked to May and sent her a smile. "How about you, love. How's your day been? Looking forward to having a free day off tomorrow?" he asked, given that Ezekiel had given most of his staff the Monday off following Princess Diana's funeral that weekend. "I know I'm looking forward to mine. I'd sacrifice a couple of hours any Sunday evening if it means a whole Monday off," he pointed out, glancing to Christian as if to say 'does that answer your question' regarding why he was called into the office.

Christian wasn't buying that anything Trevor and Ezekiel had been discussing that evening was legitimate, but he knew it was neither the time nor the place to dig for information. Instead, he took a sip of his drink before standing up. "I'm going to check in on the kids. Don't forget they have school tomorrow," Christian pointed out to May, his way of saying they should go home soon.

Trevor sat back in his seat and waited for the detective to leave the room before shaking his head. "He needs to calm down and back off on where Ezekiel is concerned," he spoke knowingly as he looked between Alex and May. They all knew by now how dangerous the Carters were and he knew they had most of the Met Police on side, so Christian would be fighting a losing battle if he attempted to act against the crime boss. "Are things with you and the copper going okay?" he asked May. Trevor hadn't liked Christian since the start and lately there was something about the detective that made him even less inclined to do so now.

BasDorcha (May, Jensen)
Melanin-Gxdess (Alex, Lizzie)

 

[Misty Gray]

Donovan Family Home
~ Gran Canaria, Spain ~

Lucas Sullivan and George Sullivan
(Niall Donovan and Cillian Donovan)​

Whilst on the surface he had hoped Finn would take his side against George's order for him to take a week off from work, deep down Lucas was glad he hadn't. His dads rarely disagreed with each other and growing up that meant he had the most stable, comfortable upbringing he could have imagined. Minus being dragged away from the life in Dublin, of course. Despite this, in the heat of the situation, he let out a frustrated groan as Finn confirmed he agreed with George.

Beneath the tears, Lucas looked to Finn with curiosity as the man asked who said he had to sit around all day. His father went on to suggest he could do things like spending more time with his parents. He let out a sigh when he heard they missed him. It was something George had already expressed to him before and Lucas had promised to stay home the next day so he could watch a movie with his dads. At the time, Lucas hadn't been sure how committed he had been to that promise. If he'd got wind of a party or been invited out drinking again, he admittedly would have considered it and in turn let his parents down on the plan to stay home with them. It was now hitting him how bad that was, given his fathers had done so much for him and just wanted to hang out. Now it seemed he would have to spend tomorrow evening with Finn and George as part of the apparent week off he was being told to take. As he looked between the two men, he softly smiled, knowing how much he cared for them and enjoyed their company. Despite the lure of partying, he knew in his heart he enjoyed being home with his family more than any of that. He knew he should have embraced that sooner. He nodded his head in understanding at Finn's words. "I'd love to hang out with you both. I miss you too, dads," he told them, managing a small smile.

As Finn sat next to Lucas, George sat on the opposite armchair so Rhiannon could sit to the other side of Lucas if she wished so as she wouldn't feel out of place. With his husband seeming to make progress with their son, George didn't interrupt, glad to see Finn doing what he was so good at.

"Yeah, I know. I get it," Lucas conceded when his father told him he had to slow down between work and partying. "You're not going to lose me. I'm fit as hell," he lightly assured Finn. He then looked between his fathers and Rhiannon, a sad smile on his face. "I'm sorry for scaring you all. I didn't mean to end up in this state. I was just happy to be caught up in the moment and not having time to think."

Lucas sent Finn a soft smile as he put his arm around his shoulder. He searched his face to see what the man was thinking about before he spoke up again to say he missed the rest of their family too. "I just can't believe we'll never see Melissa and Robert again. That I won't be able to hang out with Collin, and the others..."

"I know we can't see them again, but your brother and sister were doing well for themselves, so I have no doubts that they're happy, which is enough for me to take comfort in. We do need to slow down and appreciate what we have here. We've got each other and your cousin here, along with the others," he said, referring to Rhiannon, Conor and the rest of their household. "I know it's not perfect, but we could have it so much worse, son. We could have been separated or worse, and I know I'd choose living here by the beach over the alternatives." Having spent 10 years in prison back in the 60s, George appreciated every day he got to live outside of a prison cell.

"I get it. I know we don't have it so bad. It's just hard sometimes. You're both the best parents I could ever want and I'm glad to have never been separated from you both. But I'll never know if she even tried to find me. I don't judge her for giving me away, but I'll never know if the woman who gave birth to me ever wanted to see me. If she did, she'd have ended up being led to believe I'm dead, wouldn't she?" he asked, his gaze moving from George to Finn beside him.

Bellz (Finn)
Melanin-Gxdess (Rhiannon, Marco)

 

[Misty Gray]

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

Alice Stewart​

Alice watched with curiosity as Abel disappeared into the kitchen. When he returned with pizza and wine, an innocent kind of smile formed on her lips. "Are you trying to soften me up? What did you do?" she playfully teased. She took the water and tended to filling the vase for the flowers whilst her husband poured their drinks. When she'd finished, she returned to the sofa and accepted her glass of wine, taking a small sip as she sat down. "Thank you," she said. "Hey, we're always classy!" he remarked. Watching as he opened the pizza box, her eyes lit up. "Good choice! You really are out for brownie points tonight, aren't you?"

Alice took small, careful bites from the slice of pizza she was holding, listening as Abel spoke about his meeting. His demeanour turned more serious and did she not already know about Ezekiel, she might have wondered why. She was told how Abel had been asked to back out of his contract with Farringdon to instead enter into a deal with the Carters and build one of their latest projects. She reached for her glass and took a drink of wine as her husband asked if she thought he'd made a bad call. Although she barely had to think about her answer, the wine stopped her from speaking straight away and gave her a few extra seconds to think about it. Time didn't change her mind and she shook her head as she placed the glass down. "You made the only call you could. Maybe he presented it as if you had a choice, but clearly you didn't have a choice. You made the best decision you could." She listened as Abel expressed the concerns he'd already had with Farringdon and the man wanting to cut corners. "It sounds like he didn't deserve your contract anyway," she reasoned.

Alice wasn't oblivious to the dangerous territory Abel was entering into now he'd agreed to the contract with Ezekiel. So when he pointed out things were going to get messy, all she could do was nod in agreement. After a moment, she looked to him and spoke up. "You had to agree to work with Ezekiel, otherwise he would likely have done something bad to you for refusing him. At least this way, we have more time to try find a way out of this or at least figure how to handle working with him. Maybe your uncle and cousin can also help somehow," she said of Trevor and Alex. She wasn't sure how they could help when Ezekiel was throwing his weight around with them too, but she at least took comfort from strength in numbers. "We'll get through it," she reassured him. "Hell, maybe we've got it all wrong and things will go smoothly. He obviously likes quality to want you to build this lab thing of his," she suggested.

BasDorcha (Abel)

 

[BasDorcha]

Alex King's Family Home

~Bethnal Green, London~​

Maeve and Jensen Brooks

May would never not be grateful for Kerry. With Harper gone, May had almost forgotten that she still had a friend in the world. For a long period she had felt alone, at odds with her mind, constantly fretting over what she had or hadn't forced Christian into, going through the throws of pregnancy and it had drowned her at the time. Thankfully, Kerry hadn't let up. She had come round, checked on her, and eventually May had begun to come out of her emotional coma. Part of her thought everyone might be waiting for her to pull a stunt like Harper had, but she had her kid to think about and would never leave them to face the world alone. Shaking the thoughts from her mind, she forced herself to focus on setting the table, listening to Kerry as she spoke.

"I get his job, I may miss him but it's not the worst. I don't complain because I know he has to do what work requires of him." May grinned a little more naturally when Kerry offered to make Christian see reason. "Yeah, you go ahead and try that." She teased, knowing that making that man see reason was absolutely no one's strong point. Christian, she thought as her eyes looked up as if seeking him out and realizing he was still out of the room and out of sight, was not the kind of man she had thought she'd fall for. No, she had always thought she would fall for someone romantic, someone that would sweep her off her feet. Instead, she fell for a quiet, set in his ways man that sometimes she couldn't even tell if he still loved her or ever did. Sure, she knew a good portion of her doubt was probably her damaged mind, that he would never have stuck around so long if he didn't care about her, but still, the fear was there. The fact their journey started based on one night and bam! Pregnancy! It did little to sooth her thoughts that he hadn't felt like a trapped man.

When Kerry asked the question that was really getting to the point of the problem, May couldn't force the weak smile back to her lips. Instead she felt like crying. Today was one of those days where her emotions were rampant and her mental scars were winning the battle. Slowly coming to a stop, hands on the table top to stabilize herself as she gulped down the swelling feeling trying to choke her. Quickly a hand flew to her mouth as a sob threatened to break out. "No-no, nothing new… Just the same. I'm sorry Kerry, I'm just not myself today. I-I got to thinking about before… you know. I just can't think about that stuff. I get to questioning everything, like whether Christian stuck around because…" She looked around, eyes landing on Jensen, before moving back to swipe her face. She stood, physically shaking away the onslaught. "I'm sorry."

Her hands twisted before her as she tried to return to the task of setting the table before everyone funneled in. Silently, she looked at Kerry, eyes pleading with her not to say anything. May had once spent years hoping to better understand her husband, but when it never came she eventually lost hope. That's not to say that there weren't good times with her husband. There were Christmas's and holidays, family get together, smiles and laughter. These are the things she clung tightest to when she was feeling hopeless. May reminded herself that those were the most important things. When her husband finally entered, she gave him a gentle smile, taking her seat next to him and across from their children.

To keep the conversation light, despite what felt like a dig at her again about her job, May shook her head. "That'll be the day I quit, mister. I will not give up my time with my children for that place. Whole reason I've stuck around is the steady 9-5 schedule. Just let them try it, they'll lose their best office manager." She smiled a bit, trying to reassure her husband. Time ticked by with them chatting and eating when Trevor finally showed up. The pressure she felt on her chest lifted at seeing her father, someone she had once thought she would never meet. Over the years she had come to adore her father the way any good daughter would, even though Christian had never gotten over his past. Part of her knew that that was yet another wedge being driven between them.

She didn't miss the almost physically evident bond between her brother and his wife, and a sharp pain of jealousy ebbing into her heart. When Lizzie perked up to tell Trevor exactly what happened, without missing a beat, May couldn't help but laugh. It was the tension breaker they all needed, and so innocent and cute she couldn't help the humor she found in it. Listening to them all talk about the money Trevor was making helped distract her from the burdening thoughts that had previously been filing her brain. Looking up, she caught Christian's eye and realized he was ready to leave already. She mentally grasped for a good reason to leave early, failing to find one, so she would have to invent one.

As dinner came to a wrap, she was still trying to decide how to get out of things politely without everyone knowing Christian's distaste for her family had caused them to leave another family even early. Why he couldn't make peace with the last family she had left always made her sad. When Trevor turned to her, asking how her day had been, she tried to keep her father from reading her like a book. "Yeah, it'll be nice. I'm looking forward to it-" Christian's abrupt movement to standing and announcing they'd be leaving soon caused an instant downturn of her features she could not block. The day had been wearing on her, and her normally practiced mask was failing. Nodding, she began preparing to leave, only to be stopped when her father asked the question again she'd already been asked tonight. Are things okay with us… She couldn’t answer, and before she knew it she was crying silently for the three of them to see.

It wasn't an abundance of tears, just a few that managed to slip past her lids and down her cheeks before she brushed them away. "Yeah, it's fine, ya know. He just has a lot on his plate, he's stressed. It'll be okay." She gave them all an affirming nod but could not meet any of their eyes. How could she admit that lately the darkest of thoughts had been winning more and more? That she was feeling like her marriage had become a chore, for both of them, and that if not for the kids they would have no reason to stay together? Christian cut her down for her job, her father, and spent most of his time at work away from her the rest of the time. Most nights she was asleep before he got off work, and mornings were busy with kids, getting ready to go back to work, and rushing out the door. She had grown lonely within her marriage.

Steadying herself, she stood, moving around to hug them each in turn with a quick, firm squeeze. "I should go, kid's do start school tomorrow." She tried to brush all the things she wasn't ready to talk about away, hoping they wouldn't pry too much.

Misty Gray - Trevor/Kerry/Christian
Melanin-Gxdess - Alex/Kids

 

[Misty Gray]

Alex King's Family Home
~ Bethnal Green, London ~

Trevor Stewart
Kerry King and Christian Brooks​

Trevor noticed the tears in May's eyes. As he sent a glance Alex's and Kerry's way he let out a deep breath but remained silent as he looked back to his daughter. When she reasoned that Christian had a lot on his plate, Trevor couldn't help but scoff at the comment. "Christian needs to stay in his lane and out of the Carters' business. Maybe then he won't be so stressed and uptight. I've got enough on my plate keeping the heat off Alex and Phil's lot. I can't do shit to cover Christian's arse if Ezekiel gets wind of him snooping." Whilst it was right that he realistically couldn't do anything to stop Ezekiel from getting to the detective, the truth was Trevor wouldn't anyway. As far as he was concerned, Christian knew the risks he was taking and it would be his own fault if he got himself hurt for it. The best he could hope for was that his son-in-law wouldn't compromise the work he was doing with Interpol to take the Carters down.

When May got up and excused herself from the table, using the excuse of the kids starting school the next day, Trevor waited a moment before standing up. "Dinner was spot on," he told Alex and Kerry. "I'll be back to help clean up soon. Just need a word with her," he told them.

Before May could get far, Trevor spoke her name to get her attention and pointed to the front door. "A word. Outside," he instructed her. He was already retrieving his lighter and box of smokes before reaching the door. As soon as he got outside, he lit up a cigarette and then held the box out to May to offer her one. "Kerry will probably bitch at me for smoking here, but after the day I've had, this cig's well deserved," he remarked.

Trevor walked a few feet away from the front door, expecting his daughter to follow him, he then turned to face her directly. "I ain't gonna sugar coat this. The pair of you look absolutely miserable and I'm sure everyone else sees it too. I don't know what you both felt all those years ago when you first got together, but all I see now is two people who are not happy. I don't give much of a damn about how Christian feels, but I don't like seeing you like this," he told her. He took a long drag of his cigarette before blowing out the smoke. "You might not like what I'm about to say, but two people staying together for the sake of their kids doesn't do anyone any good. Take it from someone whose wife should have left him after their first kid was born," he told her. He knew there had been a point that Laura had been preparing to leave him, but when she found out she was pregnant a second time, she stayed with him. She stayed with him despite so many doubts and the unhappiness deep inside. "When was the last time you were both happy together?" he posed the question.

BasDorcha (May, Jensen)
Melanin-Gxdess (Alex, Lizzie)

 

[Misty Gray]

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

Savannah Vaughan and Sinead Callahan
Lily Vaughan​

Savannah softly smiled when Peter said he wanted Callum to be able to turn to him if in a bad spot with herself or Alex. She knew he was right and also that he wouldn't sugar-coat matters either - she didn't want Callum getting away with anything he should be told off for. She frowned a little as she was told they couldn't crowd Callum in their attempts to break him out of their family's endless cycle. She was at a loss of how to stop it and she felt she had genuine reason to fear or even expect her eldest son would inevitably end up in big trouble with the law. Trouble beyond being berated by his parents. She slowly nodded when Peter said she had to let Callum learn from his mistakes. "I know he's lucky not to have gone into hiding but I don't think he could appreciate that. And with everything he was aware of at a young age with his families lifestyle... I guess we can't be surprised he's acting out now."

When her father spoke about the option of having the boy scared straight, she raised a curious eyebrow. "Do you mean, like... real cops?" she asked, clearly unsure if she was understanding correctly. "His Uncle Christian is a Detective - don't even get me started on how Callum feels about that," she said, rolling her eyes. "But I guess he'd be able to have a word with a couple of his cop colleagues to help show Callum where he could end up..." she trailed off, wondering if her suggestion would be perceived as cruel. But Callum had argued on many occasions he was an adult.

Lily had blocked out much of the conversation around her, instead focusing on the small egg-shaped pink Tamagotchi toy she was holding, making sure her digital pet kitten was being looked after. The sound of the knocking at the front door caught her attention and she looked up as Peter kissed her head and stood up. She shuffled towards Sinead, taking Peter's spot so she could sit close to her grandmother. When her uncle and cousin then entered the lounge with Peter, Lily waited until Braden hugged her before she hopped up onto her feet to hug Hattie and sit next to her cousin. "I've been feeding Gizmo!" she happily informed her, showing her the toy for context.

Sinead was pleased to see Braden and Hattie had come over to visit. She brightly smile as she hugged each of them, batting off her son's apology for interrupting. "Never apologise for visiting your old folks. I'd be more offended if you didn't stop by to see us!" the redhead assured him.

"How's it going, Brady? How's Amy and the kids?" Savannah asked her brother after greeting him and her niece. "How about you, Hattie? Anything new going on?"

"Ooh, yes. Grandma Sinny wants all the gossip. From all of you," she excitedly told them, with a knowing undertone in her voice. With Peter sitting net to her, she turned and gave him a playful smile. "We've just been talking about those in London. Emmy's still visiting Liam at the moment, and she's trying to drag the poor lad out to all the lively clubs."

"They're polar opposites," Savannah remarked with a small laugh.

Bellz (Peter, Braden, Hattie)

 

[Misty Gray]

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

Zachary Costa​

As they walked outside, Zachary led Melissa across the street to the spot where he'd parked his own car. "Everything went as planned," he answered her question. When she apologised if it was a nosey question, he lightly shook his head. "It's okay. I can't go into detail, but I can assure you my boss won't have any complaints," he told her. Working for the Carters, he was well aware of the vast number of employees and partners working for Ezekiel's business in a multitude of aspects. Some knew full well the truth about the criminal side of the business and were complicit in it, whilst others were completely oblivious, working in their legitimate role without ever considering what really went on at the top. And then there was those who were no doubt suspicious and had some idea that things weren't entirely legitimate. He wasn't sure if Melissa had suspicions, but he believed that would be the extent of the knowledge she held about the Carters and so wasn't about to divulge in sharing any information that could get people into trouble and put her at risk.

The personal tour was a conversation he could get fully on board with and he flashed a smile as they crossed the street. "I think you'll find I have a t-shirt with the Tower Bridge and red telephone box printed on the front just waiting for you on my passenger seat. I don't think even one of those could make you look like a knobhead," he said, the word sounding quite odd coming from his Italian-laced Cockney accent. "I'm afraid I can't forget you said it," he teased, playfully laughing.

Although for work he was often seen driving some expensive vehicle around the city, he tended to keep them securely parked up at a Carter-protected base and not use them for personal use. The last thing he wanted to do was attract the wrong attention, especially when he had an innocent lady about to be his passenger. After unlocking the doors to the black Jaguar car, he opened the passenger side for Melissa to climb into the vehicle. She might have been relieved to find there wasn't a t-shirt waiting for her. As he rounded to the driver's side, he sent a friendly wave to a man standing watching a short distance away. It was one of his colleague's who was working on security for the Carters that night.

Once their seatbelts were fastened, he started the engine and turned to look at her. "I would take you to the palaces, but they're much better seen in the daylight. Maybe even on foot..." he trailed off. "But, tonight, we'll head east. St Paul's Cathedral, Tower of London, and then we can stop off at the other side of London Bridge. I know a nice place we can grab a drink overlooking the river and the Tower Bridge. And then I'll get you back here in time for your drunken friends," he suggested to her. He wasn't sure how exciting a drive around the city he did most days would be for Melissa, but mostly he wanted the time to talk to her away from the loud music and crowds - and outside of work.

Bellz (Melissa)

 

[neverbackdown]

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

As the pair moved towards the dance floor, they stopped in their steps as the older man appeared to pull Maverick to the side. Her eyebrow raised naturally in confusion but she quickly put a neutral expression on her face as she was trying to go for grown up here and not appear as some curious nosey child.

She felt her heart beginning to sink as she believed that Mav was going to have to leave, move onto the next place of business for the night. While she still wasn't sure what happened, she knew in her soul it wasn't just a friendly chat with Daisy rather for the men it was probably a work related incident.

Oh Daisy...,

Her head turned in the direction of the back office as she eye scanned around to find her, she hoped that it was just a chat and that Daisy was ok. Feeling her mind starting to go to the worst scenario possible, Cassie quickly shook her head trying to erase the thoughts of an injured Daisy. This place was far to public for something to happen and besides she doubted very much that Maverick would have stayed here flirting with her if Daisy was being injured in the back room.

No.. your being ridiculous Cassandra stop it

As though knowing she needed a distraction in that moment, a hand fell in front of her and Cassandra grinned as she looked at Maverick now standing in front of her once again. Giddiness began to bubble within her and all previous thoughts fell from her mind as she placed her hand gently in his and allowed him to pull her into the dance floor. As the upbeat music gave way for something more slow and romantic, Cassie couldn't help the laugh that escaped her lips, shaking her head slightly in amusement.

Its a sign she teased as she mirrored his cheesy bow with a curtsy before taking his hand once more. As the song playing seemed to finally register in her head, Cassie's eyes widened slightly as a happy smile seemed to overtake her expression Oh i love this song she exclaimed happily as she quietly sang along. Allowing herself to get lost in the music and moment as the spun. She felt her body moving closer to his, almost as though being pulled in his direction but she didn't fight it, rather she let the force pull her in. She's always wanted a fairytale moment and this just felt right.

​

BasDorcha - Maverick

 

[BasDorcha]

Alex King's Family Home

~Bethnal Green, London~​

Maeve and Jensen Brooks

Her dad's scoff at her comment about Christian's plate being full left her a little off kilter, not wanting to cause more waves then she already had. Instead, she focused on trying to get out the door before causing any more problems, getting ready to collect the kids and Christian. She had just made it a few steps out the door when Trevor came up behind her, calling out her name to which she lifted her head immediately from its sunken position and looked at him. The shortness of his words told her she likely wasn't going to like what he had to say, but she had come to love her father the way any child should and was grateful for the momentary halt it put to her having to leave already. Instead she followed him out the door, standing awkwardly with her arms around her waist to hear what he had to say. Taking a smoke from his box, she fished the lighter out of his hand and struck it, inhaling the smoke like a long time smoker though she rarely did. The first few drags passed in silence as her dad continued on.

Follow Trevor away from the door, she seemed to relax a bit the further away she got, eyes watching him carefully when he started talking to her again. As he foreshadowed, she didn't particularly like hearing that all of their troubles were as visible as if they were written in stone. The forced brightness in her eyes dimmed and a sad smirk appeared across her features. So everyone knew that Christian wasn't happy with her anymore? She had tried so hard to keep it hidden that she had failed as a wife, wasted his time and made him so miserable. Most days the kids were the only thing holding her together anymore. For what felt like an eternity, she sat there quiet, unresponsive as these thoughts washed through her head and suffocated her. When she finally realized how long the silence had stretched she simply shrugged, not entirely sure how long it had been.

"Once Jensen was born, things got really good for a long time… Don't know if I ever shook the notion though that he felt trapped by the pregnancy, I think I've always struggled with that feeling. Hell, for all I know, it's that nagging feeling that is driving us apart. I thought I silenced it for a long time, but sometime over the last few years the feeling came back stronger than ever…. And now it just feels like we're going through the motions. At least, it feels like I'm forced to because that's how it seems to be for him. I… I don't really know, Da'." May tried to look up at him with a brighter smile, but even she could tell it failed. It was hard to fake it with a man who could call her bullshit as easily as blinking.

"All I know is that I still love him, and part of me really wishes we could find a way back to being happy together, to where we were after Jensen came along. Another part of me knows you can never go back, that once things like this break they're not fixable. I-I don't really know, Christian was the first guy I ever had feelings for, and we got pregnant so fast…" May's voice broke, causing her to gulp down whatever words were set to come after. "I didn't mean to fail as a wife, but maybe it's because underneath it all, I'm such a fuck up, you know? It took longer than my other blunders, but it's still falling apart, just like what happened with Tommy, what happened here right after I found Spencer, and Harper, and all the rest of 'em." The crushing weight of guilt had found its way to her chest, and her breath was becoming harder to catch. She had to pull it together before anyone else came out of the house and saw her fall apart just outside the door. The more she tried to compose herself though, the worse it got. "I ca-can't stop thinking that one day he's just going to admit what a giant mistake this all was, t-tell me that he never should have married me. I-I thought it meant forever, when you fell in love. B-but now, it just feels like torture."

Silently, May prayed that no one would walk out, least of all Christian, to hear her fears and defeat, yet part of her hoped he did so it would be out in the open. She never had the heart to bring it to light, to talk about it, because it felt so much like admitting it would make it real. At least if they didn't talk about it, she could live in some fractured state of denial that everything was going to be fine. Wiping the tears from her face, she took the last few drags off her cigarette and squished it under her heel, leaning down to pick it up and pocket it so it didn't leave trash right out the door. Finally finding the courage to look up at Trevor, her eyes seemed to beg for an answer even though she said nothing more.


Misty Gray - Trevor/Christian[/imagefloat]

 

[BasDorcha]

Daisy's Cocktail Bar & Nightclub

~Soho, London~​

Maverick Tudyk

As the music pulled them closer together, he zoned back in just in time to hear her singing along with him and a broad smile broke out across his face. "Hey now, we sound pretty good together. Maybe that's a sign too." He teased back. As the song continued, his arms found a natural grasp around her waist, keeping her close to him. His eyes found hers and held them while he continued to sing and dance small circles around the floor. He fought the strong urge to kiss her as the song came to an end, bring around a bouncier song to dance too. Surprisingly it was an older song, likely by request, but it seemed perfect for their current moment and mood.

I want you to want me, I need you to need me, I'd love you to love me, I'm beggin' you to beg meeeee. The song bolted across the room, cheers of happiness and people dancing around in a mosh pit style circle as everyone around them began to sing too. Maverik perked an eyebrow at her, dancing in place as he belted out the lyrics alongside the rest of the clubs patrons. Looking at her, he winked, offered his hand again, pulling her to dance silly-ly in place. It was likely the worst possible assortment of dance moves that included an air guitar, sharp jolts left and right, and bouncing in place but he seemed to glow with enjoyment none the less.

"Okay, I can't help it, I'm not the best dancer." He laughed, finally coming to rest beside her though he still swayed side to side and nodded his head. "At least not to music like this. Never quite sure how you're suppose'ta dance to songs like this. Still, I think the DJ is up to something." He grinned and nodded back to the bar, seeing if she was ready to take a break and get a drink. "Let's grab something to cool off with."

neverbackdown - Cassie