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

[Bellz]

Roxie Carriveau
The Sullivan Residence
- Sutton, Dublin - ​

The last week had been just as stressful as the one before it but Roxie was thanking her lucky stars that she wasn't feeling as sick as she had been then. The talk that she had with Syd had gone better than she had initially thought it would and although he had insisted time and time again that he would help her, she still found it hard to believe that he was extending such help in her direction. Since that emotional conversation, she hadn't uttered news of her pregnancy to anyone else though she knew she needed to tell her children sooner rather than later. The time for that was certainly not now as the kids were dealing with other family drama with their grandfather coming home from New York. Roxie had learned the way in which James was able to come home and she felt just like she was sure everyone else felt: conflicted. The woman had wanted nothing more than her children to have their only grandfather in their lives, one who deserved to know them and love them but the fact that he had come home because Conor had one of the Moretti children held hostage was unsettling. She didn't think any less of Conor as she knew that he must have been put in a difficult position but...she couldn't imagine her children being put through that and she would do unspeakable things to whoever did take them.

She wasn't a violent person, she never wanted to purposefully inflict harm on anyone but there were a few exceptions to her mild-mannered and peaceful ways. One was if her children were harmed and two...two was if Matthew had been harmed in some way. The amount of anger she had in her heart, the amount of vengeance she felt...she wasn't sure what to do with it while her fiancé's killer was still running around. She knew what she could do if she found out who it was...and such acts were not befitting a mother of three soon to be a mother of four, but it was befitting in her current position of power.

Ricky had been lying low, so much so that he was ignoring her recent calls. The only explanation she had gotten on the matter was from Julia, simply putting that her cousin had been feeling out of sorts and acting strange. Roxie was suspicious but she wasn't exactly sure of what. Being the kindhearted person she was, Roxie wanted to believe that the living Biancardi family she had left wasn't up to something she wouldn't approve of behind her back...but she had been extremely wrong for trusting that judgment in the past. Given her distance, it was increasingly hard to try and figure out what he was up to and she didn't necessarily feel safe going to New York now that the Sullivan's had given up their territories. If she left for the states, there was no absolute guarantee she would return...

Despite the lack of communication on her cousin's part, Roxie was able to keep in contact with a few trusted employees on the situation in New York. She hadn't spoken to Gabriel since she had been in New York last and she was sure that the man wanted nothing to do with her now after what Conor had done. It was almost like she had chosen a side without actually voicing which side she was on. She guessed she didn't necessarily need to voice it...her children were her first priority and their safety was taken care of in Dublin.

Roxie had been surprised that Conor wanted to meet with her, especially since she had been so far removed from the business as of late. Sure she was keeping tabs on her family's businesses, shipping orders, and mundane things of that nature but she hadn't yet thrown her hat into the messy ring that three men with high amounts of testosterone had created. She wondered what on earth the man wanted to meet with her for but agreed to meet with him and Syd anyway. She had seen her ex only briefly since their little emotional talk, he dropped the kids off after a much-needed break during the weekend on Sunday and she hadn't seen him since. She was worried about him, with James having returned home and the situation in which that had come about on top of the news she had broken to him...she knew him well enough to know that was a lot on his plate to deal with.

Getting to the Sullivan home had been easy enough but it was weird to her...she didn't come around the place anymore so it almost made her feel out of place. The guards were kind enough to her as they led her to Conor's office before the man happily invited her inside. She smiled politely and moved to sit down before setting her purse beside her legs. At his offer, she helped herself to a glass of water, focusing on pouring it as she felt his eyes on her. Although she hadn't been sure as to why he'd asked to meet with her, Roxie was starting to get an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. After setting the water jug down. Roxie sat back on the couch and took a small sip from her glass as Conor asked how things were as well as how the kids were. "Ah, things are...okay. Kids are pretty restless with the move but they are warming up to the new house." Before she had the chance to ask the same, Conor stated that Syd would be joining them later but they could get started while waiting.

Conor reiterated that the contracts for the deal that had been made with Moretti had been signed, to which Roxie nodded her head lightly. He stated that the deal shouldn't affect the business he had with her before asking if she had any concerns. Roxie bit the inside of her cheek as she thought about that question. She had one concern that came to mind..."I assume that now you've dissolved this treaty that my family helped create a while back...that things are going to only get worse from here?" The brunette asked before sitting forward slightly to place her glass down on the coffee table. "I feel a bit unease about it all...while you know I'm not Moretti's number one fan...I don't have much control in New York at the moment due to distance. Ricky...Ricky hasn't been answering my calls...Julia informed me that he has been acting strange." Roxie shook her head with a sigh, "While that's not atypical of my cousin...I just have a feeling he's going to head in...another direction than what I believe in..."
with: Conor Misty Gray
mentions: Syd Pyroclast ; Ricky the Dicky Misty Gray

Blake McCarthy
Blake's House
- Sutton, Dublin -​

After the dinner last week, things had fallen back into a lull between Adam and her. They kept in contact briefly just enough to tell each other that they were fine and things were going okay but that was about it. Blake had been battling herself all week trying to make up her mind on the matter and she had come to the conclusion that the only person she still hadn't talked about her relationship with was Syd. She wasn't sure how much the man already knew but Blake was planning on filling him in on everything. He seemed chipper when Blake asked if he could come to visit her at her place so she was hoping that this whole conversation would go smooth. Even if it was a little rocky, Blake would take into account that Syd's father had just returned home from prison...in a rather unorthodox fashion, so even if he was a little moody and distant Blake wasn't going to be offended.

The kids had decided to go out for the evening with Collin hanging out at a friends house again and Natasha going out with Leo to go clothes shopping, which almost felt like a lie to her but she told herself she needed to trust her daughter and the worst-case scenario is that they were doing something she didn't even want to think about them doing. Blake pushed any of those thoughts from her head as she straightened up the place for what seemed like the 15th time, everything was practically spotless but Blake's nerves were allowing her to fixate on things that didn't necessarily need to be cleaned or straightened up.

The doorbell rang just as she was straightening a painting on her mantel above her fireplace that she was almost positive was straight before, causing her to jump slightly at the sound. Forgetting about the task she had set out to do, Blake quickly moved towards her front door to answer it. Seeing Syd standing there with a box of doughnuts at her front door seemed to bring her back to a time when he was just a young man, seeing him with 3 kids now was a bit mindblowing to her but the man certainly didn't age just like his mother despite them not being blood-related. "Hey, so glad you made it, and doughnuts? How did you know I was craving something sweet?" She said sweetly before moving to give him a hug. "Come on in, the kids are out so it's just us." Blake stated before moving the door open wider for him to come in.

"I was just straightening up a painting on my fireplace...but I'm almost sure it was straight before I started messing with it and now..." Blake paused on her way to the kitchen to look at her living room fireplace, frowning deeply before chuckling. "Well I really fucked it up now." She said with a shake of her head before gesturing towards the kitchen. "Thirsty? I've got some coffee or juice that pair well with those doughnuts." Blake said as they entered her kitchen. She gestured for him to take a seat at the island bar before busying herself with getting refreshments. Anything to keep him from reading the worry on her expression that was faintly there.

"So kiddo, how's life? How are the kids? I feel like every time I see them one of them has grown." Blake said, turning her head to smile at Syd lightly before setting the jug of orange juice down in front of him as well as a glass before moving to get her coffee pot up and running. She would listen as he answered, fumbling around with the pot before finally getting it on and brewing. Once she was done, she didn't have anything else to keep her distracted so she turned back to face him, leaning against the counter in front of him instead of taking a seat at the bar with him.

"So..uh...I know this must feel completely random, me inviting you over here. I just...I know that you and Jackson were so close and I'd like to think that at one point in our lives you and I were also close. The fact of the matter is Syd, you are still like a son to me...and that's why I called you over to talk." Blake swallowed harshly as she bit down on her bottom lip nervously. "I think you and I have more of a connection not just through our love for Jackson but through a similar type of loss." Blake started. "I know years ago you were able to at least...somewhat move on from Skye so...I think I want to first ask you. How...how did that make you feel?" Blake couldn't bring herself to allude to the fact that she found someone to move on with quite yet but she was hoping maybe that question would be enough of a hint for him.
with: Syd Pyroclast

 

[Bellz]

Natasha McCarthy
The Shopping Plaza
- Dublin City Center, Dublin - ​

Natasha had been in a pleasant mood the last week despite the tension growing in other areas around her. Leo had been over the moon to have Thomas in his life again and thanked her constantly for kicking his ass into gear. It was what she did best, of course, making sure the younger men in the family did what they were supposed to be doing. With the older women having to still watch the grown-ass adult men, Natasha was more than happy to pick up the slack. He had told her everything about the night out the pair had together like he was talking about a crush and it made her so happy to see Leo so happy. Although she had been the one to initiate their relationship, Natasha was still in a zone of disbelief that they were actually going out. It felt a bit strange to call themselves boyfriend and girlfriend because it just sounded so juvenile but that was what they were.

Leo had asked her to go on a shopping trip with him to pick out some new clothes and Natasha was happy to be of assistance. It was nice spending time alone with him like they used to before they were dating, it brought around an air of normalcy as if nothing had changed between them when in fact it did. He had picked her up at her house before the pair drove to the Shopping Plaza in the downtown Dublin area. He seemed happy enough but Natasha knew that there was something up despite his cheery disposition.

When they were walking around the Plaza, Leo had finally gotten around to telling her about all the issues that his parents were having when Natasha spotted Ali out of the corner of her eye. The blonde squeezed Leo's hand lightly as he stopped a few feet away, ready to turn and run. Ali greeted them and Natasha's eyes darted to Leo as she watched her boyfriend look away from his mother, avoiding her gaze. Ali turned her attention solely to her and Natasha turned her head to smile at the woman as she greeted her. "Mom's good, I think. Not sure what's up with Adam and her but she's been acting weird for the past week. She won't really talk about it, but she is apparently having Syd over for a little bit so I decided to join Leo in shopping for clothes." Natasha informed the woman before squeezing Leo's hand again, a little harder than she had before, hard enough to most likely get a reaction out of him.

"Getting party supplies I see!" Natasha stated with a knowing smirk, "Is Lucy still in the party supply store? I swear she practically lives in there with the number of parties she's thrown over the years." The blonde said lightheartedly hoping to bring the conversation around and not have it feel as awkward as it was feeling. Natasha looked to Stella with a smile, "How are you doing, Stell? It's been a little bit since I saw you last. Not getting bored with party shopping, are you?"
with Leo + Ali Melanin-Gxdess ; Stella BloodThunder27

 

[Bellz]

Harper King
Harper's Apartment
- London - ​

Jeremy says that he always was watching her followed by the silence was enough to creep Harper out a little bit. Interestingly enough that was soon followed by him pulling a book out of his pocket. Harper looked to see what the book was and an amused smirk formed on her face, "Fan of dystopian novels hmm? 1984 is a good one if you haven't read it yet, completely far-fetched given that we are now in 85." Harper commented. She noted a picture was sticking out of the book and Harper squinted her pale blue eyes to try and get a clear glimpse of it. She'd only seen legs and wondered whose photograph it was. Deciding that it was none of her business, Harper moved to look at the ground ahead of her, clearly oblivious to the fact they had walked into an intersection.

Jeremy seemed to notice quickly however and just as Harper was going to continue to step out further, he pulled her back forcefully causing her to yelp before the car zoomed past them, narrowly missing them. Harper had once again found herself in her glorified babysitter's arms though this time she was shaking fiercely from the adrenaline rush of almost getting hit by a car. She heaved out a deep breath to try and slow her heart as she looked up to him with wide eyes, something crossed his face that she couldn't quite recognize before he went expressionless and stepped away.

The rain had already soaked her coat despite only being exposed to it for a matter of seconds and her hair was dripping as she slicked it back away from her face. Jeremy picked up his umbrella, placing it over the both of them before speaking in a softer tone insisting that he get her home. She nodded her head lightly, not really sure what to say, perhaps the shock of almost becoming roadkill got to her.

The rest of the short walk home was spent in a mixture of both comfortable and uncomfortable silence. Harper's wet shoes squeaked against the tile as she walked to her apartment door, fumbling with the keys to open it as she continued to shake from the adrenaline and the cold. Once it was open she sighed heavily and stepped inside, knowing that Jeremy needed to come in behind her, she left the door open for him to step through and shut as she moved towards her bedroom to change out of her wet clothes.

Once changed into something warm and comfortable, Harper grabbed a towel to dry her hair, grabbing one for Jeremy too. "Since it's raining cats and dogs outside I'll allow you to stay in the house, but make sure to dry off before sitting on my couch...not saying that to be rude, I just don't want the leather to get ruined." Harper mumbled without making eye contact before forcing the towel into his hands. She then moved to her kitchen to make some tea. Though he didn't ask for any, Harper had made enough for two and brought the mugs into the living room before setting them down on the coffee table. "Thanks..uh...for making sure I didn't end up as roadkill. Not sure why I was so distracted." Harper said lightly as she moved to sit down on the couch. "You hungry? I was gonna order some takeout."
with: Jeremy BasDorcha

 

[BasDorcha]

Harper's Apartment
Jeremy Gray
London
​

The walk that never ended finally came to a stop, and Jeremy – having unconsciously given Harper a supporting hand and definite shield from the road the rest of the trip home – took the moment the looked away and fought with the lock to let his heart start breathing again. He had been petrified for a moment, suddenly hyper aware that he would be miserable if something happened to her. That few moments of being unwatched, he quickly told himself to get it the fuck together and remember to keep a clamp on wild thoughts and irrational feelings. As a young man, Jeremy had been in almost every fight the boys started or had to finish because his intense emotions had been a flip switch for him. Friends became brothers, women – the two he’d ever allowed himself to care for – had been like lighting a stick of dynamite. Beneath a very calm and maintained exterior, a practiced one, lived a soul that was to hot to touch when angry, to in love when smitten, to dark when depressed… It was like a broken stove, where the flame was either at full burn, or total stop.

Protecting Harper was a bad idea, he realized with the weight of a thousand bricks hitting him. We don’t have time for that. Put it away and do your fucking job. Jeremy shoved everything into a compartment in his brain and stored it away, following her and kicking his shoes, socks, shirt, and jacket off. With a unceremonial flop, he walked them to the bathroom and put them in the sink for the moment. A quick picture of her, soaking wet and looking terrified flashed in his mind, causing him to grip the sink. God help the Sullivan that got brave enough to test him. STOP IT.

Snapping back to reality when Harper handed him a towel, telling him to make sure he dried off, he nodded, waiting long enough for her to be out of sight. He slipped the rest of his garments off and put them in the sink as well. He wrapped the towel sarong style around his hips, tucking tightly to prevent any chance of falling. Lucky for him it was not one of those tiny towels that didn’t fit a stick. He rung his clothes out as best he could in the sink, tossing them over the shower to dry. He came out, his hair slicked back and wrapped in just the towel, finding his way to the couch as well.

As he sat down, he carefully monitored the state of the towel. He could have been use to wearing skirts with the way he ensured everything stayed properly hidden. A sip of the tea was, well, the best tea he’d ever tasted.

“You were busy giving me a hard time, again. Good thing I was there to stalk you.” This time he made sure to give her a small smile to confirm the tease. “Food sounds great. I stood outside this restaurant all day but never got to go in and eat. Craziest thing. Imagine I’m starving now.” When he had first come in the door, he had pulled his jacket out of the inner pocket and sat it down on the coffee table, now he picked it up, flicking to the picture, which he laid down upside down on the table, and started reading, like nothing had happened, tea in one hand, book in the other, the towel tucked down so even with his knee’s slightly parted, nothing showed.

“You order, I’ll pay. Just don’t order anything that looks like roadkill.” Behind his book the slightest grin. Yep, this was going to be a disaster. A wonderful disaster.

Mentions:
Harper King - Bellz

 

[Pyroclast]

Golden Galleria Car Garage
~ Corringham, Essex ~

Bruce King
Billy King​

Bruce’s mind had been relatively at ease given everything that was happening with the Sullivans and Morettis. Tensions were still rising but the presence of the Morettis in London gave him confidence. He found Cristina’s kidnapping to be disturbing, but he was removed enough from the situation to not be affected by it, and so it only served to inform him of where the Sullivans were up to, how far they were willing to go. Observing the ongoing feud between the Morettis and the Sullivans was Bruce’s opportunity to build an idea of how to play against the Sullivans and the level of brutality to expect from them. He learned that they weren’t against using children in a fight, and when Gabriel had informed him that he was going to employ some of his London-based members to go to Dublin to retaliate, Bruce had to make it clear that he wanted Callum to be left out of it. No matter how much he wanted the boy in London, allowing him to be kidnapped from Savannah in an act of revenge would get them absolutely nowhere.

So, he allowed the selected Moretti gang members to travel to Dublin on business, and didn’t get in their way. Besides, he had enough to focus on in London as it was, heightening the security of their establishments, dealing with Harper’s stubborn wrath. He was firm in not giving in to her complaints at having a bodyguard. Perhaps he could have found some marginally less infuriating than Jeremy Gray, but he trusted the young man more than most to look after his niece and figured it was better to employ someone she was strongly familiar with if he was going to be guarding her night and day. He didn’t care how upset she was about the arrangement - he had to think practically, and that meant putting her safety first.

That day he was expecting news from Darcey, who had been looking into Maeve Thatcher’s background after the woman gave an interesting display of self defence at the Mercury Nightclub when a fight broke out between two foolish yet violent drunks. Darcey was holding the meeting at her garage in Corringham, where Erik, Alex and Billy were to be in attendance. Spencer was busy holding a meeting of his own, so he would just have to relay the information over to him when he got the chance. He gave Billy a a lift as their schedules ended up matching that day, and ended up only a minute or so late.

“Cor, it’s much warmer in ‘ere,” he commented as he shrugged off his overcoat and hung it up on the coat stand of Darcey’s office. Rubbing his hands together, he made his way over to the table and took a seat to join everyone.

“Forgot your brolly, did ya’, Erik?” Bruce said with a lopsided smile, looking the man up and down from his sodden shoes to his messy, towel-dried hair. “Billy reckoned you’d show up soaked to the bone. He insisted on makin’ a pot before the meetin’ starts.” Bruce rolled his eyes as he turned to face Darcey. “He’ll be ‘ere in a minute, though. How’s everyone doin’ today, then? Good to see you joinin’ us, son.” He smiled at Alex, glad that his nephew was finally taking some more responsibility in his life. It hadn’t been long since his last hedonistic partying holiday to Ibiza so Bruce couldn’t be sure of the extent of Alex’s newfound responsibility, but he was pleased to see him showing more of an interest in the business.

A hefty kick saw the door suddenly fly open, followed by an alarmed “Oh, fuck!” and the clinking of precarious chinaware. Bruce jumped up to catch the door before it could swing back and hit the tray Billy was trying to carry into the room.

“For God’s sake, be careful!”

Billy giggled as he walked through, taking slow, steady steps towards the table. “Well, I ain’t made of arms, Uncle. I couldn’t exactly knock, could I?”

Once he had placed the rather full tray on the table, he looked up and his eyes instantly fell on Erik, immediately noticing how sodden he was. He turned back to look at Bruce. “Didn’t I tell ya’!”

Bruce chuckled in response. “Alright, well we’re all ‘ere now, I guess we can get started.”

“I made tea and coffee, if anyone wants,” Billy openly offered, though he immediately went to start pouring a coffee from the French press into a mug for Erik before the man had any say in it. The last time Erik got caught in the rain, Billy had been able to offer him a spare change of clothes and a hot shower or bath. This time, all he could prepare for him was a hot drink - but if the man was going to have to sit through a meeting in wet clothes, he was at least going to make sure he warmed up from the inside. Even though he kept his eyes on the coffee as he poured it, he still couldn’t help but smile a little from just standing close to Erik. He could feel the pinkness in his cheeks and it wasn’t just from coming indoors from the rain.

“Well, I usually go for somethin’ a little stronger in meetings like these, but I did drive 'ere," Bruce said with a small sigh. "Since you made one, I’ll take a coffee, thanks.”

As he slid the hot cup of coffee towards Erik, Billy looked up and shot him an amused smile. Part of him felt bad that the man had been caught out, but he loved having something to tease him about, and more still, he couldn’t deny how attractive he looked all wet from the rain. The way it turned the tip of his nose slightly pink, made his hair curl more than usual and his clothes cling to his body...Billy had to turn away from him before his imagination could run. He focused on everyone else’s drinks before pouring himself a cup of tea and sitting on the opposite side of the table to Erik.

Bruce pulled his coffee cup towards him and leaned back in his chair. “So, what’ve you got for us then, Darcey?”

Interactions
Melanin-Gxdess Darcey, Alex, Erik
BasDorcha May

 

[Misty Gray]

The Royal Taphouse
~ Bethnal Green, East London ~

Spencer King​

Spencer looked up from his paperwork when he saw Jocelyn approaching. Rather than his natural instinct to get to up shake her hand, he chose to remain seated so as not to overwhelm or stand over the woman. Considering what he understood her to have gone through the previous week, he knew to approach her more sensitively than he normally would have. Giving her chance to settle into her seat, he shuffled his papers into a neat pile and slotted them back into their folder, which he then slotted into his briefcase. Placing the case on the seat beside him, he then looked up to greet Jocelyn with a nod in return. "Afternoon, Jocelyn," he kindly greeted her. Judging by the bottle she'd brought with her, he was at least assured she was there to talk business even if there was an elephant in the room he felt he needed to address first.

He observed as the woman quietly set out her things on the table in front of her. Soon, she handed him a stack of papers which he didn't hesitate to accept. Turning them upright and putting them down on the table in front of himself, he first picked up the letter, though his attention was momentarily drawn to the top of the sketches on the pile. Still, he focused on the letter first, glancing to Jocelyn before going ahead and reading what she had written for him.

The first part of the letter confirmed to Spencer that Jocelyn had been beaten and raped in the nearby alley. For all of his thuggish ways, Spencer wouldn't beat up a woman and he had no respect for men who did. Shona had been in an abusive relationship when he met her and he made sure her piece of shit boyfriend, Jerome, never bothered her again from that moment. But rapists were a whole other level of low and he had no tolerance for that. It would be easily to see from his disgusted expression how much he already despised whoever the three men where. Reaching out for the sketches in question, he studied each of them for a time. They were certainly drawn well enough for the men to be recognisable, even if he wasn't sure they were familiar to him. Keeping the sketches in one hand and the letter in the other, he looked up to Jocelyn. "And you haven't reported any of this to the pigs?" he asked her, referring to the police. "I'm sorry you had to go through such an ordeal. There's no words for scum like those men..." He placed the sketches down, keeping his hand on top of them as if confirming his possession of them. "If you haven't involved the pigs, then I advise you leave this with me. I will do everything I can to track them down and remove them from these streets." From any streets. "Do you want me to do that?" he levelly asked her, hoping she would give a physical confirmation. He would gladly track them down and kill the bastards, but he needed to know the police wouldn't already have wind of it in case they traced any acts of revenge back to Spencer.

Spencer went on to read the rest of the letter. His hand instinctively reached out to grip the bottle of gin and bring it closer to take a look. He took some time to read the label on the bottle before beckoning Sarah over so he could ask for some empty glasses. As was customary, he wished to taste the gin for himself before deciding if it was something he wanted to consider putting orders in for. "Do you want a drink?" he asked Jocelyn when Sarah brought the empty glasses. "Not the gin, I mean anything from the bar," he offered her. He didn't yet open the bottle, still thinking about how it would fit into the businesses, though he was already certain the nightclubs would go through the stuff. "I bet Kerry would have plenty of ideas for cocktails and things to use this in," he commented. Despite her being friendly with Savannah, Spencer had hoped Kerry wouldn't have taken sides and instead would have remained working in the club.

BasDorcha (Jocelyn)

The Sullivans Pub
~ Dublin City Centre, Dublin ~

Adam Harper​

Adam had been quick to assure Elena his arm was doing fine following the gunshot. He'd managed to get back to his usual work with little to no problems from the wound. It seemed all that would remain as evidence was a visual scar, not to mention memories he was certain both he and Elena would retain for a lifetime considering the heavy hour or so they've spent together on the floor of the pub bathroom.

Adam managed a small smile when Elena spoke of how kind Thomas was. He was sure under normal circumstances, he'd find the pairing to be quite cute, but there was no room for sentimental thoughts of a young couple's love-life to take up space in his mind. Thomas was an adult, but also a troubled one and someone he felt the need to look out for. If that meant grilling the innocent-looking newcomer seated across from him, then it was something he had no problem with doing. "Some might say he's too kind," Adam pointed out, still surprised by how fast the lad was moving by inviting her to live with him. He hadn't had the opportunity to speak with James yet, but Adam was sure the man would have similar concerns about Thomas' safety.

After asking Elena if she could answer his question, he was met with something of a blank stare for a time. Adam kept his eyes fixed on her, studying her face and making sure he didn't soften or back down from his investigation. She began a sentence but stopped and shifted in her seat. It already didn't sit well with him that she was clearly hiding something. If she had a normal, honest reason for being in Dublin then the answer should have come more naturally from her. His brows furrowed as he remained silent, not wanting to say anything that would help her along or make the tense situation easier. He didn't enjoy making young women feel uncomfortable, but for all he knew, this could be part of an act on her part. She spoke again but stuttered more and stopped mid-sentence. By that point, Adam was convinced she was hiding something. Now he needed to know what she was hiding and how dangerous it was to those he was employed to protect.

Finally, Elena did speak properly and Adam had to study her words for a moment to fully understand what she was saying. Either she was being intentionally ambiguous or it was a language issue from the young Cuban. Knowing enough about Cuba, he understood how difficult it could be to live in poverty, so her leaving her home for a better life, and so her mother had one less mouth to feed, was believable. Travelling all the way to Dublin when the United States was practically on the doorstep was not believable. Elena then spoke of meeting the Irish Mob, which caused Adam to sit up straight and tilt his head in curiosity. Perhaps now he was finding his way to some kind of explanation.

Adam let Elena finish speaking and only when she drank some more lemonade, flashing those innocent eyes at him, did he decide it was his turn to speak. Her limited explanation had done nothing to reassure him and only raised more questions. "You're telling me the Irish Mob gave you money for a flight here.... Why would they do that? These guys don't have time and resources to be bringing young Cuban women over to Dublin out of the goodness of their hearts. Do you understand what the mob do? If they had brought you here, there would have been a good reason. My boss would have known and by now I would too. But he doesn't know anything about you, except that you made a good impression in your interview for this barmaid job. If he knew who you were, he wouldn't have me sitting here having this conversation right now."

Adam took a sip of whiskey before setting the glass back down, his hand still around the tumbler as he tapped the side of the glass with his fingertips. "You're going to have to do better than that, kid," he told her. Moving his hand away from the glass, he once again interlocked his fingers with his hands resting on the desk. "Do you know how serious this is, Elena? If I can't go back to my boss with a good, solid reason for your presence here, as well as why you should keep your job and continue to hang around Thomas at all, then we have a problem." He genuinely wanted Elena to have a good enough reason, but she'd said nothing to convince him and he couldn't keep the kid gloves on. "I will give you one last chance. I need you to take a moment to think and then tell me again why you're here," he told her, his voice taking on a firmer and more commanding tone. "What do you know about the Mob and why did you want to work in this pub? No bullshit. Sin mentiras. Tell me everything!" he sternly told her.

Pyroclast (Elena)

 

[BasDorcha]

Mercury Nightclub
Jocelyn Justice
~Benthal, London~

Jocelyn snorted when he ask her if she had included the pigs – that didn’t require a voice and was loud and clear enough an answer, she had no doubt he would understand it. She lifted a hand, put a gun shape to her head and pulled the trigger. Her usually painted red lips, now bare, mouthed Fuck them. She scribbled one word on her notebook and flashed it up with a look that seemed to say, You know this. The page simply said, GONE. She wasn’t an idiot and she wasn’t going to put the complete thought on paper, that’s just leaving a trail of evidence. Jocelyn may not have ever had to get violent herself, she had people for that thanks to her father, but that didn’t mean she hadn’t seen the underside of the world working the liquor trade.

When the girl came with the glasses, she took another shift of papers out of the notebook and handed them to Spencer, pulling one of the top she wanted for the bartender to make. A finger held up asking her to wait a moment, and she poured straight gin into both cups before sending the bottle with the waitress, along with recipe she was requesting. It seemed she had done her research on what was popular and selling well with gin in general, and since she couldn’t tell Spencer about the ideas, she’d wrote one day for the bartender to make, it could speak for itself.

The waitress came back, holding the recipe for her and the drink that she had divided into two glasses. It was a murky brown, almost the color of tea over ice. She nodded a thank you, pulled the drinks closer, gave them a stir with the straw, and slid it over to him, along with the recipe for Long Island Iced Tea. While he surely examined, smelt and inspected both, she wrote a new note for him – along with the estimated price tag on the drink that was well over the average drink price – though one look at the recipe would tell you why with the amount of liquor in it.

The Long Island Iced Tea

50ml vodka
50ml Gin
50ml tequila
50ml rum
50ml lime juice
Ice
500ml cola
Garnish – lime

She tapped a circled note that said very popular, women love it. Part of what made her such a good business woman is she actually had the head for, she could read trends before they happened, as well as she had come to be very friendly with the King’s, and seeing them succeed only helped her. The taster cup was empty, and quiet she sipped the LIT, finally relaxing and becoming more herself. For a moment her mind wondered to Tatiana and if she had made it okay. She had offered to let Jocelyn stay, but she didn’t want to be there alone, so she’d be going back tonight.

At the door a group of people walked in, and her back stiffened a bit. She sunk a little deeper into he corner and caught Spencer’s eyes, before blushing and looking down. The group startled her and the fear on her face embarrassed her slightly. She refused to be cowed, even though her subconscious disagreed and put in a silent protest. One of the men laughed overly loud, slapping his buddy on the back. The newcomers voice grated on her wrong, sending chills up her arms. Uncomfortably, she cleared her mind, and refocused on the work in front of her, and Spencer’s reaction to the research, and the new line.

Mentions:
Spencer King - Misty Gray

 

[Misty Gray]

Porter Residence
~ Sutton, Dublin ~

James Porter and Olivia Sullivan​

As much as he was glad to have made it home in one piece, James was struggling to feel like he belonged there. He certainly didn't think he deserved it, and not just because he was actually guilty of the crime he'd been locked up for in the first place. It was the circumstances in which he made it back to Dublin that didn't sit well with him. Whilst he was grateful to Conor for what he'd done, it did come at a price. His presence with his family and friends had come at the cost of putting a child at risk. Even though he was guilty of indirectly harming kids in his time working for the mob, this somehow felt different to James. Considering that up until he found out about Conor's plan he'd practically given up and resigned himself to simply waiting to be killed in a prison cell, it felt wrong to be back home with his family. If they knew that in his mind, he had given up and ceased fighting to stay alive; not putting up a fight so he could see them again, what would they think? Granted, only Lucy and Olivia had been the ones to visit him for quite some time. So he supposed it was them he'd been most concerned about upsetting now.

Despite being back home, in a warm and comfortable bed, James had struggled to sleep over the last week. He'd spent most nights wide awake watching the clock tick away on the bedside table. He'd become so accustomed to sleeping on a worn out old mattress or on some occasions on a cold, hard solitary cell floor, that he was struggling to get used to his luxurious marital bed. Even though his and Lucy's bedroom was warm and well-decorated, he was struggling to adapt. Having spent a lot of time recently alone in pitch black solitary confinement cell for days on end, his bedroom now didn't seem dark enough and the silence wasn't silent enough. It had never felt this difficult before. James wanted more than anything to find the will to fall back into a life with his loved ones, but it was proving difficult.

James had seen Syd since he got back to Dublin. Although he'd been unhappy his son hadn't visited him in jail, the younger man had at least called on a few occasions and their meeting earlier in the week had gone well in the end. James had been glad to see Syd and he was looking forward to spending time with his grandchildren.

As the day had gone on, James had spent a lot of time thinking. Whilst it was easy to spend all of his time around the house and not bothering to leave the place, he figured he'd already got out of one prison and probably shouldn't lock himself up in this one. Yet, he felt like the minute he showed his face in the pub or turned up on Conor's doorstep, it would be the moment he got dragged back into the mob's problems. When he moved back to Dublin in the early 70s, James had to adapt to his retirement, but in the end he grew to like it. Then, he was dragged off to prison, where after six years, he was able to embrace the odd peace he felt there. Whilst at any point he could be brutally murdered, he was at least no longer responsible for so many loved ones from his place behind bars. Now, he felt he'd been plucked away from his imminent death, where he was finally at rest, and instead returned to Dublin where he felt another war was brewing and one he'd have no choice but to be dragged into.

As he waited for dinner, James sat in silence in the lounge. He'd been planning in his head a a fitness plan to start on from the next morning onwards. Perhaps the early morning jogs and the fresh air would help him to clear his mind, maybe even use up enough energy that he'd be tired enough to sleep on a night. From his spot on the sofa, he heard the front door close and looked up to see Olivia stop in the doorway. Although she'd been visiting him up until a few months ago, he was still struggling to get his head around her being an adult now, having been locked away when she was just 14. Up until his incarceration, James had been training the girl to fight and defend herself, as well as how to use firearms. By that point, she'd already bonded enough with her adoptive parents that she'd been calling them Mum and Dad for some years. Although Thomas was older than Olivia, James still worried about seeing his son now and how much he'd changed since they'd last spoken six years ago. Would he recognise Thomas? Would his son want to see him at all, considering he'd made no effort to do so over the years? Perhaps Thomas had already considered his father to be dead, like how James had began to resign to the thought of. "Good day at work?" he casually asked Olivia, aware of her employment at Adam's gym.

"Oh yeah, it was great," Olivia enthusiastically answered. Now that James was home, she was hoping he'd have some weight in getting her a role in the mob. But even if he didn't, she at least hoped they could pick up where they left off years ago. Working in the gym was great, but it wasn't like training with James. Not only did she miss having the father figure in her life, but she'd enjoyed learning skills from him before he was sent to jail. "I'm going to get changed for dinner, but I can't wait to talk about a new training plan with you."

James simply nodded his head, letting the young adult walk away before he felt compelled to confirm they'd train together again. Whilst he wanted to spend time with her, he wasn't sure he wanted it to be so she could work for Conor, not when he wasn't sure he wanted any more involvement in the mob himself.

A short time later, Lucy called out his name and he called back to alert her to his presence in the lounge. He got up from the sofa when she entered the room, flashing a smile when she called him handsome. "I was just thinking," he simply told her when asked what he was doing. "Yeah, I'm hungry. Can't wait for dinner," he told her. He watched her walk towards him and briefly smiled when she kiss his cheek. "I'm just trying to get used to it all again, love," he assured her. "I never expected to be back here and now I am, I'm not looking forward to getting tangled up in whatever trouble your brother has caused by getting me home. I'm glad to be home with you, but is my presence here really worth pissing off the Morettis for." James wrapped his arms around Lucy and pulled her in, kissing the top of her head. "And I'm still not sure about this evening. I'm going to be pissed off if he doesn't show up, but I feel like I'm not even going to recognise my own son," he said of Thomas. "He didn't once call or visit."

Bellz (Lucy, Thomas)

 

[Misty Gray]

Wycliff Family Vacation Home
~ Long Island, NYC ~

Valentina Wycliff
~ Cristina and Paolo ~​

The last week had been difficult for Valentina. She'd been trying to focus on Cristina and making sure the kids felt safe after what had happened. It was difficult hearing the girl talk about the abductors wearing masks, but she was beyond grateful they didn't hurt the child. Valentina had been attacked by masked men and memories of that night never left her, with those visions often creeping into her nightmares. She didn't want Cristina to suffer the same kind of terrifying dreams.

Valentina was glad that Cristina had managed to find out the identity of one of the kidnappers, which was sure to help her family track the men down and punish them for what they had done. Those two men, Conor, James, they all deserved her family's wrath and Valentina had no problem with the men suffering for bringing her little girl into the fight. They deserved to pay. However, Valentina knew enough about her father to know they wouldn't be the only ones to suffer for their crimes against the Morettis. When Valentina had been beaten and raped, everyone assumed the Irish Mob were to blame. In one of her father's acts of revenge, a Sullivan-owned club was attacked and burned to the ground, with around fifty people being killed that night, many of whom were innocents. Valentina had been left to feel like dozens of people had been murdered in her name. They were innocent people and it soon transpired that the Irish Mob hadn't been involved in the attack on her at all. This time, the Sullivans were guilty and they had abducted her daughter, but she still felt apprehensive. Valentina was fully aware there were children and innocent members of the Irish family who didn't deserve to be harmed, but she knew her father and likely Teddy too wanted to make a point. They would want to hurt the Sullivans in the same way the Morettis had suffered, but they would want to make them suffer even more, to drive the message home.

When Teddy had decided the family should take a break at their beach home, Valentina didn't hesitate to agree. She figured they all needed to relax and have some fun family time together. Upon arriving at their destination, Paolo full vocalised his excitement, which drew a smile from Valentina. She hoped his joy would spread onto Francis and Cristina, to allow the children to enjoy themselves like kids should. With Teddy's help, Valentina got out of the car and accepted his kiss, sending him a warm smile before he spoke. "This place is pretty amazing. Papa certainly wins my love on this one. Though if he doesn't choose his next actions carefully, he'll need to buy me another," she remarked. Despite her gratitude for her father's gesture, her tone still carried some irritation, likely due to her concerns as to what her family's revenge on the Sullivans now looked like. More than likely a plan Teddy was fully aware of and had agreed to, for that matter.

Valentina watched as the kids ran off into the beach house, with Rocco leading the way. She grabbed some bags the kids had left in the back seat of the car. She glanced to Teddy and Harmony before walking off to the holiday home without waiting for either of them. As expected, she found Paolo already spread out across the king-size bed in the master bedroom. Leaving the bags she'd been carrying on the floor, Valentina marched into the bedroom and picked her youngest child up, lifting him into the air before making him stand up on the floor. "Nice try, kid," she teased. "Your room is this way," she said, taking his hand and leading him to the smallest bedroom. Soon enough, she was able to get the three children together in the hallway and lead them to the front of the property that faced the sea. After the wooden patio, a few steps led down into the garden area, which was clearly highlighted by a small white picket fence as well as a flower bed and gravelled area. "Our garden ends where the sand begins," she informed them, making sure Paolo was paying proper attention. As the beach was still public, she knew strangers could pass by, not to mention the sea itself was dangerous. "None of you are allowed to step onto the sand without permission from myself of Papa, do you all understand?" she firmly told them. Paolo quickly nodded his head, making it clear he understood the rules, so hopefully he would opt to follow them.

"I understand," Cristina softly told Valentina, moving closer to Francis and linking her arm with his. "Can we go on the beach now?" she asked.

"We can all go onto the beach in a little while. For now, I need you all to go back inside and unpack," she instructed the children. When the kids had returned inside, Valentina walked further onto the sheltered patio, ripping the plastic wrap from the new patio table set before sitting down and taking a few minutes to enjoy the fresh air as well as the peaceful atmosphere around them. They had neighbours either side, but enough of a distance where they could ignore them if the wanted to, but similarly, could walk over to socialise with their neighbours if desired.

BloodThunder27 (Harmony)
Melanin-Gxdess (Teddy, Francis)

 

[Pyroclast]

The Shopping Plaza
~ Dublin City Centre, Dublin ~

Tatiana Moretti​

For her first time ever being in London, Tatiana was surprised to find herself enjoying the city as much as she did. Perhaps it helped that she went over there with some authority and power, as she had gone over there as an affiliate of the King family. She found herself walking the streets with Eightball as if they owned them, and having busied herself with getting to know the key areas of King territory and the people they were associated with, she felt she had come to know the place well in a short period of time. Then, of course, there was Jocelyn. Though the girl seemed entirely innocent - and Tatiana was well practised in being able to tell when someone was lying - she somehow had an unexpected power over Tatiana.

Ever since the attack, Tatiana had let her stay with her and Eightball in her Limehouse apartment. The woman seemed to feel safer there than anywhere else, and she hadn’t exhibited any suspicious behaviour - besides, after reaching out to Spencer, the man had confirmed that Jocelyn was an associate of his, so if he trusted her then so could she. Not that having the woman around was any trouble - in fact, she was coming to quite like having the company - Tatiana had been expecting Jocelyn to go home. Instead, she seemed to prefer being together, and on a particularly difficult night Tatiana had let her crawl into bed with her. It was strange, particularly because the only time women shared a bed with her was when there was sex or feelings involved, but for some reason Tatiana didn’t mind. She had been single for a few months now and it felt good to have someone in her arms again, even if the circumstances were different. She just had to be careful.

Since Jocelyn had business to handle with Spencer, Tatiana didn’t feel too concerned about leaving her when she was called to Dublin on business. Dublin definitely felt more dangerous a place for her to be in; it wasn’t like entering Irish Mob territory in New York which neighboured the territory belonging to her own family. No, in Dublin, there was no safe refuge for her, no advantage points. She didn’t even know the place well enough to have an idea of where best to carry out the attack she had been sent there to do. They just had to hope that they wouldn’t get caught.

After her niece was kidnapped under Conor Sullivan’s command, Tatiana had been furious. It wasn’t the first time the Irish Mob had targeted children - the massacre that had taken place at her uncle’s birthday party many years ago had killed several children in her family, and knowing that the Irish had intended to kill her at that party as well had given her an undying sense of purpose to never hold back when it came to fighting the Irish. That was why she hadn’t hesitated to join those heading to Dublin to carry out the attack in retaliation to what Conor had done to Cristina. She and Damian were to lead the operation, which involved a few of their best soldiers to help them abduct Conor’s closest loved ones. Having kept tabs on his wife and son, they had finally found what seemed like the best opportunity: both Aliana and Leo were taking trips to the shopping centre, albeit separately, and after watching them for a while Tatiana knew the moment was drawing close.

”Wife’s leavin’ the bakery now, looks like the son and his girl’s headin’ their way, over.”

Tatiana had had separate groups of soldiers follow Leo and Natasha, and Aliana and Stella, whilst she and Damian sat in the truck they had hired, waiting to make their move. “Where do you need the car? Over,” she responded through her walkie-talkie.

”Uh…’cross the street from Woolworths. They’ve found each other now, stopped for a chat, over.”

“We’ll meet you there, over.” Tatiana looked over to Damian in the driver’s seat. At that point, she wasn’t sure how many people they would end up abducting. The fewer the better, though unless they managed to separate Aliana and Leo from the other two, it was going to be hard not to make a scene. “Let’s go, Damian.”

Interactions
Misty Gray Damian
Melanin-Gxdess Aliana, Leo
Bellz Natasha
BloodThunder27 Stella

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Golden Galleria Car Garage
~Corringham, UK~

Darcey Hargraves, Alex King, & Erik Snowden​

Just as she had asked the question Bruce walked in and commented on how warm it was inside. "Of course. I like to be comfortable and the cold does quite the opposite," she replied, meeting him at the door. After he had hung his jacket up she embraced him in a hug and gave him a quick peck on the lips before moving out of his way. She missed the inquisitive look Alex shot them, who looked over to Erik to see if he had seen the same thing. He had and just shrugged his shoulders at the man. Darcey and Bruce's relationship had forever confused Alex and seeing them interact with each other was always interesting. For fear of being yelled at he had never asked for clarification and would only bring it up to his brothers - who shared this confusion. In all honesty, Darcey was also slightly confused by the relationship she had with Bruce but since she appreciated not having to explain things she also kept it to herself.

Erik looked up at Bruce when addressed, narrowing his eyes in confusion. Despite having been in London for about three years now, Erik still struggled with a lot of their lingo. With all the time he spent with Billy he really should have learned it by now, but alas, here he was struggling. "Brolly... I assume you're talkin' about an umbrella?" He curiously asked. Bruce went on to tell him that Billy knew he would be soaking wet and Erik couldn't help but playfully scoff. "Did he?" He nodded his head, suddenly in a devious mood, and would make Billy pay for betting against him - even if it were the right thing to do. "It's the weathermen! I swea' they're nothin' but a coupla' schmucks. Said rain all week and the one day I choose not to dress right it starts pissin' down rain." He was annoyed with not just himself but the sky for opening up so much. His pants weren't as soaked as they usually were but his shirt was and he was beginning to feel it.

Alex laughed again, shaking his head at Erik. "At this point, you may as well keep spare clothes in the boot of your car, mate." He stated before turning his attention to his uncle. With a slight shrug of his shoulders, he returned his smile with a boyish grin. "Aw, well, gotta start acting like an adult sooner rather than later, right?" Though his tone was light and playful, he was being serious. He truly did want to start doing his part and growing up, but old habits were difficult to get rid of. At least him showing up today would begin to show his family he was at least trying. He opened his mouth to say something else, only the door to the office suddenly opened, with Billy on the other side.

"Have you gone mental?!" Darcey stated, pointing at the door. "Don't go around breaking my shit." She pinched the bridge of her nose, suddenly regretting ever inviting them here. There were a plethora of other places yet she chose her office - the one place she cared about getting messed up.

Hearing Billy's comment to Bruce, he couldn't help but shake his head. "You knew I'd be a soaking mess, yet didn't bring spare clothes for me?" He teased. "Some friend you are." He gladly took the cup from Billy's hand, being ever so sneaky as to make sure their fingers touched. Erik watched Billy with an equally amused smile before he turned from him. Erik had to bite his cheek to keep himself from smiling so much, even as Billy decided to sit directly across from him.

Darcey cleared her throat, commanding all eyes on her once Bruce asked what brought about the meeting. She opened the orange envelope she had in her hands and reached for the pictures, throwing them down on the table. The first picture was of May, taken as she walked into the nightclub she worked at. "Our darling Maeve has quite the interesting background. I'm sure I've told you all, but a few weeks ago the two of us had a nice little chat about her lineage." Darcey then picked up a cup of coffee for herself, passing out the pictures to the men at the table. In the stack, they would find pictures of May, her brother, Conor, and even their mother. Alex picked up one of Conor and cringed, holding it up. "Why's there a picture of him in here?" Darcey leaned forward to dig through the stack a bit until she found what she was looking for - a copy of May's birth certificate. She handed it directly to Bruce before sitting down to enjoy her coffee. "What's the name of the mother say, love?"


Bruce, Billy ( Pyroclast ) May ( BasDorcha )

 

[Misty Gray]

The Sullivan Residence
~ Sutton, Dublin ~

Conor Sullivan​

Conor softly smiled when Roxie mentioned how restless the kids had been with the recent move. He was sure if she needed help, she wouldn't be afraid to ask for it, even if it was just to have someone take the kids for a few days. If there was one thing that come out of such a large, close family, it was that there was no shortage of people willing to offer to babysit. His sisters alone were suckers for offering to babysit, not to mention, Lucy had recently taken it upon herself to take in Shinoa and the teenager's baby. Apparently, she'd unofficially adopted the newcomer and the baby, though until he had time to discuss it properly with Lucy, Conor was somewhat confused by it all. All he did know was that Shinoa checked out and wasn't a cause of concern. Until he could speak about it with his big sister, Lucy's latest maternal actions he figured were hers and James' problems.

Conor nodded without hesitation when Roxie asked for confirmation about him dissolving the peace deal with the Morettis. "My family's business with Moretti has been on the rocks for quite some time and was strained from the start. It was only a matter of time, so I decided to get in before Gabriel could make the first move. My business does not need the Morettis. I have many opportunities and deals already in the pipeline with various organisations, especially in Eastern Europe. All far more beneficial to me than the one I had with Moretti, which generally hinged on me rolling over so he wouldn't have Jimbo or my other family members in New York killed." He lightly shrugged at mention of things getting worse. "Security does now need to be heightened here, but there's always been a risk, even when Count Dracula was playing nice," he spoke of Gabriel.

Conor did feel bad that he couldn't reassure Roxie that things for the Biancardis would be fine, especially not with what he knew about Ricky. Had the guy not crossed his own cousin, Conor was sure the Biancardis and Morettis could continue a workable relationship, especially with how well Ricky had been getting along with the Morettis. Conor sat forward and let out a sigh as he pinched the bridge of his nose. Moving his hand away from his face, he reached for the envelope he'd left sitting on the coffee table. "Ricky is the reason I've asked you here today. I know exactly why he's been acting strange, and the reason he hasn't been to Dublin in a while is because I told him to stay away for the time-being." Reaching into the envelope, Conor pulled out a handful of photographs and handed them to Roxie.

"These photographs were taken outside the pizzeria the day Matthew was killed. The car is the one the driver and gunman were occupying at the time of the shooting. The third man, who you will be able to see clearly, is standing outside the restaurant. He'd been following you, Matthew and the kids. I'm not sure if you recognise him at all, but weeks ago, I traced him back to your own family. A friend of Ricky's," he explained, taking a moment for Roxie to process the information. "All three of the men involved in the shooting are already dead and buried out in some woods back in New York. Ricky saw to it that those particular loose ends were taken care of. Ricky is the one behind the shooting. He wanted to have you killed, Roxie." He let out a sigh and shook his head. "I'm sorry to have to tell you that and to have kept it quiet until now. I couldn't tell anyone else about this... not even Syd. Especially not Syd. I used Ricky to get Jimbo home safe on the promise I would keep his secret. But I had no intention of keeping it from you any longer than I needed to. He claims to be full of remorse and regret for what he's done to you, but you need to know what kind of man your cousin is. I've kept him out of Dublin so he couldn't go near you or your children, but the ball's in your court now..."

Bellz (Roxie)

 

[BasDorcha]

Sutton Park
Tom Thatcher
​

Tom had been working hard at the shop for the last week. It had been grimy, dirty, and thoroughly uneventful, and he loved it. Something about the simplicity of working on engines, painting cars, and doing all the fine detailing set his mind at ease. The week had started with lunch, which Syd bailed on, that included his mom and his adoptive sister, the beautiful Shinoa. He had meant to ask her out, but hadn’t had a chance, as he had been late getting back from lunch and had to rush off – not before paying for the ladies’ lunch though.

Today he had been putting the finishing touches on the project planning on the Allegro, ready to start when Syd was at work next, and helped Chris finish up two of his own projects to stay busy. He even found some time to start straightening up around the shop, organizing a bit of a mess that had developed and it looked better than it had when they started. Tools were back where they belonged, bolts and nuts were sorted by size and length, it was a bit of an OCD that Tom had for things to be in their own place.

“Chris, let’s get a pint, yeah?” Chris had laughed at him and waved him off.

“Not today mate, I’ve got plans. Next time though.” Chris had left right on time, while Tom stayed to finish up the last of the sorting. It hadn’t taken long, and the afternoon was still light out when he left, and a perfect day in his opinion. He had over the last week invested in a motorcycle – it needed some work, but it ran well enough, but today he had walked, and decided to walk home as well. He headed towards the park in Sutton, wanting to enjoy the ocean air a bit.

While he walked, he thought about his sister. It had been a while since he spoke to her, and he was getting worried. His mom had given him her address but for the time he couldn’t just up and go see her. They had always been on the outs, and it had gotten worse over the years. He had seen his brother, and had vowed to see him more since he was home now. He had picked up a job at a local brew house and was living on his own, away from their Ma. He thought his brother was a little young to be out on his own, but he couldn’t blame him with the way his mother was.

Tom stopped at a street vendor near the park, looking to buy some dinner, when he looked up and thought he seen a familiar face coming towards him. It couldn’t be could it? A grin broke across his face as in the distance, coming towards the park, was Shinoa. He stepped back and waited to order, now intent on asking her if she wanted to eat with him. Looked like she was pushing a stroller too – she must have little Lillian with her. When she neared, he waved and jogged over to her, giving a playful bow in greeting.

“Hey there, look at that, two beautiful ladies out for a stroll, nice to see a familiar face. I didn’t know you lived this way. I was stopping for a bite and going to the park, do you two want to join me?” He leaned over, but did not touch, Lillian as he waved his fingers at her in hello. “I’ll buy dinner if you do. We can have a cuppa and a bite here in the park.” He beamed at her brightly, his blue eyes reflecting the gray clouds above. He had the look of a kid at heart on a grown man’s face, giving him a gentle look. He hoped she would join him, he would really enjoy the company.

Mentions:
Shinoa Bradford - BloodThunder27

 

[BasDorcha]

In the Rain - Outside Golden Galleria
May Thatcher​

May sat watching the rain in her window, thinking about why Darcey had asked her to stop by. The two were friendly, but she’d never been to her house before – mostly out for lunch and the likes. Her long hair swayed around her shoulders, her body folded up in the bay window, over the street below. She had already gotten dressed, she just needed a few more minutes until it was time to go. The week had been threatening to piss, clouded and gray, now it really was.

Finishing the cup in her hand, Maeve Thatcher stood and grabbed a coat, her umbrella, and boots. Leggings for warmth, short jean skirt, and a baggy maroon sweater, she admitted she looked cute. It wasn’t to far to go, and May was going to walk it. The rain was in between bouts of pissing down and just tinkling. As she made her way down the street, May began to hum to herself, then progressed into singing.

“The sun'll come out tomorrow
Bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow
There'll be sun
Just thinkin' about tomorrow
Clears away the cobwebs and the sorrow
'Til there's none”

In a rare moment of free-spiritedness, the well practiced mask she so often kept in place fell away, and she even danced in the puddles. People watched her like she was crazy, but she paid them no mind. It was her favorite weather. The walk took a little under half an hour, and the water had started to reach the top of her knee high boots, so her leggings were cool, but she’d be back inside soon enough. Lighting up a cigarette, May waited outside the door as she finally found the address. Darcey had told her to show up at a certain time, so since it was still a few minutes till time she would be patient and smoke.

Darcey had told her some of the King family would be there for a meeting as well, so not to be surprised when she got there. May wasn’t entirely sure what all was going on, but it had something to do with the request she had made. May was enjoying the life she had been building, and had gotten closer with Darcey. Since realizing she could be part of this on the wrong side of the fence due to blood, she needed to know. She had no intentions of claiming loyalty if she were related, but since that night, she had started listening to every scrap or mention of a the drama happening and knew enough at this point to know the Sullivan’s were not a welcomed name.

Hoping Darcey would give her the benefit of the doubt, especially since she had been the one to bring it up, she finished the cigarette and smooshed It out, knocking lightly. When she was ready, she’d head in, but she would not barge in. Someone would answer soon enough.

Soon to happen interactions: Pyroclast - Bruce, Billy Melanin-Gxdess - Erik, Alex, Darcey

 

[Bellz]

Lucy Porter
Thomas Porter
Porter Residence
- Sutton, Dublin - ​

Lucy didn't say anything when James had told her that he was just thinking. She knew that her husband had been thinking a lot over the past week and she was trying to do everything in her power to get him out of his head. He reassured her that he was just trying to get used to everything and Lucy nodded her head lightly in understanding. She couldn't imagine how difficult it was for him to get used to being out of prison but she would try to help him with the transition in any way she could. He told her that he'd never expected to be back in Dublin and that he wasn't looking forward to getting tangled in whatever trouble Conor caused getting him home. Lucy frowned deeply but nodded her head in understanding. Things had been quiet for a long time but her brother understood just how much Lucy wanted her husband back...even though kidnapping a child wasn't something Lucy ever had in mind when bringing James home to her. Lucy was conflicted on that part, she knew that Conor had started something that wasn't going to be easily finished but Lucy also felt so relieved to have James home that she could almost, almost look past that.

James asked if his presence was really worth pissing off the Morettis and Lucy immediately nodded her head, "Well to me it is...and clearly that was worth it to my brother as well. I have been a miserable sad sack since I left New York, love. Being so far away from you made things start to feel...final...it was disturbing really. I think my little brother as daft as he can be, saw that." Lucy tried to reassure James, a smile forming on her face as he hugged her and kissed the top of her head. It felt so good to be able to hold him again, Lucy didn't think James would ever understand just how precious he was to her even after all their years of being married.

Lucy frowned softly as James then mentioned his doubts about the family dinner they were about to have. She was extremely nervous about it but she had told her son to be on his very best behavior, so she hoped he would obey. James stated that he felt like he wasn't going to recognize his own son and Lucy leaned away from him slightly while still in his arms so she could look into his eyes. She could see the hurt in them and the doubt, it made her heart ache painfully. "I hardly recognize him anymore these days, love. Thomas has changed but certainly not for the better. He has cut me off recently and I barely see him now even though we live so close. I told him to be on his best behavior...he seemed nervous about tonight." Lucy explained before sighing. "I don't think Thomas meant any harm by his lack of contact, James. He's...he's just not the same boy we raised. I honestly don't know who he is anymore." And as if Thomas had known they were talking about him, the doorbell rang. Lucy looked to James for a moment before planting a kiss on his lips firmly.

"It's going to be okay, let's... let's just try to make the most of this dinner, yes?" Lucy asked, waiting for an answer before untangling herself from her husband's arms. Walking towards the door, she felt as though she was going to let a stranger into her home, wanting to make sure everything was in place for that stranger so that her family could make a good first impression.

Opening the door, she naturally smile at her son who only gave a small nervous smile in return. In his hands was a bouquet of flowers and a bottle of whiskey, which stunned Lucy into silence before she could even greet her son. Thomas picked up on the silence and cleared his throat, "I thought it would be nice for a change if I brought you some flowers...seeing as Syd is always buying them for you and uh...I brought dad this...I know it's his favorite whiskey at least." Lucy was still too stunned by the unexpectedly kind gesture to speak and Thomas once again looked uncomfortable, shifting from foot to foot before asking, "Uh, can I come in now?" Lucy immediately nodded her head, blinking a few times to get herself in order before smiling wider. "Yes, yes, love. Please come in, just remember to-" Thomas cut her off, "Wipe my feet on the mat...I know." There was a warmness to his voice, almost as if he were playfully teasing her something that Lucy couldn't seem to recognize after years of coldness from him. He offered her another small smile before wiping his feet and stepping inside.

Lucy closed the door behind him and moved to walk beside him as she walked towards the lounge. "Wow, mom...this place is a lot different than the other houses we've lived in." Thomas commented and Lucy looked to him curiously, wondering if that was a good or a bad thing. "In a good way...I like the older style houses around here...feels more...homey." Thomas murmured just as they entered the lounge. Thomas turned his head and looked at James, suddenly getting silent before Lucy cleared her throat. "Look what Thomas brought us, flowers and some whiskey for you love...isn't that nice?" Lucy looked to James in hopes he'd take the situation delicately as Thomas shifted from foot to foot once more. "Hey Dad..." Thomas greeted his father...unsure what to do ass he didn't feel the man would want to hug him given what Thomas had done.
with: James Misty Gray
mentions: Olivia

 

[Bellz]

Roxie Carriveau
Sullivan Residence
- Sutton, Dublin - ​

Roxie noticed the strained look Conor gave her as she expressed her concerns, watching as he leaned forward in his seat and pinched the bridge of his nose. The sinking feeling in her stomach only became more apparent and she watched as he picked up an envelope that had been sitting in front of them before stating that Ricky was the reason he had called her here. Roxie bit the inside of her cheek so hard she had started to taste blood as Conor told her that he'd told her cousin to stay away.

He tentatively handed her the photographs and Roxie reached out a shaky hand to take them in her grasps, recognizing the area immediately. She sucked in a deep breath through her nose as Conor explained who was in the photographs and that the third man in it had been following her family. A sick feeling replaced the sinking feeling in her stomach as Conor told her he had traced the man back to her own family. Roxie didn't recognize the man in the photograph at all as Conor explained that he was a friend of her cousin's. Releasing her poor check from her teeth, she ground her teeth together to keep from spilling tears as Conor went on to say that all three men involved in the shooting were already gone. Ricky had meticulously planned it that way and Conor confirmed that he was the one behind the shooting before stating that her cousin wanted her killed.

A broken sob escaped her without her permission, causing her to shake her head for being so emotional as she hid her face away from Conor. Her emotions were already terribly high but this sent her over the edge. Conor started to apologize for not telling her sooner, that he had kept the secret from her to get James home but Roxie just shook her head, hoping Conor understood that she wasn't upset with him in the slightest. Her tears ran dry as her mind was starting to replace the heartbreaking sadness she felt with undeniable rage, so much so that her ears had begun to ring. Conor explained that Ricky claimed he felt remorse and regret but Roxie knew that was a fucking lie. If he felt that way...if he truly cared about her...he wouldn't have attempted it in the first place. And knowing that her late fiancé wasn't the intended target...the guilt she felt was almost too much to bear once more.

"T-Thank you...for telling me this, Conor." Roxie managed to get out. Her eyes were now able to meet his. The grief she had been feeling for a long time now was only replaced with more grief...Ricky had been the only one in her family beside her Uncle who truly understood her. One was dead...and the other, well Roxie was going to make sure he suffered the same fate. Roxie had never been a vengeful person, even when her father had used her and almost killed her...Roxie didn't feel the way she felt at this moment. "At this point, I no longer consider that man my family...which makes him expendable." Her voice lacked emotion as she shook her head, "I'm not upset he tried to kill me...I could give a fuck less about my life. But...my children and Matthew, they are my world...he-" Roxie's voice cracked, "He didn't deserve any of this and neither do they."

Her cousin was the reason her children had nightmares, her cousin was the reason her soon-to-be husband died in her arms. Ricky was the reason her unborn child would never know their father. Roxie felt like she was going to faint or be sick, the rage that welled up inside of her was enough for her to break something. But she was calm at that moment, not wanting to show Conor that she was weak even though she had every right to be. "Syd is going to want him dead...I...I want him dead." Roxie said in a low voice. "Out of all the people in the world to betray you...the only one that hurts the most is family. Some of the most poisonous people are the ones we call friends or family I suppose." Her mind was going numb for the moment, she knew that when Syd entered the discussion he was going to lose it and in turn, she might as well...but she wanted to maintain emotional control while she still could. Roxie went silent for a long moment as she thought back to when Syd and she had broken up.

Roxie had been upset at him for lying to her about him spying on her family, telling him that it was ridiculous to assume that her family would cause her or their children any harm now that her father had died. Not only was she angry with her cousin for what he'd done, but she was also angry with herself for being dumb enough to believe that her family would only look out for her. Most of her family's relationships with her had been purely transactional, something a true narcissistic family would do. Roxie had never been such a person but she was someone who those types of people preyed on, a people pleaser. She had spent her entire life seeking validation from a man who could have cared less if she lived or died and now here she was stuck in a similar family predicament. If only she had listened to her ex...maybe...they would have worked it out. Maybe Matthew would have found someone he actually fucking deserved and lived out the rest of his days with her. If only it would have worked out that way...

"Thank you...really.." Roxie looked to Conor for a long moment before asking for his advice, "Where do I go from here? I can't go back to New York..." Distracting herself momentarily from her self-loathing, she wanted to know what to do next.
with: Conor Misty Gray
mentions: Syd Pyroclast

 

[Bellz]

Harper King
Harper's Apartment
- London - ​

Harper had just sat down on the couch, paying attention to her tea which she took a hearty sip from as Jeremy sat down on her couch. Her eyes turned to look at it for a moment which caused her to open her mouth wide enough so that all the tea she tried to gulp down spilled back into the mug. A flustered scoff escaped her as she forced herself to stare him directly in the face, watching as he smiled behind his book.

"Um, where the fuck did your clothes go?" Harper asked before realizing that he must have misunderstood what she'd meant by "drying off." Before he could answer her question, she was up on her feet moving to go see if she could find any spare clothes that her brothers had left behind over the years. "I didn't mean get naked and sit on my couch when I said to dry off!" She called out as she dug through her closet. Finally able to find some sweatpants and a t-shirt that she couldn't remember who exactly they belonged to, she waltzed back into the living room before throwing the clothes at him.

"Go put those on before one of my brothers conveniently shows up at the door. The last thing I need is for someone to think we actually did something." Harper huffed. Before he could go and change, she spotted the picture on the coffee table. Making a move to scoop it up before he could catch her in the act, she got ahold of it and turned it around to see her family's faces smiling back at her. Though they were all terribly young and awkward in the photo, especially her. She cringed at her 10-year-old self and shook her head. "Ugh, why do you have this? I remember this day. Could have had any other picture with me in it but you chose the one where the day before Uncle Bruce had painfully taken me to get a trainer bra." Harper faked shivered though a smile was on her face.

"Never took you for a sentimental type of guy." She commented before handing the picture back to Jeremy. Her eyes wandered a bit lower than she intended for a split second, her cheeks getting warm as she turned away from him. "Right, I'll order that take out now. Nothing that looks roadkill...so no roasted duck from that Chinese place down the street?"
with: Jeremy BasDorcha

 

[Misty Gray]

The Sullivan Residence
~ Sutton, Dublin ~

Conor Sullivan​

Roxie shook her head when Conor apologised for keeping things secret from her. He had honestly expected her to be furious with him. Pissing people off was becoming a bit of a habit of his lately, so he certainly wouldn't blame her for being angry, and he'd been prepared for it. Instead, it was clear more than anything that she was upset that her cousin would betray her. Upset that Matthew had to die because Ricky had tried to have her killed. Conor silently nodded his head when Roxie thanked him for telling her. When she spoke of Ricky being expendable, he looked her in the eyes to determine if she was being serious or merely speaking out of grief. He understood what it was like to lose someone and know you were the intended target.

"Oh, without a doubt," Conor agreed with Roxie when she said Syd would want Ricky dead. "I've gotta admit, that despite your cousin being erratic at times, I would never have had him down as being capable of doing what he did. Not to his own family. I thought there was a decent bloke beneath the many personality issues." As much as Conor wanted to console Roxie, he could see she was fighting to hold it together. He was sure when Syd arrived, she might give in, but for now, he was going to let Roxie fight her emotions for as long as she needed or wanted to.

When Roxie asked him for his advice about what to do next, Conor sat forward and let out a deep sigh. "It's a tricky one. The Biancardi business is in New York and if it's going to continue there, you or someone you can trust needs to have a heavy presence in the city. Whilst personally, I would completely cut the Morettis off, I know that would be extremely problematic for your family business. You still have business with me and I'd rather that was exclusive, but to do that, you would need to end the deals you have with Gabriel. I'm not sure how he'd take that, nor your employees who are loyal to Ricky and see the Morettis as more favourable allies than they see me."

Conor ran his hand through his hair as he tried to think of something that could be helpful to her. "As it stands, Ricky thinks he is off the hook, which you could use to come up with a plan before getting rid of the prick. Perhaps identify someone smart, trusted, and strong-willed enough to deal with business in New York - a thick enough skin to deal with that Moretti twat. Unless you feel you can step up to the plate?" Conor took a sip from his glass of water to buy a little more time. He wished he could tell Roxie to end all business with the Morettis, but he knew that could mean trouble for her if it was a rushed 'divorce', as was evident in his own situation. "Gabriel seemed really keen on the idea that Ricky was the rightful heir and that he'd rather your cousin was in charge than you. I'm sure he would change his tune where he to find out that Ricky betrayed him to carry out my request which was to arrange the plan for Jimbo's release. Not to mention, Ricky was the one to identify Cristina as the person who was most likely to influence Gabriel to back down from killing Jimbo. If he loses his respect for Ricky, he might be more inclined to give you a chance. Unless, he decides the Biancardis are just as much enemies as my family now are. Whatever you decide, I would suggest you don't rush into ripping Ricky to shreds until you've put something in place to keep your business running when he's gone."

Bellz (Roxie)

 

[BasDorcha]

Harper's House
Jeremy Gray​

As the clothes came flying at Jeremy’s face, he caught them… with said face. He quickly scooped them away, standing to move back to the bathroom – again. “In my defense, you care more about this leather couch then you do Billy some days, so I didn’t want to ruin it with my already soaked pants. No towel was going to soak up all that water.” Her reaction had been priceless, and something deep in him was tempted to growl at the girl like a panther about to launch, but he choked it back. Harper was NOT free game, even though her eyes said otherwise, especially as she let them trail lower. To be antagonistic, he ran a hand along to edge of the towel just as her eyes peeped down, adjusting it while accidentally moving it lower then back up. “Also, this is no different then a kilt, I’m just going to start wearing one of those – traditional style – every day. Let’s see what you have to say about that.” The faintest grin teased at his lips again, watching her stutter, stumble, and blush.

Picking up Harper's instant print camera, while she looked at the picture, he turned his back to her and took a picture of them, him topless, with her standing looking down in the background – the picture out of sight. You could not see the towel, or what she was looking at. Jeremy looked bored in the picture and Harper looked surprised. It would make for great blackmail if she tried anything funny. He turned back around and showed her the newest picture after her comment about you could have had any other picture with me in it… “Fine, here’s a new picture of you – at least we’re past the training bra phase.” He quickly moved out of swing range, holding the picture high enough she couldn’t reach it but still could see it.

Wait, did that mean she wanted him to have pictures with her in it? A lump was forming in his throat again. “Yeah well… There’s a lot of things you don’t know about me.” He took the photo from her and put it back in the book, tossing the book back on the table. Taking the phone, the towel and the clothes to the bathroom, he came back out wearing none other then Billy’s clothes. The shirt was a little short, and tight, he figured if he even flexed it might stretch it irreparably. The sweats were more like thigh-highs, and barely covered the edge of his underwear line. Looking at himself in the mirror, he assumed it was Billy’s clothes.

This would be interesting – lets see how she responds to the newest Jeremy look. He existed the bathroom with an uncharacteristic flourish, doing a muscle man stance that tensed the shirt worse than before. “How do I look? Safe to sit on the couch now?”

Mentions
Harper King - Bellz

 

[Pyroclast]

Syd Porter​

“Sweet people get sweet things,” Syd said with a smile, reciprocating Blake’s warm hug. Though he wouldn’t have minded seeing Natasha too, it was so rare that he and Blake spent time alone together so he was overall pleased that it would just be the two of them in the house. She seemed to be in a calm enough mood to him, though when he looked at the painting she was struggling to set straight, he couldn’t see anything wrong with it, and told her so. “I’ll help you with it later, if you like,” he offered, before following her into the kitchen.

As she went about preparing the coffee and juice, Syd found a plate for the doughnuts and began carefully stacking them in such a way to avoid smudging the icing. As he did, Blake asked him about his life, and how the kids were doing. He chose to focus on the latter question, as there was far too much going on in his life to unload after only a minute of being in her house. “The kids are alright, yeah, bit overwhelmed by the big house move,” he told her with a smile. “Honestly, I can’t keep up with how much they’re growing up, either...it’s like every weekend, they’re a little taller, a little smarter. It’s crazy. All getting into their teens now...God save us all!”

Unsure of what exactly had prompted her to invite him over, Syd was trying to keep the conversation light. He poured himself a glass of orange juice and watched as Blake busied herself with the coffee pot before coming over to the bar. She didn’t sit with him, however, which was the first clue that she was feeling a bit unsettled. When she began to explain herself, Syd surprised himself by flinching at the mention of Jackson’s name. He hadn’t heard Blake talk about him for so long, nor had he expected to talk about him, either. She told him that she still considered Syd a son to her, even after the death of his Godfather, and Syd’s face grew serious as he looked into her eyes. Touching on their shared love for the man, she then brought up the other thing they had in common: being widowed. Then she asked a question he never would have expected, which was how moving on from Skye had made him feel.

At first Syd fell silent, the only sound being that of water for the coffee pot boiling away. His thoughts became scattered almost instantly, as if they were running from him so he wouldn’t have to talk about it. But he wanted to talk. Whatever Blake was insinuating - and he was doing his very best not to start guessing - it sounded like she wanted his help. He took a sip of his orange juice before placing the glass down gently on the counter.

“Um…” He found himself thinking of the first time he met Roxie, the splintered beginnings of their rocky relationship. “Well....confused, I think,” he admitted, with an odd sort of smile. “I was still very wrapped up in my grief when I met Roxie. Very controlled by it. You know how…” He paused briefly, wondering if his words would be triggering to Blake. It was the problem with relating to someone on such a painful subject - he was never sure if talking about that sort of thing with her would be too hard for her to deal with. “How you can feel so alone without them, yet also feel like they never left?” Still with a light grip on his glass, he began to idly turn it in his hand. “I don’t know, I remember talking about Skye and Roxie with...i-in my counselling sessions. I liked Roxie and I knew I didn’t want to be trapped by my grief forever, but letting go of Skye just seemed impossible. I think there was a period where I was sort of with both of them. I was still wearing my wedding ring when I started dating Roxie. God, she was so patient...” With a light chuckle, Syd bowed his head and raked a hand through his hair. He took another pause, his gaze falling vacant as he cast his mind back to that difficult transition. “But you know, that ring wasn’t just my way of holding onto Skye, or even of honouring a vow. It was a reminder that I’d been happy once, and even on days where I thought I’d never feel good again, I could look at that ring and think, happiness exists, love exists, and it’s not impossible to find. And then, you know, I did find it. It was when I’d just found out Roxie was having twins, so I’d be a dad like I always wanted, and with a woman I loved. So I...I spoke with Skye to let her know, and then I took the ring off.”

Syd drew a deep breath, glancing to his ring finger - the only finger on his hands he had never placed a ring on since - before drawing his gaze back up to meet Blake’s eye. “‘Course Roxie and I didn’t work out after all that. But I still have the kids. The important thing is that I knew when I was...ready to move on…” It was only at that point that Syd was able to figure out why he thought Blake might be asking him about Skye. Looking at her somewhat quizzically, he asked, “Why did you wanna ask me about this, Blake? What’s on your mind?”

Interactions
Bellz Blake

 

[Bellz]

Harper King
Harper's Apartment
- London - ​

Harper began to protest just as Jeremy picked up her polaroid camera still dawning a look of shock on her face as the camera flashed. Harper tried to reach for the picture that was just taken but he held it up out of her reach as she leaped for it desperately. "Give it here brat!" Harper hissed but it was no use. He mentioned the training bra and Harper immediately became self-conscious despite being way past that phase in her life. Crossing her arms over her chest, she frown deeply as she took two steps away from the nearly naked man in her living room.

He stated that there was a lot that she didn't know about him and Harper's face changed from disapproval to amusement. "Now that's not true." Harper stated but before she could list the things she did know about him, he decided to go change into the clothes she had thrown at him.

Harper moved to sit down on her couch once more, turning to her side table to pick up her phone to start dialing the number to the Chinese place down the street. He walked out and Harper turned to him properly. She let out an uncontrollable giggle as she covered her mouth to try to stifle it. He made it worse by doing a muscle man stance causing her to roll onto the couch laughing as she held her stomach. "I wasn't sure who's clothes those were but I'm almost positive now seeing them on you that they are Billy's! It looks like if you breathe too deep they are going to rip apart!" Harper said between laughs. "Just do me a favor and don't bend over in those sweats okay, the last thing we need is for you to rip them and make yourself look like a fool." Harper teased, still giggling slightly as she once again moved to dial the phone.

"I would ask what you want but you get no choice in the order. You know my brothers can be fussy eaters but I've ordered the usual for a while and they all seem to like it." Before she could say more, someone answered the phone. After placing her order, Harper got the total before hanging up and turning to look at Jeremy as he sat down on the couch a few inches away from her.

Harper found herself giggling again before looking towards the book on the table. It reminded her of what he was saying right before he went to change. "I know plenty of things about you, you know. Like the fact that you are into puzzle-type games which leads me to believe you are older than 34. You also like old boats...which also leads me to believe you are very old." Harper stated teasingly. "You've got a boring degree in history, the one class I always fell asleep in school despite getting a good grade." The blonde shook her head, "See I know you. Better than I think you think I know you."

"I also know that when you get really really really drunk, you can talk my ear off for hours and hours on end, like that welcome home party for you. I'm not sure if you even remember that night but...I remember it as being the night I could actually tolerate you." Harper said, of course only teasing once again as she turned to look at him with a small smile on her face. "You're a lot less rowdy than my sorry ass brothers when drinking."
with: Jeremy BasDorcha

 

[BasDorcha]

Harper's House
Jeremy Gray​

Jeremy finally relaxed on the couch, letting her order dinner in silence. He heard everything; he just didn’t respond. While she did it all, Jeremy felt a tightening in his chest and had to look away, careful to not seem to be staring at her so he watched the wall instead. For a moment, he considered himself, the night, and the situation, and reminded himself he couldn’t keep going the way he was. There was a very specific reason Jeremy had built his walls up, and kept a calmness about himself. Jeremy remembered some time when he heard from Billy and Alex that Harper had been getting picked on by some of the older neighborhood boys, Of course the brother’s talked to the kid, but Jeremy had… Talked to the kid.

The boy had been hanging outside one day when Jeremy had come by the house. When he heard the slick shit say something about her as he exited the car, he was knocked out a second later. Jeremy had only seen red, and the next he could remember was holding the kid by the shirt, and both the kids face, and his hand covered in blood. Spencer had drug him off and into the house, he had handled the kid, and making sure only the two off them found out, but Jeremy had gotten a warning about that kind of reaction when he was on the job.

It was shortly after that Jeremy had gotten to a point where he was more stoic than not. It had been a work in progress for a long time, but he perfected it after that. He also had swore the next time, no one was going to stop him.

As Harper finished her ordering, he snapped back to reality. That normal, statue like expression came back, but there was a slight smile hidden in it all that he couldn’t quite put away. Something about this damn girl.

“I get it, I’m old.” He shook his head at her, listening to her talk. “Fine, you know a few things about me.” He was about to make a smart remark when she continued, this time silencing him effectively. There passed a whole minute of him watching her, thinking. “I remember every minute of that night.” His voice, when he did speak, was that deep, husky sound again. His eyes studied her like a painting, and the intensity in the air could be cut with a knife. He shifted, breaking the spell and clearing his throat, looking away to the two pictures now sticking out of his book. “I don’t really drink enough to get like them, especially these days. I want to remember everything.” Voice normal, check. He remembered his wallet in his pants pocket and went to fetch it from the bathroom, tossing at her when he came back.

“Don’t forget, I said I’d pay. How about I set the table?” He couldn’t sit there watching her like the stalker she claimed he was. What in the world was wrong with him, this was not him. Seriously, you can’t be there to protect her, if you can’t protect her from yourself. Bruce’s words wrung in his ear and cursed himself. He grabbed a few plates, some silverware and cups. The plates went to the table, with the silverware. He poured them each a two-finger King’s Select Whiskey, the specialty brands that they bought from the American, and brought one over to her. If he was going to get through this night, he needed a drink.

“Here’s your chance, youngin’, show me how its done.” He grinned, then frowned, as if mentally slapping himself. For a second he felt bad for Harper, being around him could be a chore, as his exes had told him, and right this moment he felt like Harper – albeit not his girlfriend – was catching a lot of his emotional flipflopping. One day he’d tell her why and they’d laugh about it, like he tried to do with Billy a week ago, but right now he had to clear his head and get it right, before he swept the mouthy girl into a kiss that might get him killed, or shut her down so much she thought he didn’t want to be friend.

Hell, if he had to admit it, he was probably more fucking confused about what he was feeling, and what the hell was going on in his own self, then she was about his bipolar bullshit.

For once, he wished he was really the stoic and aloof man many people thought he was.

Mentions
Harper King - Bellz

 

[Bellz]

Blake McCarthy
Blake's House
- Sutton, Dublin - ​

Blake listened intently as Syd talked, hanging on to every word he said as explained how he first felt with Roxie. The feeling of loneliness but at the same time feeling as though Jackson was still around was a battle she always fought. There were still days when she would wake up in bed alone and for a brief moment, it felt as though her late husband was going to walk through the door to tell her good morning. Syd mentioned his counseling sessions, Blake remembered what had become of that all too well but he had made progress in the sense that the sessions gave him the chance to move on from Skye. He stated that there was a period where he was sort of with both women, which would most likely puzzle those who didn't understand losing a spouse, but to Blake, it made perfect sense. Blake, of course, had taken off her wedding ring a long time ago...as her therapist had stated it was one of the small things she could do to truly remind herself that Jackson was never coming home.

Blake smiled softly as Syd mentioned that Roxie had been patient as Adam was now being with her. Hearing what the ring represented, Blake swallowed harshly, tears pricking her eyes as she closed them and turned her face down to look at the counter in front of her as she opened them again. Blake looked up in time to see Syd staring at his ring finger before he glanced up to meet her eyes.

The blonde offered him an expression of sympathy as he stated he stated that Roxie and he didn't work out after all and smile when he turned it around by saying he still had the kids. She could see the realization on his face clear as day, however, which caused her smile to drop from her face as he asked why she asked him, wanting to know what was on her mind. Blake bit her bottom lip again before moving to grab a donut from the plate they were sitting on, breaking it in half before setting the piece she didn't intend on eating back on the plate. Taking a bite to buy her some time, she chewed thoughtfully as she looked around her kitchen a moment. After swallowing her food, Blake sighed and looked at Syd directly. "After years of grieving and telling myself I wasn't going to ever move on from Jackson, I've found someone else who understands me just as much as he did." Blake confessed with a small smile on her face.

Tears welled up in her eyes and fell down her face as she reached to catch them with her free hand. "Your Uncle already had that signature fatherly talk with me about my choice, but I just want to let you know right now that I don't have any doubts about this man...and as Roxie had been with you, he's being extremely patient with me." Blake murmured. "Ever since Jackson passed, my friendships have strengthened because I realized that I might not ever get another chance at love or marriage. Funnily enough, I poured myself so much into those friendships that love or...whatever this is in this moment...presented itself to me without me actually seeking it out."

"Adam and I have been friends for a long time now...you know me and you know how Jackson and I were, natural fucking flirts who really knew how to bring a room together. Jackson was much muchbetter at that than I ever was but still, we both had the same energy. Adam and I...while on that same level...have something much different than I ever had with my late husband. It's not bad...it's just...different."

"I called you here because I know how much Jackson meant to you...and while Adam has told me over and over for the past few weeks that my decisions are my own I still know that I'm not the only one who loved my husband. I wanted to let you know personally that I have chosen to move on with my life...and that I hope you will support me in that choice. But I also know that you have been going through grief far longer than I have and, while you are much younger than me, kid...you've got wisdom beyond your years." Blake's voice cracked before she cleared her throat and shook her head.

"I guess hearing that you approve of this will bring me the peace I need to move on...because like I said, you are like a son to me and you were a son to Jackson. He'd be very proud of the man you've become and I am so grateful that I get to watch you grow...but I also know that somewhere...he's watching too." She drew out a shaky breath before laughing slightly. "It's interesting...this whole feeling guilty about moving on thing. My therapist had told me that they had patients who...only after 6 months or so, found the love despite them not looking for it." Blake sighed, "I thought that was cruel of those people...I thought that there was supposed to be some sort of time minimum on how long you had to wait to love again...at least that's the way society thinks it should be. But who are we to judge to measure just how much love the heart can hold, you know?"

"I might not love Adam in the same way I love Jackson but...I've been a fool to think that I couldn't move on. So...are you okay with this? My kids are handling it surprisingly well, better than Conor did at least. I just want to know if you are comfortable.."
with: Syd Pyroclast

 

[BloodThunder27]

~Chapter 9: Secret Ties~

Friday 7th June 1985
...One week later...
Dublin: Evening - Dry, Mild, Clear Skies
New York City: Midday - Warm, Sunny, Breezy​

~Stella Kwon~Dublin, Ireland | Dublin City Centre

Stella's work had been very tame and quiet, business as usual since the night that she had gone with a team to talk to the Sweeney Brothers, which resulted in the deaths of two others. Since then, she hadn't seen Katsya or even heard from her. Given what she had heard, chances are the extremely athletic woman got fired and skipped town immediately after. Whatever happened, Stella decided not to dwell on it. There was also that night that she got to spend with Emery. While she did have a wonderful time, she couldn't help but wonder about how the other woman felt about her. Did she share the same feelings that Stella had for her? The woman did seem genuinely surprised by the roses and the chocolates. Movie was so-so, then there was dinner. Did Emery feel the same way at all? Only time would tell.

Last week, she was at the Air Field to greet Chase when he flew back from the United States and Conner's predecessor, James Porter. And they had a newcomer with him, James Edwards, though to tell the difference between the two man, even if they looked nothing alike, the man asked that they just call him 'Edwards' or 'Ed'. Not to mention the newcomer had brought a cache of weapons back too. Russian-made. Stella could only wonder how James had gotten his hands on it. Because he was still getting acquainted with Dublin and his new life as a member of the Irish Mob, Stella looked forward to fully welcoming him, especially after hearing that he was a former U.S Navy SEAL Sniper, so she was eager to see what he was gonna bring to the table and how he would contribute to the Mob.

This weekend though, Stella had been called upon by Aliana Sullivan, her Boss' lovely wife. The company was nice and it got her mind off of Emery. Because she wasn't the most outgoing person in the organization, the Bounty Hunter did feel rather awkward during the shopping trip. When they had gone into a party decorating store, Stella felt really out of place, especially since between the two women, Stella was also armed...heavily armed. Like to the teeth. Pretty much up to where she had to wear a black duster to keep everything concealed. She looked like an American Outlaw with the way she was dressed, but she didn't mind. Had to keep all those guns and knives concealed somehow... As she adjusted her coat and her hat, Aliana had asked her what she thought of the decoration. Staring briefly at the sample cloth that Aliana was holding, she was initially unsure of how to answer. "Mmmm, yes, while Red and Gold is the go-to, I think we can go for a change. I'd go for Silver. Gold is very overused in my opinion." Yeah, says the woman with the Gold Assault Rifle...

Once she moved over to a specific green, Stella is a little intrigued, even though green wasn't her go-to color. When she suggested combining Sage Green, Silver and Gold, Stella responded with a weary smile. "Why don't we just stick to the Green and Silver. We can leave the gold. All three colors would be a little too much. We don't want to overdo it and give dear Lucy a heart attack." She chuckled before scratching the back of her head.

Upon leaving the Decoration store, the two ended up going to a Bakery to pick up some treats. As soon as Aliana offered to buy something for her, Stella ended up taking her offer and opted to get a single chocolate cupcake to satisfy her sweet-tooth. Once they stepped back outside, they ended up running into Leo and Natasha. Stella didn't know the two of them all that well, so she remained silent, giving them a cordial smile. While Natasha spoke with Aliana, Stella looked over at Leo....Was he upset with Aliana? If so, the Bounty Hunter wondered why. Given what was in her hands, Natasha was likely out shopping too, though it was not long until the friendly young woman roped her into the conversation. "I've been doing well, all things considered. Can't say I've heard about the most pleasant things at work given what happened over the last week or two, but its nothing I can't handle given what I do for a living. And to answer your question, no, I'm not getting board of the party shopping. Aliana's been wonderful company and its nice to get out of my apartment on my days off."

Shortly after answering that question though and Natasha had gone back to talking to Aliana, Stella suddenly felt her blood run cold and her goosebumps forming on her arms. Her smile had even faded and she felt the urge to go for her one or even two of her guns. But with no way to call for back-up or for help, if something were to happen within the next five seconds, she would have to act fast...very fast...

---

Interactions: Aliana Sullivan, Leo Sullivan Melanin-Gxdess | Natasha McCarthy Bellz
Mentioned: Emery Callahan, James Porter Misty Gray | James Edwards | Chase Zegerra (Indirect) Pyroclast | Katsya Grey
Nearby: Tatianna Moretti Pyroclast | Damian Nicolosi Misty Gray (DANGER! DANGER!)

~Harmony Ryu~Long Island, New York| Wycliff Family Vacation Home

While Cristina's kidnapping had Harmony shaken up and ended up leading to an anxiety attack accompanied by flashbacks, the days that followed were probably her harder workdays, three of which she ended up dealing with sleep deprivation and there had been nights where she woke up screaming or crying. One of those nights saw her pulling her gun and shooting her wall. Explaining that to the Police was rather awkward, but since he was on the Boss' payroll, the rainbow-haired woman had nothing to worry about. On her work days, it certainly broke her heart seeing Cristina dealing with separation anxiety. Of course, Harmony didn't blame her one bit for it given how she had been kidnapped by her Father's old enemies. That was one twisted way to put 'Sins of the Father', given who was behind the kidnapping. Because the children were still spooked and on edge, Teddy had decided to pull them out of school for the week. Harmony herself didn't entirely mind. Even if her job was primarily protecting Valentina, whom she had become good friends with, she had gotten the chance to bond with the three Wycliff children.

Starting this weekend, Harmony had gone with the Wycliff Family to their vacation home in Long Island. Hopefully here, everyone would be able to de-stress and take it easy. No doubt Teddy needed it given how often he had been meeting with Gabriel quite frequently. Val and the kids had the chance to take it easy. Harmony was still on guard duty, which she didn't mind. Given where they were at, she wouldn't want to stray too far, not that she ever really did. Aside from her days off and going to Karate with Q, Harmony rarely left Valentina's side, at least of her own accord. But that was going to be very different now, and her job was only going to be more difficult if she was gonna be doing it alone. After Val proceeded to take the kids out of earshot, Harmony soon felt her blood running cold as she was left alone with Teddy. When he told her that Val told him what happened on the day of the kidnapping, Harmony could not help but frown. In his defense, she was assigned to protect his family, so he did have the right to know. The losses of her Brother and Father always weighed heavily on her mind. On days that it did not not, they were always on the back of her mind. Although it put her at ease when he appealed to her grieving heart, as well as informing her that the children love it whenever she was around, she was caught off-guard when he had asked for the reassurance that her emotions would not get in the way of her doing her job. One time was already enough. And Harmony didn't want to think what would happen to her if Teddy and Gabriel had to bury one of the children because of her. "No, they won't." She responded, but doubted that she'd give the worried and troubled Father any reassurance. "But actions speak louder then words, so I very much doubt you'll take my word for it, even if I've been entrusted with you and your family's safety and well-being." She responded with both sincerity and honesty.

Protecting his Wife was one thing, but protecting his three beloved children was a whole different level. Especially after last week. Next he informed her that she would have help. While it was a relief that she was no longer going to be protecting the family on her own, she wasn't so confident about the Guards who had been sent to assist her. As two cars pulled up behind hers and the family car, Harmony briefly looked over her shoulder. Her heart then sank when he said that if history were to repeat itself, that not only would the other guards be on the chopping block, but she would be as well. She kept her straight face and looked Teddy in the eye. "If anyone attempts to harm your family again, their bodies will be found in one of the rivers by the next dawn." she responded, her tone just as cold as his.

---

Interactions: Theodore 'Teddy' Wycliff, Extended Wycliff Family Protection Detail (NPCs) Melanin-Gxdess
Mentioned: Gabriel Moretti Misty Gray
Nearby: Valentina Wycliff, Cristina Wycliff, Paolo Wycliff Misty Gray | Francis Wycliff Melanin-Gxdess

~Shinoa Bradford~Dublin, Ireland | Sutton Park

After the family day that she had with Lucy and the chance to meet Tom, Shinoa spent the following week resting and recovering and on Wednesday, George had taken her to the hospital for her post-delivery check-up. All things considered, Shinoa was making a reasonably fast recovery. Still a new Mom, she still shuttered remembering the grueling labor and the pain she had felt in the delivery room and how much she cried in the car on the way to the hospital about how much it hurt. Then on Thursday, she was hit a little harder with the baby blues, but thankfully she wasn't hitting the levels of postpartum depression. With the wonderful support network she had closer to the end of the pregnancy, definitely helped in her persevering post-delivery.

Though she had started her weekend, staying at home and getting some house chores done while watching her bundle of joy. After she was finished, she decided to go to Sutton Park in hopes of clearing her mind and going to get some fresh air and hear the sounds of the waves hitting the beach. Right now, little Lillian was sleeping in her stroller while Shinoa walked through. Because of how young she looked, some of the older people there did stare at her, but she didn't care. She was (now) from a very loving family. As she thought about Lucy, Shinoa frowned as it has been almost a whole week since she had last seen her Mommy dearest. However, she respected her Mother's privacy. Recently her Husband had come back after spending time in Jail in the United States and Shinoa was hoping for a chance to meet him. Her adoption was finalized shortly before she turned eighteen and while she was in the final stages of pregnancy. It was really weird to think about. Adopting a pregnant teenager and becoming a Mother and Grandmother at the same time, granted Lucy already had other children in her care as well as grandchildren who were around way before her and Lillian. Unfortunately, Syd was still being an asshole to her, so she was wondering when that was going to stop to. Come to think of it, why was a man in his forties picking a fight and being petty with a now-eighteen-year-old woman? It still confused the hell out of Shinoa. And wasn't he too old to be fighting with someone for Lucy's attention?

As she continued to walk through and pass by a street food vendor, she heard Tom's voice. As she looked up to see his smiling face though, Shinoa would smile right back, though she was confused when he had bowed, even if it was playful. Nonetheless it was rather...manly. "Yeah, I live a couple of blocks from here. I just didn't want to stay too close to home, so my Uncle George dropped me off here after my Doctor's Appointment." She said as she looked down at Lillian, who was in fact, still sleeping.

When he invited her to join him, Shinoa's smile remained. "Sure, I'd appreciate the company. It's kinda lonely whenever little Lilly is sleeping." At the mention of dinner, her stomach had growled.

Although it was enough for her to blush and laugh it off, it did make her think about all the instances that it happened while she was pregnant. Not to mention at that time she was lazier...and gassier...and her stomach growled louder. Hell, she remembered when it happened in front of Emery, Lucy's Niece, whom she had met after being threatened...and her attacker ran away when he felt Lillian kick against him when her stomach touched his and then he realized that he had attacked a pregnant woman. That was still a bad night and there were a few times that she had nightmares reliving that terrible night, aside from meeting Emery and Adam. "Sure, I'll join you for dinner. I brought a Picnic Blanket too, so we can go sit down by the water and enjoy the view. Maybe Little Lilly will wake up by then. What do you have in mind for dinner?"

---

Interactions: Thomas Thatcher BasDorcha
Mentions: Emery Callahan, George Sanderson, Adam Harper Misty Gray

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

The Shopping Plaza
~Dublin City Center, Dublin~

Aliana Sullivan & Leo Sullivan

​

Ali listened intently as Natasha filled her in about Blake. Hearing that the woman's best friend had been acting weird was unsettling to her. The last time she had seen her it hadn't ended on a pleasant note. She felt bad about the turn of the conversation and wished she had seen where it was going before it got there. Everyone around Blake had basically gotten revenge for the death of a loved one - Ali twice - and yet she was the only one who hadn't. She had every right to be upset and she didn't blame Blake if she were upset with her for not taking her feelings into consideration. However, with Conor's recent actions and what she believed to be an inevitable revenge plot against them, maybe Blake would be able to get that closure after all. She nodded her head at the mention of her and Syd having a sit-down, which made sense. Blake felt she needed Syd's permission to move on and she knew Syd would be more than willing to give it to her... At least, she hoped. Taking a deep breath, she smiled at her again. "Well, that's good. I hope she and Adam end up together in the long run."

While Stella and Natasha spoke, Ali glanced back over to Leo. He was looking at her now but the moment she caught him he looked away again. It hurt that he wasn't talking to her, considering the relationship they had when he was younger. He was an only child then, but the amount of time they spent together was memorable and it would always be something she cherished. As he grew older he seemed to lean more towards Conor and spent more time with him and sure, she was jealous, but that's usually how it went. Boys favored their father's so she would have to get over it. But over the years it seemed they were always on rocky ground and it definitely had to do with Ali's relationship with Conor and them often treating him like a child. Which, in Ali's opinion, she wasn't doing.

Ali looked back to Natasha at the mention of party supplies and Lucy, grinning and holding the bag up. "I'll have you know it's just me and Stel today. I'm planning this party all by myself, but it's a surprise so act like you saw nothing." She let out a small laugh before turning to Leo once more. "When do you think you'll be home? I need to talk to you."

Leo looked to her and scoffed, scratching the back of his head. "Is it about what you've been hiding?" He said, causing Ali to frown. She thought they were past this and just into the 'I'm not talking to you' phase but apparently, she was wrong. He gave her a tight-lipped grin and shrugged his shoulders. "Then we don't have anything to talk about, right?" His question was rhetorical as he looked between the three women before settling on his mother and letting out another scoff. He let go of Natasha's hand, conscious of the fact that he was about to start squeezing it to calm himself down. Ali opened her mouth to speak, only to have Leo interrupt her. "Unless it's about the little secrets you're keeping from me, I don't wanna hear anything from you." Ali was shocked to hear the way her son was talking to her and watched as he angrily walked away. It took her a moment to realize it but she turned to Stella and handed the bags to her. "Hold this for a moment? I'm sorry." She apologized to both Stella and Natasha before going after Leo, calling out his name.

"Stop!" Ali shouted, and Leo did. His back was facing an empty alleyway and he groaned, rolling his eyes. "What?!" Ali's eyes grew wide at the tone and volume he had his voice in. It was the same one Conor had used on her a week ago when they were arguing about Cristina. He was becoming more like him and everyday and she had to stop herself from slapping him too. "Don't! I can take that shit from your father but I will not be taking it from you." Leo tried walking away again but Ali grabbed his arm to stop him. "Look, I know you're pissed, but you need to understand that there are just some things you don't need to know." Leo shook his head at her. "No, that's bullshit! You're trying to shut me out because you don't want me in the family business. The same way you didn't support dad when he was locked up is the same way you're acting with me - admit it!" Aliana was taken aback and at a loss for words, stuck with a hurt expression on her face. She was acting like that was she? She wasn't subconsciously keeping things from him to push him out, right?

Or maybe she was and just didn't know about it.

Natasha ( Bellz ) Stella ( BloodThunder27 )



Wycliff Family Vacation Home
~Long Island, NY~


Theodore ‘Teddy’ Wycliff

​

Teddy gave Valentina a curious glance when he heard the irritation in her voice. Little did she know much of this plan that had been set into motion was his idea. His information and the things he remembered from his earlier interactions with the Sullivan family. Whatever happened next Teddy not only knew about it - he set it into motion with Gabe's help. "Here's hoping, right?" Teddy shifted uneasily as he said this, fully aware he was keeping secrets. It was the first time he had done so but he knew this was for a good reason. He cleared his throat before kissing the top of her head and watching her go after their kids.

Though he felt bad for being so rough on Harmony, he knew that he needed to start. Not just with her but everyone. Maybe if he had been so from the very beginning Cristina wouldn't have been kidnapped. Teddy had the capability to be a venomous and reckless person, but he chose not to be. That was someone he had left behind in his youth but it seemed like no matter what he tried, that person was always going to make some sort of appearance. Well, better now than never, he thought. Harmony responded to his words with honesty, and he nodded his head in agreeance. At least she understood how this whole thing worked and wasn't as naive as most. She was going to take this thing seriously and he had a feeling it wasn't because she feared the consequences. He couldn't help but chuckle when she told him what she'd do if anyone attempted to hurt his family again and shook his head. "Well, hopefully not as messy but I get the gist."

He waited momentarily for the five men to get out and approach them. Teddy gestured from them to Harmony, introducing them all to each other. "Gentlemen, this is Harmony. Harmony, these are your own personal bodybags." He turned to the men with a stern face. "She's in charge and I don't really care about how you guys feel about it. Any problems, you go to her first, especially while we're here. I don't want to be bothered." They nodded in understanding before Teddy continued giving them instructions. "Two will remain by the entrance, two by the beach, and Harmony will decide what to do with the other." With the final bag in hand, he turned to walk towards the house once more. "And always have your fucking walkies with you." He shouted before disappearing into the house, leaving Harmony to give her instructions to the guards and place them how she wanted.

As Teddy walked into the house he saw Francis walking with Cristina, warms linked as Paolo sped past them. He set the bag near the stairs and walked to where they were leaving finding his wife. Walking up behind her, he wrapped his arms around her waist and took a deep breath, a smile on his face. "You know, I wouldn't mind actually living on the beach. Make this our main house and everything. Doesn't it kind of remind you of Miami?"

Valentina ( Misty Gray ) Harmony ( BloodThunder27 )