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

[BloodLightning27]

~James Edwards~

---

Somewhere In London | Sullivan Escape Van

Removing the bullet lodged into Tom's arm was done relatively swiftly. As it was done with no fidgeting, screaming or any of the sort, Edwards was left a little surprised by the young man's pain tolerance. The way he carried himself too was also like that of a well-trained soldier, which left the grizzled vet a little more or less puzzled because of young Tom was. Then again, the Irish Military was completely different from the U.S Military. That was something they could talk about another time though. Right now, the crew was on their way to a Safehouse. Edwards himself was relatively angry at how things went. Should he have shot Christian or Billy? Probably. But why didn't he? As he contemplated on this, Tom spoke up, likely in response to his comment on what had led to this outing in the first place.

“I mean, I’m sure the Boss had a good reason for it and s’all, but I think these Cockney’s claimed they were retaliating against something the Sullivan’s did. At least that’s what that bloke who shot me said. Shit like this, its deep, the reason shit like this started is probably way past our pay grade.”

Edwards scratched his beard before looking over at their respective guns. At the mention of things being way past their paygrade, he looked over at the young man with a straight face. "Then clearly we got a raise just to be here." He replied, playing along with the kid's joke.

“What I want to know is who actually did it, I’d put my money on the big’un. He’d have the strength to pierce deep enough to kill a man in one strike. I don’t think that other one could – though more surprising things have happened.”

“If he did do it, I’d bet my life it wasn’t intentional. He don’t seem to have the heart for it.”

Edwards folded his arms, before joining Tom in looking out the window. "If it was unintentional, I'd like some proof." At this point, he was pretty relaxed, but disappointed. "You don't just kill a member of the mob by accident. Unless it's a car crash or something, I'd wager he killed one of ours because he was scared after picking a fight with the wrong guy. And if he really didn't have the heart for this line of work, he wouldn't have been in Dublin to begin with." He said coldly. "Either way, I wasn't there when Aiden died, so I'm in no position to say anything about what happened." He added. "But the King's men did try to kill me, James and Reina during that attack a month ago. I wanted to return the favor properly, but I guess that wasn't in the cards today." Briefly, Edwards pulled out his Crucifix and looked at it. "Lord, forgive me for I have failed my family today. They trusted me...and I failed them."

If those were the same people that shot at him, Reina and James about a month ago, why not just waste them? By leaving empty-handed and letting those people live, including the Moretti Snake, Edwards felt as if the Sullivans were giving the Kings another opportunity to attack. While there was still a lot he did not know, he knew enough. Aside from being swept into a firefight with James and Reina, he also remembered that Sinead got stabbed and Liam was almost kidnapped. What led to that, he wasn't sure. But judging from what he overheard in conversations due to unintentionally eavesdropping, a habit he obtained from his war days, the closest he got to the root was one of Sinead's Daughters dated one of the Kings and they had a child together, and the Kings were dissatisfied with the child's new living arrangement. Because he didn't get any names, he couldn't place the faces. And half the things he heard came up in small talk, so overall, the SEAL-turned-Sicario was in the dark. But knowing things running that deep was likely a privilege, so in the end, he just left it alone. Unless Emery mentioned it in one of their conversations, he decided it best to not be nosey. As these thoughts rode through his mind, he straightened out his jacket before once more looking out the window, wondering what would be next for him.

---

Interactions: Tom Thatcher BasDorcha (Let them be Besties)
Allies: Adam Harper, Dermot Murphy, Emery Callahan Misty Gray | Reina Richards Melanin-Gxdess

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

The Clover Casino
~Dublin City Centre, Dublin~
Leo Sullivan

​

This wasn't the first time Leo had been told not to make promises he couldn't keep. The first time had been when his mother told him about Conor getting locked up. He promised her not to go get into trouble, something that ended up happening anyway. From then on Aliana made sure Leo understood how important promises were. Yet here he was forgetting that lesson as he tried making promises to Natasha. He knew he wasn't invincible or bulletproof or anything of the sort, but he did think he would do better to avoid trouble. Or at least, he very well could try his best. But then again, trying his best didn't work for Conor either so why would it work for him?

The moment Natasha let go of his hands he froze. He could already feel her pulling away from him and he was at a loss. How did he stop her from doing so without giving up what he wanted? Leo feared he'd grow to resent her as time went on if he just gave up this desire and he'd rather die than ever do something of the sort. He loved Natasha more than he could express but did he, he wondered, love her enough to not do this? He reasoned that it was because he loved and cared about her that he wanted to; that he needed to but she would never see it that way. That anxious feeling he had growing in the pit of his stomach began to grow and make its way to his chest. His heart felt tight, his breathing growing shallow, and his tongue trying to hold back his emotions. He was back to not knowing what to do with his hands, placing them behind his back and leaning against the wall behind him.

Leo nodded along with Natasha as she mentioned the past and how everyone thought they could change things. That their family was no better than the others they had come across and she was right- they weren't. "But we could be," he said, looking down at his feet. "We could be better than them in every aspect of the word and I can make sure of it. Conor made mistakes. James made mistakes and I'm sure even Syd is going to make mistakes but I can learn from them- I always do, Nat." He furrowed his brows in frustration with himself and his girlfriend and the conversation as a whole. It felt like they were going in circles, acknowledging each other's points but not fully accepting them. There would always be a counter-argument or a point to make and Leo was struggling. He didn't just want Natasha to give in to him or him her but he did want, for once, someone to back him up. Ever since he brought the topic up he'd felt alone in it and that no one believed he could handle it. Even though he was doing his best to prove them otherwise.

She brought up her father again, this time stating that he would never be able to imagine the pain she'd felt growing up without him. That it was a possibility for their future children and he didn't want them to suffer the same way the two of them had. "I don't want our kids to ever go through what we did. I don't even want that for Rhi and Syd, which is why I do whatever I can to protect them and I'll do the same for our kids." It wasn't until he heard the spike in her voice that he finally looked up at her, his eyes already turning a slight bright-red color. "Why can't it be me that breaks that cycle then," he paused for a moment looking down into her eyes. "Why can't it be us?" When she asked why he wanted her to watch him get hurt, he was at a loss for words. What else was there to say? Shrugging his shoulders, he shook his head. "What do you want me to say, Natasha? I can't stand by anymore."

Natasha( Bellz )

Spencer and Shona's
~Bethnal Green, London~
Darcey Hargraves

​

Darcey would be lying if she said the current scene before her didn't give her flashbacks to Laura. Seeing her on the bathroom floor, looking crazed and overwhelmed. Crying her eyes out because she was emotional and didn't know what to do. She had to blink a few times to settle her eyesight before recognizing it wasn't Laura but Harper. She sat on the closed toilet seat, resting her elbows on her knees as she sat forwards to listen to Harper speak. And the moment she had those scenes started again. Absentmindedly she raised a hand to her chest as if trying to calm her heart down. She felt like it was breaking and this wasn't the time for her to get all emotional. She was here for emotional support right now, which meant no breaking down. Harper told her she felt like she was dying and Darcey's eyes immediately shot up at her. She'd looked at the name on the bottle when she stuffed them into her pocket and based on her words she'd put two and two together.

However, the last thing she was going to do was bring attention to it. Then, she figured, Harper would shut down and not tell her anything for sure. Darcey wanted to reach out and touch her, stroke her hair or something but she never was really good with that; knowing when someone would want that and when they wouldn't. "You're not dying, Harper. You're... Fighting. What you're fighting, I'm not sure yet, but I do know you're fighting." It was the only thing she could think of to say without accusing her of perhaps going through a withdrawal. The last thing she wanted was for her to think people were coming after her with no support.

She asked about the boys and for a moment Darcey was just silent. It'd be a lie if she said she wasn't worried. Christian and Jeremy and Erik she was sure would be able to handle themselves. It was Billy that she worried an immense amount. He wasn't like the others, though he definitely tried to be. Whatever the Sullivan's were attacking them for this time - though she was sure it was what went down in Dublin - she worried Billy would be on the receiving end. "Hey, they're going to be fine. Can't kill a King, can you? If that club explosion didn't kill 'em then a coupla' Irish definitely can't. Have faith in the strength of your brothers, okay, and stay here with me." She didn't mean physically, of course, but mentally. Despite it being difficult, she wanted Harper to find some way to ground herself and stay present. When she asked why men wanted to always have a pissing match, Darcey gave her a slight smirk. "Simple. They all want to fuck each other. Why else would they continue whipping out their dicks to see whose is bigger?"

It wasn't until she mentioned May that her smile faltered. Darcey should've known better than to think Harper would just automatically be accepting. And she was right - May didn't have to go through what the others had. But that was through no fault of her own. Plus, she still had a shitty home life so it wasn't exactly fair to compare. "Well, perfect may be a stretch. She did almost kill Erik by accident at one point." Though it was a serious situation, she was trying to lighten the mood a bit. With a deep sigh, Darcey rubbed her hands together. "Your brothers and Uncle- they just want to protect you from the shit they went through. Spencer especially. He got the brunt of it. I'm sure it's because of that that he wants to make sure you stay away from him. As for Bruce, well. I don't have to say more other than the fact that Trevor poisoned Laura but-... But, Laura she... She made her mistakes as well. Nonetheless, we just didn't want you to be disappointed. When you grow up without a father and want to know who he was, it's normal to go in with big expectations," she said, speaking from experience. She had to grow up without a father and though it was because he died during the war, the case remained the same.

"But you do have to experience things for yourself, I get that. But sneaking out, Harper, was perhaps not the way to go about it. Hell, I'd have taken you to see him. Probably. Maybe. You'd have had to state a very convincing argument, but then again I'd have listened to anything. Not very happy with your uncle at the moment." Shaking her head she continued listening to Harper rant about how she wasn't Laura. And once more, she had to pause. Everything she was seeing and hearing? It was definitely Laura. "...Who are you trying to convince right now, Harper, me or you?" Darcey finally slid off the toilet seat and onto her knees, gently grabbing Harper's face in her hands and deciding to stroke her hair. It didn't matter right now if Harper didn't want to be touched, Darcey was just going to go ahead and do it. "Listen to me. They're scared, okay? And when people are scared and worried they make rash decisions. But you being reckless? It isn't helping your case. I know it's hard feeling like no one is listening to you - I feel it. Make them listen."

Harper ( Bellz )

 

[Misty Gray]

Sullivan Family Home
~ Sutton, Dublin ~

Conor Sullivan and Lucas Sullivan​

When Michael leaned in for clarification about who the Morettis were, Lucas sent him an assured and animated nod. "They're bad guys," he confirmed. He closed his mouth when Michelle shushed Michael, but at the next available moment he leaned back to the other boy and spoke in a barely quieter voice. "I ain't seen any of them, even when I was living in New York. But we're talking Darth Vader bad ," he quickly explained.

On the outside, Conor was clearly focusing on the food he was eating, keeping his eyes on that rather than the women around the table. He listened to the conversation about Catholicism, which had thankfully never been practiced in his own household, especially given Shannon's personal distaste from growing up with two religious parents. Soon enough, Aliana and Michelle engaged in conversation about PTO meetings and other parent politics the school forced them into. He picked up on the hostility as Michelle spoke about enjoying the meetings and being head of the council. It made sense, given her interest in politics, even if politics was one aspect of his business he disliked the most. "After-school activities..." Conor playfully reminisced. "I don't think she means detention, kids."

"I bet you'd know all about that, huh?" Lucas quipped back at his uncle.

"One more cheeky comment out of you and I'm putting you on a flight back to New York, pal," Conor joked. Anything to try ease the tension happening between the two women at the table.

As the conversations went on, Conor looked to his steak as he cut into it, all the while aware of Michelle making a comment to Aliana about apologies not being accepted. He remembered Maddox's advice from years ago, about needing to take some time to think about a situation before rushing into a reaction. Find a way to not end up escalating a problem. Seemed easy in theory, but not given how much pressure he was under to avoid stress he wasn't sure if he was meant to sit back and let things go over his head for now.

Aliana expressed her disinterest in PTO meetings and such, pointing out how much she was already balancing. Conor had to supress a smirk at mention of not wanting to be judged by mothers who knitted all day and gossiped. "Ahhh, I remember that," he remarked before Rhiannon spoke up to elaborate that she'd been on the receiving end of such gossip. "They're just jealous because their brats can't even tie their own shoelaces." Despite his comment, Conor's eyes soon landed on Michelle as she spoke against making rude comments in front of children. When she got up from the table and walked out of the dining room, Conor tightened his jaw as he stopped himself from attempting to rush up and after her. Michelle and Aliana were two grown women, after all. They likely needed time to calm down from whatever the hell was going on this time. He looked to Aliana with a confused expression, willing her to help him figure out what was going on between her and Michelle.

Michelle leaving was followed by Michael and Laura exchanging words as they struggled to understand what was going on. Lucas took a long drink from his glass, figuring if he was drinking it would stop him from talking. Placing the glass down he let out a deep breath before gazing around the room. "Does... Anyone knows what's for dessert?" he curiously asked.

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

 

[Pyroclast]

Caspian's Place
~ London ~

Billy King​

When Spencer agreed that Jeremy could be a bitch, Billy took it as permission to keep going. "And an idiot. A bitch cocksucking c**t fuck…he wanted to die for somethin' I did, and call me a liar on the way down, and didn't think about…that he'd leave me livin' with that…on my conscience forever. But he don't care how I feel, does he, 'cause he's too busy bein' a hero…tryna' be a fuckin' man." His sleepy, distant gaze rolled onto Spencer once again and he gave a crooked smile which in turn morphed into another weak laugh, drawn out almost in slow motion. "He ain't even a man yet…still just a little boy." All his honest feelings and judgements were spilling out uncontrollably, like the drug had completely dissolved his filter, and he began to chuckle to himself at the reminder that Jeremy was still a virgin.

When the laughter died, his wandering eyes found Spencer’s again and his face fell blank. The memory of what had happened, though fresh, wasn't showing clearly through the drug-fuelled haze in Billy’s brain, and while there was plenty that hadn’t quite pieced together in his mind yet, he remembered some of the key things: trying to bargain with the enemy, almost losing Jeremy, and the moment he realised he had been shot. So, while the morphine that flowed through his bloodstream kept any negative feelings at bay, Billy still understood the gravity of what had happened. It had made it easier to confess to Spencer that he had offered him and Bruce to the enemy, but he was still relieved that Spencer seemed to accept it without any ill feeling towards him. The morphine may have put a dopey smile on Billy’s face, but he was aware that Spencer wasn’t smiling along with him. ”I’m sorry,” he murmured, his voice lacking any energy as most of it was put towards keeping Spencer in focus. “I was just…tryna’ take responsibility for what I did, you know? So no one else had to get hurt.”

Spencer claimed to be hearing him, but still maintained that he intended to continue the fight. Perhaps once the drugs wore off and he was back on his feet, Billy might agree, but in his current mood and his current state, he didn’t want to hear it. "You don't have to avenge me, brother, I ain't dead…in fact, I feel pretty fuckin' fantastic." His eyes drifted up to the ceiling and he let his vision relax and blur as he emitted a contented hum. "Why do we care what they think about us, anyway?" he asked. "We know we're powerful, we already got the biggest dicks in this contest, we don't have nothin' to prove to those Irish fucks. We almost lost Harper, and now most of us have come close... How many more rounds do you want, Spence?"

A limp arm flailed to the side and he prodded his brother in the stomach. "I'm the one who nearly died, so I get to call the shots," he drew out, a mischievous grin on his face. "And I don't wanna be avenged. I wanna stop here before more of us get shot or killed. But if you wanna beat someone up for me, Jeremy is right over there…" His grin turned into another cackle of laughter, and he brought his hand back to the bed, burying it under the crinkling silver foil. As he lay there on the unrealistically comfortable bed beneath the protective foil sheet, surrounded by people he loved and high as a kite on morphine, Billy couldn’t remember ever feeling safer.

“Mmmm…you gotta get on some of this stuff,” he purred, closing his eyes as he shifted on the cot, the cheap sheet feeling like silk against his back. “I can see why people get addicted…it’s like…drinking hot chocolate and being kissed…and getting fucked in the ass all at once.” By this point, his eyes had closed and he forgot who he was talking to, much of his awareness now overridden by the intense, inescapable euphoria.

Interactions
Misty Gray Spencer

Nearby:
BasDorcha Jeremy
Melanin-Gxdess Erik, Caspian
Misty Gray Christian

 

[Misty Gray]

Syd Porter's House
~ Dublin ~

Savannah Callahan​

Savannah felt extremely tense after telling Syd and Roxie about her plans to leave Dublin with Callum and Danny. Thankfully, Syd soon replied to tell her he understood. It was a relief to be heard rather than either be patronised or have it dictated to her that she wouldn't be allowed to leave. Lately, Conor and others had been controlling her in that way. She sent her cousin a sad smile when he understood she just wanted for Callum and herself to be safe. Part of her felt bad when Alex was mentioned and she knew she would for a while. But she'd committed years to Callum and putting him first, whilst Alex had only put his own needs first. She was done sacrificing what she wanted in order to keep everyone else happy.

When Syd asked where in Greece they were planning on going, Savannah opened her mouth but hesitated to speak. Thankfully, Danny beat her to it and explained the location was best kept secret. Whilst she hated keeping anything from Syd and Roxie, she knew it was the only way to try secure their safety. Savannah gazed towards the window after catching a glimpse of Syd looking dejected at the thought of her leaving. She felt the same. Whilst it was her decision to leave, it didn't mean it wasn't going to be hard to move away from her family and friends who she loved so much. She just knew she had to put Callum first and give him the best chance of a normal life - one where he doesn't get caught up in the cycle of violence and suffering.

"I want to go as soon as possible," she told Syd, nodding her head to maintain her certainty. "I don't want to be around the next time someone attacks us. Or the next time we're threatened. I don't want to have to read another letter telling me Alex wants to take our son away from me." She sucked in a deep breath as she tried to keep herself from letting her emotions overcome here. However, looking to see how much Roxie was struggling only made it harder to stop herself from bursting out into tears. "I have to do this," she assured Roxie, looking her friend in the eyes. "The Kings have so much that they could drag up about our family. Not to mention all the official records - family members who have been in jail and whose pasts they could twist to make those around Callum seem unstable. He's a selfish, lazy jerk, but Alex doesn't have any kind of a criminal record; nothing official to go against him." she reasoned.

When Roxie asked if they weren't going to tell anyone where they were going, Savannah sadly nodded. "Listen. I can still call once I'm there, okay? I can use payphones and I can call people here who nobody would think to intercept. We will find a way," she reassured Roxie. Getting up from her seat, she slotted herself next to Roxie, sending Danny a brief, sad glance. Wrapping her arm around Roxie's shoulder, she pulled her friend in close and rested her head against hers. "I love you, Roxie," she told her, tears now rolling down her cheeks. "We will keep in touch. I have to know how my godchildren are getting on, don't I? And maybe one day, if all of the trouble here and in London has settled, I can come back. yeah?" she suggested, before wiping her tearful eyes with the back of her hand.

Pyroclast (Syd, Danny)
Bellz (Roxie)

 

[BasDorcha]

Capsian's Place
Jeremy Gray​

Jeremy listened as Erik filled in the gaps in his story – glad that he could stop forcing himself to concentrate so much as it was getting much harder. His face had paled some, and he was grateful for Bruce helping him stay up. The struggle to stay awake was taking all his energy. Spencer and Bruce listened along and commented here and there, both looking more and more unsettled by what happened, not that he could blame them. Spencer even seemed keen on them spending more time locating him, but Jeremy shook his head, “Find you, at home? With Eddie and Shona?” He knew Spencer would not like that any more then that they did, and would realize that what happened was better then the alternative of putting his family in danger.

“No, unless I’m wrong, they won’t be coming after me and Billy again. Adam knew Aidan’s death was not the same as killing Billy.” Jeremy looked around, across the opened spaced area to where Caspian was treating Billy and Christian, glad that they were stabilizing. A flash of fear rushed through him to see the bag of drugs hooked up to the littlest King, and immediately Harper’s face flashed through his mind. If they both fell for the hook of the drugs, there might not be any saving them. He gulped, trusting Billy would be strong enough to fight it, especially since the gunshot would require much less healing time then the damage done to Harper. For a moment, his mind wandered, thinking about what she would think to find out he had been so messed up by the Irish.

“Probably only alive due to the confusion it caused. And yes, Christian used the gun. He shot the masked man, first chance he got.” When Spencer finally seemed satisfied, Jeremy nodded like a kid who had just been told he’d done a job well and some of the forced strength he seemed to be holding together ebbed away, his body going slack against Bruce. Jeremy had been messed up a few times before, but the Irish made sure to thrash him exceedingly well, albeit because Jeremy had realized quickly that fighting back in the moment would only make things worse. He invited the beating, not retaliating once, keeping their concentration on him as much as possible. When Bruce mentioned getting the medic to see to his ugly face, he tried to give a toothy grin, “Still prettier then most.”

The next few minutes could have lasted seconds or hours, Jeremy wasn’t sure as his mind was foggy enough at this point he wasn’t paying attention. As Caspian came over, Jeremy tried to focus on his exam, but his hearing picked up on Billy’s voice, and unconsciously, he started listening. It seemed Billy confessed to his part in the scene, even that he offered up Bruce and Spencer, and Jeremy nodded along as if he was part of the conversation. Suddenly though, he heard his name, and perked up a bit. What was he saying about him? He snickered a bit at the complaint of being called a wet paper bag, then frowned at being called a bitch and liar. If Jeremy could guess, he didn’t understand why Jeremy had done it. Mentally he decided to approach him about it later.

Oh, but Billy wasn’t done. Jeremy tried to focus on Caspian’s exam, but Billy’s voice carried well in the small office and he got pouty when Spencer agreed with him being a bitch. From across the room Jeremy called out to them, “Hey fuckers, I’m your favorite bitch, remember that.” It wasn’t as loud as he thought he called, and a little slurred together. Jeremy laughed as Billy went on to call him a whole string of names, but stopped when Billy mentioned that he would have left him with all that guilt. It made him feel bad, because he hadn’t considered that, he just wanted to protect his friend. Any sorriness he felt was immediately replaced with embarrassment and shame, causing Jeremy to jump up and storm over, possibly knocking away Caspian in the process, to throw open the curtain. His cheeks flame as red as any gingers head, and with the mental exhaustion and loss of blood, the normally stoic man was showing every ounce of surprise and shock. He wanted to warn Billy against revealing his secret, but he couldn’t even chastise him without giving himself away. The red in his face deepened and his lips twisted together to try and say something, but his jaw never moved. Without saying a word, he narrowed his eyes at Billy, spun on his heel, and walked back to Caspian like a child in a tantrum, throwing himself down on the couch pouting.

“Sorry mate, swear I heard something Billy should be keeping his mouth shut about.” His voice crescendoed at the last of his sentence, his eyes casting murderous daggers at the sheet he left open.

Mentions Melanin-Gxdess - Erik/Caspian
Misty Gray - Spencer
Pyroclast - Billy/Bruce

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Caspian's Clinic
~ Holborn, London ~
Erik Snowden & Caspian Xavier

​

Erik was willing to do whatever it was Caspian asked so long as he was able to make sure Billy and the others were okay. So when Caspian told him to, "Hold this," or "Warm that up," Erik was on the case. Caspian's calm demeanor helped Erik calm down while watching him work. Billy seemed to get the worst of the attack but Cas didn't seem too worried. He was going to make sure Billy, Jeremy, and Christian made it out of this alive and in one piece. There was no need to worry, right? Once Cas seemed to no longer require assistance and dismissed him, Erik found his way to Bruce. The man had beckoned him back over and he could only wonder what else he needed of him.

They stood near Caspian's desk, Erik leaning against it with his arms crossed in front of his chest. He was informed that the man needed to make phone calls, nodding his head in understanding. Alex, from what he knew, had been out on a date with Kerry while the others were back at Spencer and Shona's. He couldn't imagine how the women were feeling at this time; how Harper was feeling or May. Though he was more curious about May's reaction to the news than his reaction to the attack. It was Harper he worried about when it came to the attack considering she seemed to be going through so much. Bruce then asked him to take Billy back to his place and take care of him, something Erik agreed to with no hesitation. "Yeah, 'course. I owe 'im this favor. Plus," he said, lowering his voice, "You know I'd do anythin' for him." It was still a bit strange to say such a thing to Bruce as he got used to him knowing everything. Despite having already accepted him, Erik was having a hard time getting used to it. Bruce had been nothing but kind and understanding of it all, but it wasn't something Erik experienced on a daily. In fact, Bruce was the first person outside of Ava to have accepted him so quickly and freely - with no hesitation. "I'll um- I'll try not to bother you, though. You already got a lot on your plate, Bruce, so don't worry. I can handle it. Cas can give me a crash course or somethin'."

Just when he thought their conversation was over, Bruce then asked if there was anything else he was missing. Erik opened his mouth to say something but quickly closed it. He thought he was talking about the attack and had tried to rack his brain to figure it out. "Oh, well, I mean. I'll probably have to talk to Gabe about what happened. You understand you know. Sully's over here messin' with his partners? He won't like that." He was fidgeting with his fingers while thinking about the whole ordeal. The only thing stopping him from being killed had been his affiliation. Would they have, he wondered, killed him just for the hell of it if he weren't? What if the Moretti-Sullivan agreement didn't exist? Would Edwards have shot him based on principle? The thoughts had him distracted, which is why he asked Bruce to repeat himself- something he immediately regretted.

When Erik zoned out, he normally caught the end of whatever the sentence was. So he heard, "I'm here for you," but he didn't understand the context. Instead of saying he knew and that everything was alright, he had grown curious instead. Now, he wished he hadn't. This was the second time Bruce had displayed the qualities of a father figure he wished he had growing up. Roger wouldn't have said anything. Roger wouldn't have even noticed. But Bruce, based on a few minutes of looking and talking to him, had noticed. What gave him away, he wondered. The way he kept glancing between Billy, Christian, and Jeremy- eyes lingering on the first? The way he kept scratching the back of his neck despite it not even feeling itchy? Or was it that subtle tremble in his voice every time he spoke? Bruce may have noticed all of this and Erik worked hard not to croak. "I-..." He paused, looking down at his feet and away from Bruce's gaze. "I'm fine, thanks. I- I really appreciate it, Bruce."

Thankfully, Jeremy and Billy caused a scene that allowed Erik to regain his composure. He turned to see Caspian following after Jeremy, ordering him to sit back down on the couch to finish his examination. Erik then turned back to Bruce with a smile on his lips. "This his first time on morphine?"

Bruce ( Pyroclast )

Caspian was grateful that Billy was awake and talking to him. It meant he wasn't about to go into shock before he could finish his assessment of his wounds. However, with Billy on drugs that meant he was more susceptible to saying the first thing that popped into his mind. He commented on the bullet as Caspian pushed the tray out of his way. "I'd say the opposite. This 'ole guy doesn't shatter on impact. Means you got off lucky. Otherwise, I'd be digging into you for a few hours until I got all the pieces." As Cas finished his examination, Billy started to comment on the drug he'd been put on. He couldn't help but let out a soft laugh while nodding his head. "Yes, I did. Otherwise, you'd be screaming instead of floating on clouds."

The room then shifted, with everyone swapping places. Caspian ordered Jeremy to sit still so he could try to check for signs of internal bleeding. "Now, I don't have to proper machinery here yet to scan you so we may have to get you to an actual hospital," he said, sticking his stethoscope in his ears. Sitting in the small rolling chair, he rolled back up to Jeremy to start. He remained quiet while listening to all his organs intently, making sure there were no punctured lungs. By the looks of the bruising on his skin and the subtle jolts of pain from him, he had a broken rib or two. However, his breathing seemed normal and that was a relief. The broken rib hadn't punctured his lungs and he didn't need to go in for surgery. Next, he took his pen-light and flashed it in his eyes. His left eye was already swelling and after taking his time with it Caspian deduced that he probably had a blowout fracture.

After making sure he did a thorough look over the man, he pushed himself back and wrapped his stethoscope around his neck. "Alright, so good news. No internal bleeding. Nothing that seems to need surgery- for now. You'll have to monitor that for the next few days. Your throat might hurt for a bit, but it'll heal on its own. Bad news," he started scratching his eyebrow. "You've got a fracture somewhere around your eye socket. A couple of broken ribs. And a nasty concussion. None of it seems to be major and you won't need surgery. 'S'all a healing process. I'll give you some meds and a list of-," Caspian was interrupted by Jeremy responding to Billy's conversation with Spencer. He heard what he was saying, sure, but he was so focused on Jeremy and his assessment that he hadn't thought anything of it. "You should really-,"

Before Caspian could warn him about moving or anything else, Jeremy stood up to stop Billy from talking anymore. Caspian couldn't fathom what would be so important that he would ignore the doctor's orders to mess with Billy, but it better have been necessary. "Hey hey hey," Caspian warned, frowning at the two of them. "Not in my clinic and not while you're injured." He stood up, pointing to the chair as Jeremy walked back over. "Sit." The moment he complied, Caspian rolled his eyes. "He's a bit loopy, so I'd take anything he says with a grain of salt. Now," he started, standing up to walk to the middle of the room. "None of you lads are driving anywhere for the next couple of days, especially while on the medication you're about to get." Caspian then disappeared into his back room and re-emerged with several pill bottles for each of the men. He started with Christian, handing him painkillers, probiotics, and antibiotics. "Take the pain meds when you're in pain, the antis three times a day with food. Once you run out of the antis, start taking the pros." He did the same for Jeremy, only he handed him a different kind of painkiller and just that. "Same for you, except you also need to sit on your ass for a couple of weeks." He turned to Bruce and Spencer, unsure which one of the men would be taking care of Billy. "That one is more extensive, so we'll chat in a moment. If any of you start feeling like shit or need something, call me. Despite what all of you may think, I'm not always here."

 

[Misty Gray]

Caspian's Clinic
~ Holborn, London ~

Spencer King​

Spencer's tongue-in-cheek agreement about Jeremy being a bitch only seemed to encourage Billy to open up even more with the derogatory comments about the man in question. Jeremy also spoke out from a short distance away to make it clear he'd overheard. Rather than responding back, Spencer simply rolled his eyes, not in the mood for light banter on this occasion. Instead, he focused back on what his brother was saying, ignoring the profanity used to described Jeremy but raising a curious eyebrow as Billy continued to assert that he was a liar. In a way, Spencer understood part of his brother's frustration, beneath the drug-induced way it was being presented to him. Nobody would want to have a man's death on their conscience knowing they'd taken the blame for something to protect them. "What are you wittering on about, Billy?" Spencer lightly teased as his brother made seemingly trivial remark about Jeremy being a little boy.

Soon enough, Jeremy pulled open the curtain and showed up at Billy's bedside, apparently triggered by younger man's words. Spencer stood up straight and folded his arms as his friend stood there, red-faced and clearly irritated. It looked like the man was going to say something, but instead, his eyes narrowed and he soon turned away to return to where he'd come from. Spencer stood in silence for a moment before lightly shaking his head and then turning back to Billy. The evening was turning out to be a long, miserable and apparently perplexing one. Were there not three injured men going through a worse night, he might have been tempted to leave and seek out some form of sanity. Perhaps not in his own home if Harper was still in a mood with him, mind you.

Billy turned more serious, but Spencer doubted whatever was on his mind would do anything to help the intense evening he was experiencing. When Billy pointed out he wasn't dead and didn't need avenging, Spencer let out a sigh before nodding his head. "Fair point. Then how about avenging my staff and customers who were killed in the club? Aidan don't add up to any of them," he couldn't help but point out, regardless of whether his brother was fully processing the conversation to begin with. Billy went on to point out they were powerful and had nothing to prove to the Sullivans. He then reminded him that they'd almost lost Harper and others had come close too. Spencer let out a sigh when asked how many more rounds he wanted, deciding it was a question best left unanswered, especially as he hadn't had chance to fully process the consequences of the night's attack.

Spencer managed a smirk when Billy prodded him and said he got to call the shots as he was the one nearly killed. "Fine, I won't avenge you... And I would beat Jeremy up, but he'll claim I was only able to do so because the Irish pricks loosened him up first. I'll twat him once he's healed, then I can take full credit," he drily remarked. Of course, he meant nothing of the sort, but right now he would take any opportunity to lighten the mood in the room.

Spencer unfolded his arms when Billy told him he should get some morphine, clearly enjoying the feeling of being under the influence of it. As soon as his brother said he could see how people got addicted to it, Spencer looked down and tightened his jaw, trying to remind himself that Billy was talking crap under the influence of it. He looked up, nodding along as he began to compare it to hot chocolate and being kissed. His eyes widened when he added something more explicit to compare the feeling to. Whilst he had no problem with Billy's sexuality, he didn't exactly want the mental images that accompanied what his brother was saying. "Hey, steady on. Not in my ass, thanks," he said quickly shaking his head. Even the mental imagery that didn't align with his own sexual preference wasn't enough to distract him from what Billy had said before it. "Hot chocolate, being kissed, taking it up the ass... you can get all that without the bloody morphine. Don't even start trying to understand why people get addicted, because you're only having that shit tonight. You hear me?" he firmly told his brother, but the softness in his eyes was enough to reflect that his words were coming from a deeper part of himself. One born from of the grief of watching their mother destroy herself and then finding her dead from an overdose.

Pyroclast (Billy)
Mention: BasDorcha (Jeremy)

 

[Misty Gray]

Lorelei Costello's House
~ Dublin ~

Benjamin Reznik​

When Lorelei spoke up to say she wanted him to spend the night, Benjamin raised a curious eyebrow which was soon followed by his boyish smile. "Are you trying to lead me astray, Lorelei? Because if you are, I'm here for that," he said, nodding his head. "I'd like to stay the night," he then confirmed to her. Whilst it could be assumed that inviting him to stay over inevitably meant they would end up sleeping with each other, Benjamin wasn't a presumptuous person and he was purely excited to spend the whole night in Lorelei's company, regardless of how they chose to pass the time.

"Eating out sounds good to me, or we could even pick up a takeaway and eat it back here," he suggested, figuring his unplanned appearance at her house meant dinner out was suddenly sprung on her. He sent her a sad smile when she mentioned she'd been unmotivated to go out for groceries over the last week. He felt the same but also suspected his behaviour hadn't helped Lorelei feel like going shopping either. "I've been the same, I guess. I had to rush out for groceries when my dad showed up, though thankfully Aidan was pretty good at keeping his cupboards stocked up anyway."

Despite the chatter about buying groceries, Benjamin was aware that there was something more in the mood between them. There was an atmosphere between them that neither seemed certain of whether they should address or let it fizzle out. Lorelei spoke up to break the tension. "Okay..." he began, when she said she wasn't really hungry yet. Then she followed up by suggestively telling him she needed to work up an appetite. He couldn't help but grin as she placed her hands on his face. "You can be as corny as you want, because I'm all for having dessert first," he flirtatiously replied, moving in closer to place a soft kiss on her lips. Pulling back, he looked into her eyes for a moment longer before moving in again to kiss her more passionately, resting one hand on her cheek as his other moved down her waist to her thigh. Pulling away again, he glanced towards the doorway. "Wanna go for dessert upstairs?" he suggested. She certainly wasn't the first girlfriend he'd slept with, but with Lorelei, it all felt so much more meaningful and significant. That meant that his heart was racing in is chest and he felt more nervous than he had before. Standing up, he held his hands out to help Lorelei up so she could lead him to her bedroom.

Bellz (Lorelei)

 

[Pyroclast]

Secret Sullivan Safehouse
~ Top Secret Location, London ~

Olivier Morillon​

As he went about preparing the safehouse for the return of the Sullivan soldiers, Olivier reflected on how quiet life had become since leaving the army. Whilst he had only served for four years, he still remembered it as the busiest period of his life; his job as a medic was never slow or dull, whether it was out in the field or simply training. In contrast, working for the Sullivans never guaranteed steady work. The important thing, he supposed, was that it guaranteed steady pay, and so even if the mob’s business was going smoothly and there was little in the way of war and action, he knew he would always be secure under their employment. The skills he learned as an army medic were to set him up for life after his military days - he always thought he would work in a hospital afterwards, but when he fell into the mob’s Paris charter, he found real love and loyalty, and, knowing that it would be near impossible to balance both, he chose to work solely for the mob.

Although it wasn’t certain whether the day’s mission in central London was going to be a day where he could make himself useful, Olivier had made sure to set everything up for their arrival just in case. As their resident medic, he was aware of how bloody the feud with the Kings was becoming and if the last few weeks had taught him anything, it was that it was always better to be over-prepared.

Eventually Olivier heard the front door open and he hopped off the table he had been perched on. Adam, Reina, Tom, Edwards and Emery all filed in and Olivier briefly looked between them before his attention was drawn to the bloody makeshift gauze fixed to Tom's arm. He hadn't met the man before but had been told there was someone that would coming on their first job. "You must be the new recruit," he said, flashing Tom a smile as he approached the group. "Go sit over on that bed right there, let's get you looked at..."

Beckoning the others over, he pulled on a pair of latex gloves and came around to Tom's side. "I'm Olivier, by the way," he told the younger man. "Are you okay to take off your shirt for me? I know the sleeve’s been cut, but it’s just to check for less noticeable injuries.” Leaving Tom to handle himself for a moment, Olivier turned to the rest of the group. "What happened out there exactly? Are any of you hurt?" Glancing to Adam, he noticed the shadow of a bruise appearing on his face. "No injury is too small, you know," he reminded them all. "Ice bag in the freezer, Adam."

Once Tom's shirt was removed, Olivier carefully removed the temporary gauze. From there he was able to see the wound clearly, and could be sure there were no other less noticeable wounds that no one had spotted. "Okay, there’s some pointillage around the entry, but aside from that it looks clean," he quietly observed. "No exit wound, but no bullet - did one of you manage to remove it already?" Quite frankly, he was surprised to find out that it had been extracted during the journey - and more so that Tom still appeared largely unaffected.

Olivier’s hands worked quickly to clean up the site of entry as best he could. He glanced at Tom with a smile. "You a military man?" he asked, quickly repositioning the overhead lamp to shine directly inside the wound. "You seem like you're used to this kind of pain. I know plenty of soldiers who would have passed out having a bullet extracted without some kind of numbing agent."

After pausing to get a closer look, he straightened up and asked Tom if he felt any tingling or numbness. “I’m expecting some nerve damage there, judging by the path of the bullet,” he explained, already reaching for the gauze, bandages and antibiotic ointment as he spoke. “For now I’m gonna pack the wound and wrap it up, then we’ll run some proper tests when we’re back in Ireland and I’ll start you on a course of antibiotics. How do you feel at the moment? Can you rate your pain on a scale of zero to ten?"

Interactions
BasDorcha Tom
Melanin-Gxdess Reina
Misty Gray Adam, Emery
BloodLightning27 Edwards

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Sullivan Family Home
~Dublin~
Aliana Sullivan​

Aliana hadn't expected to make such a remark at dinner. In fact, the moment it left her mouth she immediately regretted it and it showed on her face. She softly apologized to those at the table, but it was too late. The damage had already been done. Michelle wasted no time in retorting. For a brief moment, Ali couldn't believe the hypocrisy of it. Instead of commenting, she clenched her jaw and remained quiet. Conor's eyes were on her and she couldn't even avoid his gaze. She frowned and rolled her eyes before pushing her seat back. "Excuse me," she said, trying to take the annoyance out of her voice. When she'd disappeared from the dining room, Rhiannon heard her cousin ask about dessert. She immediately pushed herself from the table and stood up. "I do! Um, it's that strawberry sponge cake she likes making."

Meanwhile, Ali made her way down the hall in search of Michelle. Saying she was pissed was an absolute understatement. Michelle had been taking jabs at her all night, so why did she have to go and make things right? Probably because she was supposed to be the bigger person. Michelle was going through a lot right now and that meant she was emotional. Though Ali tried to cut her some slack and let her go through her healing process, there were just some things she couldn't do nor allow- disrespect being one of them.

Just as she was passing by one of the sitting rooms, she could hear a muffled voice and deduced she was inside. Taking a pause she tried to prepare herself for what may be on the other side. She was hoping that she would be able to resolve things here and now and that it wouldn't continue any further. There was a ton on her plate at the moment and she didn't want Michelle to be another one of them. Taking a deep breath she walked inside just as the pillow had been thrown. Ali quickly side-stepped and watched as the pillow fell to the floor. "What the fuck," she growled under her breath, snatching it up. She huffed and walked into the room only stopping when she noticed Michelle standing in

the middle of the room. The frown on Ali's face faltered until it finally softened and she took a deep sigh. "For fuckssake," she whispered to herself before closing the door. She wasn't sure what she should say to start things off but knew it was super awkward to not say anything at all. Clearing her throat, she figured she should start with dinner.

"Listen, I'm sorry about that. I didn't mean to bring our issues to the dinner table. Just sort of slipped out..." She trailed off, rubbing her arms. There was another uncomfortable pause before Ali sucked it up and stepped out of her comfort zone. "Obviously, we need to talk about what happened so let's just- clear the air." She invited her to sit on a chair opposite her before clearing her throat. "For starters, I need you to understand that what happened between Alex and your father had nothing to do with me. Sometimes things don't work out, but I shouldn't be blamed for it - I had my own shit going on. And it had nothing to do with you, either. So don't think Conor didn't love you or abandoned you because that's not true." Ali was being sincere with her words and any animosity she had was fading away. "I know the whole divorce thing is hard. I mean, you loved and trusted this person and he betrayed you. You have every right to be pissed, but don't direct that energy at the wrong people," she said, trailing off. At one point, Ali had also been angry at people who had nothing to do with the circumstance. And she regretted it.

"We may have our disagreements," she continued, "But I do love and care about you. You're not just Conor's kid or my step-kid but you're my kid. And I needed you to understand all this because I care about how you see me. I don't want you to think that I'm some wicked stepmother who took your dad away- it's not true. Conor tried to be there for you as much as he could and I encouraged it." Ali didn't exactly know what she was trying to say, but she did want the feud between the two of them to end. "Listen, you don't have to believe anything I say nor listen to it. But if you take away anything from it, let it be this. Your family cares about you here and will do anything to make sure you feel loved."

Michelle ( BasDorcha )

Secret Sullivan Safehouse
~Secret Location in London~
Reina Richards​

Reina had been held hostage before, so this time around was no surprise. Trembling arm around her throat. Gun pointed at her head. It was all so tired. But for the sake of not getting her brains blown out, she played along with him. Adam wasted no time in making the swap and though she was grateful, it seemed almost like a waste. They had gotten the man they needed and yet they gave him back for her. Not having been someone who worked with others all the time, the concept was a bit foreign though understood. With the sirens getting closer the Dublin group wasted no time retreating. She could overhear Adam warning Erik that this attack was a warning - an important one. And if they didn't listen it would be much worse next time.

Sitting in the back of the van she watched as Edwards began to work on Tom's injury. While she knew a thing or two about patching people up, it wasn't nearly as extensive as necessary when it came to gunshot wounds. Once he was done, Edwards made a comment on who started what first. He seemed to believe it was the Kings who started things, but Reina knew better. It was definitely the Sullivans, she thought, but for a reason. Whether it was a good one or not was up for debate but she didn't think it was the Kings who toppled the first domino. And because she didn't want anyone questioning her or her loyalties she said none of this. "Doesn't really matter, now, does it," she asked, placing her hand on her shoulder and rolling out her neck. "A wrong's been committed and until it's been put right this shit ain't gonna end so." Tom then spoke up and Reina reached into her pocket for her red lollipop. She stuck it in her mouth and then crossed her arms listening to him speak. He figured whatever it was had been above his pay grade and she couldn't help but agree.

Reina couldn't help but observe the people around her once more. This time after the job had been completed. She found that people often showed their true colors after certain events and this was one of them. So when Tom began to smile and laugh, she took note of it. He'd also been quick to anger while they were in the restaurant and it seemed suspicious. Reina figured he had a few screws loose, but as long as he didn't do anything stupid that was good with her. "The blonde one," she said, sticking the lollipop into the side of her mouth. "He told the truth too fast and was willing to give his family up for it. You could see the relief in his eyes after he spilled. But it was definitely an accident." Edwards then spoke again, clearly not believing it was any sort of accident, to begin with. To each their own, she thought, but she wasn't about to continue explaining her point of view in it. He expressed his disappointment at not being about to get his payback from the warehouse shooting. While she was angry that someone tried to kill her, it had nothing on how she felt about Ricky. And therefore, that's where most of her anger lies.

Speaking of anger, Reina couldn't help but think about Edwards' attempt at saving her and Tom from Christian's gun. Christian's finger had been on the trigger and had he not flinched the way he had, he'd have definitely shot her in the throat. "Hey dick head," she said, turning to him. "Next time you wanna play hero try making sure the gunman doesn't have his gun aimed at my goddamned throat. I'd really appreciate it." She was being sarcastic, of course, as she sat back against the wall and crossed her arms. "I had everything under control." Reina's comments also stemmed from her not really being a team player and being so used to working alone- so used to being in control of her environment. She'd had one too many close calls in the past couple of months and she didn't appreciate it one bit.

The moment they arrived at their safehouse, Reina made herself comfy by rummaging around in the fridge. She heard Olivier beckoning Tom to take off his shirt and she let out a playful scoff. "The French are so forward, aren't they," she teased, leaning against the wall to watch him work. He asked if there were any more injuries and as much as she tried not to, she just couldn't help herself. "You can check me later." Hiding the smirk from her face, she watched what he was doing and listened to what he was saying. It was a bunch of terminologies she didn't understand but the context clues made it a bit easier to get. She figured there was no harm in learning something. Besides, what else was there to do while waiting to leave this goddamn place?

Olivier ( Pyroclast ) Adam, Emery ( Misty Gray ) Tom ( BasDorcha ) Edwards ( BloodLightning27 )

 

[Pyroclast]

Caspian's Clinic
~ Holborn, London ~

Bruce King​

With a curt nod, Bruce lightly clapped a hand on Erik’s arm, glad to hear that the man was devoted to being there for Billy and that their relationship was more than something shallow. Given his youngest nephew’s lack of experience being in mature relationships, it pleased him that he had finally found someone who would be there for him not just in health, but in sickness, too. Bruce wasn’t sure how open the couple were about being together, so just in case the rest of the room didn’t know about them yet, he decided not to say much more on the subject.

In the years since Erik had first come to London to work alongside the Kings, Bruce had come to know him as a smooth-talking man with an air of confidence about him. So now, the contrast in his behaviour stood out more than ever: the way he had stuttered through his answer when Bruce asked him if he had been hurt, the way he fiddled with his fingers and kept glancing anxiously over to Billy. Bruce could tell the evening’s attack had shaken him somewhat and that he was consciously trying to remain composed.

To the question of whether there was anything he needed to share, Erik brought up Gabriel, pointing out that they ought to fill in the Moretti boss on what had happened. “Mm, I agree,” Bruce said with a nod. “I’ll call ahead and see if we can get him in a meeting. You may not have been the target and you may not have been directly hurt, but if I were in Gabriel’s position, I would take this as a breach of contract. You were put at risk, Erik - in my opinion, placed far too close to what could have been a fatal attack. Moretti deserves to hear your account so he can make the judgement for himself.”

When Bruce asked him if he was okay, Erik dropped his gaze. The fact he was struggling to answer was proof enough that he wasn’t really okay, but the last thing he wanted was to draw tears from him in front of everyone in the room, so out of respect Bruce didn’t press him further when the man chose to lie. “Alright, son,” he said, reaching out to give his shoulder another squeeze. He hoped the man could someday become comfortable with opening up to him - not only was he aware that Erik had no one in the UK he could confide in outside of the King family, but he was also concerned that Billy had enough to focus on with his recovery and might not have the strength to shoulder anyone else’s troubles. Besides that, Bruce was used to being in a position of dutiful care, having raised four children and been leader of the firm for many years. He felt responsible for ensuring that everyone beneath him was well and staying on track.

The pair were briefly distracted by Jeremy, who had stormed over to Billy, apparently incensed by something his nephew had said. Caspian was quick to intervene and Spencer was there too, so Bruce didn’t feel the need to go over there; besides, with Billy being on morphine, he imagined he was saying all sorts of nonsense and hadn’t actually meant to offend Jeremy. Once things appeared to have simmered down again, Erik turned to him with a smile and asked if it was Billy’s first time on morphine. Bruce briefly tuned into the sound of Billy’s dopey laughter and rolled his eyes. “Yep,” he sighed. “Sorry if he’s a handful…”

His attention was then diverted to Caspian when the medic began to address the room and explain each of his patient’s course of treatment. Bruce was concerned about Christian and Jeremy being out of action - Jeremy was integral to the protection of Harper and also as a soldier for the firm, and while Christian wasn’t employed as a soldier, Bruce wasn’t keen on him being hindered to use a gun when he may need to defend himself or the others if a similar attack were to happen again. Still, there was nothing he could do to change it now - he would just have to reassess the duties everyone had in order to ensure maximum safety.

When it came to Billy, Caspian suggested that his injuries were more complicated and would need further discussion. Bruce nodded, his eye beginning to twitch as he felt himself grow more concerned. He trusted that the medic had managed to stabilise him well, based on his laughter and the fact he hadn’t lost consciousness, but he wasn’t sure exactly what his nephew was in for in the long run, or what exactly Caspian had meant by his use of the word ‘extensive’.

“Caspian,” Bruce called out, beckoning him over to stand with him and Erik. “What can you tell us about Billy? How’s he lookin’?” He kept his voice down in case his nephew somehow overheard him. “I saw the bullet went through him and landed in his arm - what’s the chance we’ll have to take him into the hospital for a scan? Or can you do that in ‘ere?” For obvious reasons, he was hoping that they wouldn’t need to take him into hospital, but with Caspian calling his injuries extensive, he was concerned that Billy might require surgery or further operations that only a hospital would be able to provide. Of course, if it came to that, he wouldn’t deny his nephew the treatment he needed. “What damage have you found so far? Is he gonna have to stay ‘ere overnight or can he go home, if I send Erik to monitor him?”

Billy King​

For a brief moment, Billy’s mind had wandered to a place of sexual fantasy, seeing only Erik when his eyes fell closed. But Spencer’s voice quickly brought him back into the room, and he realised he was being lightly lectured - not for his crude remark, but for bringing up the idea of becoming addicted to morphine. He firmly told Billy he wouldn’t be having any more after that night. “Okay, dad,” he scoffed. “You’re no fun…” As he squirmed lightly against the bed, his shoulder gave a twinge and the pain resonated through to his arm, causing him to inhale sharply. “But think…if I wasn’t on the drugs, I’d be as moody as you,” he teased his brother with a smirk. “Come on, I’ll share it, you’ll feel better…where’s it goin’ in?” Once he located the IV drip, he began to tug on the tube but was ultimately too weak to pull it out. He tried to lift his right arm up so that Spencer could reach the cannula and help him, but his attempt to move caused him to gasp in pain and he fell back against the bed in defeat.

“It’s not gonna work,” he mumbled. “You can get your own later. I’m just…happy you’re here, Spencer…you’re a good brother. Better than Alex. He don’t care that I got shot...or he would be 'ere.” A broad smile grew on his face, reaching up to his weary eyes. His wound hurt significantly less than before, but it still throbbed slightly in the background, especially now that he had aggravated it. “Mmm…make the sexy doctor give me more,” he softly demanded. “I promise I won’t get addicted and die...like mum did. It just feels so nice…even though the pain is still there. I thought morphine is meant to make the pain go away?”

Everything shifted when Caspian began to speak to the room and Billy lifted his head to try and follow along, but ultimately it was too much effort so he tuned out again and looked up instead at his brother. “Hey…where’s Alex and Harper? Did ya' tell 'em I almost died?” He squinted as he strained to remember where they were, until suddenly he remembered that Harper had been with Spencer in a meeting before the attack happened. “Ohh…I know why you’re in a mood,” he stated tactlessly. “Trevor…May…you told her she’s his kid? She take it well or was there a big drama?”

Interactions
With Bruce:
Melanin-Gxdess Erik, Caspian

With Billy:
Misty Gray Spencer

Nearby:
BasDorcha Jeremy
Misty Gray Christian

Mentioned:
Bellz Harper
Melanin-Gxdess Alex

 

[Misty Gray]

Caspian's Clinic
~ Holborn, London ~

Spencer King​

When Spencer scoffed, teasingly calling him his dad, Spencer pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. "Nope, I'm no fun at all. I ain't your dad either, that's for sure. We all know that man one would be handing you more of this shit all wrapped up in a gift box. That is, of course, if he didn't take it all for himself first." Spencer briefly softened as he saw him squirm at the pain in his shoulder. Whilst his bossiness was out of concern for Billy, any anger was reserved for Trevor where the conversation of drugs was concerned. Spencer briefly held his tongue and quickly nodded along as Billy teased him about his moody nature, all the while reminding himself his brother was under the influence of the morphine.

Spencer leaned forward as Billy moved to try pull out the IV so he could apparently share some of the morphine with Spencer. "Leave it alone," he firmly commanded his brother, placing his hand on Billy's arm so he couldn't move it even if he did manage to overcome the pain to do so. He nodded in agreement when Billy mumbled that his idea wasn't going to work and Spencer would have to get his own morphine later. "Don't worry about me, I can go get my own later. I know all the best sources," he decided to humour him.

Spencer finally grabbed the nearby chair and decided to take a moment to relax whilst Billy was still talking. Besides, Bruce and Erik had seemed pretty locked into a conversation that he figured he didn't need to interrupt. "Alex doesn't know you're hurt, not yet. He'd be here if he did," Spencer reassured Billy. Sending a brief glance Caspian's way, Spencer looked back to his brother when he referred to the doctor as being sexy. "Keep it down, mate," he hushed him, before lowering his voice to continue, "if Erik hears ya, he'll get jealous... Hell, even I'm feeling inadequate in his presence - we might need an ugly doctor on our payroll just in case Shona ever needs treating," he joked. No matter how much he tried to take the humorous approach, Billy once more mentioned their mother and promised not to get addicted as she had. "Time and healing makes the pain go away, the morphine will just fuck with your head," he simply asserted, trying not to get weighed down by memories of their mother.

Spencer turned to Caspian when the man addressed Bruce and himself, his interest grabbed upon hearing his brother's injuries were more extensive. With his uncle beckoning the doctor over to him, Spencer remained with Billy, figuring Bruce would fill him in on the details later. Billy drew his attention back towards him when he asked about Alex and Harper. "Alex is out, but he will be told as soon as someone gets hold of him. Harper's back at my house and we'll explain the situation to her soon, but we had to rush over here to see you lot first." His brother's attention quickly shifted on to the meeting that had taken place, citing that as the likely reason for Spencer being in a mood. The older man rolled his eyes but decided to answer honestly. Even if he doubted Billy would fully process the information and would need to be told again when he wasn't drugged up, Spencer felt like he needed an outlet himself. He'd been dragged straight from the meeting and Harper's disdain to seeing Billy, Jeremy and Christian all in a bad way. There hadn't been a break to unwind between any of it. "You know, I think May did take it well," he answered, sitting back in his seat and absent-mindedly toying with an unused roll of wound dressing, wrapping it around his hand as if preparing for a boxing match. "She don't want anything to do with Trevor and she wants to stick with us lot, here in London. Me an' Bruce are going to give Trevor his marching orders - his time in London is over," he assured Billy. "Only drama came from Harper. She's pissed off with me and Bruce - more than usual. But that's something we're just going to have to sort out, because I ain't backing down on this, not after tonight has proved the risks we're all facing."

Pyroclast (Billy)

 

[Misty Gray]

Aqua Shard
~ Southwark, London ~

Kerry Patrick​

Kerry observed Alex as he displayed a boyish smile to go with his relief that she felt the same. She firmly nodded her head when he remarked that she had him right where she wanted him. "Who'd have thought they'd see the day someone made Alex King nervous," she teased.

In answer to where they took things next after sharing their mutual feelings for each other, Alex playfully joked, suggesting they decided whose place they went back to. Though her temptation was to answer in kind, his reassuring hand made it clear he was trying his best not to rush things like maybe he usually would, so she wasn't going to make it harder for him to control himself with her. Alex took some time to think about what their next step should be. Kerry wasn't sure whether to take his hesitation as a good or bad sign. On the one hand, it showed he was being more considerate and thinking things through before rushing straight into bed with her. On the flipside, it could be indicative of his hesitance to change or that he was struggling to trust in his own ability to break his usual cycle. As was Kerry's way of thinking as of late, she only lived once, and was grateful to have survived for this long at all, so she was willing to ride it out for the time-being. She didn't want to hold herself back by overthinking things and for the short-term she was willing to be patient. She couldn't live her life afraid to take risks and she had to keep her insecurities locked away, where they belonged.

When Alex finally proposed exclusivity, Kerry couldn't hold back the smile that formed on her lips. She was reassured that he'd been the one to say it, without prompts from her. "I'll have to let the old guys down gently, but I'm willing to do that for you... I want us to be exclusive too," she seriously told him. She was fully aware of his history and that he had cheated on Savannah, and he knew it too, so it went without saying. "As long as you're certain this is what you want and that you don't feel like you're making some kind of compromise for me. I'm a generous woman, but I don't share when it comes to boyfriends," she asserted.

Once they were finished in the restaurant, Kerry suggested they could take a walk along the Thames, figuring it was a shame not to take advantage of a pleasant summer's evening. As they walked, Kerry unconsciously reached to hold Alex's hand. "I've lived in Belfast, Boston and New York, but for some reason, I like London the most," the Northern Irish woman told him. "And not just because of the things that happened in Belfast and New York. I just like the atmosphere here, and the landmarks..." she trailed off. A mischievous smile then crossed her lips as she looked on ahead of them. "You know, if you've got it in you to keep walking, you might as well walk with me back to my place. Just like an old fashioned English gentlemen," she said, mimicking the Queen's English.

As they walked along one of the streets, a car slowed down alongside them before being pulled to a stop. The driver wound down his window before calling out Alex's name. He would recognise the driver as Craig, one of the King family's employees. "What're you doing out and about? You do know your Billy was shot, right?" he asked, clearly surprised that Alex wasn't with his brothers.

Melanin-Gxdess (Alex)

 

[Misty Gray]

Sullivan Van
~ London, England ~

Adam Harper and Emery Callahan​

On the way to the safehouse, Adam sat back and watched as Edwards tended to Tom's wound. The wounded young man seemed to be doing fine and he was sure he'd be able to hold out for as long as it took to reach Olivier. Having been shot a few times himself and tended to the wounds of his comrades over the years, he knew what signs to look out for and when he should become concerned. He wasn't worried about Tom, at least not about him passing out or dying in the back of the van. An infection would take longer to emerge and by then it wouldn't rely on Adam's intervention anyway.

As the others spoke in the van, Adam listened on, taking some time to relax and given himself a debrief in his own head. He was interested to hear what the others thought about the Sullivan and King situation. Edwards was under the impression that the Kings had been attacked first,, with tonight's attack being the Sullivans' retaliation for it. Edwards and Tom were both new to the mob, and with their positions, it had hardly been appropriate for them to be given a full history and detail of everything their employers had ever done. Still, he was surprised they hadn't been privy to gossip or overheard general chatter to learn just how deep the feud ran. Tom did reason that the Kings had claimed to have been retaliating for something else the Sullivans had done, no doubt the nightclub bomb. The comment about it all being above their pay grade drew a smirk from Adam. "You lads are more than welcome to be stationed on guard duty if the real action ain't your thing," he drily joked. "Spend one day dragged around clothes stores with the mob wives and you'll be begging to be back out here again."

Tom then voiced his thoughts on who had killed Aidan, putting his money on it being Jeremy, but then suggested if it was Billy then it wasn't intentional. After his own brief conversation with Jeremy, Adam was confident Billy was the one who had killed Aidan and that he hadn't intended to do it. Despite this, he couldn't help but pose some food for thought. "Whether you think someone's got the heart for it or not, the need to survive will kick in. There could still be intent - even if that intent is self-preservation or that of a loved one." Adam had kept a lot of secrets over his time with the mob and one of the biggest ones was his knowledge of Savannah killing a man in self-defence, something he would take to his grave. He'd been one of the men tasked with cleaning up the 'crime scene' and making sure nothing ever came back to the young woman. As far as Adam was concerned, Savannah certainly didn't have it in her heart to kill someone but she'd been cornered into a situation where she had to. It was perfectly believable Billy had killed Aidan.

Edwards spoke about the attack at Dublin Port, where the Kings had men targeting him, James and Reina. He spoke of wanting to return the favour properly but seemed disappointed he hadn't been able to do so today. When the man pulled out his crucifix and asked the Lord for forgiveness, Adam turned away and looked towards the front of the vehicle. He decided against making any comments, despite his lack of time for religion. Given that he was now living in Dublin, he knew Edwards certainly wasn't the only one sucked in by religion.

Adam was quite good at holding in his emotions, which is why he somehow managed to keep a straight face when Reina suddenly berated Edwards for his actions that were intended to save her from the threat of Christian's gun. After the serious events of the evening, it was difficult not to find humour in the way she called him out. Regardless, his face remained deadly neutral, not giving away his amusement.

Adam was glad to be out of the van and at the safehouse where Olivier could give Tom a proper looking over. With Dermot staying outside to keep close watch on the safehouse, the rest of them joined the medic inside. Before he tended to Tom's wound, Olivier asked if anyone else was injured. He brought his attention to Adam, pointing out the bruise on his face that Jeremy has inflicted. "Where would we be without you, Doc?" Adam asked, patting him on the shoulder. "Sure, I'll get some ice, but I'd have much preferred your personal touch," he teased him. Still he went to retrieve the ice bag, if only to appease him and set an example to the others about not ignoring injuries either.

Returning shortly after, he set the ice bag down on the table for the time-being, deciding to address everyone following the conversations he'd heard in the van. "Let me get one thing straight while we're all here together," Adam began, making sure they all took a moment to listen to him. "I was put in charge of this evening's mission and the reason we didn't leave any of them pricks dead - which we could very easily have done - is because I made the decision not to. The Boss trusted me to make the right call tonight, and having spent decades fighting these fights, this was the best call for the Sullivans right now. Any problems with that, you take it up with me," he invited them to speak up. "If not me, take it to the top, they'll hear you out, I'm sure," he said, referring to Syd and Conor.

BasDorcha (Tom)
BloodLightning27 (Edwards)
Melanin-Gxdess (Reina)
Pyroclast (Olivier)

 

[BasDorcha]

Sullivan Family Home
Dublin, Ireland
Michelle, Laura and Michael Romano​

Michelle jumped, startled, when Aliana made herself known. For a second, Michelle’s heart stopped, then quickly started again. Immediately, she started to mumble an apology for the pillow, putting two and two together that Aliana had walked in at the same moment she tossed the ruddy thing. When the woman before her went on to apologize herself for the actions at dinner, and that they needed to clear the air, Michelle nodded, still wordless at the moment with the gush of emotions finally breaking down the wall that had been holding them back. Taking the seat, she sat in a kind of awkward, half leaned, half forward stance, unsure of herself down to her core.

“I believe you, Alli.” It was the first thing Michelle could bring herself to say, before swallowing and twisting her hands, gathering the courage to spill all the things that had been in her head for so long. “I love my dad, and my mom, and you. Before all this started, I swear, I never held anything against you. I still don’t. I’m just…” She paused, trying to find the right words. “I’m just scared.” As soon as the words escaped her lips, a weight felt like it lifted off her chest. Sniffling, she wiped at her eyes carelessly, “I know how badly I wanted my dad around more, that it could be more like other families. I also know that families look different all over the world, and the adult part of my brain accepts that. I don’t want the kids to hate me because of how things went. I don’t want them to hate their father, even though he made terrible, horrible decisions towards me, because he’s never done anything to hurt them.”

The tears flowed freely now, all the pain on her face. “I think Michael already is drawing away from his father, and Laura doesn’t really seem to understand yet that he’s not about to just walk in the door one day. I don’t -I don’t- I don’t know if I did the right thing. I just want them to be happy, and I don’t know how to be alone. Malcolm and I go together in University, married right after, and had Michael a few years later. I don’t know how to do this alone.”

In the kitchen, the kids had refocused on the desert, grinning at the pretty sponge cake that Rhiannon brought out. "Thanks! This looks great!" Laura bounced in her seat, a sweet tooth child if there ever was one. Michael moved over closer to Conor, standing beside him as he twisted his hands in the same nervous manner his mom did. "Mom... She's gonna be alright, yeah?"

Mentions Melanin-Gxdess - Aliana/kids
Misty Gray - Conor/kids

 

[Bellz]

Natasha McCarthy
The Clover Casino
~Dublin City Centre, Dublin~​

Natasha felt helpless at the moment, unsure of where to go or what to say or do. Everything she was trying to get across to him, he had an answer for. And while the answers were everything she wanted to hear, she wasn't the naive kid that she used to be. None of what Leo wanted to do with his life would be any different than the life they were living now. Natasha had faith in him to do the right thing but as he said that he could learn from the mistakes of others, Nat knew that she wouldn't be able to change his mind. She knew he learned well from others but it was his own mistakes that he was going to have to learn from, and what he couldn't learn from now, he would surely make when it was his turn.

They were going in circles, neither one of them wanting to end the conversation the way they both knew it would end. Tears continued to flow down her cheeks as she wiped at them with her shaking fingers. It was becoming clear that there were only two ways this could end, with her giving in or breaking it all off. Leo, as much as she loved him, was too stubborn to understand that her fighting him on this was because she cared about his safety. So the outcome of their relationship wasn't in his hands any longer but in hers. She had tried to reason with bringing up her father. The pain was horrible and she couldn't bear to put her own family through such a traumatic experience but Leo was convinced that he would be able to protect them from anything. "What protecting could you possibly do from six feet under, Leo?" Nat asked tiredly, clearly fatigued from the circles they were going in.

"Because no one can truly break this cycle. This is way beyond you and me, Leo. If you can't see that then we should...." Nat's words caught in her throat as she shook her head, looking at him desperately for a moment before moving to look at their feet. He asked her what she wanted him to say and Nat shrugged her shoulders dejectedly. "I think you've just said everything I needed to hear." She managed to get out. "I love you...so much so that I'm not going to support you throwing your life away over some responsibility that's only going to get you killed. I care about you too much, Leo Sullivan. But if this is what you want...I'm not going to stop you from doing what you think you need to do...what will make you happy."

Nat shifted from foot to foot before looking up to meet his eyes, "I think we need a break. I need some time to think, about all of this...because I know you are not the one who might change their mind about this." She put her hands to her mouth and shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut as she tried to take control of her emotions. After taking a deep breath, she dropped her hands and opened her eyes to look at him.

"Maybe you should just take me home, I don't want to ruin Thomas and Elena's good time. I haven't seen him this happy in a while."
with: Leo Melanin-Gxdess

 

[Pyroclast]

The Clover Casino
~ Dublin City Centre, Dublin ~

Elena Velazco​

Natasha’s sweet laughter put an instant smile on Elena’s face. The woman seemed pleased to be asked about herself as a separate entity to the people around her and keenly answered her. The question of what she liked and what she did were big ones, but she gave a few responses which Elena did her best to understand. “May four?” she gasped, her smile broadening. “I am one of May! We are so close!” It was too soon to assume they could celebrate their birthdays together, but even the possibility of getting to share a happy occasion with someone was exciting to her.

Much of what she said went over her head - Elena wasn’t familiar with vegetarianism, nor had she ever heard the words ‘babysitting’ or ‘crossroads’ - but she picked up what she could, through an eagerness to learn about the woman. Hearing that she dipped into education every now and then interested her, and yet she equally sympathised with the struggle of not knowing what to do. Elena had been largely discouraged from taking any hobbies of hers seriously, since her mother was already set on sending her to nursing school. She dropped out eventually, of course, but it didn’t leave her any clearer on how to use education to set her up for life. In the end, all she really wanted was to find her father - and now that she had, she didn’t worry anymore. Leaning across the table to lightly place her hand over Natasha’s wrist, Elena smiled and said, “Simply enjoy it!”

The pair were shortly after interrupted by the return of Leo and Thomas., the former jokingly asking Elena if Natasha had told her anything bad about him behind his back. She only giggled, allowing the woman to reply to him. They seemed like a sweet couple, full of playful banter, and she was looking forward to playing some fun casino games with them and getting to know them better. Unfortunately, as quickly as the two men had shown up, Leo took Natasha away, though they both promised Elena that they would be back soon, so she didn’t question it, instead just waving at the pair as they left.

As soon as they were out of earshot, Elena spun round to face Thomas and took his hand. “I love her!” she exclaimed. “I hope that tonight is a long night, Tomás. I want to know your friends more and play games and talk all the night…” So thrilled by the exciting evening out, Elena revelled in the warm, twinkling atmosphere of the casino, taking in her surroundings with an excited smile on her face. However, she soon remembered how hard Thomas had found their last outing, and so tried to dial her enthusiasm back a few notches to hopefully take some of the pressure off. “But you say to me when you want to go home and I will be happy to go with you, Tomás.” To prove that she wasn’t just saying it for his sake, she leaned forward and kissed him on the lips. Seeing the lipstick she left on him made her giggle. “Muy hermosa,” she teased.

Still no sign of Leo and Natasha, Elena got to her feet and straightened out her dress. “I use the restroom before they return, and then we play games?” she suggested, sliding a hand down his chest as she stood over him. “You are okay for a moment? I will be very fast!” She dropped another kiss on the top of his head and then skipped away, keen to stay true to her word.


Unfortunately, she didn’t notice the two figures following her into the corridor that lead to the toilets, nor was she aware of them waiting around the corner for her. When she finally stepped out of the ladies room and bumped into what appeared to be a bouncer, she stumbled back. “Ah, disculpa -” she coyly excused herself, tossing an apologetic smile up at him. She tried to step around him but he mirrored her, which she only assumed was an awkward mistake instead of purposeful blocking, and so she laughed, expecting him to as well. But then he grabbed her by the arms - and just as she sensed somebody else come up behind her, there came a sharp stabbing pain in her neck. Elena gasped, her heart leaping out of her chest as she quickly realised what was happening - but before she could scream for help, a hand came around and clamped over her mouth. The men effortlessly lifted her off her feet and hauled her backwards; the door leading back to Thomas grew more distant until the clunk of the fire exit brought her outside, where she was bundled into their vehicle. By the time they were on the road, Elena lacked the energy to even cry, and she felt the world around her turn dark…


Bellz Thomas, Natasha
Melanin-Gxdess Leo

 

[BasDorcha]

Sullivan Safe House - Oliviers'
-London, England-
Tommy Thatcher​

The drive was uneventful otherwise, and the conversation was back and forth as they tossed around ideas. Hearing Edwards call it the mob for the first time gave Tom a tingle in the back of his brain, though for what he wasn’t sure. When the man went on to pray, Tom looked away, feeling uncomfortable with the action – he was not a religious man himself and put little faith in believing in unseen things.

He had heard some talk about a shootout recently but perked an eyebrow hearing that a few of them here had been involved in it. What had he gotten himself into? He wasn’t quite sure, but being a soldier was what Tom knew best, and he couldn’t deny the pay they offered for his help wasn’t much better then that he was making as a mechanic. Mentally, Tom decided he should probably talk to someone about his situation and his assumption that his sister might be more involved with the London get up then would be appropriate. Where would that leave him and her? He wasn’t sure, and quietly he considered his options the remainder of the drive. One thing was for certain, he had no intention of running shopping errands with the wives’ club, not now, not ever. “Yer right,” he told Adam, listening to his reasoning for why Billy very well could have been the killer and making Tom remember a few surprising times with guys his age or small like he was at the time came out of battles still standing.

Pulling up to the safe house, he exited while keeping his arm pinned to his side, hurrying inside before he could be seen entering the secret location. Nodding at the man talking to him, Tom followed the given instructions, stripping away his shirt. “Not a problem, mate, you can toss the ruddy thing.” He sat himself down, waiting for Olivier to finish his quick check of the other party members.

Tom nodded towards the American, “He yanked it out in the van. Don’t toss it. I have a collection of bullets from being shot. This will be number six.” He grinned stupidly, unaffected by Olivier’s poking and prodding. “Joined the day I was old enough to join with my mams signature. Two years later, they sent us on some mission out in the middle of nowhere I can pronounce, and was on my third time being shot. Got lucky, that was a nine mil, into here,” Tom twisted, pointing to his left butt cheek. “I had two many holes back there for a while.” He looked like his joke was the best thing ever, sitting back flatly on the bed.

“Sure Doc, whatever you say. Don’t much feel it anyways, but I’ll let you know if it starts acting weird.” When he shrugged his shoulders in response to how he felt, he really seemed to need a moment to think about it. “I don’t know, two or three. I mean there’s a hole, it hurts, but nothing crazy like.” Tom fell quiet as Adam addressed the group, waiting until he had finished before responding. “no questions sir, I’ll be staying in my lane. You’re the boss, no need for me to complain or have an opinion.”

Mentions Pyroclast Misty Gray Melanin-Gxdess BloodLightning27

 

[Bellz]

Thomas Porter
Natasha McCarthy
The Clover Casino
~ Dublin City Center, Dublin ~​

Thomas figured that things were not going to end well for Leo and Nat as he watched them both walk away. When they were both out of earshot, Elena spun around quickly, causing Thomas to jump slightly though a wide smile formed on his face as she stated that she loved Nat. "Oh that's great! She's a good friend so it makes me happy to know you love her too." Thomas said. He tried to not focus on her hoping that tonight would be a long night. It made Thomas nervous to be anywhere for too long but he would try for Elena because she deserved to have a nice night out for once. Unfortunately, he wasn't so sure how long the night would last once Leo and Natasha came back. At least it wasn't going to be his fault this time around.

It was refreshing to see her so upbeat again and it made Thomas want to push past his feelings of nervousness and let his guard down just a little bit. He found himself not looking around the area as much as he focused on her, giving the woman a lopsided smile as he watched her visibly try to curb her enthusiasm. She told him that he could say when he wanted to go home, reassuring him that she would be happy to go with him. His cheeks warmed and Thomas shook his head, "Don't worry about me, Lena. We don't need to go anytime soon, I'm doing okay, actually. I think it helps since Leo and Nat are here, I don't have to do all the looking." He explained, his voice was failing him, making him seem like he wasn't confident in himself.

The truth was he was still struggling and until things settled down more he wasn't going to trust his ability to not lose it as he had before. But he would try, and that was the best he could do. As long as Elena was okay with him trying then he would continue to do so until he was ready to push himself further. Luckily for him, he didn't have time to wonder if she was just saying that for his sake as she leaned forward and gave him a kiss on the lips. Thomas kissed her in return gently and when they both pulled away she giggled just as he noticed her lipstick had faded. She called him very beautiful and Thomas rolled his eyes before saying, "Is this my shade then you think? Maybe I should pick up some on the way home." He teased in return, forcing his shoulders to relax as he settled into his seat more.

He was just starting to let himself enjoy the moment when Elena announced that she was going to use the restroom before Nat and Leo returned. Thomas was about to get out of his seat to escort her to the restroom when she placed her hand on his chest as if to keep him in his seat. Respecting her privacy, when she asked if he'd be okay he nodded his head. "Don't take too long okay?" He said despite her already reassuring him that she would be fast. Biting the inside of his cheek nervously, he watched her until she disappeared into the crowd.

With her gone, Thomas' knees started to bounce nervously. He had way too much time to think now that everyone had left him sitting at the table alone. A minute had gone by, then 3, Thomas rationalized that maybe she was just fixing her makeup or something, or chatting with another woman. Once the 5-minute mark hit, Thomas leaped out of his seat uncontrollably. None of them had returned yet and a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach told him something was wrong. Hurrying towards the restrooms, he rather rudely pushed past people who were in his way without saying so much as "excuse me" way too focused on Elena who had not made any return.

He prayed that she would just be rounding the corner when he rounded it as well and that they would awkwardly bump into one another like they did at home but when he rounded it and she didn't show, he felt sick. Thomas stopped just in front of the women's restroom, standing in front of the door as a few men passed. They gave him a weird look and one of them uttered under their breath something about Thomas being absolutely plastered. So much so that they thought he was confusing restrooms. Thomas didn't want to walk into the ladies' restroom and cause a scene, he didn't want to risk getting arrested again. He quickly stepped aside and waited a few minutes while we watched woman after woman file out of the bathroom. No one else was entering it so he took his chance and slipped inside.

"Elena?" Thomas said in a deep voice. All the stalls were wide open and no one was in the restroom causing his throat to tighten with anxiety. "Fuck fuck fuck!" He growled out before racing out of the bathroom, nearly running a woman over in the process who was making her way in. He frantically looked down the hallway and didn't see any sign of her before heading back out into the main casino area. "Elena?!" He called out, causing a few people to look at him oddly but he just ignored them as he continued to push his way back towards their table in hopes she was just sitting there and they had missed each other somehow.

When no one was there, Thomas cursed under his breath and made his way out towards the exit. Something was definitely wrong, seriously wrong. The cigarette smoke and smell of booze felt like they were gripping him in a headlock, choking him as he panicked. He flew out the front doors into the night. "Elena!" He yelled out and Nat's voice called his name hoarsely, though he ignored her the first time. "Thomas!!" She said again and the man turned around widely, looking bewildered as if he forgot that Leo and Nat were even with them tonight.

"Thomas, what's going on? Where's Elena?" Natasha asked and that's when Thomas felt like he was too weak to stand any further, "I don't know! I don't know, she's gone...I lost her...Someone must have...I can't lose -" The man stepped forward towards Natasha, stumbling before falling forward, only catching himself with his other foot slightly as Natasha grabbed him, embracing him in a hug while trying to keep him steady. "Thomas, Thomas, your not making any sense. Who would take Elena?" Nat asked, the tears she had been crying quickly drying as she focused on yet another serious situation. "Leo! Help me grab him, his legs are not gonna hold him for much longer!" She demanded, a bit sharply given the conversation they had just engaged in. "Thomas, who would take her?"

Looking at Leo as Nat held him in an embrace, Thomas met the man's eyes, "I don't know. But she's gone!" He cried. "We need to call Adam!!"
with: Leo Melanin-Gxdess
mentions: Elena Pyroclast ; Adam Misty Gray

 

[BloodLightning27]

~James Edwards: Chapter's End~

---

London, England | Undisclosed Sullivan Safehouse

As the situation replayed in the back of his mind, Edwards could not help but wonder about what he could have done differently. But this happened all the time, especially whenever his Colleagues got hurt. Sure, this time it was different because his new Colleagues were not top-tier soldiers who saw combat abroad. Though with that Tom had carried himself, Edwards would think he's Ex-Military. However, with no real way to prove it, he just kept his mouth shut. Edwards may not have been the most talkative throughout most of his life, particularly during his time as a Sailor, but he still observed and analyzed, paying close attention to his surroundings. But no one was really perfect. There was always that one percent chance of things going downhill or even horribly wrong. Put him in certain situations enough, that one percent is gonna come up. Hell, it could have come up today... His train of thought then came to another screeching halt when he heard Adam chime in on Tom's paygrade comment following his own response.

"You lads are more than welcome to be stationed on guard duty if the real action ain't your thing. Spend one day dragged around clothes stores with the mob wives and you'll be begging to be back out here again."

“Yer right.”

He simply shook his head, briefly having a smile before it faded as quickly as it formed. "No sir, I think I'll take my chances out on the field. One way or the other. It's what I've been doing for the last fourteen years. Don't think I'm really cut out to do anything else." As the small talk continued, going towards the subject of Aiden's death, Adam also proceeded to speak on it too, considering who had killed him and whether or not it was intentional or otherwise.

"Whether you think someone's got the heart for it or not, the need to survive will kick in. There could still be intent - even if that intent is self-preservation or that of a loved one."

Soon after he had said his prayer Reina called him out for playing hero prior to the Sullivans' Exit from the area due to the incoming arrival of London Police, prompting the Sicario to look over and briefly making eye-contact.

"Hey dick head, next time you wanna play hero, try making sure the gunman doesn't have his gun aimed at my goddamned throat. I'd really appreciate it. I had everything under control."

He wasn't gonna argue. He knew what he did and he was gonna own up to it, one way or the other. He had done this before during his previous missions and more often then not, he'd save his Brothers from certain death. In that moment, he had forgotten that things were different this time and he was fresh blood in Organized Crime and it could have been costly as he did not take the extra moment to check where Christian was aiming his gun. Rather then returning a smart-ass comment, he just looked her in the eye after her anger-induced comments. "Yes Ma'am." He said calmly before straightening out his jacket.

It was not long until they had arrived at the safe house and everyone got out of the van one by one before filing into the Safehouse. When Olivier, the Medic awaiting their arrival, asked if anyone else was injured. Edwards only shook his head, as he was not hurt at all. Sure, he had the barrel of a gun on the back of his head, but it didn't leave any marks or anything. As Olivier went ahead and tended to Tom, Edwards folded his arms and took a deep breath before looking around at his Colleagues. Like his Brothers in Arms that had come before them, Edwards wanted every mission and outing to end with everyone coming home alive. Soon, Tom called out to him while speaking with Olivier.

"Don’t toss it. I have a collection of bullets from being shot. This will be number six.”

He then pulled the bullet out of his jacket pocket before walking over to hand it to the young man. "Well, here you go then."

Afterwards, Adam began to address the group, telling them why their mission went the way it did, particularly why it didn't result in any of the Kings, or themselves, getting killed.

"Let me get one thing straight while we're all here together."

"I was put in charge of this evening's mission and the reason we didn't leave any of them pricks dead - which we could very easily have done - is because I made the decision not to. The Boss trusted me to make the right call tonight, and having spent decades fighting these fights, this was the best call for the Sullivans right now. Any problems with that, you take it up with me. If not me, take it to the top, they'll hear you out, I'm sure."

After Adam had finished, followed by Tom's response, Edwards folded his arms. "No problems here, sir."

---

Interactions: Tom Thatcher BasDorcha | Adam Harper Misty Gray | Reina Richards Melanin-Gxdess
Nearby: Emery Callahan, Dermot Murphy Misty Gray | Olivier Morillon Pyroclast

 

[Misty Gray]

Trevor Stewart's House
~ Islington, London ~
Tuesday 23rd July 1985
...2 days later...

Trevor Stewart and Spencer King​

After parking his car on the street in his usual empty spot, Trevor walked up the pathway that led to the front door of his rented house. Having only intended on a couple of beers in the pub, he'd be comfortable enough driving for the evening. It was only 10pm when he left the pub, but no matter how much effort he put in to improve himself these days, he wouldn't be able to make just two pints last until last orders. Fully aware of the Kings having been watching him, along with them no doubt knowing about Harper's recent visit, Trevor couldn't help but feel vigilant as he walked up to the front door. Once he'd reached the top step, he looked over his shoulder once more before unlocking the front door with his key. As soon as he was inside the house, he locked and bolted the door behind him.

After he'd hung his coat up, he walked down the hallway to the kitchen door. Although the kitchen was dimly lit by a mixture of the outside back garden lights and the moonlight, Trevor flicked on the light switch so he could better see to fill the kettle. As soon as he grabbed the handle of the kettle, his attention was drawn past the kitchen breakfast counter to the sofa of the open plan kitchen and living room. Only now did the two figures seated on the couch stand out to him. "I wondered how long it would be until any of you showed up," Trevor casually remarked. Holding up the empty kettle up, he cocked his head to the side. "Anyone for a cuppa?"

"Sit the fuck down," Spencer forcefully commanded the man from his seat on the couch, pointing his pistol to the armchair directly opposite himself and Bruce to indicate to Trevor where to sit.

Trevor let out a heavy sigh that sounded like it was laced with disappointment. "Very well," he muttered as he placed the kettle down on the worktop. As he rounded the breakfast counter, he flicked on the light switch for the living room area so he could better see Bruce and Spencer. Before doing as he was told and sitting, he took a moment to study the patio door that had clearly been the location of forced entry into his home. "How about I just get you lads a key cut so I don't have to fork out for door repairs? The place is rented, so I'd rather not cause my landlord the extra work." Knowing not to push his luck too much, Trevor moved to sit in the armchair across from his ex-brother-in-law and his eldest son. Watching as Spencer for now slipped his gun inside his jacket and out of sight, Trevor figured his unwelcome guests were prepared to talk before getting trigger happy. "Glad you've put the gun away, Spence. I've done a lot of shitty things in my time, but waving guns around was never one of them, so you can't blame me for that one, and Laura certainly didn't like 'em. You must be real proud, Bruce," Trevor commented. Lightly shaking his head, he reminded himself not to provoke the pair of them too much in the current situation. "The fact you haven't just killed me already tells me you might want to talk first. I'm all ears. Why are you both in my living room?" he asked, looking directly to Bruce.

As the three men were seated inside, the Kings' driver remained in his car across the street whilst Kane continued to guard the exterior of Trevor's house.

Pyroclast (Bruce)

 

[Pyroclast]

Trevor Stewart's House
~ Islington, London ~
Tuesday 23rd July 1985
...2 days later...

Bruce King​

There wasn’t much needed in the way of briefing when Spencer and Bruce broke into Trevor’s house and waited for the man to arrive. They both knew exactly what they wanted to get out of their unfriendly visit, and so most of their time spent sitting in the dark was in a pensive, serious silence. However, the two of them remained alert, and so when they finally heard the jingling of keys at the front door, Bruce glanced up to catch Spencer’s eye and then watched as an unsuspecting Trevor wandered into the kitchen and switched on the light.

It didn’t take him long to notice the pair sitting on the other side of the open-plan room, and in the end he didn’t seem too surprised. He even offered them a cup of tea, which Spencer was quick to shoot down, using his pistol to command him to sit down in the armchair opposite them. Bruce remained silent, a steely glare directed at Trevor while he patiently waited for him to stop making his insufferable comments. Before he or Spencer had even begun to explain the reason for their meeting, Trevor made a few attempts to rile them up, but Bruce wasn’t having it, and he was glad that Spencer managed to hold his tongue, too.

“We’re ‘ere to offer you a deal,” Bruce said, still leaning comfortably back in his seat. “Your time in London is over, Trevor. It’s time to wrap up your business, pack up your life and get the hell out of my city. You’ve come too close to my family - any closer, and I’ll have to kill ya’. It’s as simple as that: either you turn your back on us all and start a new life somewhere else, or I cut it short.”

Interactions
Misty Gray Spencer, Trevor

 

[Misty Gray]

Trevor Stewart's House
~ Islington, London ~
Tuesday 23rd July 1985
...2 days later...

Trevor Stewart and Spencer King​

Trevor slouched back in his armchair as Bruce informed him he and Spencer were there to offer him a deal. Trevor raised a curious eyebrow at the men, but silently nodded as he waited for them to continue. When his ex-brother-in-law told him it was his time to leave London, Trevor ran his hand over his mouth, if only to hide the irritation that threatened to break out onto his features. The two other men clearly wanted him away from their family, as expected. Then, Bruce set out the supposed deal. Either Trevor left London or Bruce would kill him. Glancing to Spencer's serious expression, he figured his son wanted to kill him too. "That doesn't sound like a good deal to me," he remarked.

"No part of this is to benefit you, Trevor. You either fuck off or you die. Those are the terms and they are your only options," Spencer firmly assured him, his glare practically piercing through the man's skull.

Trevor sat forward in his seat, sharing brief eye-contact before shaking his head and taking a moment to think. "I'm not here to cause trouble. I belong here in this city and this is where I plan on staying. I want to make up for all of the shit I've done; to prove that I've changed and I ain't the selfish prick I used to be. I'm not here to try patch things up with you two fellas - that ship had long since sailed. We bring out the worst in each other. But, we're all grown ups here. Harper is a grown adult too. I want to get to know her but that ain't for me to dictate and I haven't done so. Harper came to me and I wasn't about to turn her away. She's old enough to make her own choices and you both need to understand that."

"You think you belong in this city? Listen. If you don't fuck off out of it we'll gladly make sure you die in it," Spencer warned him, the gun in his pocket suddenly feeling heavier.

"I wanted to do all of this the right way, so let it be known that the pair of you are pushing me to this. I don't want to be a dick about it, but I have to protect myself," he said, sitting up straight. "So, I have a counter-offer. I'm going to stay in London and in return, you get to watch your kid grow up from the outside of a prison visiting room," Trevor confidently told Spencer. Before Spencer could interrupt, Trevor held out his hand. "Let me finish," he calmly asked. "I don't want to do this, but of course I had to come here with some insurance, to make sure I wasn't laying dead in the bottom of the Thames already. Alex, Billy and Harper are all grown adults, so leave it for them to decide whether they trust me or not." Trevor shook his head. "You blame me for Laura's death, but of the men in this room, I'm not a murderer... If anything happens to me, you'll be sacrificing your own freedom and losing out on a happy life with your wife and kid. Don't do something you'll regret. I'm not worth it to you, Spence," Trevor explained. Looking back to Bruce, he tried to figure if the man understood what was at risk. "I'm going to stay in London and I wish to prove to those who will listen that I've changed. And nobody's going to come threatening me again."

Pyroclast (Bruce)

 

[Pyroclast]

Trevor Stewart's House
~ Islington, London ~
Tuesday 23rd July 1985
...2 days later...

Bruce King​

One of the things Bruce had always hated about Trevor was his unwillingness to accept his place. Even when he knew he was doing something wrong, he didn’t care, and would never show Bruce any remorse. He showed no respect, simply because he didn’t care to. His arrogant attitude infuriated Bruce to no end, and so even though it didn’t surprise him to hear the man challenge the offer being made to him, he couldn’t stop the twitch return to his eye upon listening to it.

What did surprise him, however, was the reason behind his cocky attitude. Bruce listened with interest when he brought forth a counter-offer, wondering how he was expecting to get out of the life-or-death situation he had been put in - but when it came out that he had dirt on Spencer, the sort that could put him behind bars, his intrigue only grew. It was true that their firm ran on a certain level of criminal activity, but Trevor hadn’t been a part of their lives for so many years that Bruce couldn’t imagine how he could have learned anything of their business. He used the word ‘murderer’, suggesting that the crime or crimes in question were about Spencer killing somebody - but still Bruce couldn’t understand how the man would know anything about it. Unless there was something else Spencer wasn’t telling him?

Either way, Trevor seemed confident that nobody would be able to threaten him to leave London again considering what he knew. Without so much as a doubtful glance in his nephew’s direction, Bruce leaned forward, his eyes locked on Trevor. “And what, may I ask, is the evidence you have that’ll put my nephew away for life?”