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

[Pyroclast]

Finn and George's Home
~ Sutton, Dublin ~

Olivier Morillon and Elena Velazco​

From the symptoms Adam claimed to be experiencing, it sounded to Olivier that he was suffering the effects of the blood loss. Hearing that he had been bleeding for up to two hours was alarming, and though Adam had said something about a risk of infection, the blood loss was a bigger priority for the moment. While the man did his best to recount the evening’s events, Olivier perched on a stool at his bedside and examined the deep laceration on his thigh. Wiping away any surface blood, he then packed the wound with gauze and held it firmly with his fingers to maintain pressure.
“George, are you fine with blood?” he briefly interrupted Adam to call over to his friend. “I need you to hold this gauze in place, keep the pressure on with your fingers right where mine are. If it starts to bleed out the top, just pack more in, okay?”

Once George had taken his place, Olivier moved up to check the untreated burn mark on his neck. From the small circular shape, it was quite obviously the mark of a cigarette, but already looked to be in need of a thorough clean. “Keep going,” he encouraged the man, not wanting him to stop speaking in case he lost consciousness. Whilst he was gathering useful information from Adam’s account of what had happened, it also let him know that his memory was still functioning well and that he was lucid. On top of that, it made clear why Adam had been concerned about his stab wound becoming infected and how he had acquired the burn mark on his neck.

Olivier briefly paused upon hearing that Elena had been forced to stab her own father. He glanced over to her, still looking frightened even in her sleep. Impatient to conduct further tests on the girl, Olivier fitted a small ice pack over the burn to try and get the temperature down before he could clean it. “Kicked, punched, burned and stabbed, eh?” he tutted with a smile. “And shot just the other week. Are you checking these off a list or something?”

He caught the way Adam placed a hand over his heart as he took some deep breaths, and it made his optimistic words sound foolish when he spoke of being back on his feet. “I’m afraid that’s for me to decide, my friend,” Olivier gently asserted. “If you want your leg to heal, you’ll listen to me.”

With George still applying pressure to the packed wound, Olivier moved to the bed next to Adam’s, where his daughter lay, and checked her blood pressure and heart rate. Both were abnormally low, but he didn’t panic, instead slightly leaning down to her. “Elena?” When she didn’t stir, he called her name again and gave her shoulder a light shake. At this, the young woman’s eyelids fluttered and she rolled her head up with a faint groan.

“Hi Elena,” he said, and her eyes began to focus on him. “Do you know where you are?”

She hesitated for a few seconds as she processed the question, and looked around her: at the cot bed she was on, the drip, the machines. “Hospital.”

“Even better than hospital - you’re in a private clinic with some very good friends of your father’s. Look, he’s right next to you, being looked after just like we’re going to look after you.”

Elena glanced over at Adam and though her weary expression didn’t change, her eyes filled with tears.

“Do you remember where you were? And what happened to you?”

Turning to face Olivier again, Elena lightly nodded her head, but her lip was trembling. “I don’t want to…”

While it would have helped to have a complete overview of what they had done to her, it was quite clear that forcing her to recount it would only upset her. Based on the state of her torn clothes, he was keen to know if and how she had been sexually assaulted, but those were not examinations he was going to do without her consent, so for the time being his sole focus was on stabilising her. “Okay, that’s okay,” he assured her. “Can you tell me how you feel right now? Do you have any pain? Dolor?”

Through a mixture of English, Spanish and pointing, Elena managed to communicate the severe aches in her head and stomach and confirmed that her captors had barely been feeding her. Her gaze kept landing on Adam as she spoke, taking comfort in his presence and reminding herself that she really was safe. Though the intravenous drip was helping to rehydrate her, Olivier passed her the bottle of water and instructed her to take small sips if she wanted. “I’ll just be here with your papa, Elena, okay?” he assured her with an encouraging smile, and draped a blanket over her up to her waist.

Back at Adam’s side, Olivier thanked George for his help and saw that the bleeding had stopped. “Right Adam, I’m going to flush out this big gash of yours, it might hurt a bit,” he casually warned him as he pulled out the gauze. “Are you feeling okay? Not going to pass out on me or be sick or something? Because I’d like some warning before you do.” Careful not to disturb any clots of blood, Olivier wiped the wound clean and then proceeded to squirt the saline solution into it. It was filthy, the dark mud visible on the walls of the wound, and though he was well-practised at not showing it, he was concerned about the risk of infection. It took some time to completely cleanse the wound, but eventually he was able to start stitching it up.

More people had begun to enter the house in search of injured loved ones. Olivier expected it, knowing that family members had been informed, but to Elena it was disorienting to see so many people around. “Óliver,” she croaked, a tremble in her voice.

“Are you okay, Elena?” Olivier responded, still having to focus on the wound he was stitching up. “I won’t be a second, just patching up your dad.”

“Tomás y-y Leo, they…they are also here? And they…are they…?”

“Thomas and Leo are both awake, their doctor is fantastic and will make sure they’re okay,” he assured her, glancing over at her to see the look of distress on her face. “I’ll go and say hi to them in a bit and see how they’re doing, okay? Don’t you worry, Elena.”

Isabella Velazco​

The man who had come over gave Isabella a brief explanation that Adam was out looking for Elena, but the lack of other details offended her. As the missing girl’s mother, she believed she had the right to know everything - why she had been taken, who had taken her, where Adam was expecting to find her and why he hadn’t managed to find her yet. Isabella seethed when James suggested that she calm down. She had to quash the urge to slap him. “Yes, Isabella,” she reiterated with an impatient sigh. “Ah, Adam knows what he is doing. Okay. My daughter is missing for five days because he knows what he is doing.”

Isabella still didn’t have a clue who the man was, but she felt inclined to listen to him since he seemed to know what she was talking about. It had taken her months to track Adam down, not least because she didn’t even know his name. All she had to go on was the name of the man whose parties she used to attend in Havana in the 60s: ‘Liam Sullivan’. Anyone who would get her closer to her daughter, no matter who they were or how they spoke to her, she was willing to follow. So, as much as the two men she was currently talking to infuriated her, she was forced to respect their knowledge on the matter of where her daughter was.

After all the gangsters she had had to face to help her track down where Elena had gone, both friends and enemies of Adam’s, Isabella had become hard to intimidate. She was already a tough woman but having to confront so many shady figures on her journey had only strengthened her tough exterior. So when James informed her that Elena had been found and that he would be able to take her to her, she found it easy to conceal how much she wanted to cry in that moment.

The beautiful picturesque house that they pulled up to a short time later was far from what Isabella was expecting. It was unlike any house she had ever seen, appearing more like a converted church with its decorated windows, pointed roof and old stone exterior. It was adorned with wisteria and other climbing plants, with a lush front garden and a small wooden gate that didn’t exactly look high-security. But then the security appeared, in the form of a smartly-dressed man who demanded to pat her down. Instead of protesting, Isabella bit down on her tongue and showed her disapproval in the form of a glare which she fixed on James.

As soon as the guard let her go, Isabella marched ahead and stormed through the front door. The house was full of conversation, with multiple people being treated and even more surrounding them - but it only took her a few seconds to spot the girl she was after.

“ELENA!”

The name came out as more of a scream than a call, and in a flash the woman was at her bedside. Elena’s eyes widened and the heart monitor that she was hooked up to began to beep rapidly, prompting Olivier to look up.

“Elena, te llevaras a casa, lejos de estos hombres peligrosos -”

Isabella was grabbing her by the arm and trying to lift her upright, explaining to her in Spanish that she needed a real hospital and that she would be safe once they were back in Cuba.

“Hey, hey!” Olivier jumped to his feet and came to stand between the two women. “I don’t know who you are but you can’t take her, she’s my patient and needs to stay here!”

Isabella slapped him hard across the face. “SHE’S MY DAUGHTER!” she roared at the medic. “She comes back to Cuba with me, away from you - you monstruos!”

While the slap was unexpected, Olivier managed to quickly shake it off, more concerned by Elena’s soaring heart rate as she appeared to be having a panic attack. Meanwhile, Isabella’s fierce eyes had landed on a man laying on the bed next to her daughter. At first he had only looked vaguely familiar, but now that she was getting a proper look at him she knew exactly who he was. Those handsome, rugged features had only matured on him since they had first met at that glamorous party in Havana 20 years before.

Seeing Elena for the first time in several months, and in the condition she was in, had upset Isabella enough that she no longer cared to hold back. “You,” she growled at Adam, tears forming in her eyes. “You, you take away my daughter -” She pointed a manicured nail in his face. “All this time, she is with YOU, and you don’t tell me? She is missing and you don’t TELL ME?!”

In her distress, Elena was trying desperately to escape, tugging at the tube inserted into her vein and trying to scramble out of bed. Olivier was busy trying to stop her, softly but firmly encouraging her to calm her down and keep her in place.

Isabella slapped Adam and grabbed him by the face, digging her fingernails into his flesh as she forced him to look her in the eyes. “You keep Elena from me, you criminal,” she spat. “You did this to her. You rob her from me, mi propria hija, and you put her in this danger!” Letting go of his head with force, Isabella slammed a fist down against the man’s chest. She then ripped off the ice pack from his neck and threw it onto the floor before reaching back and punching the wound on his leg that had clearly been freshly stitched up, pressing down into it with her knuckles.

“THAT’S ENOUGH!” Olivier shouted at her, letting Elena go for a moment as he leapt over to Adam’s bedside and took Isabella firmly by the shoulders. “My patients are undergoing treatment and you need to leave them alone. Get out.”

“You don’t know what you talk about, stupid child,” Isabella snapped at him.

“Calm down and stop attacking my patients or the guards here are going to force you out of here, and I can’t promise they won’t hurt you.”

“Papa,” Elena whimpered from the bed, reaching across the space between their beds in search of his hand. “I want to stay with you…”

With Olivier’s firm hands squeezing her shoulders tight, Isabella knew she would only be allowed to remain at her daughter’s bedside if she calmed down. So, after some deep breaths, she swallowed the lump in her throat and locked eyes with Olivier. “I am calm,” she insisted with a forced smile. “Now take your hands off me.”

She hadn’t missed Elena’s words to Adam and couldn’t deny that they stung. Once Olivier finally let her go and returned to Elena to make sure she was stable, Isabella stepped back over to Adam’s bedside and, forcing herself to control her anger, she swept her hair behind her shoulder and cleared her throat. “Adam Harper,” she opened, her calm tone of voice obviously forced. “Start talking.”

Interactions
Misty Gray monster criminal failure of a father, Adam Harper

Mentioned:
Bellz Tomás
Melanin-Gxdess Leo

 

[Misty Gray]

Finn & George Sullivans House
~ Sutton, Dublin ~

Adam Harper and George Sullivan​

Adam wasn't used to laying back and letting others look after him, but even if the effects of his wounds and blood loss weren't enough to keep him down, he was smart enough to know when not to act like he was invincible. George had been making sure to keep himself available between Finn and Olivier, helping out whoever needed him. When Olivier asked if he was okay with blood, George quickly nodded. "I'm all good with blood," he confirmed. In the ten years he'd spent in prison, he'd seen far more blood and violence that he cared to recall, so by the time he was settled with Finn and getting pulled into helping his husband patch up injured gangsters, there wasn't much left to shock George. As instructed, he held the gauze in place over the stab wound on Adam's leg. "Roger that," he confirmed he understood the doctor's instructions.

Having heard Adam's recollection, Olivier made a joke about his variation of injuries and asked if he was checking them off of a list. "Oh yeah. I've got a bucket list. For my next one, how are you at dealing with poisoning or asphyxiation?" he drily joked. His suggestion he'd be back on his feet after replenishing his energy and thirst didn't seem to meet Olivier's approval and the doctor asserted he needed to listen to him. "I like it when you get bossy, monsieur!" he tiredly remarked.

Olivier moved to check on Elena, leaving George to keep at Adam's side. As he applied the pressure he looked to Adam and decided to keep the man talking. "You can admit if it hurts, y'know. Promise it'll be our little secret," he teased, to which Adam grunted out a playful reply for him to 'fuck off'. George let out a small chuckle. "There he is! Can't take the macho out of the man," George teased back. When he noticed Adam appeared to be listening in on the words being exchanged between Elena and Olivier, he fell silent seeing as his patient was at least focusing on something to stay conscious.

Adam tightened his already painful jaw as he heard how upset his daughter sounded as she said she didn't want to talk about what happened to her. Having been told by her what the three bastards had done with she was in their captivity, he understand why she didn't want to talk about it. All he wanted to do was comfort her and assure her she was safe. Hell, he wasn't sure he ever wanted to let her out of his sight again.

Olivier soon returned to Adam and set about treating his leg wound. He warned him it would hurt getting it flushed out, to which Adam subtly nodded. It was one of those days where pain was clearly on the agenda. Asked if he was going to pass out or be sick, he shook his head. Though he did feel drained of strength and was nauseous, he was certain it wasn't going to develop into throwing up. "Fuck--" he hissed as Olivier flushed out the wound. "Pardon my French," he muttered.

As his wound was being stitched up, Adam heard Elena begin to worriedly speak out, asking about the others. "We're all right here," he spoke out to reassure her, but it came out quieter than intended. Thankfully, Olivier spoke up to reassure her that Thomas and Leo were both okay.

There was a brief moment of quiet as Olivier finished patching up Adam's leg. George had taken the opportunity to wash his hands and then go into the other room to see if Finn needed any help. If Adam was about to slip into any kind of sleep or moment of relaxation, it was soon put to a stop when he heard a female voice loudly screech out Elena's name. Adam struggled to prop himself up on his elbows and opened his eyes wider to focus. As soon as he saw the woman's face, he realised who it was. Perhaps had it not been for Elena showing up in Dublin and unlocking forgotten memories of Isabella, it would have take him much longer to recognise the woman from 20 years ago. "Am I in Hell?" he asked Olivier.

Isabella's loud and angry entry had somehow put a boost into Adam's energy, causing him to quickly sit up on his makeshift bed. The woman was grabbing at Elena, forcing Olivier to intervene and take a slap across the face from Isabella in the process. "Leave him out of this!" Adam spoke up, his voice loud but hoarse. His attempt to get off of the bed to be on his feet was stopped before he could do much, not only the pain in his leg but the brief wave of dizziness that overcame him from sitting up so fast. Soon enough, Isabella's attention landed on Adam and it didn't take her long to recognise him, thus diverting her fury in his direction. The woman yelled at him, accusing him of taking Elena and yelling at him for not telling him their daughter was missing. "Well... she was born and you DIDN'T TELL ME THAT!" he shouted back at her, causing him to briefly cough as he hadn't fully quenched his thirst yet.

Isabella grabbed him by the face, prompting the pain to surge throughout as she pressed into the flesh and also put pressure onto existing injuries. She went on to accuse him of taking Elena from her, pointing out that he was a criminal. He couldn't deny he was, but kidnapping Elena was not on his list of crimes! She went on to rip the ice pack from his neck and then forcefully drive her knuckle into his leg, over his freshly stitched wound. "Hijo de puta!" he reflexively growled out in words she would have no trouble understanding.

Before Adam could fire back at Isabella, Olivier stepped into take her by the shoulders and pulled her back, urging her to leave his patients alone. With the pain now radiating in his leg, Adam took a moment to get his head back together and process the woman's words. His attention was drawn to Elena as she spoke out to him, telling him she wanted to stay with him. After everything that had happened to her over the last few days and with Isabella now present to paint him as the bad guy, he was surprised to hear his daughter still wanted to be anywhere near him. He wanted her to stay with him too, so his response came naturally. "You can stay with me," he reassured her.

Turning back to Isabella, he could see that Olivier had succeeded in getting the woman to calm down. Whilst the doctor returned to Elena's side to tend to her, Isabella approached Adam's bedside and forced herself to appear calm. She addressed him by his full name, prompting him to let out a scoff. Then she asked him to start talking, to which he initially sent her a stubborn shrug of the shoulders.

"Great to see you too," he sarcastically told Isabella. "Let's get one thing straight. Escúchame. Elena came here, to me. I did not take her. I did not steal nuestra hija. Elena came here to find me because she wanted to. She is an adult." Shaking his head at the woman's anger he then glared at her. "You never even told me I had a daughter. Le mentiste a Elena. I don't owe you any explanation and she wants to stay here. Don't storm in here kicking off at me when you're guilty of shit too!"

Pyroclast (Elena, Olivier, Isabella)
Bellz (Blake?)

 

[Bellz]

Lucy Porter
Thomas Porter
Ginn's House
The not crazy side to the left
~ Sutton, Dublin ~​

Lucy had been having a good time, a great time in fact! But in the years she'd spent exposed to this life, she knew that it could all change at the drop of a hat. The look on her sister-in-law's face said it all and Lucy didn't hesitate to follow as she grabbed her wrist. Ali had explained in haste what happened and Lucy's heart nearly leaped out of her throat. Following behind Ali, she got into the car with Dermot, wanting to give Ali and Conor the space they needed without Lucy's anxiety filling up the car. Blake had stopped to call Natasha, who answered the phone surprisingly but sounded like she'd just been on her way out of the house to hang out with a friend. Once she made the call, Blake got into the car with Lucy, her hands shaking as adrenaline filled her veins. Hurt, not dead. Hurt, not dead. Hurt, not dead. She kept repeating in her head to keep her thoughts from entertaining the absolute worst.

Lucy turned to Blake, seeing the shape she was in, and pulled her in for a hug in the backseat, tears already streaming down both of their faces. She wasn't sure the condition they were all in but she knew she wouldn't be ready for it either way and looking at Blake she knew the woman felt the same.

***​

Lucy leaped out of the car before it even came to a stop, running up to the front door and letting herself in without knocking. Ali and Conor had already arrived and in that moment all she cared about was making sure her baby boy was okay. "Thomas?!" Lucy called, turning to see Finn waving her down in his main living room. Thomas looked up for one moment at the sound of his name before groaning and his head hitting the soft pillow beneath him quickly. "Finn? Just knock me out quick, before she gets-" Suddenly his mother's tearful face was hovering above him, causing him to shut his mouth immediately.

"Oh look at you! What have they done to you!?" Thomas winced at the sound. "Mom, I'm fine." He said simply briefly forgetting how much that phrase triggered her. The look on her face turned sour and Thomas was looking for a way out now. "I'm fine...I'm mean...ah fuck." He tried to say anything other than he was fine. "Thomas Wayne Porter! You are not fine! You have a fucking shoe mark on your neck!" Lucy said, moving to check him over, gasping as the tears streamed down her face at the other visible wounds.

"Mom, I'm F-" He stopped himself with a sigh, wincing as it hurt to take a deep breath. "I'm okay. Really. I'll survive." He tried to play it off to which Lucy glared at him. "You really are your father's twin! You are going to shut up and rest that voice because you look like hell, and you are going to let me dote on you, are we, clear mister?!" She hissed and Thomas looked at her with wide eyes, glancing towards his Uncle and Aunt Ali who was currently talking to Leo.

In his distraction, Lucy came and clutched her boy, hugging him gently and being careful of his wounds before pressing a kiss to his dirt-covered forehead. "Mommm" Thomas said, rolling his eyes but the smallest of smiles played on his lips.
with: Jimbo Misty Gray HELP ME

Blake McCarthy
Ginn's House
The Chaotic Family Feud Side to the Right
~ Sutton, Dublin ~​

Blake had trailed behind Lucy, despite wanting nothing more than to run in to be by Adam's side. Natasha would pull up any moment. Blake had a suspicion as to why Leo and her daughter had ended it. The very thing that Blake was always afraid of. But that didn't mean she'd kept it from loving someone...at least not recently. But Natasha had seen Blake suffer for years in silence, forcing herself to be alone so as to avoid the most agonizing pain she'd ever experienced and never hoped to again.

The blonde was making small talk with Dermot, letting herself pass some time as she prepared herself to step inside the house. She would wait for her daughter...at least that was the plan until James and an unfamiliar blonde woman were storming towards the house. The woman didn't even give her a second glance, hardly even a first as she stormed inside the house. "Who's the dame?" Blake asked James, allowing him to speak just before the screaming started. With eyes wide, Blake ran inside before James.

The woman was speaking fluent Spanish and it all clicked. She had reached the entryway to the room where Adam and Elena were and Blake's eyes looked between them as the woman shouted before slapping Olivier across the face. Elena looked like she was fearful for her life at that moment, the panic on her face and Blake felt for her. Her attention was solely on her until Isabella grabbed Adam's face. Blake saw red at that moment surging forward ready to give the woman a piece of her mind. She hardly heard Adam raise his voice at anyone, so it was surprising when he yelled at Isabella. Clearly, there was a reason he left her.

Jaw clenched, Blake stood in the middle of the room now, feeling sorely out of place in this seemingly unwanted family reunion. Isabella calmed down, and for the woman's sake, Blake was glad she did. While Isabella went to his bedside, Blake went to check on Elena. "I'm gonna get you out of this, kid." She said to the girl, "I'm so glad you're okay." Biting her lip, she turned to Adam and Isabella as Adam raised his voice again. All this yelling was going to give their daughter a heart attack.

"Alright listen!" Blake said, raising her own voice, her eyes daring either of them to talk over her at that moment as she pointed to Elena. "Your daughter just went to hell and back! The last thing she needs is a domestic dispute being presented before her over who's fault it was for her being here! Both of you need to grow up!" The blonde said fiercely, her eyes glancing at Elena checking to see if she was okay before glaring at Adam and Isabella.

Blake wanted to hug him, kiss him, and break down into tears before him to express how thankful she was that he was okay. That he wasn't going to leave her in this world for another one. Drawing in a shaky breath as the emotions of what she was seeing threatened to drown her, Blake let out that very same breath, swallowing the lump in her throat with it. "Your daughter is hurting. Now is not the time to be fighting, she could have been dead today. You...Adam...could have been dead. Leo and Thomas could have been dead! It's not fucking worth it arguing over this right now when you should be thanking your lucky stars that she made it through this!"
with: Adam Misty Gray ; Isabella + Elena + Olivier Pyroclast

Natasha McCarthy
Ginn's House
On the not yelling side to the left lol
~ Sutton, Dublin ~​

Despite the breakup, Nat had dropped all her plans the minute her mother called her. She spent the whole damn drive convincing herself that she wasn't going for Leo, that she was going for Thomas, Adam, and Elena. She knew Leo was fine...he had to be. There were so many cars in the driveway that Nat had to park her car on the grass in an awkward way.

But she had barely turned off the car and parked it before she kicked open the door. Having to steel her nerves was no easy feat, especially as she reached for the front door handle. There was yelling inside and Nat pushed through the door, stumbling slightly as her legs threatened to give out. Catching herself, Nat looked between the two living room areas. Her mother was giving a lecture so Nat was definitely going to stay out of that room. Her back had been to where Leo was but when she turned around, her heart nearly stopped.

Forcing herself to keep it together, she walked into the room, leaning against the entryway a few feet away. Thomas was getting smothered with Lucy and James was probably busy trying to save him from her now. Nat wrapped her arms around herself for comfort at that moment. She had caught the end of Leo's explanation of how they found Elena, who Nat was looking forward to checking on. The blonde had been worried sick. Nat stared at Leo for a long time, just watching as he was distracted by his parents.

Her bottom lip trembled without her permission and her eyes burned, seeing just how badly he'd been hurt. Putting a hand to her mouth, Nat turned her head to look away, staring at the wall across from her.
with: Leo + Ali Melanin-Gxdess ; Conor Misty Gray

 

[BasDorcha]

Finn's Place
Dublin
Michelle Romano​

Michelle laughed at her brother, it was nice to feel like she was finally getting the chance to know them better – there was a lot he could tell her that she didn’t already know. He looked terrible though, and before she knew it, she was tearing up, her eyes puffing and pinking a bit. Is this the kind of life she was going to be getting use too? “Well, good to know you can dodge bullets, but I don’t think you can dodge your mom here, I’d be much more worried about her.” She patted his leg, before walking to his side and leaning over to give him a gentle hug. Ruffling his hair as she stood she made her way back around the bed, pushing between Ali and Conor like a kid trying to get the attention and hugged them both as well.

“It’s alright. I’m going to step outside, it’s a little cramped in here, but I’ll come back in here in a bit.” She offered them a small smile, trying to calm Aliana. Crowded spaces made her nervous, Michelle had always been a little bit claustrophobic and both of them knew that. As she headed out of the room, she figured it would give them a time to talk business – something she had yet to really get involved with. She did intend on talking to her dad soon, but she wanted to give him time to get better. She always kind of knew what her father’s family did, knew that with as much as she had heard throughout her life they were not a normal family, but because she was so far away, it had mostly been stories. Michelle didn’t want to feel left out, she wanted to be included, but there was a time to tackle that, and her father’s health came first.

Across the hall, a woman was screeching at the top of her voice, causing Michelle to come to a stop to watch the scene. When the woman calmed down, the doctor commanding her with firmness, Michelle decided to high tail it out of there before she could get caught up in there. She instead headed outside, looking for some silence. As the exited the door, she made sure to pat Dermot on the arm, already aware he would be standing just outside the door like a bouncer at the club. “Hey Jolly Green, you hiding from all that too?” She took a seat at his feet, staying out off the way in case someone came out the door and it swung open to smack her.

“You got a light somewhere up there?” She teased. Michelle stood almost a foot shorter than the man behind her, and had made it her personal mission to tease him about it in a light manner every chance she got. One day she was going to get him to tease her back and loosen up a little. The man was a tall hunk of a human, she couldn’t help wanting to flirt with him a bit.

Mentions Melanin-Gxdess Misty Gray

 

[Misty Gray]

Finn & George Sullivans House
~ Sutton, Dublin ~

Dermot Murphy​

After the ladies had rushed out of his car, Dermot had stopped the engine and climbed out of the vehicle much more calmly. After working for the Sullivans as long as he had, he was by now used to the drama and chaos. Whilst he was aware of how serious things often were for the family, he would still choose this over being back with Melinda, his ex-wife. Of course, with Blake making some small-talk with him and him being fully aware of her relationship with the presently injured Adam, he wasn't about to play down how worried she must be feeling.

One of the next vehicles to pull up in the driveway was that belonging to James. It appeared he had an impatient woman keen to get into Ginn's House, but he hadn't seen her before. The attractive woman looked and sounded angry as she stormed towards the house. "I swear I don't know this one," he drily remarked, suggesting to Blake that he wasn't unfamiliar with having angry women rushing at him. One of the other guards then asked Dermot to conduct the woman's search. Dermot, of course, refused so he could instead watch his friend squirm whilst searching the hot-tempered stranger. Once Isabella was given the all clear and she'd rushed into the house, Dermot looked to James and sent a smirk. "Just because you've retired, doesn't mean you can inflict all of the chaos onto the rest of us," he sarcastically joked. When James answered Blake to explain that Isabella was Elena's mother - Adam's ex - Dermot let out a whistle. "Guess he's done for then," he commented.

Soon enough, both Blake and James went into the house. Given all of the family members in the house, Dermot knew he didn't need to be following Aliana and Conor around indoors. Whilst the other guard went to check the outside perimeter of the house, Dermot agreed to keep watch by the front door and driveway. Stood looking out ahead, he couldn't help but listen to the commotion going on inside of the house. He recognised Adam's voice as the man who was clearly having some kind of a slanging match with Isabella. He was definitely grateful for his decision to stay outside.

Hearing the front door open, he had a split second thought that he was somehow going to be dragged into helping diffuse a family situation. Feeling a hand on his shoulder he looked and saw it was Michelle who had joined him. When she called him 'Jolly Green' he let out a scoff. He glanced down as she sat on the steps by his feet. When she asked for a light, he nodded his head. "You think I'm tall, but have you ever looked at your skyscraper old man?" he remarked in reference to Conor being noticeably taller than himself. He moved his hand to his pocket, shifting his holstered handgun aside as he fished into his pocket for a lighter. "Can you reach?" he drily remarked as he held the lighter towards her but at enough of a distance that she'd have to make at least a little effort to reach it.

Dermot briefly looked over the driveway to check nothing needed his attention before he focused back on Michelle. "My services are best placed out here. I had enough domestics with the ex-wife, so I'm staying well out of that one in there," he coolly assured her as he used his thumb to indicate the source of the commotion inside. "What's your excuse for being out here?" he curiously asked her. It wasn't often he stood around making small talk with the boss' daughter, but then again, he hadn't had the opportunity until now and she seemed to be sticking around in Dublin.

BasDorcha (Michelle)
Mentioned: Bellz (Blake) Pyroclast (Isabella)

 

[Misty Gray]

Finn & George Sullivans House
~ Sutton, Dublin ~

Conor Sullivan​

Conor nodded his head when Leo told him he'd managed to dodge plenty of bullets. "I should bloody hope so!" When Leo told Aliana he was fine, Conor pulled an exaggerated uncomfortable face. "I wouldn't say that, lad. The women here don't like it when you say that," he remarked, knowing all too well how it grated on the ladies in his family.

Conor listened as Leo began to explain what had happened. Clearly having been told to keep Elena's kidnap a secret, Conor noticed the look Leo sent Aliana, as if awaiting her approval. This prompted the woman to speak up and inform him that Elena had been kidnapped, She explained that the three guys had been out looking but she kept it quiet so as not to stress him. Feeling his headache getting worse, Conor pinched the bridge of his nose and tightly closed his eyes to try block out the discomfort.

After being prompted, Leo explained how Phelan had called the gym to inform them of Elena's location. "Should've known that piss-stain would have been involved," Conor complained about Phelan. Hearing that they knew it was a trap led Conor to move his hand away from his face and look straight at Leo. "You knew it was a trap and you still went? What the hell were you playing at?!" he demanded. "Maybe Adam's excuse is that it was his daughter missing, but what's your excuse for walking into a trap?!" He let out a sigh and lightly shook his head. He knew damn well he'd have done the same in their position, but something about being the boss of the family business made him more inclined to berate anyone else who did something reckless. "Well, I think we're all grateful you got out of there alive. What about the arseholes involved? Who was responsible for taking Elena and how many of them do I need to have put down?" he asked.

When Michelle spoke up to excuse herself, Conor returned her hug and placed a kiss on the top of her head. "Don't stay out there too long," he suggested, wanting her to settle in more with the family now she was in Dublin.

The raised voices coming from the other room could be heard, with Adam and Isabella yelling at each other. The erratic atmosphere and tension from those around him was doing nothing for Conor's headache. "Can they all just shut the fuck up?" he snapped, once again pinching the bridge of his nose and closing his eyes tightly to force out his frustration. "What the bloody hell is going on in there?" he asked, looking to Aliana for answers regarding Adam and Isabella.

Just as his head snapped to the doorway, he saw Natasha standing there. His demeanour softened a little at seeing Jackson's daughter, as well as picking up on how worried she likely was. "Come on in, love. Leo's just been telling us that he's fine," he remarked.

Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana, Leo) Bellz (Natasha)

 

[Pyroclast]

The Royal Taphouse
~ Bethnal Green, London ~

Bruce King​

Until Billy had confessed to him about his relationship to Erik, Bruce had, for the most part, thought of Erik as simply a valued employee. He would see him in few contexts unrelated to business - meetings, briefings, jobs, but not much else. Yet, now that he knew how much the man meant to his nephew, he was beginning to realise that he was really more like family than just a borrowed hitman. The version of Erik sitting at the table opposite Gabriel and Teddy didn't seem like the real him anymore - and when asked about his opinion on whether or not the Sullivans had disrespected the peace deal and Erik froze up, it was evident that the façade was beginning to crack under the weight of all the pressure. Teddy's mildly threatening reminder that it was Erik's job to report back to the Morettis on anything they asked for didn't help to ease the pressure that he was clearly under, and in the end Erik stuttered through his answer. Bruce felt for him, but it was just an unavoidable fact that his opinion was the deciding factor.

And the decision was exactly what Bruce had expected: the Sullivans hadn't been careful enough, they had put Erik in danger too many times, and that meant that the Morettis were within their right to scrap the deal altogether and join the conflict. Although he knew it would make the war heavier, Bruce couldn't deny that he was glad of the outcome; having the Morettis fighting alongside them would make it a lot easier to overpower the Sullivans - whether that meant killing them, taking control of their businesses or stripping them of their power, it made the Kings' chances of getting Callum back in London seem all the more promising.

Hearing Gabriel talk about how he managed to win the war against the Irish was fascinating to Bruce. The King family had never been in a conflict nearly as complex or heavy as the one the Irish and the Morettis had found themselves in back in the '60s. The psychological warfare was a genius move, but as Gabriel had said, that plan to take the Irish down had been years in the making, and Bruce didn't want that. He didn't want to miss years of Callum's life. Most of all, he didn't want to put Callum through years of conflict and effectively ruin his childhood. The faster they could settle things with the Irish, the better.

Gabriel asked Bruce about any connections to the Irish that could be taken advantage of, and his immediate thought was of May's twin brother, Tom, and her distant, albeit significant, blood relation to the Sullivan family. He wasn't sure if suggesting her without having an idea to bring to the table would be wise, however - if the Moretti were about to join the conflict, he didn't want to put May at risk if they considered her a Sullivan more so than a King. In all honesty, Bruce hadn't himself quite decided what he considered her to be. So, holding that thought in his mind for now, he listened on as Gabriel suggested Erik, Damian and Tatiana may be able to offer up some ideas on how to expand business in London to help fund the war.

Just as he was about to respond, however, the door burst open, almost causing Bruce to spill his drink. He spun round in his seat to see his nephew in the doorway, breathless and appearing distressed. "Alex?"

Bruce set his glass down on the table and stood up from his seat, eyeing Gabriel and Teddy on the way. "'Scuse me, gentleman," he apologised, as he the turned to Alex. Before he could say another word, his nephew informed him that Savannah had taken Callum. Bruce frowned, and he couldn't stop his voice from raising slightly. "Taken him? Taken him where?"

The interruption of the meeting was something Bruce would never normally excuse - especially to Gabriel Moretti - but his family had been under attack so frequently in recent weeks that when he saw how worried his nephew was, he could only imagine that something terrible had happened. Fortunately Gabriel seemed understanding of the situation, having had his granddaughter recently mixed up in their own feud with the Sullivans, so Bruce didn't have to worry about the interruption having a negative impact on their relationship. "Sorry, Gabriel, Teddy, we may have to table this conversation for now," he said, guiding Alex over to the sofa he had been sitting on. He passed Alex his glass of whiskey. "Get this down ya', lad, and tell us more. What are the facts? Do we know if Callum is okay?"

Interactions
Misty Gray Gabriel
Melanin-Gxdess Teddy, Alex

 

[BasDorcha]

Sullivan Family Home
Dublin
Michelle Romano​

Michelle stood, stepping up toe to toe with the man an reaching for the lighter. When she pushed off the step, a small jump to try and reach it, she fell forward into him, blushing lightly but not quite enough to look away. Instead it came across as teasing, as she finally got the device and snatched it away to light her cigarette. “Yes, yes I know, some how I came out shorter then everyone.” She grinned and dropped the lighter back in his pocket for him, swishing it in with a quick push of her fingers. Maybe it was because they hadn’t ever had any time to chat where her family wasn’t around, but this was the first time he’d really conversated with her directly. She winked as she pulled her hand back, taking a long drag and exhaling she smoke as she decided to sit on the stair wall, putting herself closer to his height.

“I don’t do domestics anymore either. My ex-husband took all that out of me. Plus, I’m claustrophobic, I cannot stand being that close to so many other people in a tiny room. Too much drama for me. Last two years of my life were hell, I just need a little peace and fun these days, not that kind of excitement.” There was a devious look on Michelle’s face, teasing, as she took another long drag off the stick. “You know, I see you around a lot. I mean, sure, you’re my father’s body guard, but you gotta have a life outside of that right? What do you like to do for fun?”

Michelle was suddenly feeling brave, unsure why. Maybe it was the adrenaline running through her body at finding out that Leo had been hurt, and the excitement and feeling of emotions rushing. Even though it had been fear at first, the fear had faded away once she knew Leo was alive, as was the rest of the group. Still, her pulse was racing, and it began making her feel alive like she hadn’t in years. Maybe it just standing near someone she felt attracted to, it had been a long time since she felt anything towards the opposite sex. Swinging her feet, she played like she was going to tap his gun, stretching her foot as far as she, but her toes did not quite reach from her position.

“Tell me a bit about you, besides the obvious tall, dark and handsome part. I already know that. Obviously, you’re a fellow divorcee, but do you really enjoy standing outside busy rooms looking like a statue?” She got a shit eating grin on her face, “Or is this just something you’re trying out for the time being? Maybe you’re moving on to being an actual statue next time?”

Mentions Misty Gray - Dermot

 

[BloodLightning27]

~Shinoa Bradford~

---

Dublin City Centre | Outside The Sullivan's Pub

“Oh hey Shinoa, how are you?”

When he had greeted her, Shinoa noted that something was a little off with Tom. Then again, she just saw him step out of a bar, so it didn't take a genius to figure out that the man had been drinking. Only question though was how much did the man drink? Shinoa mostly shrugged it off as she was mostly happy to see him again. Last she heard, he was out of town. Where he went to, she wasn't sure. But a reasonable majority of her new relatives were out of town that same weekend to. Must of been a coincidence. She wasn't exactly privy to that kind of information and it wasn't really her place to ask. So it was better for her to stay out of it, or so she believed. Shinoa started blushing though when Tom had thrown his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him. Sadly, this meant that she could smell the alcohol in his breath. And boy was it strong.

“What wonderful timing. I was just leaving here. So tell me, what’s a girl like you doing around a place like this. Some young guy might try to pick you up.”

"Oh, I've been doing well, all things considered." She said as they began to walk away from the bar.

“I was just headed around the corner to my flat, where are you off too?”

"I'm just out getting a couple of things for the Apartment. So that's why I'm out today anyway." As they got closer to the shopping center, Shinoa began to wonder what store she was gonna be hitting first. But now that Tom was in her company, perhaps she could show him her new apartment after they pick up Little Lilly? Well, unless he has to be somewhere later, which she'd understand. Work always calls, it seems.

"How are you doing? Where’s little Lily? Are you baby free for a while?”

"Well, I am also excited for this Sunday. I'm gonna be taking Lilly fishing with me for the first time. So I do need to get some fishing bait and restring my fishing rod when I get home." When he proceeded to ask about Lillian though, she did chuckle a little. "I took her to a daycare closer to home before I got here. Mommy needs some alone time and Little Lilly will probably be napping the entire time that I'm gone. Last couple of days, she's been sleeping quite a bit. But other then that, she's alright. She's gotten much more playful and talkative." She smiled, thinking about how much her life has changed since Lillian was born. "So, how far's your house from here?"

---

Interactions: Tom Thatcher BasDorcha

 

[Misty Gray]

Finn & George Sullivans House
~ Sutton, Dublin ~

James Porter​

The drive to Ginn's house with Isabella in the passenger seat hadn't been the most pleasant of journeys. Luckily, James was more than familiar with being put into unpleasant situations by now, so this was just another day in the life of Jimbo. When he'd parked the car, Isabella wasted no time in rushing out of the vehicle, only to find herself having to be searched before she'd be allowed anywhere near the front door. James calmly approached Blake and Dermot, letting out an exaggerated breath as he reached them, to suggest the Cuban woman had been hard work for him. "Hey man, I've had my fair share of chaos in my time, so I'll let you young uns handle it now." When Blake asked who the woman was, James was surprised she didn't know or that she hadn't got the memo about an angry woman making her way to the house. "That's Elena's mother. Adam's... y'know," he told her, figuring that was enough that he didn't need to explicitly state that Isabella was also Adam's ex.

When Blake rushed inside at the sound of Isabella's raised voice, James took that as his cue to do the same. However, deciding to avoid Adam's room for the time-being, James sought out Thomas. The continued sounds of Adam and Isabella shouting didn't escape his attention, but that was one battle he was staying well away from.

James arrived in time to see Lucy smothering Thomas with a hug. "Are you trying to suffocate our youngest?" James spoke up as he walked up next to Lucy's side. When his wife released the young man, James placed a kiss on the side of her head. "Don't be stressing, love," he softly told her. He then focused his attention on his son who was looking a bit worse for wear. "Well, you've seen better days, mate. What happened to you?" he asked Thomas, wanting the lowdown of his son's injuries. "And what happened at the cabin?"

Bellz (Thomas, Lucy)

 

[BasDorcha]

Jeremy stroked her slowly, breathing steadily and keeping his touch gentle and light. It was rhythmic, enough to put someone to sleep. His head rested against hers, just enjoying the moment. There were plenty of dark clouds on the horizon, things he would need to think about later, but for just this one night, he was going to enjoy just being wrapped up in each other. Her voice broke through the lazy hazy day dream, an he gave her a wink “Always.” Truth was Jeremy had been fumbling words around her for years, always trying not to say something he really wanted too. This was the first time besides the party she went on to mention that he had really shown her his soul in a way only she would ever see.

“Like we were opposite ends of a magnet, being pulled together?” He kissed her head before she turned away, grabbing something out of the table. For a moment, he forgot that even though this was his room, she had all her stuff in here. It felt like home, more than his uncle’s empty house did these days. Seeing the paper flower, Jeremy couldn’t help the broad grin that stretched over his face, his hand reaching out to caress the flower in her hand lightly, yellowed around the edges with age. As she talked about her feelings, he reached up, twisting a piece of loose hair around his fingers, like silk thread against his skin.

"See the mountains kiss high heaven and the waves clasp one another; No sister-flower would be forgiven If it disdained its brother; And the sunlight clasps the earth And the moonbeams kiss the sea: What is all this sweet work worth If thou kiss not me?" Jeremy finished the poem for her, sounding just how he did the last time, voice gruff and deep, just as tender.

“I knew that night as well, but I also knew you would not be ready. I tried to give you space, so you would not feel overwhelmed by me, because I knew after that night I would never be truly myself around you. I couldn’t be me if I was always wanting to reach out, to touch, to kiss,” he paused, taking her hand and kissing her palm, “I could never go back completely to how we use to be, because I needed you, to be me, asshole and all.” The corner of his mouth perked up at the end, teasing.

“That’s not the night that I started falling for you though. No, that was much longer ago. Hell, it probably wasn’t long before or after you turned sixteen and started proclaiming you could date whoever you wanted and do whatever you liked. I was… weird back then, because I felt a little like your older brother, but suddenly those feelings started changing to things that were much deeper and… not brotherly.” Jeremy laughed a little, rubbing the back of his head and tucking his hand behind it. “You showed up for dinner one night, I hadn’t seen you in a while, I think I had been busy, or school, and you were maybe eighteen or nineteen… I opened the door and the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen stood there, imagine me realizing it was little skinny Harper King, all grown up.” He daydreamed looking up at the ceiling, remembering that day.

Mentions Bellz - Harper

 

[Bellz]

Lucy Porter
Thomas Porter
Finn Sullivan
Ginn's House
~ Sutton, Dublin ~ ​

The voice of her husband was the only thing that would pull her away from tending to her son and fortunately for Thomas, it was a good distraction. That and the sudden screaming match was happening in the other room. Neither Thomas nor Lucy decided to address the mess in the other room as Lucy let go of him and turned to James, the panic clear as day in her eyes as he kissed the side of her head. "He's nearly been suffocated already, James. Look at that footprint on his throat." She huffed, pouting slightly as her husband told her not to stress. "James, he could have been killed!" Thomas looked between his parents, "But I wasn't, Mom, please. I'm f-" Lucy wagged a finger in his face immediately, shutting the young man up as he side glanced to his father. "Don't you dare say it again, boy." The blonde warned and Thomas nodded his head once, wincing as he did.

His attention was drawn to his father as he said he'd seen better days, a rough laugh escaped Thomas, though it was devoid of any sort of humor. "I've seen a lot of days, pop. I'd consider this the better of them." He was sure he didn't need to mention anything about the hostage situation he'd been caught up in back in Iran, for his parents to understand what he was talking about. When asked what happened to him, and then what happened at the cabin, Thomas opened his mouth to speak but that's when Finn came into view. "Thomas took quite the beating, bruised throat, knife wound to the shoulder which I really need to cauterize now from the looks of the gauze on it. And a bullet wound to the leg." The doctor said, smiling apologetically at both James and Lucy.

"But he'll be as good as new in no time, I can promise you that." He said, knowing his cousin Lucy would not stop worrying until every scratch, wound, and bruise had disappeared. Thomas had looked over at Leo, who seemed completely out of it from the morphine, Finn followed his gaze and chuckled. "I'm about to cut him off, I have another type of pain medication that's not nearly as addictive that he can use. Don't want anyone turning into an addict from this, it would be simply irresponsible of me as a doctor to allow that." He said, shaking his head, knowing full well what Gwen had been through with her addiction even if it wasn't from morphine. He'd seen it too many times before and lives destroyed.

"I'll give him a few more moments of peace before I cut him off though, let's take a look at that shoulder." Finn said and Thomas allowed him to unwrap the gauze and get to work. The young man then decided to address what happened at the cabin. "You both know Adam and I have been looking for Elena for days now...and we were going to search once more today when Phelan fucking called. He said he had information about where Elena was and Adam...well, I don't think he was thinking about the logistics because why would he with his daughter being involved? We didn't have a solid plan. We knew it would be a trap...but he didn't care." Thomas swallowed uncomfortably, his throat burning as he did. "I tried the best I could to form...some sort of plan, anything to get us in and out of there alive. And while that worked, Leo and I both got pretty fucked. We killed a few men along the way before we found Adam and Elena at the cabin. I'm not sure what happened in there but..they both looked..." Thomas looked at his parents and couldn't bring himself to say anything more.

"What the hell is going on in the other room?" Thomas suddenly asked, craning his neck to try and look. Lucy did the same and looked to James, suddenly hearing Blake yelling now. "Who's in there with them?" Thomas could hear Elena's small voice and his heart raced, "Is Elena okay?" He asked, suddenly starting to move as if he was gonna get off the gurney. Finn gently pushed him back, "She's alright, Thomas. But I don't think that's one battle you want to get into right now." The doctor warned, "Let me get you fixed up and see if this all settles down, I'll push you in there to see her after that okay?" Thomas looked to Finn and nodded his head softly in understanding, wincing as the doctor started to poke and prod at his shoulder.
with: James Misty Gray
mentions: Leo Melanin-Gxdess ; Adam Misty Gray ; Elena Pyroclast

 

[Bellz]

Harper King
Her Apartment
~ London ~ ​

Jeremy finishing the poem, saying it exactly how he had that night stirred up emotion in her that she didn't exactly recognize. It made her remorseful...for the time they could have shared before the explosion before she...became an addict. Now it seemed they were damned to live through whatever happened next. She would get the help but what if that wasn't enough? People stronger than her fell hard over addictions. Harper's eyes burned and she forced herself to pay attention to his words in order to keep from losing it.

Hearing that Jeremy say that he knew the night of the party that he loved her brought a smile to her lips. Harper couldn't remember the last time she had smiled this much. Hearing that he had been giving her space made a lot of sense now, as, at the time, she hadn't been able to figure out why he'd suddenly stopped hanging around her so much, especially alone like they used to. He kissed her palm, his lips tickling the skin there and causing her to squirm ever so slightly. A small laugh escaped her when he referred to himself as an asshole as well.

"Oh?" She asked faintly, as he mentioned that night they both remembered wasn't the night he had started falling for her. Harper let out another laugh as he mentioned her declaration about dating whoever she wanted and doing whatever she liked. That was an attitude she carried with her well after she was 16, up until recently, it had been that determined spirit keeping her grounded. She couldn't imagine Jeremy ever possibly want to be with someone like her. Putting the age difference aside, she had a completely different personality. He was well thought out, everything he did had a purpose and every purpose was thought through about a million times before he did anything.

Harper...she was well messy. Sure, she thought about certain things but she was a kind of anyway the wind blows type of person. She took charge when she needed to but she always wanted spontaneity in the things she did. If you spent the rest of your life planning everything out, you'd let life pass you by in that process. She imagined the man laying in bed with her falling for someone who was far more successful than she was, especially given her recent battle with addiction.

She was silent as she listened to him explain how his feelings started to change and it really put things into perspective for her, just how much he'd been hiding it all these years. Harper felt a little bad then, because she definitely came off as flirty with a lot of people, liking to play her own type of games. She realized she must have been toying with him for a long time, as she often did with others. His reminder of the first time he'd seen her in a while at dinner one night brought the memory back to the forefront of her mind.

"I remember that. Your mouth hung open a little bit when you answered." She hummed, laughter rumbling in her chest as she watched him stare up at the ceiling. "It's weird. I feel like, even though this is so new. That we've somehow lived a thousand different lifetimes together already. Perhaps, it's because we know every single thing there is to know about each other, but, it feels like it's always been this way."

There was a memory that she wasn't sure if it had been a dream...or if it had actually happened. "I remember..." She paused. "You said you loved me that night...of the explosion. I heard it. It was muddled but I could hear it. I could hear all of you." Harper's brows furrowed, fighting everything in her to keep from panicking. "Earlier...you...that reminded you of that night didn't it? The blood?" Harper asked.
with: Jeremy BasDorcha

 

[BasDorcha]

Harper's House
London
Jeremy Gray​

He was all smiles until she brought up the incident earlier. His face faded a bit, becoming creased with worry for a moment before he tightened his arms around her and pulled her back down to cuddle with him. “Yeah… It did. I was holding you that night, covering blood, thinking you were gone. It was… terrifying. It made me realize everything in an instant, and how quickly I could lose the chance to tell you. So I said it there, right there, in the middle of everyone and everything before you had a chance to slip away so at leas you might hear it once.” He soothed his hands down her arm, feeling her heart beat rising in her chest that was pressed against him.

Silence fell for a moment, his hand lifting to stroke her hair again. “It was scary, but… Scary things happen sometimes. That’s life, its something I learned working with your family. Coming out the other side can be both traumatizing and strengthening, sometimes at the same time, sometimes separately. Yet, when these things happen, we don’t always know why, if there even is a reason. All I know is that after that night, I swore I would not waste the chance to show you, convince you, of how much I loved you because the world would be empty if I never did.”

He picked up her hand, playing with it with his, twisting their fingers together and squeezing softly. “It’s okay that that night has left scars, you know, both physically and mentally… It would have been the same for anyone – I don’t think any of us walked away unphased. We all are still suffering from then. You wouldn’t be human to be struggling to bounce back from that… So please, don’t be so hard on yourself if you feel you’re not there yet. You don’t have to be. You just have to keep trying, that’s all that matters right now.” His voice had gotten gruff, thick, like he might be holding back the urge to cry. He wanted to be strong for her, she needed that, but he also was still able to picture the damage, the lifelessness of her body so vividly in his mind, it was hard not to picture when talking about it.

Harper’s recovery had been rough, and she was feeling more and more addicted, he knew that – she was so worried about becoming Laura it was eating her alive. As he fell silent, he just kept holding and stroking, trying to imbue some of his strength into her, the feeling of grounding and connection, hoping it helped her feel better.

Mentions Bellz - Harper the beautiful

 

[Bellz]

Harper King
Her Apartment
~ London ~ ​

She allowed him to pull her against him tighter, knowing that what she asked would be hard to talk about. Her heart thudded in her chest as he talked about the night of the explosion. Neither of them had really talked about it since she was in the hospital, which seemed so long ago now when really, it had only been a few weeks ago. Jeremy's reasoning hit her like a ton of bricks, her chest feeling as heavy as it had that night she had the pillar fall on top of her. She had to close her eyes for a moment, grounding herself back from those memories as she focused on Jeremy's hands rubbing down her arms in a soothing motion.

The silence was deafening and Harper's eyes only opened again when she felt his hands stroking her hair. Her eyes looked into his as he told her that scary things happened sometimes. Harper nodded her head ever so slightly in understanding, her mouth forming a serious line as he then said that he wouldn't waste the chance to show her how much he loved her. Her eyes burned once more and she blinked back tears at the thought of neither of them having this chance now. But what good was this chance now that she was turning into the very woman she swore she would never be? Once again, Harper felt selfish...for allowing this beautiful thing to happen. This thing was only going to create further pain and turmoil.

Her thoughts were momentarily distracted as he lifted her hand, playing with her fingers as his intertwined. Harper's eyes looked to them before her eyes glanced up at him as he started speaking again. He told her that it was okay that the night of the explosion left scars. It had...so many that Harper was often ashamed to even look at herself in a mirror anymore. The physical scars were beginning to fade, but the mental claw marks dug deep. Jeremy said it would have been the same for anyone and that everyone was still suffering from it and while Harper understood...she knew they weren't suffering in the same way as her. Which made her suffering feel isolated in her experience. His voice started to change and Harper searched his eyes as her lips parted, about to tell him it was okay before he continued on. He was begging her not to be so hard on herself...that she didn't have to be completely better from what had happened.

Finally, he told her that she just had to keep trying - that was all that mattered and Harper was stunned into silence. Immediately, she regretted bringing it all up. Seeing just how upset the usual emotionally controlled man was brought on feelings that had been covered since that night. Her throat felt tight as she tried to swallow, her hands starting to shake a bit at the memories that had begun to come flooding back.

She remembered the look on his face as they both saw that her leg had been stuck in that fucking chair at the club. The look on her face that told him she knew she wasn't going to make it. Harper had told him to go, to just leave her but he hadn't. And now, they were both paying for it all. How could she not feel like a burden? After all of it? At least, if she had died...eventually they'd be able to move on. He'd be able to. Now she was a haunting reminder of what happened that night....and now, the battle she was actively losing.

Regardless of all the horrible thoughts going through her head, Harper removed her hand from his, placing both on his cheeks as she forced him to look her in the eyes. "I'm not giving up, okay? Especially now that I know if I do that I have this to lose." Her voice sounded sore and hoarse as she cleared her throat. "You'll have to spend the rest of your days with me, whether you like it or not. In this lifetime and the next." She brought her lips to his, giving him a gentle kiss to solidify that promise. One that...while she was unsure of being able to keep...she intended on trying to.

When she broke away, Harper managed a smile. "You aren't going to get rid of me that easily. The old me might still be buried underneath all of that rubble but I'll find her again soon enough. Please don't worry about me. You're breaking my heart looking the way you do, and it hurts to know that I have made it that way."
with: Jeremy BasDorcha

 

[Pyroclast]

Erik's Apartment
~ Hackney, London ~

Billy King​

With so much to occupy his mind in recent weeks, the fact that May had accompanied Erik to the funeral in New York was a detail Billy had completely forgotten until Ava brought it up again. He was reminded briefly of the misplaced jealousy he had felt about her going with him - something about May's friendship with Erik still irked him, residual from the unfortunate impression she had made on him when she had . Whilst at the time he hadn't managed to identify his feelings for Erik, her flirtatious behaviour had put her in his bad books, and, having barely had a chance to clear away that impression from his head - even after learning that she was his half-sister - he realised that she remained there still. In fact, Billy was beginning to realise that he owed nothing but gratitude to May for being there for Erik as a friend when he couldn't - and perhaps an apology for letting his jealousy of their affectionate friendship override a fair judgement on her character.

"Well, we share a father," he explained, for some reason smiling at hearing that May didn't look like his sister. "Bruce always said me and Harper look more like our mum. I guess May must look more like hers, too." Still Billy hadn't managed to fully process their newfound relation. He hadn't seen much of May since finding out her connection to them - and hadn't seen her at all since the day she was informed, for the fact that he had been shot that same evening. It was something he wanted to address some point soon, but for the time being there were very few people he was comfortable being around whilst he was in such weak condition, and May, her name still faintly written in his bad books, was certainly not one of them.

Ava interpreted Billy's offer to introduce her to his family as the rather serious-sounding ritual of meeting the parents, and he wondered if he could see some judgement in her eyes, as if she thought he and Erik's relationship was going too fast. With a casual shrug, Billy scratched his head and sent her a coy smile. "If you see it that way," he said. "But we're an open bunch - you're with Erik, you can be with us, too. Me and him bein' together ain't got nothin' to do with it."

The judgement in her tone was much more obvious when she reacted to him telling her to keep quiet about his relationship with Erik when around other people, and he couldn't exactly blame her. Of course he felt bad knowing that Erik was having to be so patient with him as he came to terms with his sexuality, but the fear of either of them being ruined, smeared or hurt as a result of being publicly open was so deeply ingrained that he wasn't sure how to get over it. Thankfully, Ava assured him that she had no interest in exposing him, and given how much she cared about Erik, he trusted her to keep to her word.

As soon as Ava mentioned the current health risks of getting tattooed, Billy drew a breath, eyes narrowing in disgust. She seemed wise, and so even though she was involved in a business carrying such stigma he got the feeling that she was better than most tattooists out there. His faith in her wasn't enough for him to consider getting one, however - even when she eagerly dispelled his excuse of not being 'cool enough' for a tattoo by telling him about an old woman she had recently inked. There had been moments in their conversation since Erik had left when Billy wasn't sure if he and Ava were going to click, but he kept finding himself smiling at her as she spoke.

She then explained how she used painting and tattooing as an emotional outlet and offered him a tour of New York if he did manage to come to her show. Her warmth was infectious, somehow more outwardly welcoming than Erik was. "I do want to see New York," he told her. "Erik's talked about it so much and I wanna finally see it for myself, where he grew up and that. Mystery is sexy at first but I'm in it for the long haul...I wanna understand everythin' that made him who he is." Realising that he had all-too-naturally turned the conversation back to Erik, Billy cleared his throat and took a drink of his tea. "Anyway, I don't think Erik would need much convincing," he went on. "We'd love to support ya' and come to your show, Ava - and come away with a souvenir to hang up on our walls, o' course! Besides, I think we all could do with a holiday." He gestured vaguely to his wounds as a broad suggestion of the whirlwind of drama the family had recently faced. When Ava first showed up at the apartment, Billy had been worried about having her around during his recovery but now that he had sat down with her, part of him was looking forward to having her around so they could get to know each other more deeply. After all, he felt like considering her family now, and what better way to get to know someone like family than to live under the same roof?

With his tea finished, Billy carefully leaned to one side and set it down on a coaster. Having been out of bed for a short time, Billy now felt as physically drained as his empty mug, and thought it best if he get up and back into bed before the ache spreading from his shoulder made him too weary to move. "Might go lie down for a bit," he admitted, as he slowly eased himself up out of his seat. "Feel free to unpack and settle in, Ava. I'm glad you're 'ere, and I hope you'll stay as long as you want!"

Interactions
Melanin-Gxdess Ava

Mentioned:
BasDorcha May

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Ginn Family Home
~Sutton, Dublin~
Leo & Aliana Sullivan

Leo wasn't surprised at his parent's dislike of him walking into a trap. He knew how impulsive it was and stupid but he couldn't just let Thomas go alone- let Adam go alone. "Whoa, whoa, whoa," he exclaimed, scrunching up his face in shock. "Are you... Taking after mom? Reprimanding me?" His tone was light, wanting to tease his father before shaking his head. "Adam went in first and made it seem like he was falling for the trap. Thomas and I got there after and took everyone out. We had a plan, dad. We weren't just being reckless." When asked who was responsible and how many he needed to put down, Leo froze.

Ali had picked up how Leo responded to saying he'd killed a few people. Noticeably uncomfortable even though he reacted quick enough to cover it up. It was the same way she'd reacted to her own first kill. She'd even recognized the look in his eyes nearly matching Conor's when she saw him do the same. Something in Leo was sure to change because of this but it wasn't something he wanted to talk about right now. "Um... I don't- I'm not sure who was actually responsible. By the time we got inside the cabin, they were all taken care of. And me and Thomas... Took... Care of the rest." Saying it out loud again was uncomfortable, but luckily shouting from the next room over helped him focus on something else.

The only voice Aliana couldn't recognize had been whoever was yelling at Adam. His voice and Blake's were easily recognized. Based on the things she was hearing it was quite dramatic and she would definitely need to story on it at a later time. Hearing Conor snap and turn to her for answers, Ali just shrugged her shoulders. "I'm standing right next to you- I have no idea," she raised her hand once more to his back and rubbed in circles to try and calm him down. "Sounds like family drama, but we've got enough of our own; let's not insert ourselves right now, okay?" It was difficult to actually do as she suggested, forcing herself to tear her eyes away. "Whatever it is though, Blake does not sound happy." Aliana then followed her husband's gaze and soon Leo followed suit. Ali sent the girl a soft smile, a boyish grin appearing on Leo's face.

"Hey," he said to Conor, "I thought we weren't supposed to say that to the women in our lives. Stop trying to get me in any more trouble." Leo spoke as if the two of them were still together, though he had accepted that they weren't. That didn't mean she didn't care about him, he found. Turning his attention back to Natasha he gave her a little wave. She looked worried- as if about to cry and Leo shook his head. "Why're you standing so far away? Come here."

Conor ( Misty Gray )
Natasha ( Bellz )

 

[Pyroclast]

Finn and George's Home
~ Sutton, Dublin ~

Isabella and Elena Velazco, Olivier Morillon​

Considering how Adam had treated her after the night they had hooked up, Isabella was surprised that after 20 odd years he actually recognised who she was. Whether he would have remembered her name or face without the context handed to him, she wasn't sure, but she didn't honestly care what he thought of her. All she wanted was for him to acknowledge the situation she had been left in. Yet, as she let him take the chance to explain himself, she was repulsed by what she heard.

"Me guilty?!" she scoffed, shaking her head. "You pathetic man! I try to tell you, the next time that you are in Havana, que estoy embarazada, but you -" She waved a listless hand in demonstration of Adam's attitude. "You don't care, you don't listen to me! I was just sex to you, with no important thing to say, just somebody to fuck at a party. I was only at Sullivan parties to be pretty - not like you important men with your important business! Why would a man like you listen to a woman like me?"

Isabella held a glare on him, amazed that he seemed to consider himself the victim. "I know you just care about sex," she went on. "No interest in a child. Just a man, you want to do business and parties, drink the alcohol and fuck the pretty girls, huh?" His face infuriated her so much that she couldn't help but give him another hard slap on the arm as she leaned down closer to him. "I preferred to be alone with mi hija than have a child like you to ruin her life."

As much as Elena wanted peace, quiet and comfort in the wake of all she had suffered, she couldn't help but latch onto the words being thrown between her parents. She had never seen them interact before and hadn't believed she ever would. It both terrified and fascinated her in equal measure. "Él no lo sabía..." she murmured faintly, her eyes fixed on her mother. Adam was the only other person whose perspective made a difference. Isabella had always told Elena that her father had had no interest in her, that he hadn't wanted her and so abandoned them both without support. She had made him out to be a heartless, selfish, non-committal type. But since meeting Adam in person herself and finding out that he had had no idea about her existence, Elena realised that her mother had been exaggerating, manipulating her opinion of him to deter her from ever trying to look for him. "He didn't know about me, and you knew it...you lie to me..."

Isabella didn't seem to hear her mumbling, her voice still weak with dehydration, fatigue and shock, but another blonde woman suddenly appeared at her side instead and when Elena looked up, she saw Blake. The woman's presence was unexpectedly comforting in contrast to the drama unfolding around her and she reached out to touch her, eyes shining with fresh tears. Blake then turned to confront both Isabella and Adam, and the spot at Elena's bedside was quickly replaced by Olivier, who found himself having to do his best to soothe Elena as she started shaking and crying.

So riled up by Adam, Isabella hardly noticed the state of her daughter, her attention suddenly stolen by a woman fiercely reprimanding the two of them for fighting in Elena's presence. It was only when Blake took a pause to glance at Elena that Isabella followed her eyeline and saw just how upset her daughter was. The sight of her, what she had been through, and the worry that she had caused Isabella over the past few months was beyond upsetting, but unlike Elena, her emotions were only manifesting as anger. The woman, who was yet to introduce herself, became the subject of Isabella's murderous glare - but her words did make sense to her. It was quite clear that her daughter was overwhelmed and upset by their fighting and if there was anything to get Isabella to lower her voice, it was that.

She turned again to face Adam and switched to a more subdued tone. "Todo lo que sé es, this would not happen to her if you told me where she was. And I never, ever forgive you for this pain she has. Look at what you do to her, Adam. She lives here with you and this is what happens."

Olivier had helped Elena sit forward and, after wrapping a blanket around her shoulders and guiding her through some deep breaths, had managed to get her breathing down to a more normal rate. For all the training he had done and the soldiers he had treated on the field, the soothing part had never been something particularly expected of him as a medic. There was often no time for consoling individual casualties of war, so the focus was primarily on treating physical injuries as efficiently and effectively as possible. But Olivier liked to make people feel better when he had a chance, and despite the lack of training, he knew on instinct how to calm the young woman down.

Moving her attention onto Elena, Isabella moved from Adam's bed to Elena's and watched as Olivier laid her back down on the bed. Her eyes met with her daughter's and she crouched down at her bedside. Anxiety, disbelief, love and guilt - a compound of conflicting emotions shone from Elena's eyes as she looked at her mother. It was that connection that finally melted the ice around Isabella's heart.

"Elena, regresa a Cuba conmigo," she spoke in a quiet, gentle tone, picking up Elena's hand.

Elena couldn't help but flinch at the physical affection her mother was showing her. Her eyes moved from their hands back up to her mother and she shook her head. "English," was her only response. Isabella sighed.

"Please, come back home with me. Benito misses you."

The mention of her younger brother made her lip tremble - she missed him too, deeply, but he was happy living with his father now instead, too, and if she went back to Cuba then she would just end up living with her abusive step-father without her brother for company. So, she shook her head.

"After this?" Isabella implored. "Dangerous men take and hurt you and you still want to stay here? What about your mama, hm? You don't miss me?"

Tears leaked from Elena's eyes and she finally opened up her palm to let her mother's hand in. She wasn't used to getting this sort of affection from her and the feel of her hand in hers made her wish that it had always been that warmth between them.

"I miss you, mama," Elena whispered, blinking tears from her eyes. "But...I am settled here." She wanted to explain all about how wonderful it had been getting to know Adam, about Thomas' generosity and how she had fallen in love with him, about how quickly and warmly she had been accepted as a family member to the mob and everything they had done for her, from giving her a job to rescuing her from the cabin and saving her life. She had never had anyone fight for her like that, ever in her life.

She really thought that she would have to explain everything and more before her mother would accept it but instead, Isabella's eyes grew tearful and she nodded, giving Elena's limp hand a squeeze. "Yo te amo, mija," was all she whispered, and without even hugging or kissing her, Isabella let go of her hand and stood up. She sent Adam another look, broken only when Olivier stole her attention.

"Madame, my patients need rest now," he calmly asserted. "You give me the address of the place you're staying at and I promise I will make a call later on to let you know how Elena is doing."

After some hesitation, Isabella swapped contact details with the medic, and, locking eyes with her daughter for one final time, she made her way out of the house.

The silence that followed left Elena reeling from what had just unfolded. By now she was exhausted almost to the point of delirium, struggling to focus on much and feeling somewhat disconnected from her surroundings. Olivier helped her take another sip of water but he could tell she wanted to fall asleep, and after everything she had been through, he felt it was cruel to stop her. Instead, he moved back to Adam's bed and gave an awkward sigh, not really wanting to comment on the deeply unpleasant encounter with the man's ex. The best thing he felt he could do was continue the necessary treatment that Adam needed.

"I'm going to look at your burn now," he explained, subconsciously speaking in a slightly lower voice to balance all the shouting from the last few minutes. "I just need to clean it and put some gauze on there, it won't take long..."

Interactions
Misty Gray Adam
Bellz Blake

 

[Bellz]

Natasha McCarthy
Ginn's House
~ Sutton, Dublin ~​

Natasha fought the desire to just step into the room, make herself known to Leo so that she could ask him if he was alright. She had been successful in her restraint, eyes burning with the threat of tears as she tried to keep it together. Conor had looked passed her, towards where the arguing was happening in the other living room when he finally noticed her...they all did. Her cheeks warmed, feeling embarrassed for just staring. The older man's expression seemed to soften at the sight of her and despite the gravity of the situation, Natasha found it easy to smile at him...a crooked one that was similar to her late father's as she stepped forward nervously.

He made a remark about Leo saying that he was fine and Nat scoffed, "I think that is collectively the trigger word for all the women in the family." She retorted and Leo's comment about getting him in trouble made her smile even more. She took a few steps forward, only to stop. Nat felt out of place now, as if it wasn't her place to worry about Leo as she stood there, watching his every move. He gave her a wave, a move that was so nonchalant despite the current situation he was in that it made her shake her head, waving back.

The man then asked why she was standing so far away, telling her to come over and Natasha allowed herself to listen to him in that moment. Looking at Ali and Conor, she offered them both a shy smile before she was next to Leo's empty beside, allowing his parents to have the space they needed without overcrowding. "I won't lie to you, you kind of look like shit." She said, trying to ease the tension before her hand reached up to gentle move some hair away from his forehead, stopping herself just shy of his face and remembering that she wasn't allowed to do that anymore. Clearing her throat, Nat moved her hand to her back pockets to keep from making that mistake again. "My mam called me on her way over...I'm so glad you all were able to get Elena back safe and sound." She wanted to say that she was glad that he had also returned back safe and sound...even in the condition he was currently in. But that was something she had to keep under wraps.

Swallowing hard, Natasha let out a shaky breath as she shook her head, eyeballing Thomas who was in a bed a few feet away...looking like he was being smothered to death by Lucy. "I'm uh...glad you are okay, Leo." Nat finally said, turning her eyes to look at him and offering him a kind smile...though sadness was hidden behind it, shining in her eyes.
with: Conor Misty Gray ; Ali + Leo Melanin-Gxdess

 

[Misty Gray]

Finn & George Sullivans House
~ Sutton, Dublin ~

Dermot Murphy​

When Michelle fell into him whilst reaching for the lighter, Dermot couldn't help but allow a brief laugh to escape him. "Must be a random Sullivan genetic trait for you to be so short - there's a couple of you midgets knockin' about round here," he teased her. He glanced down as she put the lighter back into his pocket. She seemed to be quite a forward woman and her getting up close and personal might not be judged positively to specific onlookers, but he wasn't a man easily affected by what others thought. Michelle was a grown adult, after all.

Michelle perched herself on the wall as they continued to speak. He nodded in an understanding manner when Michelle spoke of her ex-husband, aware that they both shared the experience of divorce or separation. Her explanation that she was outside to avoid the drama and feeling claustrophobic, he grinned at her. "I'm not sure you coming back to Dublin was the best idea if you want to avoid drama," he pointed out. "And the weather is shit here. Didn't you just get back from Portugal? I know where I'd rather be..." he trailed off. When she asked what he did for fun outside of work, he flashed a coy smile. "If I told you, I'd have to kill you, and then your old man would have to kill me," he drily joked. "Nah, I don't get up to much out of the ordinary. Go out drinking with the guys, walk the dog, and travel when I can. Recently I've be roped into helping my son and daughter get moved into their apartments and out from under my feet." He lightly shook his head. "They couldn't wait to get out of England and away from their control freak mother."

Dermot raised a curious eyebrow when Michelle referred to him as being tall, dark and handsome. She asked if he enjoyed being a statue and he shrugged his shoulders. "Standing around like a statue isn't all I do, y'know. Although, I happen to think I make a good-looking statue. I'm sure you know the kind of jobs guys like me go out on from time-to-time, but if you don't, then that's for your old man to fill you in on. When I'm out on a job, there's plenty of adrenaline and variety to keep me going. A 9-5 never interested me." He then look her in the eyes. "What about you? What kind of work are you into?"

BasDorcha (Michelle)

 

[Misty Gray]

Biancardi Residence
~ Queens, New York City ~

Riccardo Biancardi​

"Fine, I'll let you screen the names first," Ricky relented in an exaggerated tone. "Seven?! Don't be silly. I was thinking more like the name Eleven. Or, if the baby is born exceptionally hairy, then I'm open to going with Chewbacca. Deal?" he teased.

When Julia reminded him she didn't have an education or any real world skills, Ricky let out a sigh. "You're smarter than any dumb piece of paper they call a degree," he assured her. "You would make a real sexy 50s housewife - the thought is already doing things to me. But, you should only do what you're happy doing. I wouldn't expect you to be about that life. Cooking, cleaning and mothering... that could feel like a prison if it's not what you really want," he firmly assured her.

He let out a light scoff when Julia said they need someone to keep things stable. "Especially with me for a dad," he remarked. He met her eyes and returned a similarly sheepish smile. "I'm going to level with you. I don't think I'd make a good housewife," he told her. "We'd definitely need a smaller house, so there's less to clean, and even then, I'd do the most half-assed job."

He was glad to hear Julia reassure him that Claudia wasn't right to leave him the way she had. Other than of course putting his niece and nephew at risk in his attempt to have Roxie killed, Ricky believed he was good with kids. It saddened him to know he'd never be able to see the twins again. "Yeah, Syd is messed up in the head too - and his messed up is officially certified," he agreed with her. "I suppose if the girls can become who they have with him for a dad, then my kids would have hope too." He sucked in a breath at mention of his own father. After the way Stefano had treated him and the abuse he suffered at the hands of the priest, Ricky could never understand how Giovanni could have let it all happen. "I wouldn't let my kids suffer like that. I wouldn't screw them over the way Giovanni did with me."

Bellz (Julia)

 

[Misty Gray]

Finn & George Sullivans House
~ Sutton, Dublin ~

James Porter​

James looked to Thomas' neck when Lucy pointed out the footprint that had been left there. It was concerning and he hated seeing his son hurt the way he was, but given Lucy's anxiety, he chose to remain calm about it rather than feed into her panic. "He could have been killed, but he wasn't. He's okay, Luce, and we'll learn from this. Besides, he's a cockroach, like me," he lightly assured her, referring to his own ability to survive near death situations. When Thomas protested and was about to say he was fine, James struggled to hide the smirk from his face. His son had clearly inherited more from him.

James nodded in understanding when Thomas said he'd seen better days. He was aware his son was referring to his time in the military, but also aware the young man didn't like to open up about it, so he didn't press him to elaborate. When Finn joined them, the doctor explained the injuries Thomas had sustained, to which James nodded along. "Hey, son, it's not a competition, you know," he remarked, those around fully aware of how many scars he had received himself over the last four or so decades. "Don't you be trying to rack up more scars than me," he teased him, trying to keep the situation light despite feeling worried himself at what Thomas had suffered. "Thanks, Finn. You're our hero," he said, giving the doctor a little more space to tend to Thomas' wounds.

James briefly looked to Leo as Finn spoke about cutting off the man's pain medication. He bit his lip at mention of not wanting anyone to end up addicted to the drugs. Of course, James' mind immediately flicked to Gwen and his sister's own battle with drug addictions in the past. "Yeah, let's not have any more of that around here," he simply commented.

James listened as his son explained what had happened, with Phelan having been the one to tell them where Elena was being kept. It was clear Adam, Thomas and Leo hadn't had a real plan, that Adam had knowingly walked into a trap. James understood why the man would do that given his daughter was in danger, but it still came as a surprise the usually regimented gang member would rush in without securing a plan. Admittedly, part of James was left wondering if he would have acted any differently, which then led him to craving that kind of action. Retiring from being the boss of the family business was not a regret he had, as business meetings and politics had never been pleasant for him. But the action that he'd had in his first years as an employee of the mob were ones he did miss at times. Action without full responsibility over everyone and everything. "Well, thankfully the four of you made it home alive. I'm sure you, Adam and Leo can debrief Conor on everything when you've all had chance to rest. No need to be concerned--"

James broke off from what he was saying when Thomas drew attention to the nearby drama he'd been trying to block out. When he asked with was with Adam and Elena, wanting to know what was going on, James figured he knew what the issue was. "Elena's fine... Like, real fine, not Porter fine," he reassured Thomas. "Before I left the pub, a woman came in there all pissed off. Turns out she's Elena's mum - Adam's ex. She's furious with him and about Elena going missing, so that's probably why all the shouting. I'm just glad I got out of the car in one piece after driving her here," he said, pouting at Lucy to playfully request sympathy. "In fact. After that, I think I've suffered the most today," he joked.

Bellz (Thomas, Lucy, Finn)

 

[Misty Gray]

Finn & George Sullivans House
~ Sutton, Dublin ~

Adam Harper​

Isabella's tirade against Adam predictably continued. After calling him a pathetic man she pointed out that she had been just sex to him back when they met. He wasn't about to insult anyone's intelligence by protesting her claim considering she was right. What frustrated him was that she was taking no responsibility for it either. "You were all for it," he groggily pointed out, unable to stop the words from leaving his mouth. He wasn't prepared to have it sound like he was the only one who had been up for no strings sex on those occasions. "If you'd have tried harder to tell me, I would have listened," he asserted. He knew he'd been rude in the way he dismissed her when they'd met again some time after, but he believed she could have tried harder to tell him about Elena.

Adam had to grit his teeth when she slapped his arm and continued to accuse him of not caring for his child. The accusation he was a man who just wanted to party and have sex wasn't something he would deny as he knew what kind of man he used to be. But to have her say he was a child who would have ruined Elena's life was what really got to him. Aside from the fact he believed he could be a good father, Elena had made him fully aware of how horrible life in Cuba had been with her step-father - the man Isabella had let into their lives. Before he could argue back, his attention was drawn to Blake who had now joined them. Any relief and comfort he took from Blake being there he had to keep to himself for now as it wasn't the most appropriate time.

Blake addressed Adam and Isabella with a raised voice, pointing out that Elena didn't need them to be arguing after what she had been through. Adam tightly closed his eyes when Blake told them both to grow up. It felt like he had two angry women to contend with on top of a pounding headache. If Blake had visually displayed the relief she was feeling at Adam being okay, he'd missed it between closing his eyes and trying to focus on her again after reopening them. "I get it," he told Blake when she pointed out they should be glad everyone made it back alive - especially that Elena had made it. "I know..." he said, his voice softer as he turned his head to look to his daughter. Other than potentially Elena herself, he wasn't sure if anyone else really believed how much he cared about his daughter and how he would give up his own life to save her.

Isabella focused on him to say nothing would have happened to Elena if he'd told her were she was and that she'll never forgive him for their daughter's suffering made it clear he wasn't the only one who knew he was to blame. He could shift the blame, linking back to him attacking the cabin some weeks ago being on Conor's order, but it wasn't in his nature. He was voluntarily in the business he was in and so it was his fault Elena had been caught up in it now. Although it crossed his mind that Dublin was not safe for Elena, he knew she couldn't go back. His daughter didn't want to return to Cuba and the life she'd had there wasn't one he'd want her to return to. There was no easy solution. He listened on as Isabella tried to talk Elena into going back with her, but their daughter made it clear she didn't want to and explained that she was settled in Dublin now.

Soon enough, Isabella gave in and after leaving her contact details with Olivier, she left the house. In the silence that followed, Adam stayed laid back as he gazed to the ceiling above him. He eventually turned to Elena and was about to speak when he saw she was already asleep, expectedly exhausted after what she'd been through over the last few days. When Olivier explained he was going to treat his burn, Adam simply nodded, more than anything needing some time to get his head around what had just happened and get his head back in gear.

When Olivier had finished tending to him, Adam looked to see Elena was still fast asleep. His eyes then found Blake and he sent her a weak smile. "I'm sorry, Blake. This is the last thing you needed," he told her. Up until recently, Adam had believed he wasn't a complicated man nor one with baggage. Clearly, that was not the case any more. "She's right, though. Elena deserves a better dad than me. She deserved to come here and find out someone like Finn or George was her old man. Instead she got me... You deserve better than me too," he told Blake.

Bellz (Blake)
Pyroclast (Elena, Olivier, Isabella)

 

[BasDorcha]

Finn's Place
Dublin
Michelle Romano​

Michelle admired his laugh, it felt pleasant to her ears. She’d never heard him laugh before. Seemed the man also wasn’t affected by her being forward with him, but the question was how brave was the man? All her life, every time she came around Dublin, people had treated her with kids gloves. When she was a teenager, back before she had graduated school, she had tried to date a local boy over break and he downright refused because his brother worked for her father and had made him terrified of pissed the man off. She’d never been able to even have fun in Dublin because no one wanted to piss off the part Irish part Italian woman.

“I know there’s drama here… but I’m willing to deal with it, so I can spend some time with the part of my family I’ve only ever been visiting. Its time to get away from the fun in the sun. Besides,” Michelle’s face darkened as she thought about Malcolm’s face with some young bimbo he’d picked up on vacation to Portugal, describing exactly what Dermot was now. All men were the same. A slight sigh escaped her lips as she realized Dermot was likely thinking about the gorgeous women on the beach and in the sun just like her ex. Looking about, she admired the much more toned down weather of Ireland, it spoke to her heart, the way it was here. “The weather is perfect. If I never see a Portugal day again, it’ll be too soon.” Thankfully he moved along with her subject change, allowing her to brush the growing darkness out of her mind. “Well… I guess we better not tell him then, huh?” His coy smile, brought a pink flush to her cheeks.

“Sounds like your kiddos are a bit older than mine, they still live at home. I wish they had their own place sometimes.” She laughed lightly, sure something every parent would understand. “Glad they got away from all that though, kid’s don’t deserve to be around that kind of merda.” The Portuguese word rolled of her tongue, the r sound purring between her lips. She laughed when he talked about the adrenaline on the job, understanding enough to know that her father kept them busy, and doing many things she could probably only dream of. When he asked what kind of works he was into, it was her turn to return the playful grin, perking an eyebrow at him as she licked her lips.

“Oh, I’m in politics… I decided to go for the mayor position. Figured it could help to have someone on the inside, when dad needs it. Or anyone else. Maybe, Mr. Murphy, you can see me home later. I’d be happy to repay your services with a nightcap.” Okay, so this was forward, even for Michelle, but with everyone inside worried about the people most important to them, she was feeling left out – she didn’t fit in anywhere. She’d grown up outside of all this the majority of her life, so it wasn’t like she was use to it. She was trying her best to fit in, but suddenly, she just wanted to be distracted, feel normal for once – and at least she could trust Dermot. If her dad trusted him with the lives of his family, at least she could trust him for a ride home, and to possibly indulge her in feeling like a woman and not just an item drifting through the world. If he denied her, well, she still had a safe ride home and some company for a while.

Mentions Misty Gray - Dermot

 

[Misty Gray]

Finn & George Sullivans House
~ Sutton, Dublin ~

Conor Sullivan​

Leo teasing him for reprimanding him drew a smirk from Conor. "I'm still recovering from a head injury, so maybe I'm not in my right mind," he joked back. He listened as his son assured him the three men had a plan when they rushed in to save Elena. "Alright... I'll let the three of you fill me in on the full thing in a day or two," he said, aware they were all injured and exhausted. Besides, he wasn't in the best of moods so wanted to listen with an open mind.

Leo spoke more about not knowing who was behind the kidnap, but making it clear Adam had killed then men inside of the cabin whilst he and Thomas had dealt with the ones outside. Conor's eyes fixed on Leo, trying to see how his son was taking the fact he'd just killed some men. For all of his temper, aggression and overpowering strength, Conor's own first kill had only happened 13 years ago. He knew he'd struggled with committing his first murder, so he had to wonder how Leo was really taking his first kills.

Conor's eyebrows furrowed at Aliana when she pointed out she was standing next to him so didn't know what was the cause of the shouting in the nearby room either. Feeling her rub his back, he took it as her trying to keep his stress levels down and so he let out a groan. He hoped this thing with trying to keep him calm because of his health wasn't going to last too much longer. The sooner he felt like himself again, the better. He managed a smirk. "Nope, Blake sounds pissed off. Bet Adam's in the doghouse about this," he lightly remarked.

Conor watched as Natasha finally approached Leo. She seemed hesitant but thankfully started to speak with Leo. While the pair of them spoke, Conor turned to Aliana and looked down to meet her eyes. "You okay, love?" he asked her before wrapping his arms around her and pulling her in close.

Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana, Leo) Bellz (Natasha)