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

[Pyroclast]

Jeremy Gray's Place
~ Bethnal Green, London ~

Billy King​

What had just happened? What the hell was that kiss? That kiss that Billy couldn’t even reciprocate? Desperate, is what it was. No, not just desperate - pathetic. Desperate, pathetic, and simply too late. The worst part was that Billy could feel Erik’s regret; he could tell that the man still loved him, could hear in his voice how much he wished he could take back what he did - but it still didn’t take away the fact that he had cheated. Even if it wasn’t a total betrayal and Erik still loved him and it was all just a misunderstanding, that wasn’t enough to save Billy from the pain. He stood in his house and felt stupid. For so long he had lived there on his own - it had his personality all over it, in all the 90 degree angles and aligned edges and dust-free surfaces; it was filled with happy memories, always smelled faintly of freshly chopped wood and was always fully stocked with his and Erik’s favourite drinks. He had made his home one of his favourite places to be…and yet it suddenly felt like the loneliest place in the world.

The silence was paralysing; he stood there, unsure whether he was about to tear the place apart or collapse on the floor and cry. However, there was always an alternative to any situation, and that one sounded more appealing than either of the other two options. Dropping his bags on the ground, Billy strode into the kitchen and went straight for the vodka. He needed to cleanse the taste of Erik’s kiss from his lips, wash down the lump in his throat, drown those stupid butterflies in his stomach, punish himself for his efforts that had so horribly backfired. It stung as it went down, but that’s what he wanted, and when he eventually tore the bottle away to draw a breath, his vision blurred - more from tears than anything else. He ended up sitting on the kitchen floor, alcohol dripping from his trembling lip. The day wasn’t going to get better. And tomorrow wouldn’t be better, either. How was he supposed to do his job now? Erik worked for his family; and if he told them what had happened, then Bruce would send him away to New York…did he want that? To never see him again? His heart was breaking, yes, but that was because he still loved him…

Maybe he didn’t have to tell them. Or, better yet, he could just get over it and force himself to stop feeling, and then he could just work as he had before and Erik could just be a colleague again. He could even go back to sleeping with women - after all, a mindless fuck was far easier, far less consequential than actually pursuing something meaningful. Or rather, what he thought had been meaningful. He brought the bottle back up to his lips and drank, trying not to notice the tears leaking from his eyes.

It was hard to measure how much he was drinking when it was coming straight from the bottle, but at some point he reached the decision to find company. He had already ruled out Bruce, and Darcey would likely be with him at this time of day so he couldn’t risk calling her either. Spencer, Alex and Jeremy would more than likely hunt Erik down and beat him up, and he didn’t want that. Harper…she was always the one he talked to first. Besides Erik, of course. But in matters concerning him, his sister was the one he went to…it was only a matter of whether he could justify leaning on her whilst she was still in recovery. But maybe he didn’t have to lean on her? Maybe if he got drunk enough, brought a pack of cards and some board games with him, he could distract himself enough to forget all about Erik and just enjoy her company? After all, Jeremy would be there anyway, given that Harper was currently staying at his house. Even if he had to pretend to be okay, anything had to be better than sitting alone on the kitchen floor.

“Hey, it’s me,” he said into the receiver, resting his forehead against the wall next to the handset. “It’s Billy.”

Still trying to get his thoughts back together following his calls with Erik and Sinead, Spencer hadn't yet returned to the kitchen. He couldn't help but imagine what could be going down at the Sullivan's party if the Morettis had managed to carry out the attack. Sinead had been rightly distraught and despite everything that had been happening with the Sullivans, he felt concerned for them, especially after talking to Alex about the need for peace and patching things up with Savannah. Also not in a rush to return to the kitchen, Spencer was happy to sit alone in the lounge for now to give Jeremy and Harper some alone time. Be it him expecting someone to be calling back about the Sullivans or just out of reflex, when the telephone began to ring next to him, Spencer didn't hesitate to reach for the receiver and brought it to his ear. He immediately recognised Billy's voice on the other end of the call. "Billy..." he began as his brother spoke. "It's Spencer. Harper's smooching with Jeremy. You alright?"

“Oh.” Hearing about Harper and Jeremy getting cosy together made his eyes burn with fresh tears, but he chose not to explore why. “Uh, yeah - yeah, I’m fine, I just wanted to see if…” Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea after all. He wasn’t all that confident that he would be able to hold himself together; Harper at least would stay with him if he ended up breaking, but if Jeremy and Spencer were there then he might not be able to stop at least one of them from hunting Erik down. “What’s goin’ on over there, then? You all just hangin’ out, or…?” He dug the heel of his palm into his eyes, determined to dry them even if he had to rub them raw. “I was just seein’ who was about. I ain’t doin’ nothin’ tonight. I could bring a couple six packs, make an evenin’ of it?”

Spencer sensed a dejected tone in Billy’s voice and it seemed like a night to be feeling that way. “Nothing much is going on, mate. I just came over to see Harper…” He trailed off just as Billy had, still sensing something hanging in the air. “You should come over and save me from feeling like a third wheel,” he suggested, mustering up some enthusiasm in his tone. “But only if you’re bringing beers, of course. I’m up for getting pissed if you are!”



Before he could decide whether or not to go ahead with it, there came a knock at the door. Billy was struck with a wave of nausea as he pictured Erik standing on his front step. He stood, conflicted as to whether or not to answer, when there was a second knock. Well, he thought, that’s fine - he could always kick him out. It might even be cathartic. So, he marched over to the front door and flung it wide open.

It wasn’t Erik. It was two police officers and a woman in a smart dress suit who appeared to have brought her baby along in a baby carrier.

“Yes?”

“William King?” one of the police officers said. “But you go by Billy, don’t ya'?”

His first thought was of Aidan, then of the man he had killed whilst retrieving May from her kidnappers. It put him on edge, but he tried to give nothing away. “What can I do for you?”

“We got some news,” the man said. “I’m Officer Crawley, this 'ere is Officer Clark and Miss Madsen. Is it alright if we come in?”

Billy hesitated - he had never let a police officer into his house before and it wasn’t something he had ever intended to do. But since they didn’t seem aggressive or confrontational - not to mention there was a baby in their company - he had to assume they weren’t after him for anything. “Sure,” he sighed, and led the way into the lounge. “You want a beer or somethin’?”

“We’re on duty, but thanks.”

As much as Billy wanted to keep drinking, he was able to care enough about the company he was in to realise it would be inappropriate. So he just brought a jug of water and some tumblers and placed them on the table before sitting opposite his four guests. Pointing to the baby, he asked, “Does the little one need to be ‘ere for this? I was about to light up.”

“Actually, he’s the reason we’re 'ere,” Crawley told him, and there was a short silence before he added, “Do you remember a woman named Serena Winters?”

“Mm…nope.”

“Well, she remembered you,” the officer said. “Enough to put you down as next of kin.”

Another silence followed, and Billy let out a perplexed chuckle, already sounding a little drunk. “You musta’ got the wrong bloke,” he shrugged. “Sorry, I don’t know her.”

“Mr. King,” Clark spoke up. “Serena died two days ago. Her partner is currently being investigated under suspicion of murder, but when she passed away…she left behind a baby.” Billy’s eyes were drawn to the baby in the carrier, who was currently occupied by a piece of ribbon dangling from the handle.

“Right?”

“Billy - can I call you that?” When the man saw a nod, he continued. “Billy, Serena listed you as the guardian of this child in the event of her death. Is there any chance…you could have had relations with Serena in the early summer of 1984 and simply not kept in touch?”

Billy paused. His head was starting to hurt, and he reached up to pass a hand across his forehead. “I don’t…” he mumbled. “I don’t get it, are you - are you saying this kid could be mine?”

“Not ‘could be’, Billy,” Crawley said. “The child is yours.”

“Like…biologically mine?”

The social worker, Miss Madsen, reached into her briefcase and retrieve a bundle of documents, which she proceeded to rifle through before selecting a document and handing it to Billy. “His name is Charles,” she told him, in a gentle voice. “Charles Roger Winters. He was born at 6:15am on the 27th of March. A healthy little boy - his medical records show no history or sign of serious illness.”

Billy gazed down at the birth certificate. Someone had entered his name in the column, but it had been written with different penmanship and different ink - as if his name had taken some time to track down. Charles Roger Winters. He supposed he could edit the name later on - Erik may have wronged him but he still didn’t like the idea of Erik's abusive father sharing a name with his son.

“I don’t…I don’t have any of the stuff,” Billy mumbled again, emotions catching on his voice. “I can’t just…I’m not prepared for this…”

“We’ve brought you supplies to help get him settled - bottled milk, nappies…and some of his clothes and toys from Miss Winters’ house. We couldn’t fit his crib in yet, but we have his moses basket if you can live with that for now.” The social worker looked at Billy, who was gripping the birth certificate so tightly it could almost rip. “Do you…want to say hello?”

Billy frowned, somehow feeling both too drunk and not drunk enough to handle the situation. Although he didn’t reply, he did set the document down and allowed Miss Madsen to pass the baby to Billy. Now sitting in his lap, the young boy fixed his curious blue eyes on Billy, leaving him with no choice but to gaze back at him. It was all so surreal; in the last half an hour alone, his entire world had changed. It almost felt like some big practical joke.

It wasn’t long before they agreed to leave him to it, with an arrangement for the social worker to make a visit the following day to see how they were settling. So, Billy just held his son on his knee and they continued their little staring contest. He knew then that he wasn’t about to spend the night alone, no matter how emotional he felt - dealing with the heartbreak was already too much, but being handed the huge, lifelong responsibility of raising a child he hadn’t even known about? He wasn’t even going to pretend he could handle that on his own.

Recognising that he had already drunk too much to get behind the wheel - especially with a baby, for whom he had no booster seat - Billy wrestled the baby into some warmer clothes from Serena’s house, and strapped him back into his carrier. Within minutes, he was making his way on foot to Jeremy’s house. His thoughts were going a hundred miles an hour, too fast to form any kind of coherent explanation he could give them when he showed up. Without the mental capacity to rehearse, Billy just ended up ringing the doorbell. He was so overwhelmed that as soon as the door opened and he saw his sister on the other side, his eyes just filled with tears. “Hey,” he managed to get out, his voice deep and strained. “I, um…I think I need -” His throat constricted as he tried to speak and a tear crashed down his face. “Can I come in?”

Interactions
Bellz Harper
BasDorcha Jeremy
Misty Gray Spencer, Kerry

 

[Bellz]

Harper King
Jeremy's Place
~ London ~ ​

Harper was just about to grab the tea for Kerry and Spencer when Jeremy wrapped his arms around her. "Hello, you." She murmured, her lips forming a small smile as he kissed her. She could practically hear her brother squirming in his seat when Jeremy released her and Harper raised a brow as she looked at her brother, who said Jeremy had it pretty cushy. She let the three of them interact, her mind now too tired to really keep up with the banter.

She relaxed against the counter, looking towards the kitchen window and noticing the moonlight bouncing off the leaves on the trees. Sometimes she wondered if it was real or if she was somehow still stuck in that little white windowless room, simply imagining it to comfort herself. Her mind caught back up with the room when Spencer said that Kerry didn't have to rush off too soon. Harper turned back to the conversation, looking at each of them wondering what she missed. "Oh, you're leaving already?" She asked softly, though she wasn't sure if it was loud enough for anyone to hear.

Harper watched as Kerry gathered her things and offered the woman a hug without much else being said. She would let her go in peace, no need to fuss about if she had chores to do, Harper rationalized to herself. A few other things happened at a pace that felt hard for her to keep up with and before she knew it Jeremy and she were alone in the kitchen. Knowing that the zoning out would most likely freak him out in a one-on-one setting, Harper moved to sit at the table with him.

"Well, I would say I really know how to clear a room but I think you were the one doing all the talking." She said, her words teasing and her tone attempting to match in its lightheartedness. "Poor Kerry looked so worried when I answered the door, I do hope she'll be okay on her own tonight." The woman bit her lower lip and looked towards the room where Spencer had gone to take the phone call. "Seeing Spence is helping me really believe that I'm out of there..." She confessed. "I mean, as weird as it sounds, I don't think my brain has caught up with it all yet. Thinks this is all some sort of...I don't know...hallucination. Dream. Whatever we want to call it." Harper shook her head before moving to take Jeremy's hand, giving it a squeeze.

Before she realized it, Spencer was joining them again but Harper didn't move her hand from Jeremy's. While all the men in her family always put on a brave face for her sake, Harper caught on fast. The look in their eyes was hard to disguise and she was good at reading people, even in her own foggy state. "Everything alright?" She asked though the answer Spencer did or didn't give her went in one ear and out the other for her as she suddenly got caught up in a wave of anxiety. She wasn't sure how long she had been holding her breath, or how long it had been after he answered, but when someone knocked on the door, Harper bounced to her feet at a speed that made her dizzy. "I'll get it." She gasped out, the room spinning around her for a few moments before she walked towards the front door.

When she looked through the peephole, she saw Billy standing on the porch, looking disheveled with something around his arm. Without hesitation, she opened the door wide, her favorite brother's eyes were filled with tears and any sort of anxiety she had was gone. "Billy? What is it? Are you okay?" Harper watched as he managed to say hello. She was so focused on his face that when he asked to come in, she didn't even bother to look down at the carrier. "Of course, come in." She allowed him inside moving to shut the door behind him and lock it out of habit. When she turned around she noticed the carrier and it registered immediately.

Silently, she looked at Billy, her mouth open to speak but no words came as she quickly found herself moving to stand in front of him. When she was met with one of the most beautiful babies she'd ever seen, Harper brought a hand to her mouth. Not bothering to ask him whose baby it was, it was clear to her, even in her state that it was his. Crouching down slowly, not wanting to startle the baby, Harper delicately reached a hand out to stroke his tiny hand. The baby's little fingers reached to grab one of hers and pulled it lightly causing Harper to let out a genuine smile. "He's got your stubby little fingers," Harper said finally, able to pull herself out of her state of shock. After the boy let go of her finger on his own, the woman stood on her feet and moved to hug her brother tightly.
with: Jeremy BasDorcha ; Spencer Misty Gray ; Billy Pyroclast

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Alex King's House
~ Bethnal Green, London ~

"Nice save," Alex immediately replied. The moment his father realized his mistake and paused Alex wasted no time giving him a snarky remark of his own. For a moment he had forgotten the reason he invited the man over - face scrunching up in distaste. He was absolutely right; no kid should grow up without their mother, yet he and his siblings had grown up without theirs. It was good Trevor hadn't said it, otherwise, Alex would have called him a hypocrite and a few other choice words. "We won't discuss the irony of that statement since you didn't make it but you understand it, right?" Alex took a heavy sigh and shook his head before letting the topic go. "She's fine. A little... Emotional about the whole ordeal, but Sav's resilient. She'll be alright."

Alex wasn't quite sure why, but he was surprised by Trevor's reaction to how he was introduced. He figured the man would be offended, but he wasn't. In fact, he seemed to be... Okay with it. As if he understood that Alex would still be harboring negative feelings about him. Callum asked if he could watch Ghostbusters again and Alex couldn't help but chuckle. "Again, huh?" After helping Callum down from the counter he nodded his head. "Yeah, come on," Alex said, informing Trevor that he'd be right back, and led Callum back to the living room, sliding the tape into the VHS. "This is the last time tonight though, alright? You gotta go to bed right after." Alex ruffled the boy's head before returning to the kitchen and back to his spot. "Kids favorite movie. He's seen it more than a dozen times since it's been on tape," he informed, filling the air with unnecessary chatter. Now that Callum was gone there was nothing keeping him from being honest with Trevor. And he hated it.

Something about the way Trevor seemed to begin to reminisce rubbed Alex the wrong way. He knew the man was trying to be friendly and keep things light but... It felt wrong. "You were around enough to know what I was like?" The moment the words left his mouth, however, he did regret them. He wasn't supposed to be negative and blame him; he was supposed to be amicable and grown up. "Sorry I-... It's a King thing, right? Speaking before thinking," he said in an attempt to lighten the mood. Trevor then asked if they should finish their conversation and Alex nodded. Though he was worried he was going to say something else before thinking he knew it was needed if he was ever going to move forward with his father. "Yeah, I guess that's a good idea, huh?" Alex paused, eyes on Trevor before letting out another deep sigh and looking away. "You've heard it all, haven't you? You were a shit father and we blame you for the way things turned out," he started, turning to look at him again. "And it's true. But that's all the blame you should really be taking."

"You were right about what you said to me. That how we turned out ain't really your fault since you weren't there? And you're not wrong. But fuck, Trevor, we'd've had a better life had you and mom been around." There was a pause in his speech - Alex nearly choked up at the mention of Laura. He'd been thinking about her a lot as of late and it still made him emotional. "You said you changed and you wanna make this right and I'm not sittin' here sayin' it ain't possible," he said, thinking about what he said to Spencer. Alex believed if he could change and fix his mistakes, anyone could; perhaps even Trevor. "But, you gotta admit - it's hard to believe." Alex let out an amused chuckle and took a sip from his cup. "So what is it, huh? Your plan to get us all to love you again. And please tell me they involve apologies because some of us are more deserving of it than others." While he wasn't going to mention Spencer telling him about wanting an apology from the man, he figured there was no harm in subtly mentioning it.

 

[neverbackdown]

The Windsor Hotel Ballroom
Dublin City Centre, Dublin

VIOLET MURPHY
(Sandy Leather outfit from Grease)
​

Placing the cigarette to her lips Violet took a long drag before exhaling and watched the smoke swirling around her before turning to face her friend "So we doing this or what?" she questioned a devilish smirk played on her lips and a mischievous look danced in her eyes as she looked across the road to the Windsor Hotel.

She knew her father was working at the event and so showing up there was only going to annoy him, especially since none of the kids were invited but that was exactly what she wanted to do, to get under his skin. Her rebellious actions were purely revenge for the crap she had put up with, her way to get back at him for the cheating, his absence throughout her life, leaving her with her batshit crazy mother in England, the list goes on. She would never admit this however, never own up to trying to annoy him, it was always just 'coincidental'. She had already planned her excuse for tonight, something along the lines of oh it's this party you were attending, well I didn't know..

Getting into the ballroom was actually uneventfully easy and Violet was pleasantly surprised at the ease. She had expected some kind of argument with security or having to sneak in through a back window into a bathroom like some kind of spy but no the girls just breezed in the main doors. She guessed it was due to being with Olivia but it still seemed a bit too easy to her.

Violet quickly scanned the room as she looked for one face in particular, smirking to herself as she spotted her father sitting beside Conor Sullivan. She didn't want to be caught out this quickly though, fearful of being sent home or escorted out and so she quickly turned her head hoping not to have been seen as she turned to Olivia "So should we get a ....." movement caught her eye and she turned to see two people closing the doors they had just walked through, raising an eyebrow Violet looked around in confusion, an unsettling feeling brewing in her stomach but she pushed it down, they were in a public place at an event surely nothing was going to happen now.

Oh how wrong could she be? In seconds everything turned to absolute chaos, the sound of gunshots filled the air and Violet looked immediately towards her father as he began to fire back at the attackers. "Fuck" was all she could mutter as she dove under the nearest table for protection. She looked back to make sure Olivia had followed her before moving towards the edge of the table to get a better look at her dad. While yes she was here to annoy him she didn't want to see him get hurt or killed.

A loud gasp escaped her lips as she watched a bullet rip through her father's shoulder and she quickly placed her hand over her mouth in shock. Once she could confirm that it was a shoulder and nowhere vital, for now at least, Violet turned back to face Olivia.

"We need to get out of here" she said before turning to look at the exit options. While she wasnt the target it was common sense that a trigger happy moron would happily gun down any person who dared move or been seen in a situation like this and so in that regard she was slightly stumped in what to do, hoping her friend had some plan in mind.



Interactions;-
Misty Gray - Olivia Sullivan-Porter

Mentions;-
Dermot Murphy/Conor Sullivan

 

[Misty Gray]

Alex King's House
~ Bethnal Green, London ~

Trevor Stewart​

Alex pointed out the irony of Trevor's words about kids not deserving to grow up without their mother, but he was clearly not wanting to go into that either. "Yeah, I get it," he confirmed, accepting responsibility in playing a significant role in Laura's downfall. Thankfully, Alex didn't press the topic as even a man like Trevor, who had a way with words, could only express his regret in so many ways. At least it seemed like Savannah was doing well since being shot, even if the emotional scars were still there. "I'm glad to hear it. I've heard the Sullivans are a tough bunch," he remarked.

Trevor had observed as Alex interacted with Callum in such a natural, warm and caring manner. It was a clear reminder of how he'd thrown away so many opportunities to be a good father and create positive memories with his own children. Those moments had been rare and short-lived back then. He'd had periods where he'd knock some sense into himself and be there for his family, but in the end he always fell back into his selfish ways. Whilst fully aware it was too late to dwell on it now, it didn't mean that the man he was now didn't regret the choices he made. Alex was quick to make a snarky remark about Trevor not being around long enough to know what kind of child he was. When his son apologised, Trevor shook his head and smirked at his own expense. "I can't say I didn't deserve that," he commented.

When Alex mentioned how he knew all about how he was a shit father and the Kings blamed him for how things had turned out, Trevor stayed silent, briefly glancing to the drink by his hand. He looked back up to meet his son's gaze, unable to hide the fact he was fully aware it was true. Alex then admitted Trevor had been right that he wasn't at fault in how his kids had turned out because he wasn't there. Trevor had said that at a time when Alex was blaming him for the negative parts of himself, but the fact of the matter was, he'd just watched Alex interact with Callum the exact way a father should. Trevor knew his son's positive behaviour with the kid was something he could take no part at all in passing on to him. He could take no credit for the good traits, just as he'd argued he couldn't be blamed for the negative traits his kids had developed. A solemn look showed on his face when it was said they could have had a better life if Laura had been alive. "I know, I... I used to tell myself I'd walked out to do you all a favour, so she didn't have me there poisoning her life. But I know I did it because I was a selfish bastard - I walked out because I wanted to do whatever I wanted without any responsibility. That thought will always hang over me. That no matter how bad things had got, if I'd stuck around or if I'd tried to push her harder to get help, then she might still be alive today." As well as his own selfishness, it had been the night of one heated argument with Laura where he'd almost been goaded into hitting her. That had been the moment that pushed him to leave. For all of the bad things he'd done and all of the names he could be called, he didn't want be guilty of laying a hand on his wife.

When Alex expressed that it seemed hard to believe that his father had changed, Trevor unconsciously mirrored his son as he picked up his own glass to take a sip from it. As Alex asked what his plan was to make his family love him again, Trevor slowly placed the glass back down on the counter top. "I know it's hard to believe after all the stunts I've pulled over the years, but I have changed and I no longer feel like I'm saying that to convince myself. Since I got back here I've been tested, over and over, and I have no doubt in me any more. If I was going to leave or fall back on the drugs, I would have reached that point a few weeks ago... especially with what happened to Harper. And I'm working now - in a real job, nothing dodgy or half-arsed. I know it's hard to believe for you and the others, so I won't take the right to doubt me away from you as I've earned your suspicion."

With the mention of apologies, Trevor shook his head but took in a deep breath and looked his son in the eyes. "Is that what I'm supposed to do, Alex? Keep apologising over and over to you all for all the shit I did? I've apologised and admitted to my part in your mother's death and preventing you from having the normal, good childhood you all deserved. For ditching you all and not even sticking around to see Harper born. I can keep apologising, but will it change anything? Will it start to lose its meaning the more you head it?" he asked. There was something in Alex's words, however, that stood out. It sounded like Alex thought some of them needed the apology more than others. Trevor was aware he'd apologised for and owned up to his past actions, except some. By the way Spencer had addresed him earlier and on recent occasions, it didn't take a genius to figure it out. "You mean Spence?" he asked, rubbing his chin as he seemed uncomfortable with the subject. After some thought, he nodded, clearly getting the message. "I know I treated him the worst. I was too strict with him, I hit him and belittled him. There's no excusing that and I hate myself for doing it. I deserve all that hate and anger he's got towards me..." Trevor took another sip from his glass before setting it down. "And that's the conundrum. If I apologise, would I then be relieving myself of the weight and of being on the receiving of his venom that I fully deserve. I bullied my own kid and was never punished for it... But I also know it ain't good for Spence to be living with so much anger inside," he reasoned. "I'm not sure how I'd get him to hear me out, mind you. But that's my problem, I know."

He looked Alex in the eyes before continuing. "And what about you? Do you really believe I can't change and make up for what I did?"

Melanin-Gxdess (Alex)

 

[Misty Gray]

The Windsor Hotel - Upstairs
~ Dublin City Centre, Dublin ~

Gabriel Moretti and James Porter​

Despite the dizziness and confusion, Gabriel had still managed to savour seeing James collapse onto the floor. For years he'd wanted the Irishman dead and the time had finally come. However, as Teddy rushed to try catch him, he knew he couldn't ignore that something was seriously wrong with himself. Hell, he'd been ignoring the signs and symptoms for some time already. As his brother-in-law pressed a hand to Gabriel's chest, the older man shook he's head. "We need to get out!" he commanded him, wanting at least one of them to have a chance at returning home to their family.

As Teddy helped him to his feet, a brief wave of confusion overcame Gabriel, but he soon settled his focus again. With Teddy's help, the mafia boss was able to struggle along out of the office and to the nearest emergency exit. Gabriel was having trouble staying stood upright, once again clutching at his arm as the pain surged in his head and his left side grew weaker. Thankfully, as he slumped back down to sit, Teddy helped keep him propped up against the wall on the corridor. When his brother-in-law assured him he was going to get the car so they could make a speedy exit, Gabriel nodded in understanding. He expected Teddy would have the sense to do what had to be done to get them both out of there. "Hurry," he exhaustedly gasped out.

After a short time, Gabriel sensed someone else was present. He was sure if it was one of his men, they'd have made their presence known and rushed to aid him. With his left arm still numb and weak, he reached for his gun with his right, but soon remembered in the haze of his mind that he no longer had his weapon. He knew he was going to struggle to get back to his feet unaided, and certainly couldn't make a speedy escape, so he had little choice but to face the situation. "Who's there?" he asked.

*****​

James couldn't be sure what had gone on with Gabriel, but what he did know what that the bastard seemed to be in bad shape himself. So when Teddy had to help the Italian out of the room, James could only hope Moretti was about to drop dead himself. If he was going to die, there would at least be some consolation for James' family knowing Gabriel was dead too.

With the two men gone, James was alone inside the room, but he could only imagine how many of Morettis guards could be out in the hallway. Using his hands to push himself up to a seating position, he briefly rested his back against the wall so he could assess his own wounds. The bullet that had hit his hip seemed to have made the least damage and he was sure it was a surface wound. The bullet lodged above his knee he couldn't ignore, with the pain intense even before he could make any attempt to get onto his feet. However, when he placed his hand to his abdomen and the soaking wet patch of blood on his shirt, he knew that was the one he needed to worry about, especially if he couldn't get out of the room any time soon. He unfasted the neckerchief from around his neck, but even as he balled it up and pressed it against the wound, he knew the fancy dress costume accessory wasn't going to do much to soak up the blood.

As he looked around the room, his eyes soon landed on the telephone on the desk beside him. Grabbing onto the wooden desk, he pulled himself up onto his feet. Though careful not to put any weight on the foot of his injured leg, he still cried out as the pain in both his knee and abdomen intensified with the movement. With one arm resting on the desk, he stretched the other out to grab the handset and dragged it towards him. Forcing himself to keep standing through the pain, he lifted the receiver and brought it to his ear. There was no dial tone sounding, prompting him to hang up a couple of times, then he tried dialling a number regardless. "Fuck!" James hissed as the continued absence of sound made it clear the line was dead. His eyes followed the cable to see it was still plugged in to the socket in the wall, so he could only assume the hotel's phonelines had been cut or tampered with. If this was a bigger operation than just getting to him, then he needed to get to his family.

Gritting his teeth to try block out the pain, James began limping towards the door, but before he could get far, his injured leg buckled and the effects of the blood loss weakened him enough that he collapsed on the floor again, landing in the trail of his own blood...

Bellz (Lucy)
Melanin-Gxdess (Teddy)

 

[BasDorcha]

Home

~Bethnal Green, London​

Jeremy Gray

Jeremy rolled his eyes when Spencer teased as if he was rushing Kerry out. "Oi, fuck you, you know I didn't mean it." He grinned at Kerry, indicating she could in fact stay if she wanted, he wasn't intending to rush her out if she didn't want to go. It felt good having people about, more… normal after things had been so awkward with everyone for so long. He watched Harper carefully, always observant of her, but even more so these days. And so they continued on, Jeremy carefully watching Harper, holding her hand every moment he could, and Jeremy and Spencer talking about what to expect when the baby came.

Ringggg, rinngggggg. Jeremy grabbed the phone, Erik on the other end. Confused why Erik would be calling for Spencer at his place, he went and grabbed his friend, waving him just out of the kitchen into the hallway where the phone was sat. "Oi, Erik's on the line. What's this about?" When Spencer didn't know, he hovered nearby, not quite eavesdropping, but close enough he could step back in if his friend called for him.

When Harper accused him of clearing the room, his face softened and he wrinkled his nose at her. "Never been very good socially. Can't help it if I'm an awkward twat. You're just going to have to learn to deal with it, my love." He continued, trying to keep the mood light. A quiet look of concern crossed his face when she mentioned feeling like everything was a dream, because now those terms put him on edge instead of comforted him. He used to think it was something romantic but now it was a reason to worry. He caressed her cheek, ready to give her a kiss when Spencer came back in and he withdrew. They moved to the front room, a knock drawing Harper before them until Jeremy and Spencer were settled on the couch, Harper at the door and there was - Billy?

Standing, he moved to stand near Harper, watching the scene unfold as Billy appeared ready to fall to pieces, he waited until Harper finished hugging Billy and gave him one himself, smelling the alcohol on him. He looked at Spencer and gave him a private, almost unperceivable head nod towards Bill. Something was wrong, wrong, wrong. Jeremy picked up the carrier and moved it to the couch, between him and Spencer, while Billy stood with Harper. Jeremy hadn't told anyone, but in the empty room of the house he had already started preparing somethings for Harper while she had been gone. He hadn't shown her yet, as it was still largely unprepared, but now seemed as good a time as any to put the few items he'd been storying in there to use.

"Make yourself at home… I'm going to give this little one some time out of this carrier." He carefully picked the baby up, detangling him from the inside of the carrier, cradling the sleeping boy in his arms as naturally as breathing. There was a star struck look to jeremy's face, torn somewhere between anxiousness of Billy and amazement as the little thing in his grasp. Holding a little one felt… well it felt like the most normal thing in the world. Jeremy laughed to himself, very softly, before turning back, "I have something for you Bill, I'll be right back."

Holding the little one in one arm, he made his way to the future nursery, bringing out a new age bassinet that had a blanket in it and some nappies and bottles around the bottom storage area. He laid the little one down in it , then picked up the whole thing and carried it down the stairs back to the living room. When he came around the corner into the room, he looked up a bit sheepishly setting the frilly white basket down in the middle of the room. "This was going to be for Harper, I've been collecting things since we found out at the hospital… But I think it's going to be more important to make sure you have some of these things instead." Jeremy blushed at being revealed for such a softy who had already been planning some of the smaller details of his future child's arrival.

He pushed the bassinet to the siblings, setting back towards the corner of the group in case he was impeding on their conversation.


Misty Gray - Spencer
Bellz - Harper
Pyroclast - Billy

 

[BasDorcha]

The Mayfair Restaurant

~ City of London, London ~​

Philip and Abel Stewart

Phil loved the scene before him, watching his son bloom in the right ways, getting to enjoy his time with his wife, the filling meal they had, and the joyful conversation. Alice and Abel got lost in talking about their school schedules, things they had in common, and places they liked to go. Abel told her about the band's he liked and where they'd be playing soon, where he hung out after class on campus, and about how he was in comic book club - not that he wrote them, but some of the people in there did and he loved watching their process. He at least had the good head to know he seemed a bit cheesy admitting it, but he was an open kind of guy, and easy going to boot so it seemed to work well with Alice.

When dinner finally wrapped up, he looked at Sarah, grasping her hand beneath the table and smiling at her, "I think we should let the kids leave, we'll enjoy some us time. Does that sound good to you Angel?" He grinned, squeezing her hand tight with a quiet but intimate look to his eyes.

Abel on the other hand gagged at them, rolling his eyes skyward, "Yep, that's my que to go. I tell you what Alice, let's go grab some ice cream for dessert." He smiled, noticing her plate had long finished and they'd both sat there talking well past finishing their food. He made a mental note to thank his mother later for her careful eye and planning mind. "if we time it right, that new movie will be showing in a bit if they haven't changed the show times." he stood, offering her his hand with his other placed on the back of her chair to help her slide out. There was a tingling in his chest, wanting to get to know her better, to be alone with her, not just that of his normal teenage male drive, but something felt… clicky with her. It gave him a cheesy grin and a brightness in his eyes as he helped her.


"Thanks Dad, Mum, see you guys at home?" He asked, reaching for his wallet but his dad waved him off. "I've got it, Abel, thank you. Save your money for taking out Ms. Alice for now." He looked over to his wife, Phil thinking about a nice place to take them dancing after this. "How about we go check out that jazz club down the street, and you can let me take you dancing."

Misty Gray - Alice/Sarah

 

[Misty Gray]

The Mayfair Restaurant
~ City of London, London ~

Sarah Stewart and Alice Carroll​

Alice had found it interesting that Abel was involved in a comic book club. Some of her friends and peers, not to mention her father, would dismiss those kinds of hobbies. Apparently it was more mature and much cooler to act boring or spend free time out drinking and sleeping around. Having often been called a dreamer and had her quirky interests questioned, she didn't judge people on what they liked. Comics was new to her, but that only made her more curious. "Comic book club sounds like fun," she told him, her words sounding as genuine as they were. "If you ever do come up with a storyline for your own and you need someone to do the art, just give me a shout. Maybe I'll even do it for free," she lightly teased. Even if he wasn't going to take her up on the offer, she had the sudden urge to deviate from her usual drawing styles to try some comic book sketches.

Alice had managed to clear her plate of salad around about the same time as the others finished their meals. There had been a while after she'd finished her treatment and therapy for her eating disorder that she hadn't been comfortable eating in front of others, especially anyone outside of her family and close friends circle. This evening she hadn't even thought about it, which was perhaps partly down to how kind and welcoming the Stewarts we're being towards her. Any anxiety and doubts had quickly left her once she realised how sweet Abel was.

Sarah squeezed Philip's hand in return and looked him in the eyes as he suggested letting the kids leave so they could have time together. "That sounds perfect, darling," she agreed, her tone a flirty one. "We can't have these kids cramping our style," she playfully told him.

Alice had to place her hand to her mouth to try hide her amusement as Abel gagged at the sight of his parents flirting with each other. She understood it was awkward for him to see that, but at the same time, she envied it a little. Whilst her own parents were still together, it was very rare she saw any romance between them. Her mother was often stuck her own detached world, whilst her father kept himself busy with work and wasn't the best at responding to her mother's 'episodes'. It was at the point where Alice was just glad they treated each other and herself well, even if she couldn't recognise any romantic love between them.

Even as she moved her hand away to reply to Abel, the smile remained on Alice's face. "Ice-cream sounds perfect!" she agreed to his offer. When he also mentioned seeing a movie if they timed it right, she quickly nodded her head. She wasn't even sure which movie had just been released, but she was open-minded enough to watch anything and was happy to just go with the flow. "That sounds lovely to me," he told him. She stood up from her seat, thanking Abel as he helped her. She noticed Abel was about to reach for his wallet, but then watched as Philip said he'd pay for the meal. "Thank you both for tonight and for the meal," she politely thanked Philip and Sarah.

"Don't sweat it. You just look after this one and make sure he doesn't get into trouble," she sarcastically teased as she pointed to Abel. "And Abel, make sure Alice gets home safe. She makes the best coffee in that shop, and I like my coffee," she remarked in reference to the shop Alice worked at.

Alice let out a small laugh before leaving the restaurant with Abel. Once they were outside, she unconsciously placed a light hand on his arm as she looked up and down the street. "Which way is the dessert place?" she asked him.

Once the two teenagers had left the table, Sarah turned to Philip and sent him a smug kind of stare. "Am I good or am I good? Never mind being an estate agent - I should start my own dating agency," she commented. "The jazz club, huh? You know I can never resist a good old dance, so obviously I'm in," she said, leaning in to place a kiss on his lips.

BasDorcha (Philip, Abel)

 

[Bellz]

Lucy Porter
The Windsor Hotel Ballroom (Emergency Exit Hallway)
~ Dublin City Center, Dublin ~​

Lucy's breath hitched in her chest, holding it as Gabriel asked who was there. There was a chance for her to turn around, to just find James. But none of this would be done if she didn't do what she felt needed to be done. Her family, the Kings...they all deserved to move forward in peace. Something she always wanted for her loved ones. Whatever was happening in the ballroom, she couldn't stop...but she could stop it from happening again. Something she felt, to some degree, was her fault all those years ago. Her eyes slide close for a minute, silently willing James to just hold on a bit longer, if he were to be close to death. With that, Lucy's eyes slowly opened, with them her shoulders rolled back and her hand that held the pistol raised, her other hand cupping it from the bottom to steady it.

Whatever happened, she'd shoot him. This time, she wouldn't miss. Even if he shot her, he had to be finished. With renewed courage, Lucy stepped out from the corner wall, her chin raised high as she aimed her gun at him. "Probably not who you were expecting, I gather." Lucy's voice was hoarse, trying not to sound nervous as she stepped towards him. The fluorescent lights didn't do him any favors but Gabriel looked like he was holding onto life by a thin string. "You look like absolute shit." She said through gritted teeth, her steps slowing slightly as her eyes searched for a weapon in his hands.

Her arms flexed, forcing her to keep from shaking as her eyes frantically looked around him. He didn't have a weapon on him, from where she stood at least. Even if he did have one, it looked like he was going to have a hard time reaching for it, let alone lifting it up enough to hurt her severely. "All of this just a big distraction, to just get to James...to Roxie? And here you are, looking like your deal with the devil is up. And for what Gabriel, tell me? I'm sure you had a whole grandeur speech prepared for my husband." Lucy squared her feet, now only a few feet away. Now that she was closer, she could see what was most likely wrong with him. There was no way he was going to be able to get up, to fight her. Gabriel dying at the hands of a woman. Life really did have a funny way of presenting itself.

"My family...has been hurting, for years. Because of you. And your poison spread to the Kings too. You destroyed families, cheated your way through life, and slaughtered people who...had loved ones. Who mattered to people. For what? Power? Money? Vengeance? You might have had everyone scared of you, that's why you stayed on top for so fucking long. But just because they are scared of you doesn't mean they fucking respect you. Which matters in a time like this. Where are they? The men who were meant to come back for you? " Lucy was over it all, there needed to be an end somewhere. If the men in the two families weren't going to do something about it, then what the fuck was stopping her from doing it?

"Where the fuck is James, Gabriel?" Lucy's voice broke in her question, but her arms never shook enough to mess up her aim. Pulling back the hammer on the pistol, Lucy hovered her finger over the trigger. "Well come on then, you must know where he is! You came here for him, didn't you? Ricky said you had him, so I will ask one more fucking time. Where. is. my. husband?!"
with: Gabriel Misty Gray

 

[Misty Gray]

The Windsor Hotel - Upstairs
~ Dublin City Centre, Dublin ~

Gabriel Moretti and James Porter​

Gabriel turned his head as he kept it rested against the wall, watching as Lucy approached. The gun in her hand and their history made it clear there was little chance he was getting out of this one, unless Teddy or one of the others returned fast. When the woman told him he looked like shit, he nodded in head in agreement. He could only imagine how bad he looked, given that he felt like hell as he sat slumped against the wall. "And you... you look like a whore," he exhaustedly told her. If his usual commanding and assured tone wasn't present, he would at least let his disdain towards the Irish out through his choice of words.

He gripped the top of his left arm with his right hand as the numbness remained. All the while, he kept his eyes on Lucy as the woman spoke. She was clearly afraid, and given his current predicament, he doubted it was because of him. He assumed her demeanour was linked to her husband and the fear of what had happened to him. He nodded his head when she spoke of the distraction being to get to James and Roxie. He had to wonder if that meant Ricky had taken the smart option and killed his cousin. "I decided to spare James the speeches this time," he said, looking up at her as she stepped closer.

He listened as the woman spoke of how her family had suffered for years because of him. A weak smile showed on his lips as he lightly shook his head. "I had loved ones too," he reminded her, given that it was James who had arranged the explosion that killed most of his family. "Money and power... I savoured every moment of it," he informed her. No matter what he said or did, Gabriel didn't believe for one second that he was going to get out of this one alive. Having never felt he should in the past, he wasn't about to hold his tongue now. "I don't give a damn if those men respect me. Right now, they're busy slaughtering more of your loved ones. I can still hear... I hear the bullets," he informed her. "The Kings didn't even need me to push them. Your family did enough damage without me. How do you know they didn't help to arrange tonight's surprise?"

When Lucy demanded to know where James was, Gabriel's vision blurred a little more but not enough to stop him from focusing on the pistol the woman was aiming at him. "I savoured every moment of vengeance too..." he trailed off, lifting his head to look back to her face and try focus on her expression. He tightened his jaw upon hearing Ricky had told her he had James. If Ricky had had time to talk to the Irish, he hoped he'd first found time to kill Roxie. Once again Lucy demanded to know where James was. "The cockroach is dead, Mrs. Porter. I looked your husband in the eyes as I pulled the trigger. All four times," he hoarsely assured her.

Gabriel was certain his time had come and he wasn't going to make any apologies or pleas to Lucy if they were going to be his last words. He only hoped Teddy would do what he could to get home safe and back to their loved ones, and to make sure they were all okay.

Bellz (Lucy)
Melanin-Gxdess (Teddy)

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Alex King's House
~ Bethnal Green, London ~

Hearing Trevor be honest about the reason he left was bittersweet. He'd wanted to hear it for a while - him being honest. But just knowing that the man didn't care enough about them to change still hurt. Alex's inner child was still hurting; that childish part of him wished that Trevor had stuck around. Unfortunately, nothing was going to change the past. Laura was dead, Trevor had left, and this is where they were now. Alex figured if he wanted to move forward - and really move forward - he needed to stop living in the past and begin focusing on the present. Which meant that after tonight. After he got what he needed off his chest, he needed to forgive Trevor for everything he'd done in the past and believe that he wanted to be better for his kids. Or at least, take his words at face value and see how it all worked out.

Trevor then went on to explain himself further. He'd been tested at every corner; something Alex found himself relating to. He even nodded his head in understanding. The past few months Alex himself had even been tested to see if he would fall back into his old ways. When Callum was taken away from him by Savannah, Alex had every opportunity to turn back to drinking and doing drugs and perhaps even disappearing for days on end. Yet he hadn't. There was no sneaking away to Ibiza or something with a woman who wasn't Kerry. He wasn't snorting coke and partying until the sun came up the next day. He was remaining grounded and mature. When Harper tried to take her life he was so sure he was going to push everyone around him away, especially Kerry like he had with Callum. But again, he hadn't. As he stood listening to Trevor he realized just how alike the two of them were just then. And that, perhaps, if he could implement all these changes in his life then maybe Trevor was capable of the same thing. Hearing that he was working a real job Alex chuckled. "Good. Got enough degenerate lawbreakers around here," he joked in regard to the family business.

"That ain't it, Trevor," Alex sighed, aware of the number of times he had apologized by now. Again he wondered if he should be speaking about Spencer to Trevor. He didn't want his older brother to feel, somehow, betrayed if he did. Like he was giving Trevor some sort of secret game plan to go and win his brother over. The problems the two of them had were between them and therefore he shouldn't be sticking his nose in their business... Right? But before Alex could figure out what to say Trevor said it for him. Alex's eyes connected with Trevor's and for a moment he was silent. Trevor then continued to work it out, seemingly asking all the right questions. "Doesn't matter. At the end of the day, it ain't about you it's about him and what he needs. You wanna be able to stop apologizing to your kids? You- you wanna be able to move forward and form all these new relationships? Then that's what you need to do. And take whatever shit Spence has for you. Like you said," he picked up his glass, drinking after finishing his sentence. "You deserve it." Once the glass was empty he set it back on the countertop. "Yeah, unfortunately, I'm already in the dog house with 'im. You're on your own there."

When asked if Alex believed he could change, he hesitantly nodded. "Anyone can change. Anyone can try and do everything they can to make up for the shitty things they've done in the past," he suddenly found himself thinking about Savannah and the way he treated her. Looking down at his hands he shook the thought from his head and focused on Trevor. "It's you stickin' to your word that matters now and everything you do from here on out. I mean," he shrugged, "So far you've done exactly what you said you would so... I don't know. It's lookin' good but don't take offense if I don't hold my breath for too long."

Trevor ( Misty Gray )

 

[Pyroclast]

The Windsor Hotel
~ Dublin, Ireland ~

Syd Porter
(Tommy Lee)​

It could have been a lie. That sort of emotional warfare wasn’t unfamiliar to Syd. In those quick moments, he had to hope that’s all it was - an attempt to break them down, weaken them for the enemy like stunning an animal before slaughter. It was believable, too, given that the balcony was where James had been heading - but Syd couldn’t accept that his father had been killed. He didn’t even know who this masked man was. A Moretti, he assumed, but without knowing for sure, it was hard to allow the stranger’s words any credibility - especially since that would mean his father was dead.

Then the man used his name. The stunning technique, if that is what he was doing, had worked; distracted by worrying about his father, Syd struggled to make sense of the masked man’s words - something about trying to save his cousin? Before he could piece it together, however, he saw him shove Roxie to the ground. Syd couldn’t say which came first, the screams or the gunfire, but the room suddenly erupted into chaos all at once. He instinctively went after Roxie, but was struck in the face by flying shards of glass as bottles exploded from behind the bar and before he could get his bearings, Lucy was pushing him down behind the side of the bar.

“Mam!” he yelled over the gunfire. “Mam, get out of -” But she interrupted him, instead telling him that she was going to find his father and that he needed to get himself and Roxie out of harm’s way. “Meet us round the back, I’ll get Roxie to the car -” Syd grabbed her by the arm, afraid to let her go. “Don’t get hit!”

He watched after her as she ran to the exit that James had taken, and only then did he notice the bodies on the ground. Bodies of the guests he and Roxie had invited to the gala. Suddenly struck by horror and guilt, Syd almost forgot what he was doing - until he heard Roxie scream. Without further hesitation, Syd instinctively grabbed for his knife and dived down to the other side of the bar, over the bartender's lifeless body and to where Roxie sat. He grabbed her assailant from behind and thrust the knife deep into his back. It all happened in seconds - pushing him down, Syd rolled him over and pinned him to the ground before repeatedly stabbing him in the chest and abdomen. Panic and a desperation to protect his loved ones had taken over and for several seconds, his actions were almost automatic, as if he couldn't stop. But when he finally saw the mouth of the man's mask grow dark and wet with blood, he finally let his knife clatter to the floor. Breathing heavily, Syd let himself fall into a seated position beside him and finally tore off the man's disguise.

"Ricky," he muttered under his breath. He was hardly aware of the blood that had splattered all over his own body, too pumped up on adrenaline to be aware of much at all, and it took him a few seconds to realise that the cousin Ricky had referred to earlier on was actually Roxie. He had misunderstood everything, and once again killed another of Roxie's original family - her last remaining, in fact. Struggling to quite comprehend the gravity of what he had done, he instead focused on Roxie, and reached out to hold her steady with his bloody hands. "Are you - are you hurt?" he stammered. "Rox', we need to get out of here - are you hurt anywhere?"

Danny Vaughan
(Batman)​

"See, you're stronger than us, Captain," he said to Braden with a grin. "Callum's got us wrapped around his little finger, dressin' up however he wants!" He chuckled as Savannah explained how she would have come as a princess had it not been for Callum. "You'd be a perfect Sleeping Beauty, Sav. Or if you don't cut your hair for the next year, you could be Rapunzel next Halloween!" He stroked her silky blonde hair before dropping a kiss on her head.

Braden's playful heckling drew a laugh from Danny. "Oh yeah, and the USS Enterprise is flyin' through the galaxy without their captain on board? Some use you are!" He reached out to slap his friend on the back with a beaming smile - it had been too long since the two had spent any time together, and he made a mental note to invite him out for a boys night. "Well, hey, man, since I got the costume now - Hattie ever misbehaves or won't do her homework, you call me and I'll send Batman over there to straighten out her priorities. Superheroes always make their beds in the morning and shit like that, right?"

Having wondered who the lucky woman was at Braden's side, Danny was pleased when the attention turned on Amy. She seemed sweet, moving forward to shake both his and Savannah's hands. "Pleasure's all mine," he replied. While Braden's story of how they met was sweet, Amy added some humour to it by throwing aliens into the mix. "Space Madonna?" Danny chuckled. "Now there's a Halloween costume. I like it!"

Amy and Braden soon moved off to get drinks at the bar, and as soon as they were out of earshot Savannah started gushing about the new couple. Danny smiled and pulled her into his side. "They seem good, don't they?" he said. "We should have 'em both over some time. And Hattie of course!" His hand slipped easily into his girlfriend's and the pair began to follow a short distance behind Braden and Amy as Savannah suggested they join them for drinks and squeeze some more conversation out of them. "Sounds good to me - I wanna hear more about these aliens' taste in music, anyways. Madonna in space? She better write a song about that!"

Suddenly, they were stopped in their tracks as soon consecutive gunshots shattered some bottles behind the bar, spraying the surrounding area with glass and alcohol. Danny pushed Savannah behind him and looked up. The last thing he saw were two figures on the balcony…and the next thing he knew, he was laying on the ground.

Warm liquid started streaming down his face and over his eyes. He couldn't comprehend what was happening anymore. All he could hear was commotion, and realised that he had lost sight of his girlfriend. "Sav -" he gasped. He tried to push himself up but his arm wouldn't move, and he wasn't entirely sure where he was or what was going on. "Where are you?" When the liquid trickled into his mouth, he recognised the metallic taste but since he still couldn't register any pain, the presence of blood only confused him further. Braden's voice was fading in and out but he couldn't tell what the man was saying. "Are we safe here?" he mumbled, his lips hardly moving. "Sav…?" By now, the weakness and exhaustion were pulling him under, and without the ability to comprehend what was happening, Danny found no reason to fight it. As he slipped into unconsciousness, the last thought in his mind was of Savannah, and hoping she was okay...

Interactions
Misty Gray Savannah, Ricky
Bellz Braden, Roxie
BasDorcha Amy

 

[Bellz]

Lucy Porter
The Windsor Hotel - Office
~ Dublin City Center, Dublin ~​

Despite the seriousness of the moment, Gabriel called her a whore made the woman let out a bleak laugh. "Oh come on, Gabriel, is that the best you could do?" She fired back, not phased by being called a whore at all. She'd been called much, much worse. His words sounded exhausted. Still, Lucy's words had a bit of bite to them as she inched closer and closer. He confirmed that he spared the speeches for her husband this time. She only hesitated moving forward when he spoke of the loved ones thad hat he lost. There was a moment, a brief and already fleeting moment, where Luly felt sorry for him. Gabriel had been chasing the same trauma for years. James was by no means a perfect person, Lucy had seen the good, the bad, and the ugly in her husband but...he knew when to just let things go, to let them be. It was something she had a hard time doing.

Gabriel could have done with the same lessons, but as he said that he savored the money and the power, it became clear that perhaps Gabriel did let things go and kept going for his own selfish reasons. Something she always did feel but now she was seeing it uncomfortably up close. The thought of no one respecting him didn't seem to phase him, which really put on display just how senseless he had become. Years of hate, and loathing, were on display in front of her in the form of a human being...it made her feel, oddly enough, pity. Pity for his family who was forced to love him, pity for the person that he could have been. When he mentioned his men slaughtering more of her loved ones, Lucy aimed her gun again. "Shut. Up." She said through gritted teeth.

The comment about the Kings did make her wonder if they were a part of this plan, but she was sure it was just something to make her second guess everything, to keep a feud going long after he was dead and gone. The snake thrived off violence. "Call it a mother's intuition." Lucy answered simply.

Gabriel was slow in answering where James was and Lucy knew she was running out of time. He told her that James was dead, causing her somewhat tough exterior to break as her lip trembled. So many nights, sleepless nights she had, woken up by a nightmare that her husband was in fact, long gone. He had dodged so many bullets and fought tooth and nail to get back to her and their family. Could it really be that easy to kill him now? Just four shots.

"While I could trust you in what you say, a dead man's word doesn't really mean a fucking thing to me." Lucy moved her gun away from his head, instead firing a bullet into his abdomen. "But if what you say is true, then I feel your punishment should fit the crime. One." She said before shooting him in the groin area this time. "Two." She stepped closer, shooting once again in the abdomen before standing over his legs. "Three." She said before crouching down, "I'm sure this wasn't how you were expecting to go. At the hands of just another mob wife." Lucy pressed the barrel of her gun into the open wound she had created with the first round and stepped on his left hand with her heel to keep him from reaching out. "I'll be sure to tell your story, for years and years to come...how you were taken down...not by a heart attack or stroke but by a woman dressed as a french whore." Lucy fired the last shot listening as the bullet ripped through skin and flesh before pulling the gun away and hitting him over the head with it. Looking him in the eyes, she watched as they started to glaze over as life drained from him at a rapid pace. Getting up, Lucy dusted herself off as best as she could with the blood that soaked her outfit.

With that, she moved away from him completely and moved to hurry down the hall past him, "See you in hell, Jackass." She sauntered towards the next door, opening it to check to see if her husband was in there. When she did find him, the door had lightly bumped his head. "JAMES!!" She cried out, any brave face she had put on back in the hall completely dissolved as she crumpled to the floor.

The blood greeted her knees and hands, coating them in a sticky and warm red gloss. There was so much of it, Lucy had held on to the fact that she'd found her husband alive but barely. Now it seemed like that wasn't so. "James, can you hear me? Please, baby, please....talk to me. You can't leave me, not like this. I-I can't do this without you." Lucy slowly pushed him so that he was facing the ceiling, trying her best to be delicate. The amount of blood all over him was enough to make her sick and she couldn't tell where it was coming from.
with: Gabe (who is now dead) Misty Gray ; James (WHO BETTER NOT BE DEAD) Misty Gray

 

[Misty Gray]

The Windsor Hotel Ballroom
~ Dublin City Centre, Dublin ~

Riccardo Biancardi [RIP]​

When Roxie asked where Syd and Lucy were, Ricky arched his neck up to look over the bar so he could check. He had to quickly duck back down to avoid any stray bullets, but had caught a glimpse of the others. "They're okay," he distantly assured his cousin. Before he could say more, Roxie began hitting him, causing him to hold tight onto his gun but slide his finger away from the trigger so he didn't fire off any accidental shots. "That wasn't... I wasn't myself," he protested when she pointed out he'd previously tried to kill her. Before he could apologise again, he ducked and shielded himself from the glass spraying over them.

Roxie then demanded he hand over his other gun but the truth was that he didn't have a second gun. He'd been thrown into the attack against his will and all Gabriel had cared about was that he killed Roxie, not that he got out alive. "I don't have another..." he muttered back to her. Hearing her ask how she could expect him to protect her now, he looked down to the gun in his hand. Rotating it to hold it by the barrel so it wasn't pointing anywhere in Roxie's direction, he looked his cousin in the eyes, his mask still covering his face and hiding the sad regret from his features. "I don't expect you to trust me..." he dejectedly told her as he slowly reached the gun out with the handle pointing towards her so she could take his weapon from him.

Before he could do anything else, Ricky felt the deep, intense pain as the blade of a knife was thrust into his back. "I'm sorry..." the words for Roxie were practically knocked out of his mouth. He was then rolled over and pinned to the floor, where he was able to see Syd looming over him. Ricky could barely react as he was repeatedly stabbed by the man. By the time Syd finally stopped and removed the mask to see Roxie's attacker, Ricky had nothing left in him. No life or energy to muster up some final words for the man who hadn't liked him since the day they met. Ricky had known he was on a suicide mission the moment he decided he wouldn't kill Roxie, so it wasn't a shock to feel his life slipping away, nor was it a surprise that it was at Syd's own hands. The voices around him faded out into muffled sounds, before there was nothing more.

Bellz (Roxie) Pyroclast (Syd)

 

[Bellz]

Roxie Carriveau
The Windsor Hotel Ballroom - Behind the Bar
~ Dublin City Center, Dublin ~​

When Ricky said he hadn't been himself when he previously tried to kill her, Roxie knew she couldn't argue with that. She'd been through all his personality issues growing up and knew how he could flip seemingly on a dime. Still, she couldn't feel like she could trust him after all he'd done. But after he informed her that he didn't have another gun, over the screaming, blood, and chaos around them...he did something she didn't expect him to. He spun his gun around so that the handle was aimed towards her now. His hand slowly reached out with it, telling her that he didn't expect her to trust him while showing that she could. The gesture left her in a state of temporary shock.

"Rick-" Before she could finish even saying his name, Syd was behind him stabbing him in the back. "SYD! NO! WAIT!" The woman cried out, but the screams were useless and she lurched forward, Ricky's gun now in her hand. She set it on the floor quickly and kicked it away from the both of them as she didn't want any accidental shootings. Ricky apologized but was unable to get anything out. Despite the chaos around them, Roxie could hear every time Syd's blade made contact with her cousin and it was the only reason she paused in pushing him off. Each sickening sound was threatening to make her sick.

When he stopped and removed Ricky's mask, for some reason, Roxie begged the universe to show her a different face, someone else. Anyone else. Ricky's face stared up at the ceiling, seemingly accepting the fate that was just brutally handed to him. Even Syd reaching out his hands to steady her as she crawled clumsily towards her cousin didn't tear her eyes away from Ricky. Syd's question sounded like it was underwater, her heart beating too heavily in her ears to be able to understand it completely.

Roxie didn't answer, unable to form any words as she continued to look down at Ricky. Her body shook and her mind was scrambling to understand the situation she was in. He was really gone. But how could that be? He was just here, giving her his gun to show he wasn't going to hurt her. He...he...apologized. "He apologized."' Roxie said, her words just as shaken as she was. "Ricky." Roxie said, her voice breaking as she called his name now.

"Come on...just get up." She begged, looking around her cousin frantically as she watched for any sign that he might be alive. "I can't be it. It can't just be me. P-p-please..Ricky. Come on, this isn't funny." In her head, any sense of reason she had seemed to be completely gone. The scene that had just unfolded in front of her never happened. Syd didn't kill Ricky, he couldn't have. Roxie broke out of Syd's grasp and moved to hover over Ricky now, seeing the stab wounds clear as day. Her cousin's eyes were open, staring at her with no life in them. Her hands went over her mouth, blood smearing her face as she tried to hold in her tears. Roxie's head shook, not wanting to believe any of this was happening but knowing that it was all too real.

Slowly, she reached out one of her hands and gently forced Ricky's eyelids to close and in that action, everything seemed so...final. Only then did her eyes tear away to look at Syd, her face covered in blood now as her other hand dropped from her lips. Tears spilled over her cheeks as she silently looked at him. His words were registering late, but she remembered him asking if she was hurt..."I-I'm...fine." Roxie managed to get out before the gravity of where they were started to sink in again. Moving to grab the gun she had kicked off to the side, Roxie turned to Syd ready for him to tell her where they needed to go as she pulled back the hammer on the gun and switched off any emotion for the time being.

"We need to make it home to our babies. What's our escape route?"
with: Ricky (RIP KING) Misty Gray ; Syd Pyroclast

 

[Misty Gray]

Spoiler: FLOOR PLAN

Blue circles = Moretti soldiers

The Windsor Hotel Ballroom
~ Dublin City Centre, Dublin ~

Conor Sullivan and Dermot Murphy
(Hulk Hogan and James Bond)​

Dermot had seen Michelle step up to shoot the gunman responsible for the bullet now lodged in his left bicep. He watched as the Moretti soldier clutched as his heart before doubling over, collapsing onto the floor. There wasn't time to get distracted by showing his appreciation or that he was impressed with Michelle's well taken shot. Instead, he used his right hand to motion for her to stay down and out of the line of further fire.

When Michelle told Conor not to get hit and said she'd never forgive him if he did, Conor managed a soft smile and nodded. "You just let me worry about us," he firmly told his daughter. Aliana hadn't taken his plan of shielding them as well, however. His wife snapped at him. "Stupid costume or not, if any of us is getting shot it's not you and it's not Michelle. Do what I say, Ali," he firmly told his wife, looking her in the eyes as he urged her to help him get her out alive. The last time he'd been caught in an ambush at the hands of the Morettis, he hadn't been able to save Jackson. He'd walked out of the attack uninjured, whilst people he cared about were killed. "We're all easy targets right now but I won't let either of you get hurt when it's my duty to protect this family," he asserted to Aliana and Michelle. However, they were both being assertive themselves, with Aliana demanding they got through it together.

"All of you, just get the fuck out of here," Dermot interrupted as he crouched down under the table. The blood was pouring down his arm but as long as he still had one good arm and two working legs, he wasn't about to give up. As Conor, Aliana and Michelle made their way towards the exit, using the tables and other furniture to shield themselves, Dermot remained covered by the table they'd occupied, scanning the area to make sure none of the enemies set their sights on the three Sullivans.

Once Conor, Aliana and Michelle made it to the exit, which was clear of Moretti enemies in the main hotel lobby, Dermot rushed after them towards the door, but took cover behind another nearby table as he just about dodged another bullet. Before he could think to time his run to the exit, he caught two young women out of the corner of his eyes. One of them was clearly Olivia and the other he soon realised was his daughter, Violet. He wasn't particularly annoyed they'd gatecrashed the party, but he was frustrated to see them now in a vulnerable position.

Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana)
BasDorcha (Michelle)

Olivia Sullivan​

With Sam and Emery both working on their various jobs, Olivia hadn't been sure what to do for Halloween that evening. However, having recently been introduced to Violet through Dermot, she'd ended up arranging to meet with her. Always up for some fun and rarely wanting to turn down an opportunity just because she'd been told not to go, Olivia had been keen to show up at the party her family was having, if only for the fun of winding up Lucy and James.

As she stood with her friend across the street, Olivia grinned as Violet asked if they were going ahead with their plan. "Hell yeah. My family throws some crazy parties, so it'd be a shame to miss this one," she assured her. When they made it into the hotel, the security guards gave them a quick once over before allowing them entry into the ballroom. Having spent enough time around her family's employees, Olivia was aware the security guards recognised her and she figured the fact she was James and Lucy's adopted daughter was why they hadn't met any resitatance getting into the party.

Olivia and Violet had barely got settled in their seats when the party took a sudden, choatic turn for the worst. With the sound of gunshots filling the room, the two young women rushed to take cover under the table. As she kept vigilant, looking around to make sure no guns were aimed at them, Olivia noticed that Dermot had been hit. She turned to Violet, about to tell her not to rush to him, but her friend seemed able to react level-headed and not rush into the line of fire.

Dermot had looked back to the exit, sending Conor, Aliana and Michelle an almost apologetic look as he decided against getting himself to safety. The three of them were out of danger and so he knew he had to focus on Violet now. Seeing two gunmen advance towards the table his daughter and Olivia were hiding under, Dermot rushed to duck behind the long buffet table. He blocked out the pain as he had to crawl behind the table, putting weight on his injured arm whilst holding the AK-47 in his other. When he got to the opposite end of the table, he was able to sneak a look to the two young women who were now directly opposite. As he tried to position his gun ready to stand up and fire off a round of bullets at the two advancing Morettis, his left arm cramped, sending a harsh pain down to his hand. He tightly closed his eyes as he tried to block out the discomfort whilst as he regained his compure.

Aware of the footsteps approaching from the men who had caught Dermot's attention, Olivia awkwardly bit her lip. She was trying to decide if it was safer to stay where they were on the off-chance the gunmen didn't know their location, or if they should make a quick break to the buffet table where Dermot was armed and they would at least have a chance at taking the bastards down.

neverbackdown (Violet)

The Windsor Hotel Ballroom - Upper Level/Balconies
~ Dublin City Centre, Dublin ~
Adam Harper and Jasmine Zegarra​

The group had managed to get to safety, with Adam and Chase managing to get Blake and Jasmine out of the ballroom unscathed. After quickly checking in on Conor, Aliana and Michelle, Adam's attention inevitably landed back into the ballroom were the gunfire continued and he wished to put a stop to it. Whilst there were numerous Sullivan guards in the ballroom at ground level, Adam was aware of the four gunmen firing from the balconies. "We need to get those pricks," Adam said, drawing Chase's attention to the men in question. "I don't like them having that vantage one bit." Having decided on going to take down those on the balconies, Adam took a moment to turn to Blake. He placed a hand on her shoulder and a kiss on her lips. "I'll be right back. I love you," he reassured her.

Although he had a handgun on him, Adam had also made sure to take an AK-47 from one of the dead Morettis. It wasn't like they needed it anymore. After leaving the others, Adam and Chase reached the top of the staircase, missing seeing Lucy entering the room James was in by mere seconds. Holding the machine gun aiming ready to fire, Adam looked to Chase and sent him a crooked smile. "I've missed our nights out," he quietly muttered to him.

The loud gunfire coming from the closest balcony caught Adam's attention. Lowering the AK-47, he instead aimed his pistol ready to fire. Pulling the curtain that led t o the balcony slightly open, Adam wasted no time in firing two bullets into the back of the skull and neck of the gunman who'd been firing down on the ballroom. Rolling his shoulders, Adam turned back to Chase. " Next?" he asked, allowing his friend to lead the way to the next balcony, all the while looking over his shoulder in case any more of the Moretti lot showed up.

With Adam: Pyroclast (Chase)
With Jasmine and Conor: Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana) Bellz (Blake)

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Windsor Hotel Charity Gala
~Dublin~
Theodore 'Teddy' Wycliff

Time seemed to move slowly around Teddy as he burst through the door to the alley. His legs weren't working properly, feeling limp and numb. He knew he was running, could feel it in his chest, but the world around him seemed different. The man was panicking; anxious to get the getaway vehicle and anxious to get Gabriel to safety. They'd come to do what they intended and now it was time to leave. By the looks of things when he'd left him the man was having a heart attack, he thought. Wasn't there supposed to be signs of a heart attack well before one? Were the signs there and Teddy just wasn't paying attention? He suddenly thought back to their interactions from the very first moment they stepped off that plane. But, nothing seemed amiss. His father-in-law had been snappier than usual but he attributed that to wanting to get things over with. No way did he think it would lead to something like this.

Teddy could hear the sounds of gunshots and screaming coming from the front of the building. Their men had been doing as instructed, taking out any Sullivan they saw. As much as he wanted to revel in that fact he couldn't. He ran in the opposite direction towards the other end of the alleyway. Two parked cars were there along with two guards. They watched as Teddy ran up with inquisitive eyes - one of them finally speaking up. "Everything oka-," Teddy immediately cut him off. "Keys! Give me the keys, Bertrum." The man quickly pat himself down and shoved the keys into his hands. Teddy quickly climbed into the vehicle and started it up, wasting no time to speed to the exit he'd come out of. The two guys didn't need to be told to follow suit and parked behind Teddy.

The moment Teddy burst through the doors once more that feeling came back; time moving slowly. He felt like he was in a dream and urged himself to wake up. Only it didn't happen. The white walls surrounding him didn't fade into oblivion because they were real. And so was the now limp, bloody body of Gabriel Moretti. At first, he was confused, his run turning into a jog the closer he got. Blood formed underneath him painting white floors red. "No, no, no," he muttered, sliding onto the ground in front of him. "Hey, Gabe?" But he was dead, his brain said. He wasn't about to answer him. Teddy wasn't about to believe that because when he left him he was fine. When he left him he was alive. When he left him he- "Gabe!" Teddy knelt in the puddle of blood, not caring that it was going to get everywhere. He shoved his two fingers under the man's neck trying to feel around for a pulse. None. With both hands on Gabe's limp shoulders, Teddy tried to steady himself and his breathing. "This isn't happening," he muttered. "This isn't happening. You can't-," his voice broke, hot tears not waiting for permission to fall down his face.

What the fuck was he going to do? Looking back up at Gabriel's face Teddy pleaded with him to wake up. He knew he wasn't, but he was hoping that by some miracle. Some crazy Italian miracle that a couple of gunshots wasn't really going to kill him... But he knew better. Gabriel Moretti may have acted like he was invincible but the truth of the matter was this; he wasn't. No one was. "Teddy," Bertrum said, Teddy, turning to snap at him. "Shut the fuck up for a second! Let me think!" There wasn't anything to think about, really. He was trying to process all of this. What was he going to tell his family? Tati? Val? Elvian? The kids? That he promised to take care of Gabe and now he was coming home with him dead? And not just that, but his own feelings were starting to get in the way. For years Teddy fought for acceptance. Not just because of his betrayal a decade ago, either. Even if he would never admit it to the man's face there were times Teddy didn't see Gabe as just an employer. He was family, even if he was married into it. The two of them may have had their qualms and disagreements but he was still family.

Bertrum knew he needed to get both men out of there but he wasn't about to risk Teddy turning on him. Instead, he watched as Teddy stood up and turned to repeatedly punch the wall behind him. Unbeknownst to him it had been made of brick. He shouted a string of curses, holding onto his hand with his working one as he keeled over in pain. "Fuck! Goddamit," he sobbed, pain and heartbreak now mixed into one. After a few moments, he finally stood up and looked at the ceiling trying to get the tears to stop. "Bertrum," he sniffled, "We're leaving."

 

[Misty Gray]

The Windsor Hotel - Upper Level
~ Dublin City Centre, Dublin ~

James Porter​

James was laid on his side on the floor, clutching the abdomen as he pressed the now drenched neckerchief against the bleeding wound. Although the loss of blood was depleting his strength and energy, his senses remained for the time-being. His earing was certainly working as he heard footsteps approaching at the other side of the office door. As the person on the other side stopped walking, James could only think this was it. The Morettis were back to finish him off and perhaps it would be quicker than if he were to bleed out on the floor, alone. After all of the close scrapes he'd been in and all of the times he'd been severely injured, he would welcome a speedy end if this was it. There was a time he hadn't expected to live far into his 20s, never mind still be fighting for his life throughout every decade that followed. He was exhausted. In the present moment, he didn't have the physical strength remaining to fight for his life the way his head and soul usually pushed him towards.

He felt the door bump against his head but he didn't get chance to process it as he heard Lucy cry out his name. Suddenly, hearing his wife's voice filled him with regained motivation, even if he could barely act upon it physically. Her voice put a stop to his thoughts about whether the Morettis would finish him off slowly or do him a mercy by making it quick. Lucy knelt down beside him spoke to him, clearly upset and fretting over him. Of course, she was justified to be as worried as she was.

James let out a pained groan as Lucy pushed him onto his back. His eyes for a moment stared straight to the ceiling above him before he focused on his beautiful wife. She was begging him not to leave her, claiming she wouldn't manage if he was gone. He wanted to tell her she would cope; that they had a big family who would support her and be there for her. But if he did that, it would surely only add to her upset in that moment. Instead, he looked his wife in the eyes and weakly smiled at her. "Luce, I'm fi--" he stopped short of finishing his trademark phrase. On this occasion, he knew full well he wasn't fine. This was as serious as it could get.

He reached his hand up to her face and gently stroked her cheek with his thumb, taking a moment to take in the features of the woman he'd loved for so long. A love that had never faltered and only strengthened over the years. If he didn't have long left, he was at least glad he got to see her when it all ended for him. "I love you, Luce," he gently told her. He moved his hand down to hold hers before directing her hand to towards the bullet hole in his abdomen. "There's three wounds, but this one..." he said, pausing to catch his breath. "I need you to put pressure on it and try slow the bleeding. I couldn't reach anything to use," he said, letting go of the soaked neckerchief. He knew they had to at least try.

Bellz (Lucy)

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Windsor Hotel Charity Gala
~Dublin~
Aliana Sullivan

The assertiveness of her husband's voice was enough to force Ali to stop arguing with him then. She knew he was right and that she needed to stop panicking; at least long enough for them to get to safety. Ali tore her eyes away from her husband's, closing them and shaking her head. She could do this. She has done this. This was no different than when she took her own revenge for Tommy. When they were attacked at Savannah's play. "Alright, alright," she snapped, turning to look at Dermot. "Just- Just give me a sec," she paused for two and nodded her head. "Okay, let's go." Ali decided to take the lead, her gun in hand as they moved from cover to cover. She wanted to, at least, protect Michelle. Their path had been relatively clear, guards dropping like flies as they tried to cut the group off.

The moment they made it to safety, Ali keeled over with her hands on her knees. She was trying to catch her breath when a wave of nausea hit her. After checking Michelle and Conor, she moved over to a bush before keeling over again. The anxiety had been severe enough to make her sick, but nothing came out. They hadn't gotten to the fun, eating part of the evening yet. Instead, it was more of a dry heave, which only hurt her chest and made her feel even worse. "Jesus fucking christ," she mumbled in exasperation. Her body was still shaking and she was trying to calm down, to relax but nothing seemed to work. Nothing would work until she saw that the rest of her family and friends and people she cared about made it out of the hotel. She turned her attention to the door, watching as Dermot ran back inside. Before she could say anything, Blake, Jasmine, Chase, and Adam exited to safety. "Blake," she breathlessly whispered before moving towards her.

As Adam and Chase ran back inside she wrapped her arms around Blake and sighed in relief. Seeing her best friend had calmed her a little, but she was still on edge and still shaking. The last time they were in a situation like this was back in the '60s. She never thought they'd be in something like it again but it would appear she was wrong. Her eyes were puffy from the tears but she had finally stopped sobbing enough to see. She then placed her hands on Blake's shoulders. "Thank god you're okay," she sighed before bringing her in for another hug. "I didn't know where you were or- or if you were okay. I- I don't if anyone is okay and I can't breathe and I can't vomit and all I wanna do is- is vomit and I just wanna know that everyone is okay," she frantically cried. "Please tell me it's gonna be okay."

Michelle ( BasDorcha ) Conor ( Misty Gray ) Blake ( Bellz )

 

[Misty Gray]

The Windsor Hotel Ballroom
~ Dublin City Centre, Dublin ~

Savannah Callahan​

Savannah had been having a good time. As she stood close to to Danny, the love of her life, she couldn't help but savour how this moment was perfect. She had access to Callum; her family were all around her; and she was in a relationship with Danny. For a long time, she hadn't believed she could be happy and that she could never have the things her heart desired. But this moment she wanted to bottle up and hold on to forever. Things were looking up and she wanted to enjoy every moment of it.

She was snapped out of her thoughts when Braden drew her attention to where Roxie was. "Roxie?!" she worriedly gasped as she saw the man dressed as Deathstroke holding a gun to her best friend's head. "Oh my God..." she whispered, placing her hand to her mouth. She could feel her heart racing in her chest as the anxiety began to build up. She suddenly felt hyper-vigilant, her eyes darting around the room as she wondered if this was yet another ambush on her friends and family. That fear was soon confirmed as the rapid gunfire began to fill the room, with bullets spraying all around them. Danny was quick to move in front of her, no doubt to shield her from being hit.

Everything seemed to slow down, yet still happened in a blur around her. She heard Braden shout for her and Danny to get down. At first, it felt like her boyfriend was helping her get to safety, until she realised it was her supporting him as they crouched under the table. She winced and covered her ears as Braden began firing his gun at their attackers. In that moment, she moved her hands away, a ringing in her ears lingering for a few seconds as her eyes fixed on Danny. Whilst Braden and Amy flipped the table onto its side to shield them from the bullets, Savannah's mind was focused compeltely on Danny who was laid down on the floor. Her eyes were wide open as she saw the blood running down his face. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she covered her mouth with both hands.

"Danny..." she cried as he gasped out her name. He looked like he was trying to push himself up but he barely moved. "Oh God," she whispered as she saw the bullet wound at the front of his skull. "I'm right here, Danny," her voice faltered as he didn't seem like he could see or hear her. She placed a delicate hand to his head, reaching towards his wound but too afraid to actually touch it, not even knowing if she should. With her other hand, she reached for his and gave it a firm squeeze. "I'm right here, Danny. I'm here," she assured him, deep down begging him to look at her and acknowledge her. When he asked if they were safe, she quickly nodded, regardless of the fact they weren't. "We are. We're safe. Just look at me, Danny. I love you. We're going to be okay..." she felt silent as he spoke over her, seemingly not hearing or processing her words at all. With one hand still holding his, she moved her other to firmly squeeze his shoulder. "Danny. Danny, look at me," she pleaded, her voice growing more desperate with each second that passed. As his eyes just about closed and he seemed to fall unconscious, she began to lightly shake his shoulder. "Please, Danny. Look at me," she said, her voice now breaking into a sob. "DANNY!" she cried out in a pained, desperate scream. From her kneeling position, she placed both hands behind his shoulders, trying to get him to sit up up finding no response from him at all. She carefully lowered him back down onto the floor again, moving her hand to his head where her skin soon became stained with his blood. "He's gone. He's gone," she fretted, frantically shaking her head as the tears continue to stream down her face.

The room around her felt like it was closing in. The gunfire and commotion seemed to disappear from her consciousness, to a point where she was only aware of Braden and Amy close by, and Danny on the floor in front of her. He was dead and it was all her fault. Not because of something she had specifically done, but because everywhere she went, pain, sorrow and death seemed to follow. She was still growing in her mother's womb when her own biological father gunned down guests at Lucy and James' wedding, and the suffering around her hadn't stopped since. Now Danny was dead and she knew it really would never end. Maybe she was a curse. The sweet man in front of her had got too close and now he was dead.

Having for a time also blocked out Braden and Amy, Savannah regained some awareness of her surroundings. She was no longer holding Danny, but instead was tightly gripping a shard of glass some a smashed wine bottle. Despite the blood trickling from her cut palm, she didn't loosen her grip on the glass. She felt numb. Physically and mentally numb, so much so that the pain in her hand barely registered. "Let them take me too," she distantly spoke. Although she was looking towards Braden and Amy, it was as though she was staring through them, before she looked up to one of the balconies where the gunfire had started. "Let me go too," she said in a loud whisper. She was tired of fighting. Tired of surviving. She didn't have the heart to keep battling through this life she'd been born into.

Bellz (Braden)
BasDorcha (Amy)
Mentioned: Pyroclast (Danny)

 

[Misty Gray]

Alex King's House
~ Bethnal Green, London ~

Trevor Stewart​

Trevor flashed a smile at Alex as he made the comment about the Kings being lawbreakers. He was fully aware of the criminal lifestyle his kids were involved in, with Bruce and Spencer leading it all. He may have adopted a cleaner and more legitimate life over the last few years, but Trevor wasn't about to judge the Kings for what they did. It was unsafe and extremely risky, but who was he to judge? He'd broken many laws in his lifetime, even if they were small in comparison to the Kings, and he'd abandoned his kids thereby losing any control over who they grew up to be. He'd certainly forfeited the right to pass judgement. They were all now old enough to make their own decisions and Trevor simply hoped they'd stay safe.

Although it was clear Alex hadn't wanted to specifically talk about Spencer, his response was more than enough confirmation that it was the eldest of his sons who he needed to apologise to. There was no part of Trevor that believed Spencer would ever forgive him or want anything to do with him, but he knew he owed it to his eldest to apologise. He understood now that by not owning up to his abusive actions, he was depriving Spencer of validation; leaving him to question his own experiences or wondering if he was deserving of the way he was treated. "You're right. I've gotta do it for Spencer." He looked to Alex directly. "And for the rest of you, so you can all move on," he added, having just witnessed first hand how Spencer had the potential to stop all of them from being able to completely move on. "I'm sorry you're in the doghouse. I'd offer to help, but I'm confident I'd only make matters worse on that front," he drily joked.

Trevor nodded in agreement when Alex told him anyone could change. His son vocalised his observations that so far Trevor had done what he said he would and him keeping to his word was what mattered. Trevor took that as a sign of hope that his kids did believe he'd changed for the better. Given that he had no intention of backtracking and regressing now, he believed that one day his family would have real faith in him and allow him to be in their lives. "No offence taken... but I know I'll do it properly this time."

There was something else he wanted to tell Alex and the others - something he'd held back on as he wanted to make sure it was the right time to tell them. Given that he'd made progress with his brother, he felt now was that time. "I wanted to tell you something, Alex. You don't have to care or do anything about it, but I owe it to you all to give you the opportunity to decide what you want to do with the knowledge." Trevor toyed with his now empty glass as he spoke. "You have more family right here in London. My younger brother, Phil, and his family live around here. They only moved recently and I've reconnected with them. Shortly before I met your mother, many years ago, I'd walked out on my mother, brother and sister. Y'know, the same selfish, arsehole behaviour you all know me for," he explained. "Well, I've started making good with Phil and your cousins. Your cousins are all younger - still teens - but I know if you or the others were interested, they'd be up for meeting you. I don't expect everything to be happy families and you all to suddenly trust me enough to welcome me into your lives, but your cousins and uncle had nothing to do with how I acted. With or without me, I don't see why you shouldn't know more of your family. Your grandmother is living nearby too, in a care home, as she sadly doesn't have long left."

Melanin-Gxdess (Alex)

Mentioned: BasDorcha (Philip, Abel)

 

[BasDorcha]

The Windors Hotel

~Dublin City Center, Dublin​

Michelle Romano
Michelle moved with the determination of a Sullivan through and through, listening to her father as he commanded them, while taking in what was going on around them. This was what hell looked like. People were dying, she had killed someone without a second thought. How would she feel about that later? There was a nagging that she might feel guilty or even tainted, yet at the same time she knew she'd do it again if it meant protecting those she cared about and loved. Her mind tried not to focus on the newest feeling she had discovered, mentally making a note to put some space between her and the man who wanted to crawl into a space she wasn't ready to give. Like a true politician, Michelle's mind was working on several areas of crisis at once, even as bullets continued to fire around them.

Ali and Conor continued discussing, Conor having to get Ali to realize she could not stay there with him. Meanwhile, Michelle looked up in time to see Dermot wave her down, her giving him a short nod as she used the furniture to keep a blockade around them, Ali and Conor still speaking. A moment later Dermot was crouching with them. Michelle wasted no time, he was demanding them all to get out, she snatched a ribbon out of her hair and began wrapping it around Dermot's arm, above the wound. It wasn't perfect, but it was tight enough to decrease the blood flow a bit from the gunshot. Afterwards, she lingered for just a few seconds, before following the given instructions and dodging between furniture across the room to the door.

Once they made it outside, into the public surrounded by spectators at the sound of gunshots splitting the air, Michell dropped her gun at her feet with the safety on, turning to Ali to rub her back and comfort her. "We… we made it, now…" She couldn't think of what to say for once in her life. Instead she followed and staying close to Ali's side while her eyes watched her dad. "Dad…" Ali moved away, leaving Michelle standing at a distance from everyone. She shifted awkwardly in place, unsure how to help now. She began making a mental list of every face she recognized on the outside, and who was still missing.

 

[Pyroclast]

Jeremy Gray's Place
~ Bethnal Green, London ~

Billy King​

Standing on his friend's doorstep with a baby in a carrier, Billy felt like he had swapped lives with somebody else. Less than an hour ago, he was someone's lover - now, a single parent. And while he had never been against the idea of having children and always assumed it was a chapter of his life yet to come, it didn't seem real now that it was actually happening. If he wasn't so in shock, he might have felt embarrassed or guilty to be standing before his little sister, invading the house with his heavy news and effectively demanding attention from someone who was still recovering from a suicide attempt. But when she set all her issues aside for him and invited him into the house, he already felt some of the weight lift from his shoulders.

She brought a hand to her mouth upon seeing the baby and simply watching her reaction made him start crying; he pulled his arm out of its sling and brought his free hand up to cover his mouth as tears spilled down his cheeks. He watched, fighting to keep the sobs silent as he watched her interact with her new nephew. He could see her fall instantly in love with him, and while it was sweet, he felt awful for not feeling the same way about his own child. All he had felt so far was fear and dread.

The corners of his lips twinged upwards at her teasing comment about their matching fingers, but he was too stressed out to properly smile or laugh. Billy had been dreading the shocked reactions from his family and to have to explain the bizarre situation that he himself could barely wrap his head around, but he soon realised that he should have known better. Harper could read him like a book. It was an annoying power of hers, but useful at a time like this, when the truth was too surreal to speak aloud. Despite the discomfort in his shoulder, Billy didn't hesitate to reciprocate her hug, squeezing her tight to absorb her comfort. As soon as he was in her arms, he started shaking, his emotions no doubt heightened from the heavy betrayal in his relationship with Erik, and he allowed a few soft sobs to escape him. When she let go and he noticed Jeremy standing behind her, however, he did his best to rein them in. Even though Jeremy had seen him in all states, Billy still felt self conscious about having such raw emotion on display. Jeremy hugged him and Billy rested his forehead on the man's chest to conceal his tears as he fought to compose himself - not an easy thing to do after consuming half a bottle of vodka. Relieved that he also asked no questions, Billy let him take the baby away. The boy whimpered and fussed, unquestionably overwhelmed at all the new environments and new people, but Jeremy seemed to be comfortable handling him, so he let him take care of it. When told that he had something for him, Billy realised that he hadn't said a word since stepping through the door. He nodded his head at the man and whispered, "Okay," and once he had left, Billy reached out and squeezed Harper's hand.

As Jeremy suggested, Billy decided to try and settle down and moved into the lounge area with Harper. Spencer was there, and if it hadn’t been for the phone call they had had not long before, Billy wasn’t sure he would feel quite so comfortable about being emotional in front of his older brother. As it happened, he was actually relieved to see him. “Spencer,” he said. “I’ve got a son.” He hovered anxiously for a moment before the dizzying effect of shock and the alcohol in his system drove him to sit down on a sofa. Jeremy came in then, carrying the baby through in a bassinet. Billy teared up at the gesture as his friend explained that he needed it more than they did. “Jeremy…thank you,” he said, reaching out to squeeze the man’s hand. “I’m sure he’ll outgrow it before your little one arrives so don’t worry about replacin’ it, yeah?”

Now that they were all in the room together and everyone knew the situation at least on surface level, Billy felt a bit more ready to deal with everything. “His name’s Charles,” he told the group, eyes glued to the boy. “Mm…Charlie, I think. He’s like, 7 months old. They gave me the documents and everythin’...and his mum’s dead now, so I’m his only parent. And that makes him all my responsibility and I don’t know what I’m doin’...” He leaned forward with his elbows on his knees and brought his hands to his mouth, anxiously gnawing on his fingernails as his eyes brimmed with tears again. “How do I fit him into my life? What if Erik don’t want -”

Hearing Erik’s name leave his lips was like a gut punch, suddenly realising that he had forgotten all about what happened. His heart was broken, and the pain was so great that Billy never would have imagined that anything could take his mind off it for a second, let alone a good half an hour. Factoring in the fresh heartache on top of the huge life change, Billy couldn’t believe that any of it was really happening to him. “God, is this all just some big fuckin’ joke?” he cried, and burst into tears again, hiding behind his hands as before. “I can’t raise this kid on my own!”

Interactions
Misty Gray Spencer
Bellz Harper
BasDorcha Jeremy

Melanin-Gxdess cheater (mentioned)

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Alex King's House
~ Bethnal Green, London ~

Alex gave Trevor a slightly incredulous look at the topic of moving on. He wasn't sure all of them would be able to - himself included - but he was definitely going to try his best. He found himself chuckling at Trevor's joke about screwing things had he tried to butt into his issue with Spencer. "Yeah. Neither one of us needs to be pissin' him off any more than we already have, yeah?" Alex found it to be a bit humorous that one second he was arguing with his father and the next he was having a laugh. Bonding, even, over the fact that Spencer was upset with them both. He never thought he would see the day. "Don't uh... Tell Spencer or even let it be known I said anything. He'd kick my ass if he find out I'm goin' around sharing such things. I didn't do it for you, I did it for him but... Still."

Alex felt like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders for the first time since Trevor walked back into their lives. While he still didn't completely believe Trevor wasn't going to disappoint he was still holding out that he wouldn't. If he hadn't he'd be a liar; that was the last thing he wanted. There was a point when he felt like his family didn't believe him when he said he was changing; Kerry had been the only person to see and believe him. He didn't want to be a hypocrite even if he felt he owed nothing to Trevor. His father then mentioned how he was going to do things properly this time around and Alex chuckled, nodding his head. "You better," he joked, "There's a couple of people waiting to take you out if you don't so. Better be careful here in London, huh?"

He then moved to clean up their glasses - waiting to see if Trevor was done with his drink before moving to set them in the sink. Alex had gotten what he needed off his chest, had said what he wanted. He didn't think there was anything else to talk about. Just as he was about to excuse himself to join his son, Trevor stated there was more. From the tone of his voice he hoped the man wasn't about to tell him he had yet another secret sibling they didn't know about. Truly, he hoped May would be the last as he didn't have the capacity to deal with such a situation again. Alas, it was nothing of the sort. Hearing that he had more family, however, was a shock. "What?" Alex was still trying to process the man's words, placing both his hands palm down against the counter. "So, we've got a grandmother. An uncle- well, another uncle and another aunt? AND a couple of cousins?" Alex paused for a moment shaking his head. "Just when you think you know everything about a person," he stated. Trevor went on to suggest that they all get together; with him, without him, it didn't matter. Alex was sure the rest of his family would definitely want to, therefore he decided right then he would bring it to them. "Well," he started, scratching the back of his head. "Uh, erm... Sure. I've gotta talk to the others anyway so. I think... It would be nice. I mean, at this point everyone should be used to family members just poppin' up out of the woodworks," he joked.

"I'll talk to them, Trevor. I'm sure they'd like to meet their family - me included. So. Thanks, for that." There was another slight pause in the air, Alex unsure of what to say next. He wasn't used to such circumstances. "And... Look, I'm no good at this shit, alright?" He chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. "I don't... Know where we go from here other than letting time do it's thing so. One step at a time?"

Trevor ( Misty Gray )