Realistic or Modern Gangs of Birmingham - IC Thread [Open & Accepting]

[purplecowdutch]

Jackie Walker, Gatsby's restaurant​

James bond, yes. West Side Story, maybe. Jackie gave her a smile when she made a slight remark to his answer, she was witty but also naive. Jackie saw her as the most popular girl in high school, she could go for everyone but picked him. It stroke his ego that she thought of him as any kind of danger.

Following her gaze to the table and back, he was happy he finally got a moment alone with her. If this night kept going he might even end up lucky. When she turned her back to him to get the bottle of wine, Jackie checked his phone. His work phone and saw a missed call from Richard. Jackie had no idea what it was about even though he had called him a few hours ago when he was snorting coke from a lady's. b.....
Maybe it was good that he forgot. He was sure it wasn't anything serious.

Elizabeth showed him an expensive bottle of wine when she turned back around, she turned the bottle around to show him the label and Jackie put his hands around it, resisting the urge to drink straight from the bottle.

He poured some of the bottle in the shot glass, obviously missing half of the glass and then putting it to his lips.
After tasting it, he nodded. 'It's bloody good too, my aunt got good taste. I'm sure she's crazy about you,' Jackie gave Elizabeth a quick wink to not make a big deal of his obnoxious flirting.

Elizabeth told a lot about her family, Jackie wondered if this was some sort of persona. She was so cheerful and happy, he did wonder if she even knew what he did for a living or she just did not judge.
That was unlikely.

'That's great,' he replied. 'They sound great, I would love to meet them sometime.' He wasn't sure if that was too direct but Jackie gave her a reassuring smile to make sure she wouldn't freak out about it. She wouldn't be the first.

'We can walk,' he answered her, he had enough cocaine in his system to walk the Midnight Mountain Marathon, sure he'd make it to his apartment.
'And I'm ordering another bottle for on the way back,' Jackie smirked, maybe feeling a spark here and there but he was never going to admit that.

He shocked for a bit when he felt two hands on his shoulders and turned around. A bad consciousness his mom would've told him. He turned around, almost dropping his glass filled with some leftover wine. 'If it isn't the best partner in crime in Birmingham, ' he exclaimed, loudly and excited. Before inviting them to his third shot of whiskey, he gave Elizabeth a look. 'I'll wait here, at the bar,' he told her softly not to appear any kind of way in front of his friend.
'You want to do a shot with me? I haven't seen you in forever,' Jackie asked, turning to Scott. Scott was never one to shy away from alcohol or any dirty business so Jackie felt safe to ask him for anything... Including not leaving him without any drugs at any time. Since Jackie came out of prison him and Scotty had been two peas in a pot. They earned some big bucks doing some shady business down the harbour but that world was dirty. And the one rule there was, he broke. Never get high on your own supply. He was one of many and it was easy to get paranoid, you could get a bullet in your head for even looking funny.
Now Jackie had invited Scotty, which seemed like a good idea at first but. . . Jackie gazed at the clock hanging on the wall. They had not even eaten dinner yet. Jackie had no idea how Robert would react, Robert didn't like alcohol, let alone them dealing big ships of heroin.
He just didn't get it and Scotty was good, he was charismatic, he could convince anyone.

Jackie poured two shots after sitting down with him and leaned forward, 'it's good you're here, we have a lot to talk about. Did you bring the cocaine?' Jackie looked his friend in the eyes awaitingly before looking up slightly confused. 'Is that Richard?'

Tex.Y Misty Gray

 

[ReverseTex]

Richard's Home - Gatsby's Restaurant
Birmingham, England
purplecowdutch Misty Gray

Dr. Richard Finley

​

With uni starting only a few weeks ago, Richard was tasked with teaching "The Making of the Modern World" this term, the first-year basic modules course in the History department. Although it was a standard course from the early Greeks until the First World War, he enjoyed the youthful energy first-year students brought. He was in what he liked to call "Sink or Swim Week." He liked giving a simple research essay early in the semester to get a sense of his student's skills and weed out the kids who thought this would be an easy path. Moreover, he changed the topic each year, making it virtually impossible to reference prior student's works. After this week, he usually kept the course fairly low-maintenance until finals. With papers being due in person earlier today, tonight meant the beginning of grading.

Robert had mentioned off-handedly a few times he wanted to host a family event on the day of his late son, Charles, birthday. Richard knew the death was still raw for many of the Walkers. It wasn't his place to be present at an event like this, not with how the kids all had their various thoughts and reactions to the grieving process. He tried to support them all in the best way he could. Felicity drifted inward, a trait that damned her from an early age. Getting that girl out of her head was easier said than done... Jackie Walker's substance abuse worsened as well, a trait that his lovely father bestowed on him. While the boy's father never took a liking to him, nor did Richard respect him, he never held it against Jackie. He treated the boy like the rest of Robert's kids.

Richard tended to avoid the subject of Charles the best he could with Robert and Caroline. This was the first time he found it rather difficult to empathize with his best mate. He never had the chance to start his own family, therefore, he truly could not relate to Robert's grief. The two shared the loss of comrades, the loss of business associates, and the loss of parents. Those times were easier. A drink and a good chat to remember the fallen did the trick. Now... Now he didn't know how to help. Robert threw himself into work and Caroline drank herself silly. It wasn’t his business to mediate their marital affairs let alone the grieving process.

"Bollocks," Richard mumbled as he snapped back from thought, noticing the red ink from his pen began to pool on the paper that lay before him. I apologize for the mess - spilled my ink! - he jotted quickly next to the blob. The paper wasn't stellar by any means, a shabby analysis of the Peloponnesian War. He quickly jotted the grade down on the paper then his grade book and moved on. As he went to grab the next paper, he noticed the red light blinking on his answering machine. A missed call while he was at work. He absent-mindedly clicked the play button as he began to read the first paragraph...

Jackie's slurred yet gruff tone snapped Richard from his work as he tried to make out exactly why he called him. Something about a girl and then the Walker family dinner this evening... Shit. The dinner. If Jackie was strung at that point in the day, then he could only imagine the lad's condition at this point. Richard grumbled his discontent as he let his office and put himself together. Sticking with a simple button-up layered with a green jumper and his pleated trousers. He wasn't properly invited and had no intention of lingering in an uncomfortable environment. The mission was simple: nab Jackie and get gone before any Walker made a fuss of his presence or Jackie's.

---

By the time Richard got himself across town to Gatsby's, he had some time to work up his patience. Jackie was a tough bloke to take in at times, and he honestly felt sorry for the boy. He made his way to the security staff positioned outside out of courtesy. They wouldn't question his presence, however, he'd once been in their position. They probably haven't spoken in hours and he knew the blokes wouldn't mind. "Listen, boys. I'm sure Felicity or Mr. Walker has given you explicit instructions. I don't mean to pester, however, I'm concerned for our dear friend Jackie. Give me a few minutes to pop in and out, and I'll be on my way." He gave the guards a gentle pat on the back and made his way inside.

Immediately his eyes went to the Walker table, it was quite hard to miss. Richard shot Robert an acknowledging glance and a dip of respect. He had no intention of meddling with family affairs. Robert would share what he wanted to share and the kids would gossip amongst themselves. Seeing no Jackie in sight at the table, his eyes went to the bar where the lad stood alongside Scott Ashworth. He'd chatted with the man on occasion, usually at Robert's larger-scale events. Scott operated a side of the business he steered clear of when he could, but alas, Robert sometimes required the two men to cross paths. Approaching the two men with a warm smile, he patted them with either hand on the back. "Boys! Lovely to see you two as always. I see the bar is where bastard members of the Walker clan go to die eh? Shame. We have more fun!" He chuckled at his joke momentarily as he took notice of the graveyard of shot glasses and the two men's demeanor. He most definitely intervened at a good time, Jackie's pupils were as wide as the moon. "Now listen I hate to break up the fun, but we all report to someone above our paygrade. More importantly that someone isn't having the best of days. Jackie, like it or not I'm your keeper tonight. I'm a man of reason, so finish your drink, but no more." He clasped Jackie's shoulder tightly, not enough to cause pain only discomfort. His tone shifted to a tone he took very rarely as he leaned up into the boy's ear out of Scott's earshot. "If you so much as touch another glass that doesn't have water in it, then we will have a problem." Richard gave Jackie a gentle pat on the shoulder as he pulled away, returning to his chipper poise.

 

[Misty Gray]

Gatsby's Restaurant - At the Bar
- Birmingham City Centre, Birmingham, England -

Scott Ashworth
(ft. Elizabeth Henderson)​

No sooner had Scott finished his meeting did he have the stocky, bearded man known as Mick Thawne barge into his office. The man informed him of an altercation with a man and two women whilst out on business. It had taken some piecing together, but he'd recognised Marco and Angela as members of the Fletcher gang. The latter, he recalled as been one of the men he'd recently intercepted a drugs shipment from as part of the plans to break down the Fletchers' trading within the city. That, and to pave the way for the Walkers to monopolise in that area too. Hearing Mick had managed to lose his wallet during the scuffle had led to Scott verbally tearing chunks out of him. Robert had always been reluctant to get involved in the drugs game, especially whilst he was supporting the Mayor's election campaign. But Robert had eventually been talked around by his advisors and associates, knowing it was an area he would need under his control if he wished to maintain power over Birmingham. Gerald Henderson had used his anti-drugs stance as part of his election campaign, but Robert could only honour his support of that for so long. Drugs were always going to be rife in the city, so surely it was better that the Walkers controlled and profited from it. Robert reluctantly came around to that idea, but now Scott was concerned tonight's setback would cause the boss to question if Scott and anyone else involved knew what they were doing. It was better he updated Robert on the situation himself than have the man hear a worse version from anyone else, so he decided to head over to the restaurant and give the boss an update.

**********​

Beth flashed a crooked smile at Jackie when he commented that his aunt must be crazy about her. Amongst his intoxication, it wasn't hard to pick up on the fact that he was flirting with her. Given what she knew of his profession and what his family got up to, something was telling her to back away from him. He came across as something of a brute, with red flags popping up all around him. But then, she'd lost faith in first impressions and intuitions when it came to men after the way things had turned out with Toby. He'd presented as a decent man; the kind you'd happily bring home to meet your parents, which she did do, and her parents loved him. He appeared to tick all of the right boxes until he started to show who he really was and became an abusive control freak.

She couldn't help but imagine what her parents would think of Jackie when he suggested meeting them sometime. If he was as intoxicated and lacking a filter as he was this evening, she knew they'd lose their minds. It was almost tempting to have them meet him just to see that play out!

Before they could say much else, they were joined by Scott. Somewhere between entering the restaurant and seeing the serious look on Robert's face, Scott had remembered the family meal had been arranged in honour of Charles. In that moment, he decided now was not a good time at all to approach Robert with what he needed to tell him. He needed the man to be in the best mood possible before he reported any setbacks about the business. Maybe Robert needed a night at the club with someone beautiful to soften him up first, then Scott could deliver the news! He would consider arranging for that to happen...

For now, Scott switched from his serious business mode to his charismatic, social self. "Hey, enough of the 'crime' part. I'm squeaky clean," he remarked, as Jackie gave his loud greeting. He gave another look over his shoulder to the Walkers' dining table, noticing a distinct lack of half of the family. He wondered where the women had got to, especially Diana. Of course, he'd be crazy to look at either of Robert's daughters for too long, but it didn't mean he wouldn't appreciate an attractive woman when he saw one. He turned back to Jackie when he asked him to do a shot. "Sure, why not?" he agreed without hesitation. He briefly observed Beth as she returned to doing her work behind the bar. He'd just spoken with her parents back at the club, but he wasn't going to mention that to her. She was sure she didn't want people telling her parents her every move, just like she didn't need to be told of theirs.

"You look like you've been having a good evening. How early did you start?!" he asked Jackie, noticing his friend's intoxicated state. Scott hadn't intended on arriving at the restaurant this early. He'd accepted his friend's invite but wanted to time it as late as possible so the meal would be over when he arrived. It was only the need to speak to Robert that made him get there earlier and now he'd decided against approaching the boss tonight.

Scott sat up on the bar stool and turned to Jackie just in time for the man to lean in to speak to him. When he asked if he'd brought the cocaine, Scott shushed him and shook his head. "Not in here, Jackie," he said, calling for discretion. "Robert would have my head if he knew I was giving you that shit, especially right under his nose..." Scott fell silent when Jackie spoke about Richard, prompting him to look over his shoulder to find the man in question approaching.

Richard and Robert were close, so Scott was grateful he'd been sensible in not handing any drugs to Jackie in the man's presence. Despite his friendship with Jackie, Scott didn't want anything to jeapordise his working relationship with Robert. He believed Richard would be one to tell the boss anything he deemed he should know. Jackie was a grown man and could make his own decisions, but Scott wasn't about to enable such poor choices with the Walker family a short distance away, and in such a public place. "Richard, it's good to see you," Scott greeted the man, his tone and smile full of natural charisma. He laughed at the comment about them being the bastard members of the clan. "This is certainly the fun place to be. I've been taking mental notes and I've yet to see a smile at the Walker table, but here? Plenty of laughs and smiles so far," he commented.

Despite this, Richard seemed like he was there to break up the very fun the men had been having at the bar. He nodded in understanding at the mention of Robert - their boss - not having the best of days. When Jackie was told to make his current drink his last, Scott couldn't help but flash a smile his friend's way, one that practically teased the word "busted". Such rules only applied to Jackie, so Scott turned to Beth and caught her attention. "I'll have an Old Fashioned, please," he requested. As he was ordering his drink, he'd missed Richard's discreet warning to Jackie.

"Aren't you having anything to drink, Richard?" he asked the man. "Or are you planning on joining the serious table? There seems to be plenty of spaces. Where are the ladies at, Jackie?" he curiously asked. He briefly turned away to accept his drink and hand Beth the cash. He didn't give her much other attention. Robert's daughter was enough of a risk to take an interest in without pissing off the Mayor too.

purplecowdutch (Jackie) ReverseTex (Richard)

 

[BasDorcha]

Gatsby's Restaurant

- Birmingham, England -​

Alfie Walker and Vinny McConnel

Alfie relaxed and dipped into his drink a bit more, feeling the warm liquid help to release the building tension the night was starting to cause. Knowing his mother was in a sort of distress and being focused to help his father was pulling his mind in two different directions. Deciding to put the women of the family out of his mind for the moment, he focused on the conversation happening before him. Vinny was the ever polite and charming guy he had come to know and was happy to see him offering to take his brother under his wing. Truth was he trusted Vinny more than anyone when it came to the job, and Vinny had proven himself more than enough times to ensure that Alfie would always have his back. If Thomas wanted to learn, it wasn't such a bad way to get started. When the conversation turned back to him, he grinned and rubbed the back of his head with his hand, a cheesy look on his face. "Right, sorry I questioned you." Yeah, what were you thinking, questioning dad? He listened as his dad went on, nodding in agreement. "You got it. I'll do my best and show you I'm capable of taking on Charles duties, not that I wasn't happy just running a strip club and picking up women mind you. Still, I see what needs to be done, and I know how important Charles was to keeping things running. I've got it covered."

Vinny listened to Alfie and for a moment a flash of concern crossed his mind as he saw Alfie attempting to really step up for the first time. Still, Robert's next words resolved his concern as the man praised him for his work, at least that's how it sounded to his ears. "Aye, aye, capitan, this machine will stay doing whatever you need it to." He offered a smile and continued eating his food, allowing himself to step back from the conversation so that Alfie and Thomas could be the focus of their fathers attention for this very important family discussion - if you could call it that. Really, it was just time for the boys to put their all into what Charles had already been doing for years - And Vinny helping with. He had faith in Alfie, but Thomas he doubted. Thomas had a bit of a weak constitution in his eyes, what with his mental health and all. You couldn't be in some of the situations they were in at times and not be completely aware and present for it. That glazed over look would get him killed one day. Still, he almost cared about the Walker family, so he would do his best to keep it running and himself in his luxuries.

Alfie watched as his brother professed he was built for the life and couldn't help a small laugh and shake of his head. He loved his brother and would kill anyone who touched a hair on his head, but that didn't mean he thought his brother was cut out for this life. No, he always had an aloofness to him that put even Alfie to shame. He hadn't been interested and it had been clear. Silently, he reminded himself to dig deeper later when it was just him and Thomas and find out exactly what happened and why things had changed. What caught him off guard and almost had him near choking a second time that night was him offering to find Charles killer. Coughing as he attempted to take a breath through the burn of his whiskey and the hacking fit, he looked at his brother as he sat down his drink, eyes furled into a deep scowl.

"Thomas, we all want to solve Charles murder, but that's a big promise to make. We've been looking all this time and haven't turned over a single new lead, and we've got a lot more connections to the people who might have done it than you do on a regular basis. I'm all for you trying, it’s a team effort - not really about who figures it out first so long as we figure it out, but maybe not try biting off more than you can chew. This isn't the pool, you can't just throw yourself in the deep end and hope there's no sharks. The sharks are real here, bud, and they'll kill you, not like those imaginary ones you'd see in the pool during summer break." Alfie hoped Thomas didn't think he was putting him down, but he was much like Charles in that he didn't sugar coat anything, and he was going to speak his honest mind and this was no different. Plus, a small side of him he couldn't admit to knew he wanted to be the one to bring his father the news - some competitive nature instilled in him from years of watching his now deceased brother and greatest rival.

Taking a deep breath, he turned to his father. "I don't hate his idea - you do need me to step in and take over the business aspects Charles use to run - I've got the experience in business now with running my own company. I say let Thomas look for Charles, let him help us, but in the mean time we should still work on getting him polished up and adjusted to the other aspects of our daily doings."

Misty Gray - Robert
neverbackdown - Thomas

 

[BasDorcha]

The Red Lion Pub

- Birmingham, England -​

Penny Fletcher

The surprise on Marco's face when she asked if he had considered telling Tony was enough of an answer - he had but he hadn't the courage yet to do so. It didn't make him weak in her opinion, it made him smart as he knew that it was going to be an explosion no matter how it came out. Lying to Tony was never a good idea, but sometimes it was necessary. She watched and listened as he continued, nodding and agreeing with everything he had to say as he explain that he disliked what he had done, how it was making him feel and his concerns about Tony being able to keep a straight face to Robert if he did know the truth. Penny was blowing raspberries in response to Tony's ability to hold a poker face faster than she could stop it.

"Sorry, I'm not trying to be mean, but Tony can hold his own against Robert with or without the truth. If he doesn't want that man to know he knows, he won't be able to guess it. Man's got all the skills he needs to keep the truth off his face if he wants to. You don't worry about that part. But you're right, you really do need to tell him Marco. It's the only way to survive this…" She fell quiet as she let that sink in. She needed him to understand that if it came out any other way, he was likely going to be making a grave mistake - emphasis on grave. "Tony can be understanding and will likely work with you on this, but not if he learns about it from anyone else other than you. If he finds out, or worse, the Walker's find out before he does, it might be the last thing you ever do. We need to talk to him as soon as possible, if that's the choice you're going to make. I think it’s the best one, if you're asking me what I think. But Marco, I'll be there for you. You won't have to go alone. I will support you and I'll also be there to help keep Tony from completely losing his shit and forgetting reality - we need you. I… I need you, okay?"

She grabbed his hands in hers and gripped them tight, holding them between their bodies on her knees. Him and her had extensive history - she'd been patching him up for a long time, constantly worrying about him, constantly unable to explain the angst she'd experience every time he came in beaten and bloodied until recently. They had been in her home office bandaging up yet another incident from a scuffle he'd been in when Marco in his punch drunk stage asked her to go out some time. Penny had laughed it off and agreed, brushing it away quickly as it wasn't uncommon for them to hang out, but when he reached up and grabbed her wrist gently, stopping her and getting her full attention, she'd felt her breath freeze in her chest and butterflies explode in her stomach.

"No, really, let's go on a date." Penny gaped at him in shock. She couldn't tell if it had was the head injury or really him talking, but one look into his eyes which were surprisingly clear she knew he was being serious. Her cheeks flushed red, slowly creeping to every inch of exposed skin as she dropped her hand and nodded, unable to speak past the choking feeling in her throat. What was this feeling? Penny was not the kind to get nervous over being asked out, but something about Marco, the look in his eyes, and the nagging feeling that she had known this would happen eventually had her teetering on an edge of anxiety.

"So soon, we tell him, when he's in the right mood, when this shit with the Walker's has had a few days to settle, along with my brother returning. We'll go together and see him. What do you think?" Penny silently wished they could return to that first date, watching Rooster Cogburn and laughing over dinner, instead of in this stressful and difficult situation. Everyone said relationships were built on the hard times as well as the good but she never expected such a thing to occur so early. They had only been on one real date so far and hadn't even kissed - but regardless of that, he had been her friend for a long time and she would not desert him. Even if they didn't work romantically, he had a friend in her for life.

Misty Gray -- The Human Punching Bag

 

[Misty Gray]

Gatsby's Restaurant - At the Table
- Birmingham City Centre, Birmingham, England -

Robert Walker
Caroline and Felicity Walker​

Alfie assured his father that he was capable of taking on Charles' duties. Despite his son's assurances and his own pushing for him to step up his responsibilities, the current atmosphere around the family table concerned Robert that nobody would be able to step up the way Charles had. Along with trying to find the killer, keeping the business running smoothly and on top form was becoming a genuine concern to him.

Robert had kept his eyes fixed on Thomas alone as he waited for him to answer. If his son struggled with attention, then Robert was sure as hell going to help him focus right now. He didn't believe in tiptoeing around him, figuring that would just encourage him to be lazy and dependent. He wanted to put Thomas on the spot and give him the tools to manage himself and to achieve. He caught the smirk on Thomas' face, causing him to furrow his eyebrows for a moment. Finally the young man began to answer. When he put forward that he could help find out who killed Charles, Robert kept a straight face but leaned forward in his seat, compelling him to continue speaking. He suggested being good at solving puzzles would work in his favour. "This is a whole different kind of puzzle to what you're used to," Robert pointed out. He had to admit, he was intrigued by the slant Thomas put on it that he wasn't known to be involved in the family business. It sure would come as a surprise for Thomas to be doing anything vital for the family business.

Robert listened as Alfie expressed his concerns to Thomas, that nobody had been able to find any leads on the killer yet. He went on to warn his brother about the dangers of the business and getting too deep into searching for the person responsible. "I don't think we should rule it out completely. With some guidance, Thomas could prove a fresh perspective and a new set of eyes on the case," he reasoned. "But yes, we need to work on getting Thomas trained up first and make sure he's prepared for the responsibility that comes with this business," he said. "What do you say?" he asked Thomas.

*****​

After giving time for herself and her daughters to calm down, Caroline sucked in a deep breath and turned back to the mirror to fix up her make-up. She wasn't going to walk back out into the restaurant looking weak, and that wasn't because she wanted to keep up appearances for Robert, but that she wanted to walk out stronger for herself. Once she was satisfied with her appearance, she turned back to her daughters. "I know what I told you was a lot, but I need you both to refrain from confronting your father about it, certainly whilst out in public," she said, hoping they would both do it for her sake, if not for Robert's. "You girls stay out as long as you want tonight, but I'm done with this already. I knew I shouldn't have come here to begin with." After giving Diana and Felicity a hug each, she straightened her posture and left the restroom, keeping her head held high.

Robert had stayed silent after the conversation he'd been having with his sons. He was becoming more concerned about his wife the longer she was away from the table. He knew it had been difficult for her coming to the family dinner, but he realised he'd underestimated how unhappy she was. He toyed with the idea of going to find her, but decided against it, knowing Diana and Felicity would be able to support their mother, that she wasn't dealing with things alone. His eyes had briefly landed on the bar area, where Jackie was conversing with Richard and Scott. As much as he was keen to talk with the latter two, he knew tonight wasn't meant to be about business.

A mixture of relief and apprehension came over Robert as he saw Caroline walk into view as she approached the table. Diana and Felicity looked more unhappy than his wife at that moment, but he was sure she was putting on a brave face. When Caroline reached the table, she smiled at the occupants. Not sitting down, she addressed Vinny. "Vinny, would you be a dear and get the car ready. Robert and I are going home," she told him. She then looked at Robert, something in her eyes telling him it was non-negotiable. She then stepped closer to Robert and beckoned him towards her for an embrace. "I want to go home," she firmly told him.

Robert instinctively held his wife closer and gently rubbed her back. "Of course, love," he quietly agreed. Letting go of her, he reached for his wallet. Opening it up, he pulled out some notes and placed them down on the table. "This should cover all of the costs and some more drinks for you all," he told his four kids. He could see the cold stare Felicity sent him, noticing it was more intense and piercing than the expressions she tended to make when annoyed. Deciding to let it slide after an already stressful evening, he put his arm around Caroline and led her away from the table.

Once they were out of earshot of everyone and walking to the door, Caroline looked up at Robert. "I told them..." she began. Despite what she was about to say, she remained close to him and wanted him to keep his arm around her. "I told the girls about the times you were unfaithful to me. Don't worry, I didn't go into too much detail, but I couldn't keep dealing with that on my own. I haven't done it to punish you. I've done it for my own sanity." Before he had a chance to speak up or turn back to their family, she placed her hand on his chest. "We're going home. We don't talk about this until then, otherwise I will shout it out for the whole restaurant to hear," she firmly told him.

Felicity was glad her mother had been quick to get their father to leave. She wasn't sure how else she'd be able to process what she'd been told without snapping the man's head off. At least now she would have time to think about what she would say to him. "What's so fucking hard about bringing a bottle of wine to the table?!" she finally spoke up to her brothers. It was unclear if she was pissed at Jackie or the waiting staff for it, but it was certainly someone's fault. In reality, the wine wasn't the issue eating at her.

In this scene: Bellz (Diana) neverbackdown (Thomas) BasDorcha (Alfie)
Left the scene: Robert, Caroline, Vinny

 

[neverbackdown]

The Red Lion Pub
- Birmingham, England -

Julia Fletcher
​

Julia took Tony's hand, her grip tightening as his voice rose at Rory. She watched the youngest Fletcher as she continued to stand leaning on the back of her chair and it took every aspect of her being not to shake her head or rub her forehead in frustration. Knowing any such reaction would just escalate Rory when she was in a mood such as this. She watched as Rory seemed to be trying to win some kind of staring contest with Tony before she ultimately sat down defeated.

When Sully spoke up, Julia turned to look at him with a small hint of confusion on her expression but did her best to hide it from her face as quickly as possible. She had known Sully to be removed from the family business back before he left was genuinely surprised that he was offering now to get involved, maybe he really did change in his time away. Her eyes darted towards Tony to gauge his reaction on Sully's offer. A small smile played on her lips as she had to admit that it was definitely a wise move for Sully to get him back into the Tony and Rory's good graces and the smile on Rory's expression made this evident.

As Rory essentially boasted about how good she was, Julia sighed softly but decided to let that comment slip by without reaction. She knew Rory was strong and yes she did win all her fights, or so they were led to believe, but like Tony she was worried that the boldness of Rory and her apparent belief in being invincible would someday lead her to her demise.

As Rory continued on with a plan as to how to best deal with the guy, Julia couldn't help but comment on the flaw that she saw in this plan "Its a good idea but can you keep yourself from exploding though Rory?". Unsurprisingly her question was met with anger and Julia only raised an eyebrow as if to say this is what she meant. The girl had the worst and most explosive temper that Julia had ever seen and she couldn't help but find it almost amusing that Rory genuinely seemed to believe that she could hold it together when she saw the target. But as Rory pointed out Sully would be with her Julia gave a small nod and a reassured smile danced on her lips.

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Victoria "Rory" Fletcher
​

Rory couldn't help but raise her eyebrow as Tony commanded her to sit down. She stood for a moment leaning against the back of the chair almost believing she could win this before she shook her head and sat down. In family matters Rory had no qualms about fighting back against her brother, but even as stubborn as she was Rory knew business wise it was a completely different scenario and in times like this he was her boss and must be treated as such.

She crossed her arms as she leaned back in her chair, clearly frustrated by the whole thing. As she looked across the table she caught Sully's eyes and raised an eyebrow at his expression her confusion quickly turning to interest as he began to speak. When Sully proposed his plan, Rory turned her head towards Tony as he seemed to think about Sully's words before speaking up.

Rory uncrossed her arms and placed them onto the table as she leaned forward her interest in the situation at hand clearly peaked. "I don't need protecting Tony nor do I need you to worry about me getting hurt you know better then anyone I can handle this". An almost proud expression played on her features as she spoke but disappeared as quickly it came.

Rory bit her lip in thought "we need to surprise him, get him on his own" she mused "stake him out, see where he goes and then take the opportunity when it happens" a calm tone was present in Rory's voice and a thoughful look on her expression which quickly changed to annoyance as Julia spoke up. "Off course I can when its necessary, most of my fights are heat of the moment but if there's a plan I can stick to it" she muttered but by the look on her face she knew that they didn't believe her.

"Anyway I'll have Sully to make sure I don't ..as you said... explode" Her eyes flickered towards Sully as a small smile played on her features thankful that Sully had stepped up before she looked back towards Tony "so what do you think Boss"

Interactions;-
Misty Gray - Tony
BeyondDandy - Sully
Bellz - Sammy

 

[neverbackdown]

Gatsby's Restaurant
- Birmingham City Centre, Birmingham, England -

Thomas Walker
​

Thomas watched as his brother appeared to choke on his drink at his words raising an eyebrow a smirk passed his lips he opened his mouth to make one of his usual sarcastic comments but decided against it due to the severity of the conversation that they were currently having.

Once Alfie managed to catch his breath again, Thomas sat forward crossing his hands on the table and leaning forward to show that he was paying full attention to his brother, giving small nods at appropriate times to signal he was taking it all in and understood everything that his brother was saying.

"I know this is the real deal Alf, I get that and I understand I'm just saying I'm known as not being involved" he gave a small shrug "and in some ways it'll give me the upper hand in some of these situations" Thomas turned to look towards his father when he spoke up and was pleasantly surprised when his father seemed to show some agreement towards Thomas' suggestion, to be completely honest he had expected the idea to be shut down almost immediately, maybe even laughed at and brushed aside as an exaggeration but for his father to say it shouldn't be ruled out gave Thomas the reassurance he didn't even know he needed.

"Yeah I'm ready to start training definitely" he said with an easy smile but bit his lip as he looked at his drink "but maybe on Monday , have one last fun weekend guilt free" he wiggled his eyebrows at that comment before lifting his glass to his lip and taking a large gulp of his beer.

Before much else could be said his mother arrived back and ordered Vinnie to bring the car around. Thomas raised an eyebrow between his mother and father a confused look on his expression but he knew better than to question it as he sensed the anger in his mother's posture, tone and facial expression. What confused him even more was the anger in both his sister's expressions as well, he didn't miss the look that Felicity gave his father and he made a mental note to ask what happened once their parents were gone.

"Thanks Dad" he commented as his father put the money on the table while everyone else seemed to be sitting in either a stunned or angry silence. "Love yous both" he added as they walked away. Thomas had made a promise to himself when Charles had died that the last thing he would always say to any family member was that he loved them, his fear being that it could be the last words ever spoken to them. Unfortunately Thomas had learned the hard way of the sting of unfavorable last words before an untimely death and this was his way of making sure that never happened again, never happened with someone he loved.

Hiss eyes widened at Felicity's outburst and he glanced towards his brother to see if he was as confused, thankfully he was which relaxed Thomas a little to know he hadn't somehow missed something. "Right whats going on? what happened?" he asked leaning forward his voice holding a rare tone of seriousness to it. "and don't say its about the wine not being here or about Charles because thats bull"

Int:
Misty Gray - Felicity / Caroline & Robert
Bellz - Diana
BasDorcha - Alfie / Vinny

 

[Misty Gray]

The Red Lion Pub - Private Office
- Aston, Birmingham, England -

Marco Alessi​

Marco figured Penny was right about Tony being able to hold his own against Robert. He'd seen his boss lie to and scam people before, so he knew first hand he was able to keep a straight face. "Yeah, I guess Tony is a good liar. I mean... in the nicest possible and most constructive way," he agreed with a light shrug. Whilst he was reassured by her telling him Tony was understanding, he'd never been on the receiving end of the man's anger or disappointment, so it was going to be new territory for him. "You're right. I need to tell him as soon as I can, and it's better he knows now, before anyone else finds out, so he's prepared."

He was grateful to be able to confide in Penny about this. "Thanks... for offering to be there for me. I'd appreciate that. If only so you can make sure I get a decent burial after," he half-joked. Marco looked down to their hands as Penny gripped his, briefly smiling as he looked back up to meet her eyes. She confirmed the plan to tell Tony when he was in the right mood, mentioning needing to let the Walkers troubles settle and... her brother returning. "Oh yeah! That was Sully out there, wasn't it?" he asked, it only just registering with him that the brother in question had been sitting at the table. "Let's definitely leave it a few days then. Catch Tony in the best possible mood. It's a plan," he confirmed to her.

Part of Marco suddenly wondered if it had been a good idea to tell Penny the truth. Things had been going well for them and he liked how they could just relax around each other, but now he was worried he'd put pressure on their relationship already. Pushing his concerns aside, he smiled at Penny and lightly squeezed her hands. "Alright... You help me survive Tony and I'm taking you on another date. Dinner, drinks, the works. And, if he does kill me, at least mourn for a few days before moving on," he teased.

Wanting to end the serious conversation for one night, he nodded towards the door. "We should go back out there. Tony's going to want to grill me for the full lowdown on what happened tonight."

BasDorcha (Penny)

 

[Misty Gray]

Chapter 2 - Reaching Out
- Friday 24th October 1975 -
Early Evening - Windy, Cool, Overcast

***************

Tony & Julia Fletcher's House
- Aston, Birmingham, England -

Tony Fletcher and Marco Alessi​

It had come as a shock to Tony when Sully showed up out of the blue last week. He hadn't been impressed by his brother deciding to stroll back in and then say he wanted to help out in the business. Nor was he happy with the idea that he'd been visiting their father in prison. However, Tony wasn't one to dwell on matters and was quick to spring back into place. He decided to ease up to let Sully and Rory go out on a job involving the big guy who'd attacked Marco. He also intended on visiting Norman soon, wanting to know what had been said between him and Sully. He respected and looked up to his father, but the man was in prison leaving him to deal with the business and look after the family. He needed to know everything that was going on.

Robert had called into the butchers shop a couple of days ago demanding an update on the matter of Charles' killer. Tony had been blunt with the man, telling him he had nothing to offer. It was the truth, but Robert was still unhappy with the supposed lack of cooperation. Regardless of what he intended to do if he did find out who the killer was, Tony had actually been trying to find out who was behind it, so he didn't like Robert accusing him of doing nothing. He'd expressed as much before telling the Walker boss to 'fuck off' and deal with his own problems.

It might not have been the best course of action to be rude with the powerful Walker boss, but Tony knew that was the least of his disrespect to the man and his family. Tony had spent the last hour looking through blueprints of the Red Lion Pub's basement. He'd already furnished a large area out for his secret casino and he was certain he could make more space by knocking through one of the walls without affecting the structural integrity. It was either that, or look into a new location to hold his secret gambling nights. That was one venture Robert wouldn't take kindly to. It was nothing, however, compared to the operation he was planning to hijack a weapons delivery the Walkers and an unknown buyer had planned. When the time came, Tony wanted his gang to be able to stand a fighting chance against the Walkers and what better way than to use the very weapons he'd stolen from them.

Feeling quite pleased with his day's progress, Tony was in high spirits. He'd agreed to stay at home tonight, but was now growing tempted to head to the pub. Penny had arranged to come over to his house to talk with him, but maybe he could talk her into going out for a few drinks when she arrived instead. "We should go out and get pissed tonight," Tony called out to Julia as he joined her in the lounge, handing her a glass of wine whilst keeping hold of his glass tumbler containing whiskey. "I don't know what Penny wants to talk about, but surely it doesn't mean we've got to stay at home all night." He sat on the sofa next to Julia, setting his drink down on the glass coffee table before putting his arm around her. "Although, I'm more than happy to make sure she doesn't stick around too long and you n' me enjoy a night in together," he suggestively told her, moving in to kiss her lips.

Just as their lips met, he heard the doorbell ring. "Well shit. I only just sat down," he grumbled. As he got back to his feet, he turned to Julia. "If Penny's about to tell me she's in love with a Walker or joining the police force, don't stop me from shooting her," he joked.

Marco had taken a few days off to recover from his injuries and even when back on the job, he did everything he could to avoid speaking with Tony directly. He'd made sure to take jobs that didn't need his boss' direct attention. He knew he couldn't avoid it for long and so when Penny had arranged for them to go see Tony to tell him the truth, he couldn't put it off any longer.

He'd gone to Penny's house a little earlier so he could head to Tony's place with her. As they approached the man's front door, Marco stopped and turned to Penny. "So, do you think he was in a good mood when you arranged this?" he asked, turning back to the house with a apprehensive look on his face. "It doesn't matter. We're here now," he reasoned, before walking towards the front door and pressing the doorbell before he had time to hesitate again.

He reached to take Penny's hand, giving it a brief squeeze as he smiled at her. Hearing footsteps approaching from inside, he let go of her. "And this is how I die," he muttered for only Penny to hear.

When Tony opened the door, he chuckled to himself. "Jeez, what did our human punchbag do to himself this time?" he playfully asked. "Come on inside, you two. There'd better be a good reason for keeping me home on a Friday night!" he told them as he led them to the living room. "What are you both drinking?"

"Just a tea will do me, thanks," Marco asked. Immediately, he berated himself for the choice, wondering if something stronger would soften the blow. "Or... or whatever you're having," he quickly added, hearing Tony laughing as he walked away. Seeing Julia, Marco gave her a sheepish wave. "Hi Julia. How are you doing?" he asked her. He hadn't wanted anyone other than Tony to be around for what he was about to reveal, but on second thoughts, he decided it might be better if Julia did stay. She would significantly increase his chances of surviving tonight, he was sure of that. He sent Penny a look to convey to her that he wanted Julia to stay.

Tony returned with the drinks, handing Marco a whiskey, opting against the effort of putting the kettle on and making him a tea. "Take it and forget you either wanted tea," he told his friend. Tony then sat down and looked across at Penny. "Alright, sis. What's this all about? What do you two need to tell me? Don't tell me you're getting married," he said, letting out an exaggerated laugh at his implausible suggestion.

BasDorcha (Penny) neverbackdown (Julia)

The Walker Residence
- Edgbaston, Birmingham, England -

Caroline Walker​

Although it had made waves within the family, Caroline hadn't regretted telling her daughters about Robert's past infidelities. Nor did she regret that all four of her children now knew the truth. After getting home from the restaurant last week, the argument between Caroline and Robert had been very heated, but this time she didn't back down, knowing she was in the right and held any possible moral high ground. In the end, Robert had been the one to relent. Despite him taking responsibility, they had slept in separate rooms that night. However, the next day, with the air cleared and tensions extinguished, the married couple woke up in good spirits towards each other.

Caroline had been keeping many secrets for her family for most of her life, but no longer having to keep Robert's cheating to herself was a huge relief for her. She knew she wouldn't be able to confide in Alfie about it, given he took after his father, but knowing she could now open up to her daughters about it meant she no longer felt so alone with her feelings. Admittedly, she did take some comfort from watching Robert squirm a little. Despite this, she would never want their kids to hate or abandon their father, so still felt the need to make sure they all stuck together.

More surprising than anything was that, despite practically throwing a grenade in the middle of the family dinner, it had ended up bringing Caroline and Robert close together again in the last week. Getting things out in the open and putting Robert in his place in the marriage had allowed Caroline to take back more power in the relationship. Robert being dragged back down to Earth had made him more aware of his position as a husband and father, not just a businessman. Whilst he wasn't completely off the hook and he still had some ways to redeem himself in her eyes, Caroline was enjoying the time they had been able to spend together over the last week.

The two had spent the afternoon out shopping before returning home where Robert cooked an early dinner for them. Caroline was sure he was still trying to get back into her good books, but a part of her was simply grateful to see more of the man she'd fallen in love. She would have preferred them to have spent the rest of the evening together, but he had a business appointment to attend to. Whilst he got ready upstairs for his meeting, Caroline sat on the sofa with her feet up, only semi-focusing on the news showing on the television. Hearing the footsteps descending the stairs, she looked up in time to see Robert enter the lounge, smartly dressed in a suit. It wasn't an overly formal suit which he tended to wear for events, but he looked smart nonetheless. Standing up to meet him, she reached her hands out to straighten his shirt collar. "What would you do without me?" she lightly teased.

"Leave the house looking a mess, I suspect," Robert was quick to reply.

"Well, thank God I'm here. You look good," she complimented him, part of her wishing she was going out with him even if it was for a less formal meeting. "Make sure you've got plenty of backup with you, and give those scumbags hell," she commanded him. Robert had told her he was going out on Fletcher-related business, wanting to put them back in their place and out of the Walkers' way. If they weren't going to admit to killing Charles, then Caroline was all for her family breathing down their necks and making their lives difficult.

"Of course I will," Robert assured her. The couple then leaned in for a quick kiss on the lips before Robert left the house and got in his car to drive to the meeting. Left on her own, Caroline decided it was time to curl up on the sofa with a book and a glass of wine. It wasn't the most exciting of Friday nights, but she was hardly going to advertise her lack of engagements and have Felicity drag her into helping out at the hotel!

ReverseTex (Richard)

Marseille Bistro & Bar
- Westside, Birmingham, England -

Robert Walker​

Robert hadn't been completely honest with Caroline about the details of his meeting. Whilst there was nothing to hide about the purpose of the meeting, he'd omitted to mention that the Fletcher he was meeting with was Dorothy. Given that Caroline had just told their kids that he'd had affairs in the past, her jealousy towards other women being around him was likely to be at the front of her mind. So of course he wasn't going to tell her his meeting was with Dorothy alone! He and Caroline had been in a good place over the last few days, so he wasn't about to go upsetting her again.

Robert had driven over to the house of a trusted driver, leaving his car secure there so the man could drop him off at the bistro he'd arranged to meet Dorothy at. Insisting he didn't need security, he let the driver return home until he called to be picked up after. Robert had chosen a quiet bistro & bar to meet at, away from the centre of the city and neutral as far as the two families were concerned.

Having got there early, Robert let the hostess know he'd arrived but insisted in waiting in the lobby until Dorothy arrived. He wanted to see how she got to the restaurant and make sure it wasn't any kind of trap. Robert had tried on multiple occasions to reason with Tony, to get the younger man to stay out of his way and cooperate on Charles' death investigation, but so far he'd done neither. Scott had informed him of the altercation between two of the Walker members and some of Tony's gang members, which only added to the ways Tony was getting on Robert's nerves. In a bid to make progress, Robert had decided to speak with one of the more reasonable - and mature - members of the Fletcher gang. That person was Dorothy.

With his arms folded, Robert stood in the lobby, watching closely for the woman's arrival. When Dorothy did arrive, he maintained a professional stance, reaching out to shake her hand before opening the interior doors for her so they could be shown to their table...

Bellz (Dorothy)

The Royal Hotel
- Birmingham City Centre, Birmingham, England -

Scott Ashworth​

Scott hadn't intended to spend his Friday night working the front desk at the Walker-owned hotel. None of how it happened made sense to him, and as he stood waiting for the old couple to get their security deposit together, he found himself retracing his steps in his head. What would he have done differently to avoid crossing Felicity's path two hours ago and be forced into helping her out? All he'd done was offer to drive one of Robert's client's to the hotel and then help him with getting his luggage inside. That was all. Then Felicity, who had been rushing around the place like a madwoman all afternoon, demanded to know what else he was doing that night. Scott foolishly admitted he was going to go back to The Platinum Lounge and unwind with some drinks. It turned out, Felicity was hosting an important business reception in the venue hall and needed to manage her staff there. That, added to her firing a member of the front-of-house team yesterday and another calling in sick today meant she had nobody to cover the hotel front desk.

It wasn't completely bad, not considering Felicity had also begged Diana to step in to help out too. Scott was at least grateful to have the attractive Walker daughter working at the front desk alongside him. He shot her a glance before his attention was brought back ahead of him when the old man checking in finally handed him the cash. "Thank you, Sir. Personally, I trust you two won't be having any wild parties up there and damaging the room, but I don't make the rules," he joked with the old couple. After dealing with the cash, he retrieved the keys and handed it to the wife. "You're in room 23 and the lift is just..." he began, looking over the desk to see the couple's two large suitcases. "I'll show you to your room," he told them. Stepping around to lift the two cases, he looked at Diana and flashed a grin. "Are you sure you can manage here without me, newbie?" he teased her, figuring if anyone was new to this particular job, it was him!

A few minutes later, Scott returned to the front desk having offloaded the two guests upstairs. With nobody requiring service at that moment, Scott leaned against the large wooden counter with his back to the entrance. He looked at Diana with a smirk on his face. "Has your sister always been this bossy? I don't know how you've coped with her," he told her. Whilst Felicity had been very assertive in getting him to help out, it had been because of Robert that he'd agreed in the end. With the setback surrounding Mick last week, he needed to do what he could to stay in the boss' good books to ensure they stayed on track with the drugs operations. "What would you normally be doing right now, had you not been roped into this?" he curiously asked her.

Bellz (Diana)

Mick Thawne's House
- Small Heath, Birmingham, England -

Mick Thawne​

Having spent the afternoon in the bookies gambling, Mick had returned home to make himself a meal and relax a little before he was due to work later in the evening. Much of the work he did required him to work throughout the night, be it flitting around the clubs or dealing with incoming illegal goods. Scott had been unimpressed with him after learning he'd not been as discreet as he should be, attracting the attention of the Fletchers after intercepting and stealing one of their drugs deliveries. That also meant he'd no doubt caught Robert's attention in a bad way. For now, he was trying to keep a low profile and stay out of the limelight until the heat was off him.

After tucking into his pizza, he put his feet up sat back to read the newspaper until it was time to head out to Digbeth to complete a typically shady transaction by the canal.

Tagging to start the scene: BeyondDandy (Sully) neverbackdown (Rory)

Active Cast: Misty Gray BasDorcha Bellz BeyondDandy neverbackdown purplecowdutch ReverseTex

purplecowdutch - Scene to be arranged when you return.

 

[BasDorcha]

6 days ago... 18th of October, 1975
Bonnie’s Apartment- The Vixen

Birmingham, England​

Bonnie Moody

Bonnie sat cross-legged on the living room rug, scratching away on a stray notepad she found on the kitchen counter. “You should look into the entertainment scene Bon! I’d think you’d be bloody brilliant! You’ve got the look ‘ya know?” Her roommate, Kate, called from the kitchen as she got ready for work. The two met 3 years ago after a night out in Cairo. Kate was a journalist at the time, working any job she could get her hands on. At the time that happened to be an assignment to Cairo. The two parted paths after a few months when her friend got offered an editorial position, but Kate promised she’d host her if she ever found her way to England. And so she did… She’d only been in town for around two months now, and the money she’d made working as a stewardess on a sailing yacht in the Mediterranean was running thin. She barely had enough to scrape by this month’s portion of Kate’s rent, which she insisted on paying now that she decided to remain long-term in the area. “You do realize I have a degree, Kate? I’m not that low on the totem pole. But I’ll take it as a compliment. Pretty enough to be a stripper but not smart enough to get a real job. Thanks.” She could hear Kate sigh from the other room, “That’s not what I meant. You’ve got that list of yours of places you’re lookin’ into no? I saw it last night on the counter. From the looks of it, you’re not looking for a real job anyway. Bartending and waiting aren’t real jobs dear.” She heard the clacking of heels close in behind her and Kate soon appeared over her shoulder. “But I won’t tell ya what’s right and what’s not. Add The Vixen to your list, trust me. The places you’ve dug up are dingy Bonnie, you’d throw a fit if you stepped into any of those bars. Vixen is posh.” Bonnie relented, jotting the name at the bottom of the list. “Alright, I’ll look into it. Thanks, Kate,” She replied absent-mindedly. Posh. The exact opposite of what she was looking for. But Kate did have a point. She wouldn’t enjoy working somewhere where she’d be an object. The fine line she towed always came and bit her in the ass it seemed.


Bonnie refused to take Kate up on a ride to the first establishment on the list. It had been a few hours of walking around town to various pubs and clubs, but she didn’t mind it. Walkable cities were better than drivable cities. It also gave her the chance to familiarize herself with Birmingham. Industrial- yet classical was the best way she could describe it… A cold chill nipped down her back as the October air settled. She still wasn’t quite used to the cold despite longing for it after endless summers in the desert. Removing the list from her coat, Bonnie realized she was at the last place on her list. The Vixen.

Kate was right about one thing. This club was posh. Bonnie paused awkwardly at the door after she entered, taking in her surroundings the best she could. She didn’t spend much time in these types of establishments. Her only frame of reference was a poor brothel in Libya she was dragged into once, not even comparable to this place.

***************​

The Vixen

- Birmingham, England -​

Alfie Walker

The dinner from the night before was still ringing in Alfie's head as he sat at the bar of Vixen's, looking over applications for a new Madam of the House. While the role could honestly go to either a man or a woman, he'd prefer a woman. He wanted someone who knew female as a female and could understand the things he couldn't when it came to the ladies as well as ensure they were at the top of their game if they were going to working in his establishment. The club was his baby. The large building had two floors with the upper floor being similar to a loft around the edges, railing all around the hole in the middle that gave viewing to the lower floor. Each floor had multiple spots for girls to dance, though the upper floor was smaller platforms with poles while the main stage had three different poles with one centered on a bumped out platform in the middle of the room.

He looked around, examining his place with delight. The walls had thick draped cloth, giving everything a soft look, the lights were hazy and dim, adding to the feel of the room. Music was always shifting, jumping from something bouncy and upbeat to something jazzy and sensual. He let the girls pick their own music, he also let them pick their level of nudity - he felt like it added to the uniqueness of his club. Not every man wanted to see everything, sometimes it was about the dance, the intrigue, the hint of what might be below that they wanted. Each of his girls had their regulars that knew them for their own personal styles. He preferred it this way. The girls, they knew what men wanted and he let them do as they please as long as they showed up and made his customers happy.

Each table around the stages had very low lights that glowed under the edge of sight, the room if not for the poles would feel more like a jazz bar than anything. A variety of people sat around, bouncers at the door, and women in varying costumes and stages of undress laughed and chatted and entertained. Kahlan, one if his first hires, came slinking by, throwing an arm around his shoulders and looking at the stack of papers on the counter. "We getting a new girl?" She asked as she rifled through the resumes he was reviewing.

"I'm going to need you to get your PhD getting ass out of my work or I'll have nothing to do." He teased her. Kahlan had been putting herself through college working here and had built a good relationship with Alfie with her honesty. It also helped she was a lesbian and it kept him from ever viewing her as sexual - he only zinged with those who wanted him first. He was not a fan of chasing a woman down and it was the least appeasing thing to him. Reaching up, he patted Kahlan's hand and smiled, throwing his free arm around her and pulling her close and he lost interest in his current task. "I take it back, if you want to do it, it's all yours, the job that is. Want to be the Madam of the house?" He teased.

Smacking him and pushing him off, she shook her head, quickly putting distance between her and the extra work. "Now, now. You know I don't want nothing to do with that. I barely have enough time to work my shifts between here and school, I don't need anything that's going to cause me to need extra hours here while I'm trying to study and go to class." Kahlan had been his first choice for the position but she had declined him multiple times due to her limited schedule. Plus, she had a very particular group of regulars that would shit a brick if she wasn't on stage for them. Sighing, he leaned back over the chair and threw his hands up, smacking the counter as they came back down. "That's it, I'm drinking, I'll deal with this tomorrow. Jack, set me up with a two finger on the rocks."

Jack, or rather Jackie, Kahlan's girlfriend, got to work on the drink while laughing at him. "You'll never find someone with that attitude." The woman was fully dressed in typical bartender wear - a cut off shirt and jeans that didn't stop her from getting her fair share of tips. She slid the drink down the counter as a woman walked in and looked around with a surprised look on her face. "Hey Boss, lookie there. Maybe that's your girl?" From the look of the woman it was possibly another resume to add to the stack he already had. The woman instantly sparked something within him Alfie couldn't identify, having this look about her that she had more to uncover than just another woman walking into a strip club. Shaking it away, he straightened the suit he wore and made his way over to her, stopping just shy of invading personal space.

"Hello, welcome to The Vixen. I'm Alfie, can I help you? You look a bit lost… no.. Maybe that's just surprise." He grinned. "Never been here before obviously. Maybe a bit shocked it not like every other low-end brothel?" He held out his hand for her to take if she wanted to return it.
Follow the path, Beaten and bare, Follow the race, Of Tortoise and Hare. Faster and faster, Down the rabbit hole, To a place where you feel the most at home. Welcome to wonder, To Nations abound, Welcome to Role Play, You are finally found.

***************​

The Vixen

Birmingham, England​

Bonnie Moody

Bonnie's curiosity bested her once the initial apprehension washed away. She looked down at her now-distressed notes sheet. All of the clubs and bars were scratched off, minus this establishment. Bartending was her fallback skill, it wasn’t hard to craft cocktails, fake a smile, and wear a tighter shirt. But when she briefly glanced at the bar, this club seemed well stocked and functioning in that aspect. Once she realized she watched the bartender a little longer than normal, she gave a slight smile. Warm yet apprehensive.

She soon realized she acquired quite the audience, the bartender from earlier must've called her coworkers. One was a working girl, slim and beautiful like the rest of the women she glanced at here. The other, most likely her boss. The man appeared to be around her age if she had to guess, yet carried himself as if he were James Bond himself. Maybe it was the suit or the fact he was likely British that gave her that thought… His expression was similar to what she suspected her own to be; cautiously curious. Snapping her head to the nearby lights, she could sense the gentlemen approaching. Never once did she lose attention to his approach despite giving The Vixen a last once-over.

“Alfie?” Bonnie giggled slightly as she turned her body to fully face the man. “I don’t mean that in a bad way- it’s just you don’t strike me as an Alfie. Maybe Robert or Reginald? Is that too much of a stereotype? Not that I’ve met any Alfie’s before… I’m getting ahead of myself.” The thought of applying for a job snapped back into her head. She may have just insulted her potential boss. “I apologize, Mr. Alfie, where are my manners? My name’s Bonnie. Bonnie Moody” She outstretched her hand and shook his strongly, a shake her slimy father would be proud of her. “I mean prostitution is illegal in Libya so my bar is fairly low. Your girls could rival the Grecian girls I’ve seen. Hats off the Birmingham.”

Bonnie reached into her coat as Alfie took in her words, removing a tri-fold piece of paper. “My resume! Printed fresh this morning from the public library. I’ve been wandering around town today for job interviews, trying to plant some roots here in this town. Anywho, I don’t have any dancing experience. I did dance once in a line-dancing bar, but that’s a long story that we don’t have time for. The rest is on there.” She smiled warmly as she handed Alfie the piece of paper.

***************​

The Vixen

- Birmingham, England -​

Alfie Walker

As the woman turned to him and took his hand, he was surprised to find a firm grip. Never one to treat a woman as dainty unless she gave him reason to, he squeeze back just enough to give it a fair return. A look if comedic disgust crossed his face when she said he looked like a Robert. "Robert. God, no. That's my father." He grinned teasingly, turning to wave to a nearby table for them to sit at. He listened as she talked about Grecian girls and how Birmingham had held up, making it so he couldn't help but laugh. "Well, prostitution still isn't legal here, and even if it was, I wouldn't make any of my employee's do that. This is a strip club only, and the girls pretty much tell me what they want to do. I may be the boss, but I listen to each and every one of them when they come to me for advice." He pulled a seat out for her allowing her to sit before helping her slide it back up and taking the seat across from her.

As she handed him her resume, he gave it a quick once over, yet again caught off guard by the variety of jobs she had held and the amount of traveling she had done. Considering it carefully, he looked up, eyes narrowed as if in deep thought but not in a bad way. He hmmmed and read it over with a bit more depth, before folding it back up and putting it on the table. "Line dancing? What's line dancing?" He asked, curious. "I guess though, it's a good thing I'm not looking to hire dancers, seeing as to how that's one of the few things missing from this very eclectic collection of jobs you've held. No, I'm looking for a Madam of the house - someone to manage the girls, understand some of their issue that I might not, keep them at the top of their game. It comes with a barrage of other responsibilities too, like closing, opening, helping with hiring, counting money and making bank runs, think you could handle all that? It's okay if you need training, I can train you, just do you think you're up for the responsibility?"

He looked around, waving down a waitress. "Can you please bring me a drink, water for now please, and whatever the lady wants? Also a basket of chips please." The girl took their orders and went to get them what they requested as he turned back to Bonnie and smiled. "Also, I gotta ask, why Birmingham? You've done a lot of traveling, what's changed? I can't hire someone whose gonna get a wild hair up their ass in six months and want to leave again. It's a commitment to take on. I'm sure I can pay you anything you need to make a life here, but only if you are sure this is where you want to stay. You also don't sound like you're from any of these places," he said, tapping the paper, "So where are you from to begin with? How did you end up here of all places?"
Follow the path, Beaten and bare, Follow the race, Of Tortoise and Hare. Faster and faster, Down the rabbit hole, To a place where you feel the most at home. Welcome to wonder, To Nations abound, Welcome to Role Play, You are finally found.

***************​

The Vixen

Birmingham, England​

Bonnie Moody

Starting the interview by accidentally calling the man in charge his DAD's name wasn't what Bonnie had on the agenda today. If that thought hadn't consumed her, she wouldn't have let the gentlemen situate her so easily at the table. Nonetheless, she realized her Southern manners were out of practice. Luckily for her, her roots began to take hold as she grew more comfortable in the man's presence. "Interesting to see a rooster so involved in the henhouse," she remarked as he detailed his involvement in the club. A wave of relief settled in at the mention of no shortage of dancers. "Thank god for that! Anywho I guess I can give 'ya a quick rundown of line dancing. Think of it as the cowboy disco. People in a line on a wooden dance floor stompin' their boots around in sync. It's pretty electric, but I'm no good at it. I prefer the disco scene and music."

Recalling her roots brought a slight glow to her face, regardless of her past distains. If she learned one thing from her travels it was to embrace moments like this. They didn't come often. "Madam of the House? Well, I don't have any direct experience managing strippers... Back home I picked up odd jobs here and there and I did have to manage girls as a chief stew on those yachts. So in a broad sense, I have the skills you're hunting for." Bonnie paused momentarily to collect her thoughts before continuing. "As you just said, there's some issues you can't help these women with. That's good on you to admit that. Now I'll admit having no experience in this profession, I may not be the wisest consul to these women. But I've witnessed, stopped, and consulted many women in various situations in my travels. Trust is key. If these women can put their faith in me to safeguard and defend them, I'd be counting my lucky stars for any boy who tries any funny business.'

"No drink for me," Bonnie gave the girl a smile before digging out her carton of cigarettes. If her potential boss was going to get comfy, she'd light up in the meantime. Plus her story was a long one, and if she had to guess, this man seemed interested. As Alfie questioned her travels, she took a slow drag, savoring the brief buzz it brought her. "Valid to ask, I'll give you my best answer," she tapped her ash in the table tray. "I'm originally from Texas. Lived there in my younger years before I got sick and tired of the cowboy hats... Kidding. I just outgrew myself there. Needed to figure out who I was in the world. So, I packed up and got out of Dodge and ended up in Morocco on a whim. Liked Rabat so decided to spend some time there before an ex-Nazi bastard found out where I came from and got tired of my bartending. Made it to Tripoli where that cruddy brothel I mentioned before was. Did some hired work around the coast for a bit, then got the bug to make my way out of Africa. Stopped in Cairo, made some friends, saw the sights, and picked up a bartending gig there to make the last bit of cash I'd need to fund the next travel stint. Stopped in Jerusalem, Istanbul, and decided to put some roots in Greece. Getting the stewardess job let me travel most of the Mediterranian Sea free of charge and I got to make good money. I stayed in that job for two years, but after all the drinking and crew drama, you just kinda grow out of it? Plus I saved a lot of my cash to have fun in Europe." She smiled as she took another hit of her cigarette. "Rome, Barcelona, Paris, Amsterdam, Stockholm. You name anywhere in between, I probably drove or walked through. But after Amsterdam and Stockholm, I blew my savings and wanted a permanent home. A friend from Cairo works and lives here and owed me a favor, so I took her up on that and came here. I've liked the town so far, and I'd love to see this part of the world... But most importantly, I'm tired. Tired of running. I want a home."

Her last sentence lingered in the air as she snubbed out her cigarette. That last part was definitely too personal, yet she needed to hear herself say it. Home. That's all she wanted. Looking back up to Alfie, she took note of his icy attentiveness. Those eyes pierced her deep, she wasn't quite sure how to describe it. She felt... Seen.

***************​

The Vixen

- Birmingham, England -​

Alfie Walker

Alfie couldn't help laughing out loud as she called him a rooster, hoping it wasn't her way of calling him cocky. Throughout listening to her talk and answer his questions, there was a very small, almost missed feeling he was getting he couldn't quite place his finger on. This girl was different, he could tell that already. She definitely wasn't from around here, and after she told him about her different jobs and traveling around, he knew it was confirmed. In his mind he tried to picture a line dance, but it just looked comedic in his head, bringing out another chuckle from him. Shaking his head, he was certain of one thing - he would not be line dancing any time soon.

When she finally came to a stop, talking about wanting a home, a warm look broke through the analytical look he'd been giving her - a home was a good thing to want, especially if he was looking for someone long term and not just temporarily. "Sounds like you've been around the bend a few times. It's good to hear you're looking to make a life here, means you're more likely to not need replacing in a few months. It's a good place to settle - little grimey, little beautiful, and just big enough to do as you please if you know how to keep yourself off the radar." He hinted at the criminal enterprise he'd been soon helping more in without point blank calling it out, just to see how she'd respond to it.

As the waitress came back she sat down the chips in the middle of the table and the water closer to him, setting down a bottle of ketchup to go with it. "Here, have some chips." He smiled, offering her one of the hot greasy fried potatoes. On the other side of the plate he put a small pool of ketchup and had a few of his own, wincing as the first one burned his tongue from the freshness. "Fuck, that hurt. Maybe let them cool just a moment." He laughed, waving his hand at his mouth like a cheesy cartoon. "They're good though."
Follow the path, Beaten and bare, Follow the race, Of Tortoise and Hare. Faster and faster, Down the rabbit hole, To a place where you feel the most at home. Welcome to wonder, To Nations abound, Welcome to Role Play, You are finally found.

***************​

The Vixen

Birmingham, England​

Bonnie Moody

Bonnie noted his features loosen up after her story, she’d done a decent job disarming him. She got a sense the two had more than either were letting on in common, which only intrigued her more. As Alfie described the charm of The Vixen, she realized something; she had made this too easy. Her father would disapprove. She quickly rummaged in her coat pocket to remove her battered list, pretending to give it a thoughtful once over, then stuck it back where it belonged. “Like I said, I’ve made my rounds today for work. Bars and clubs around Birmingham. Not the first offer I’ve gotten today. But I’ll say it’s the most unique one. But count me intrigued.”

She couldn’t help but scoff at his remark on staying unnoticed. “Please, you learn to live under the radar where I grew up. I’m no better than a fly on the wall.” As the fries arrived, she couldn’t help but notice Alfie’s childlike eagerness. She almost made the move to suggest he’d wait, but alas, the gentleman-child burned his mouth. A gentle chuckle escaped her as she grabbed one between her fingers as if it were a cigarette. “Ye of little patience, I’ll make a note of that,” Bonnie smiled as she gave it a gentle blow.

“It’s only fair you tell me about yourself, Alfred.” She knew Alfie introduced himself as “Alfie” but it just didn’t sound right on her lips. Alfie. No. Alfred or Alf would have to do. “Then once you’ve recovered from your second-degree burns, why don’t you give me a tour and introduce me to some of the lovely women here?”

***************​

The Vixen

- Birmingham, England -​

Alfie Walker

Alfie watched as she tried to play hard to get, not sure if he bought it completely but interested enough to let her have this small win. As the hot fries cooled enough to eat, he started munching down more comfortably on them, still leaving about half the plate untouched for her to be able to have as much as she wanted. When she called him Alfred, he got a pained look on his face, grasping at his heart as if she had done him damage. "Why, I'm offended Ms…." He opened the resume, reading over it quickly again. "Bonnie May, calling me by my official name is it? I ought to give you what for, that's just down right hurtful you know. Alfie will do fine, only my enemies call me Alfred." He laughed, shaking his head as he stood up and offered her an arm to hold onto. "Come, I'll tell you while we walk around."

Guiding her through the club, he talked about the different spaces, took her through the dressing rooms, kitchen, office and storage. He introduced the women he had been speaking to previously, along with a few other dancers, waitresses and his bouncers. Afterwards, as he guided her out the front door for a brief break of fresh air, he lit a cigarette and offered her one, before shoving his free hand back in his pocket and giving her a boyish grin. "Now, you asked about me. If you can't tell, this club is my pride and joy. Everything else… Well, it's not much to know. I'm just your average Joe, trying to do better and make the most of it, but I bet you know all about that."

He took a long drag off his smoke, his eyes catching hers suddenly very serious, watching her with a deep peering stare. "I've never traveled like you have, haven't seen much outside of Birmingham and the surrounding area. I've got a lot of siblings, though recently I lost one of them to some unfortunate circumstances, and my families a bit like the loony bin - but whose isn't?" He did have the decency to have a saddened look for a moment when mentioning Charles but you could clearly see the determination on his face not to let it ruin the moment. "I own the place, I also work for my dad, and I make it my goal to live my life exactly how I want to - I see something, I want, I get it." He stepped closer, closing the space between them as if the moment was suddenly becoming more intimate yet made no move to touch her or get disrespectful. It was like a magnet was drawing him closer as he looked down at her. "I make my mind up to do something, I do. I've never been one who was very good at being told no."
Follow the path, Beaten and bare, Follow the race, Of Tortoise and Hare. Faster and faster, Down the rabbit hole, To a place where you feel the most at home. Welcome to wonder, To Nations abound, Welcome to Role Play, You are finally found.

***************​

The Vixen

Birmingham, England​

Bonnie Moody

Bonnie May. She hadn't heard her name in such a tender tone before, nor had she heard a middle name in years. If she had to guess, the last time she heard her middle name was during the ending argument with her father. "Alfie it is then." She chirped, though the distance in her thought could be heard. Having the distraction of meeting the women and touring The Vixen was welcoming. She was surprised at how many emotions this interview brought up and this opportunity allowed her to catch her breath.

Meeting the women at The Vixen was another highlight of the unforeseen interview. They all exuded fierce pride for their work despite the stigma. Kahan and Jackie stood out amongst the rest in the short introductions, however, she assumed the other women would come to her when she was needed. She didn't want to invade their safe space at work, merely respect and advocate.

Once the introductions and tour were all said and done, Alfie finally began to open up. As he spoke, she took a deep breath, letting the smell of his cigarette linger in his lungs. The fact that the club was a family venture intrigued her. If Alfie had a large family and was the child who got dealt the strip club, then what other hands were his siblings dealt? Bonnie sensed he was holding something crucial back, but decided to let it pass. She had only just met him, it would be inappropriate to pry. But before she could respond, Alfie closed the professional gap between the two of them. She noticed her breath shortened, the inexplicable gravity between her and the gentlemen closing in. "Sometimes you need to hear a few no's to find the right answer..." Bonnie said as she looked up at Aflie one last time before severing the invisible string holding them together.

Stepping back abruptly, Bonnie quickly adjusted her coat. "Well, Alfie, thanks for this opportunity once again. I really appreciate the hospitality today, some may argue it rivals a Southern grandma after church! Although, the fact we're in a strip club docks a few points in that regard." As she shook his hand once again before making her way out, the electricity between the two of them sent goosebumps down her spine. On that note, she headed to the door without a glance back.

***************​

Chapter 2 - Reaching Out

- Friday 24th October 1975 -
Early Evening - Windy, Cool, Overcast

***************

The Vixen~ Birmingham, England~

Alfie Walker​

The last week had gone by pretty quick for Alfie. The dinner with his family had been weighing heavily on his mind, especially with what he found out about his father. Knowing now that Alfred was the son of a cheater made a lot of things make sense. Suddenly he was the son of rogue, a rake, a womanizer. They had something they could really relate on now. He hadn't spoken to his father about it, yet, but figured once they did, maybe they could find common ground to start having a more tightly bonded relationship. In either case, he couldn't deny being Robert's son. They both had a weakness for women.

The day after the family dinner he'd also taken care of another issue he'd been having - finding a manager for his club and the girls. Bonnie May had been a breath of fresh air he couldn't explain. Most of the week he'd come in earlier and more often than he had in months hoping she'd come back and accept his offer. The day before, tired of waiting, he'd called and left a message with her roommate that if she would come by and accept his offer, he'd make sure it was worth her while. Standing at the business end of the bar, he tapped an envelope on the counter and slid it out of view. The stack of money inside should be more than enough incentive to get her to agree to take the position - a cost he felt abnormally okay with paying.

Being early in the day, the place was lit up with the doors open, letting the air from outside fill the room while various fully dressed figures cleaned and prepped for the coming night. He was thinking about calling his brother to see if he wanted to come by, maybe try to find out more about what was going on with him since their father wouldn't be around this time. He made his way to the phone and, much like Bonnie, left a message on his machine. "Hey Thomas, why don't you come around the club tonight and I'll buy you a drink. We can share a pint, it's been a while since we had one together, you know?"

Hanging up the phone, he moved to the jukebox, putting on some rock music that filled up and contrasted against the scene of the club. Kahlan came out from the back carrying a bag full of items as he looked up questioningly. "Just swapping out some of my costumes so I can wash some at home, don't look at me like that. I'm not leaving you without notice." She laughed, waving a hand as she passed him, disregarding his now passed concern. Looking after her as she left the front door, he got lost in thought while staring at the light from outside the building.

 

[Bellz]

Marseille Bistro & Bar
- Westside, Birmingham, England -


Dorothy Fletcher ​

"Are you sure you're going to be fine without me?" Dorothy asked, giving her associate, Kitty a knowing smile as she waved at her. "Quit, Dottie. I'll be fine without you. Actin' like I'm one of your kids going to burn the place down." She huffed, the frail woman was in her late 70s now but insisted on still working instead of retiring. Dorothy let out a soft laugh, "You're just as mischievous, Kit. Maybe just a hair slower. " Again the older woman waved her hands at her, only saying, "Bah." Before returning to her stacking of the soaps in the corner. Trusting that her shop was in good hands, albeit shakey, Dorothy nodded her head. "I'll return for closing. See you soon."

Stepping out into the street, Dorothy spotted one of the members eyeing her from not too far away. Rolling her eyes, the woman shook her head, "I didn't think you scared so easily, luv." She said to him, loud enough for him to hear. Moving to unlock the driver's side of her car, she noticed him stepping towards her and holding up her hand. "Ah ah, no need. This is a trip I'll take alone. Be sure to send my son my regards, yes?" The man nodded his head, looking a little too frazzled to speak which satisfied her.

The drive to the bistro was farther than she thought, and she was later than she anticipated but...given the company she would be keeping, she didn't fret too much. Dorothy arrived exactly at the time she wanted to and walking through the doors, her eyes immediately found Robert Walker standing in the lobby. A charming smile soon graced her face as she glided to stand in front of him, her hand reaching to shake his. "Robert, you're looking well." She hummed, moving to lightly flick a strand of hair from her face, her smile maintaining as their hands released. "Thank you." Dorothy said as he opened the door for her, dipping her head in gratitude. Her posture was much more relaxed, though she was analyzing the situation. So far, nothing seemed like a trap, or like a threat.

Once they were seated at their table, Dorothy took a menu from the waitress and flashed her a warm smile, "Thank you, dear. I would love a white wine, just a small glass, and a water." Once Robert ordered his drink and the waitress was gone, Dorothy looked at the menu for a moment longer before setting it down on the table to look at him. "How's Caroline? Still hate me, hmm?" She asked, a smile playing on her lips, her fingers drawing circles on the menu mindelessly. "Shame really, I do enjoy the chats we had before..." Her lips pressed together so that she could stop herself from talking. "I'm guessing you want to talk business?"
with: Robert Misty Gray

 

[ReverseTex]

The Walker Residence
Edgbaston, Birmingham, England
In scene: Misty Gray , Mentions: purplecowdutch

Dr. Richard Finley
​

​

Following the evening of dealing with Jackie, Richard had a quick cup of tea the following morning already in the books with Robert. The two men usually tried to meet weekly, if only for a short catch-up. With all of Robert's moving pieces, he tried to remain as flexible and light-hearted as possible for his old friend. This quick breakfast meeting wasn't typical lighthearted chatter. Robert had informed him of the sour dinner conversations, both with the women and the men at the table. He couldn't blame Caroline or the girls for their reaction and he opted to not pry. He wasn't sure how much was said and gauging by their conversation, the wound and fighting were fresh. In a somber exchange, Richard vented about his frustrations with Jackie. Nothing too detailed to preserve the boy's privacy, but just enough to explain that he was growing concerned about the lad's adjustment post-prison.

Work was a welcome escape away from the drama that riddled the Walker clan. Fortunate for his ability to flake away unlike some members, he utilized it every chance he could. Lectures were light this week with the bulk of paper grading taking most of his energy. But by the end of the week, his curiosity was getting the better of him. He had time to spare Friday night, so stopping by the Walker household for drinks with Robert sounded fun enough.

As he pulled into the drive, Robert's car linked around the opposite side. He gave a small wave to his departing friend before rolling to a stop at the walkway. "Well there goes that idea," Richard sighed as he got out of his car. Once at the door, he gave his signature rhythmic two knocks before letting himself in. "Hello? Any Walker's home to grace my presence?" Caroline's head popped over the sofa in the living room and he gave her a warm smile. This would be an interesting evening. He made his way to the living room and paused before the armchair across from where Caroline perched. "Mind if I join you dear? I'm afraid I've spent my week's worth of the midnight oil and I haven't got the brains to read another shoddy paper or book."

---

Bonnie Apartment -> The Vixen
Birmingham, England
In scene: BasDorcha

Bonnie Moody
​

She hadn't had a week like this one in a few years. The interaction at The Vixen left Bonnie with a mixture of complicated emotions. It unearthed some family struggles, some uncertainty about her next move, and overall anxiety. When she told her roommate, Kate, about her dealings with Alfie Walker and the job possibility she was ecstatic. She provided more information and rumors about the man and his family. According to Kate, Alfie was "a posh prick who sleeps with girls and leaves 'em in the back alley for the rats." The Walkers were also classified as "rich pricks who pay their sins in gold." Her gossip didn't clash with her notions necessarily, but it didn't help ease her mind. Alfie had also been calling the apartment, which didn't help Kate's giggling and excitement. She wasn't sure yet if she'd accept working in the lion's den since the whole reason she wanted to settle down was to avoid such places and things.

So instead she solved the problem the only way she knew how, by having fun. The last two nights of the week she spent at two different bars. The first night was a raging disco club to dance and kiss her mind away and the second a classier jazz bar to smoke and reflect. By the end of the week, she decided she'd take the job. It was good money and ultimately she knew she couldn't run from the gravity that tugged her back. Not just the environment's gravity but Aflie's as well. She wanted to know more. Needed to know more.

Bonnie deduced that if she headed over early Friday evening, she'd likely get the chance to stay the night and work the shift. Considering how eager Mr. Walker was to offer the job in the first place, she knew she was in a position of power at the moment. When she arrived at The Vixen, she noticed the door was agape. She noticed Alfie staring from the other side of the bar, lost in space. She took off her rather large coat and folded it gently on the bar before adjusting her turtleneck and fluffing her hair. By the time she readied herself, Alfie made a line towards her. "Airing out the sin I see? I could smell the debauchery a block away," Bonnie smiled as she took a seat at the bar. "Listen, Alfie, I'll take the job. I needed some time to settle a few affairs but I'd be happy to stand by the women at The Vixen and you. I figured you wouldn't mind, plus I thought if I offered to start tonight that could sweeten my delay." She smiled mischievously, the sense of the unknown and incoming adventure ridding any lingering anxiety from the week's past.

 

[Misty Gray]

The Walker Residence
- Edgbaston, Birmingham, England -

Caroline Walker​

Caroline had just sat down with the Stephen King novel, Carrie, in one hand and the wine glass held delicately in her other when her attention was drawn to the sound of a car door being closed. She took a sip of red wine before carefully placing the glass down on the marble coffee table. She found herself trying to guess what her husband had forgotten. He wasn't normally disorganised, so she was certainly ready to tease him if he had left something behind. However, the two familiar knocks on the front door made it clear it wasn't Robert returning as he wouldn't knock nor would he do so in that way. It was easy to piece together that Richard was the visitor, even before he called out to ask if anyone was home.

"I'm afraid it's just me," she called back to him, turning her head to see him in the living room doorway. As Richard entered the room, Caroline closed the book and tossed it onto the coffee table. "Seems like you've had a wasted journey. You just missed Casanova," she told him, but returned his smile nonetheless. When he asked if he could join her, she raised a curious eyebrow but stayed quiet whilst he explained he'd run out of energy for marking papers and reading books. "In that case, you're free to join me," she told him, motioning to the armchair for him to occupy. "Help yourself to whatever you want to drink. You know where everything is," she offered, sitting back comfortably on the sofa.

"How are you doing, Richard?" Reaching for her glass, she brought it to her lips and took a small drink from it. "I assume you came here to catch up with Robert since you last spoke with him," she commented, putting the glass down on the table. She was aware Robert had talked with Richard about what happened last week at the family dinner. "Not a single part of me regrets telling my daughters the truth last week and Robert has come to terms with that. Of course, his nature was no surprise to you anyway. You knew what he was like even before I did," she pointed out. Although there were some details Richard had never learned of, he knew of Robert's repeated inclinations towards breaking his marriage vows . "I should have humbled him much sooner. He's been putting in overtime getting back into my good books," she drily remarked, letting out a small laugh. Her face then turned serious. "Felicity, Diana and Thomas might not be so easy to soften up, though. I've had the gift of time to come to terms with it all. Alfie, well, I'm sure he now takes it as personal validation, given he and Robert are two peas in a pod."

ReverseTex (Richard)

 

[Misty Gray]

Marseille Bistro & Bar
- Westside, Birmingham, England -

Robert Walker​

When Dorothy smiled at him in a charming manner, Robert had naturally returned the gesture. When she told him he was looking well, he thanked her, but held back from giving a compliment in return. He'd remained silent as they were led to the table for two by the window. She seemed relaxed around him, which might seem strange considering the poor relations between their families, but things hadn't always been hostile between the Walkers and the Fletchers. "You look good, Dorothy," he finally told her as they approached their table, holding back from calling her Dottie. It wasn't a compliment for the sake of being amicable; the woman looked confident and well presented.

Once seated, Robert waited for Dorothy to orders her drinks first before he smiled at the waitress in a charismatic manner. "I'll have a brandy, please. Make it a double," he said, pausing for a moment before mirroring Dorothy's latter order, "and a water for me as well, please. Thank you," he told the waitress. Once she'd left to get their drinks, Robert lifted his menu but his focus was drawn to Dorothy when she asked about Caroline. "She's good, all things considering," he told her, certainly not about to go into detail about the rough patch his wife was going through recently. With the question of whether she still hated her, Robert flashed a crooked smile before nodding his head. "Yes, she still hates you," he admitted. The hostility Caroline held for Dorothy wasn't simply a product of the tensions between the families and her suspicions about Charles' killer. Things ran deeper where her feelings towards Dorothy were concerned.

Dorothy mentioned how it was a shame, that she'd enjoyed the chats she used to have with Caroline in the past. For years before Norman's arrest, the Walkers and the Fletchers were on good terms. They had a positive business relationship, where the Fletchers knew not to overstep their mark and get ahead of themselves. This meant that for a while, Caroline and Dorothy had been friends. That friendship ended around the time the Fletchers grew ambitious and Robert decided Norman was getting ideas above his station. In all honesty, the women's friendship had been put into question years before Norman's arrest, but Caroline hadn't realised it until much later. "Before..." he repeated Dorothy but stopped when he saw her silencing herself. He found himself focusing on her face for a time, finding her to be just as attractive as she had been all of those years ago. He was snapped out of it when she mentioned business.

"Yes, of course I want to talk about business," he said, his tone shifting to a more assertive one as he brought himself back to the matter at hand. Still idly holding the menu in his hand he sat forward. "Your son is becoming tiresome. The mouthy one," he clarified, even though he was sure she already knew he was referring to Tony. "I've been patient and lenient towards him, but he doesn't know when to count himself lucky. It's only because of our... our pasts of cooperating when Norman was in charge, that I've afforded your kids so many chances. But Tony is insufferable and he's taking far too many liberties. He's going to end up getting himself killed or perhaps even joining Norman behind bars. I'm telling you this as advice, from an old friend, rather than giving a warning. You're the most reasonable and intelligent in your family, which is why I need your input on this," he explained to her.

Bellz (Dorothy)

 

[ReverseTex]

The Walker Residence
Edgbaston, Birmingham, England
In scene: Misty Gray
Dr. Richard Finley
​

​

Accepting Caroline's invitation with a simple nod, Richard made his way to fetch a glass of red for himself. After doing so, he made his way back to the living room and made himself comfortable. As Caroline asked about his current affairs, he took a sip from his glass and crossed his leg. "I'm well dear, not too much to complain about in my little life. Uni has been lightwork compared to years past, teaching a first-year course is more material but less brain power if that makes sense." He paused momentarily, debating how he wanted to start the next conversation. "How about you? How are you doing?"

One of Caroline's traits he admired was her honesty. She never lied or weaseled her way through life, she met it head-on. And over the decades he knew the woman, she'd only gotten more blunt with age. As she shifted from her feelings to the slight jab to his knowledge, he took another sip of wine behind a furrowed mustache. "I'm glad you aired the dirty laundry, it needed to be done for your sake and the kids. It's better things of this nature come from the source rather than word of mouth. You controlled the narrative." Setting the glass down on the end table beside the chair, he continued. "After 30 years I hope you know me well enough Caroline to know I never incited this behavior. It was hard to put a rein on anyone, especially in the few weeks following the War. Not to excuse past or recent behavior, but those were prolific times. Any time I caught wind of his behavior, I tried my best to redirect his attention. But as we both know, Robert does what he damn well pleases unless you tell him otherwise."

Robert's elicit affairs could leave a muddy trail if anyone bothered to go hunting for it. The older ones, from their war days, worried him the most. Robert's homecoming was as if the prodigal son had returned to Birmingham, especially with his family who hadn't seen him in years. The family Richard promised Robert he'd help return him to in one piece. And what was Robert's reward for his dear wife's loyalty? Infidelity. Newer affairs were usually light conversations since Robert knew his feelings on the matter now. Richard never understood Robert's uncontrollable lust but as the three grew old together he learned to accept it just as Caroline had.

"Make him work for it, he hasn't done shit since flight school dear. Spoiled bastard loves his ivory tower." Richard jested after Caroline joked. When the tone shifted, he watched her attentively as the children came into conversation. "I don't know if this will provide condolence but I have to agree with you. We've had years to deal with this and the kids are now reeling from the fact their father isn't faithful. From what I heard from the other night, the girls were ready to castrate him," he chuckled before continuing. "Let them do as they please. He deserves to answer for his actions to them, it's only fair. Like you said, Alfie will find solace with Robert. That's not the worst thing right now, frankly, it benefits everyone if those two can forge a stronger bond. Thomas, poor lad, can go either way on whose side he takes. If he wants to peacock and impress Robert, he'll pick him, otherwise, he'll choose his sisters." Caroline's discontent with the situation was palpable across the room. He knew she didn't like splitting her family like this and he couldn't empathize with her on that level, but he could see the situation objectively.

"I realize I illustrated that like a Greek tragedy, my apologies dear. You and Robert will sort this mess like you have with the many others. If you need me to offer any soundboarding with the children, I don't mind in the slightest... As for you. Has any of this stirred up grievances with Charles? You and I haven't had a chance to speak on this other than in passing." Richard knew he was opening Pandora's Box with the invitation to this conversation, but he knew no one else would. Children were different to talk to and so was Robert. The uniqueness between him and Caroline yielded interesting chats over the years. "We may need the bottle for this," Richard said as he stood up to fetch the open bottle from the kitchen.

 

[Misty Gray]

The Walker Residence
- Edgbaston, Birmingham, England -

Caroline Walker​

Caroline had dealt with all kinds of people in her time, be they rich and powerful business associates, or dangerous street-level thugs. She always rose to the challenge and dealt with whatever the family brought her way. Yet, somehow she didn't envy Richard's job. She'd rate a classroom full of other people's children lowest on jobs she'd want to do, but lecturing university students wasn't much far off. No matter how motivated they might be, nothing would make her want to teach a bunch of students, never mind have the patience to spend her time marking their papers. Regardless of her thoughts, he clearly enjoyed his profession, so fair play to him.

Caroline couldn't help but let a wry smile linger on her lips when Richard said he was glad she'd told the kids the truth, that she'd controlled the narrative. When it came down to it, she knew she'd revealed the truth to regain some control. Control over her own emotions as well as to take some power back from Robert. He was the one who'd done wrong, so why should she be the one having to suffer, in silence. Richard was also right about it being better for her family to learn the truth from her than through rumours. She hadn't yet doubted her actions of last week, but it still felt good to know one more person supported her choice.

Despite knowing Richard for decades now, when it came down to it, he was Robert's closest friend and the two had formed a strong, brotherly bond since they fought together in the war. So regardless of the fact she was comfortable speaking openly openly to Richard, and vice versa, she knew his loyalty would ultimately be to Robert. She expected he would keep secrets for her husband. No matter how hurtful some of them had potential to be, she knew she couldn't judge him for it. If anything, she'd be concerned if Richard was in the habit of betraying Robert whilst posing as his closest friend. As such, she didn't think ill of him for keeping his knowledge of Robert's behaviour secret from her in the years before she found out. What she would criticise Richard for would be if he actively encouraged and supported it. So when Richard assured her he'd never incited her husband's behaviour, it meant a lot to hear. "No. Don't excuse his behaviour..." she spoke up but let him continue, having a drink of wine to silence herself. She drily laughed when he said he'd attempted to redirect Robert's attention. "Oh yeah..." she began, placing the glass down on the coffee table. "He absolutely does what he pleases," she agreed. "No that I have much room to criticise him for that. It was one of the many things that drew me to him. The way he set his sights on something and did whatever it took to get it. I was just too ignorant to consider that would apply to getting other women too."

Caroline couldn't help but laugh when Richard joked about Robert being spoiled and lazy. "Don't you worry, I'm going to make him sweat for a while yet." She knew he'd worked hard to build his empire after the war, but now he was in such a powerful position that he could sit back and bark out orders. He certainly hadn't flown an aircraft in many years. Despite this, she knew he worked hard to maintain the business and keep everything exactly in place. Over the years she'd helped him build his public imagine and had enjoyed attending events to support him. She'd known the nature of his business since the start and had been complicit in helping him build it. Her hands weren't quite as filthy as Robert's but they were dirty. She kept many secrets for the business and had no intention of ever letting slip about the things her family had done for it. But she sure as hell didn't sign up for him lying and betraying his own family, so his infidelity wasn't a secret she'd signed up to keeping.

Caroline looked down to the coffee table for a moment as Richard spoke of her kids. "I think Robert has himself to blame for their wrath. Well, as do I. We put so much pressure on them to have high standards... Like Charles, Felicity took much of that to heart. She's so tightly wound, a perfectionist, yet there's Robert proving he's far from perfect himself after been so strict on her. I'm not sure we have any right to stop the girls from reacting the way they need to." She nodded in agreement about Alfie; she knew Robert was relying on him the most to step up but they both had doubts about their son's ability to do so at this time. She smiled fondly at mention of Thomas being an uncertainty. "I envy his ability to be so free-spirited - or 'erratic' - as Robert would say. I'm not going to force Thomas in either direction. I don't want any of them to take sides - I just want them to understand how I feel. Robert is still their father and it would hurt me to see any of them come to reject him, but it was about time he was honest with them just how we'd always told them to be honest with us."

Caroline nodded in agreement that she and Robert would sort the mess out. They always did. She just needed to get a lot of her chest. She did that, and now was the cooling down period before they could work on restoring normality. "Hey, you're free to speak with any of the kids who are open to it." Her mind briefly wandered to Jackie, having noticed Richard giving her nephew time lately, but she was drawn away from that thought when Charles was brought up. She swallowed hard at the thought of her eldest. Sitting back, she listened as the man told her they'd not properly spoken about her eldest since his death. "Yes. Get the bottle!" she didn't hesitate to agree.

Whilst Richard was out of the room, Caroline knocked back the rest of the wine in her glass. She was considering ways to steer the conversation in another direction, but now her mind was fixed on Charles. It hadn't been easy to be completely open with her kids, wanting to appear strong for them but also not wanting them to feel overshadowed by the dead man's legacy. Robert was grieving too, she knew that, but she found it difficult to focus their grief together when Robert had so much focus on filling the voids left in the business.

"Here we go!" Caroline mustered an enthusiastic tone when Richard returned, holding out her glass ready for him to pour her another drink. When they were both settled again, she sat forward, looking at Richard as he sat across from her. "Because of the way Charles was, I feel like people have moved on fast. It's like I'm the only one still hurting from his death. He could be harsh and cruel, but that was him trying to protect this family and appear strong for our business. It's like people only remember the worst of him. But I remember how much he loved everyone in this family and would have done anything for them. If he criticised the others, it was because he wanted them to strive to be their best and make life easier for me and Robert." Caroline reached for her glass and took a long drink before plonking the glass down with a shaky hand. "That's why things blew up last week. Charles did not deserve to die alone in a pool of his own blood in some alleyway, and those responsible need to pay for that. Robert has always been a man of action, making sure those who cross him are swiftly dealt with. Yet, it's been months and still no action. We all know the Fletchers are behind this, but he won't do the one thing I've asked of him. Instead of killing Tony, he asked the piece of shit to help find Charles' killer. The amount of chances he's given that trash family makes me sick."

ReverseTex (Richard)

 

[ReverseTex]

The Walker Residence
Edgbaston, Birmingham, England
In scene: Misty Gray
Dr. Richard Finley
​

​

While Richard was in the kitchen, he took a brief moment to recollect his thoughts. He was thankful that he and Caroline agreed for the most part about the situation at hand. As much as he loved and respected his best friend, he was right to disagree with Robert's actions. Personally, Richard would never consider cheating on a woman or man if given the chance. He was loyal to a fault, a truth the Walker family knew all too well. Moreover, despite the fact he and Robert shared no blood relation, they were brothers by choice. Which was why he treated Caroline like a sister. He valued her as a strong mother figure for her children and as a cunning businesswoman, despite various disagreements over the years...

Returning to the living room bottle in tow, he graciously topped off Caroline's empty glass before his own. Setting the bottle on the coffee table for easy access for the pair, he settled himself. Caroline spoke first as he took a heavy sip, his face heating up from wine. He chose not to interject when she paused to calm her nerves. It wasn't his place to nudge in a grieving mother's lament. He let her have this moment. A moment that was completely hers to control. Despite the fact she called the Fletchers "trash," a grossly insensitive insult to them, he let it go for now. Once she was finished and it was clear he could speak, he did so.

"I want to acknowledge something before I begin," he paused for another sip of wine before setting his glass down. "I recognize that I will never be able to empathize with your level on this matter. A mother's love for her son, especially her firstborn, is never something I will ever claim to relate to. I can be here as support, a shoulder to cry on and grieve alongside you, but I will never tell you how to feel or what to feel dear." He knew Caroline already knew this fact, however, when having these conversations with students or servicemen in the past, he knew the psychological importance of validation. "Death has a funny way of reworking the mind. Think of it oddly enough like an ex-lover. When that person is gone and you're in the phase of drinking wine and crying, you're remembering all of the aspects that made the relationship in the first place. There's nothing wrong with that, it's simply how our brains process trauma. The same goes for death... As a mother, you raised and nurtured your children through good times and bad times. Lord knows there were bad times." He gave Caroline a comforting smile at his jest, before continuing. "You will always see the light that Charles left in the world. However, that doesn't discredit his darker actions. People other than you won't see the light he brought and you can't help that. You can only control your own emotions and support your children who are still here."

"As for the matter of vengeance. Like I said before, this matter I look at with more logic and reason rather than emotion. That's simply because I'm not in a parental position to do so." Richard paused for a moment, debating if he wanted to call Caroline out on her classist insult. The wine was nudging him to do so bashfully, but he decided to tread carefully. "Charles's death is no one's fault right now other than Charles and whoever killed him. That's the unfortunate reality you have to accept. It does you no good to point fingers and blame those who are innocent until proven guilty. Once we have a name, you can rip them limb for limb if that's what you want to do. A mother's scorn is nothing I'd toil with, except my mother's perhaps. She'd have next-to-no scorn for me," he scoffed and took a sip of wine. "It's also not fair to insinuate that because the Fletchers aren't as well off as you are why they possibly killed Charles. Robert is fair for allowing Tony Fletcher to prove himself and his family innocent. What's not fair is sending our men into their homes to kill their children in return without probable cause. But as a mother, I understand and respect why you may disagree with this approach to the matter."

Whatever Caroline thought of his logic, he wouldn't be offended either way. She could not relate to the lower class struggles just as he could not relate to her maternal struggles. He simply hoped she could recognize that within herself in this conversation. The last thing he wanted was to argue with her about why the Fletchers were still humans.

 

[Misty Gray]

The Walker Residence
- Edgbaston, Birmingham, England -

Caroline Walker​

Caroline took a deep breath after offloading, wanting to give herself chance to calm down and allow Richard chance to speak up. She brought her glass to her mouth, taking a sip from it but then keeping it in her hand so it wasn't far off if she needed to drink to silence herself. Richard admitted he couldn't empathise on her level as a mother. It had always surprised her that he never settled down and had kids of his own, he was certainly patient and supportive enough to make a good father. But perhaps he had the privilege of not having to deal with kids 24 hours a day - especially not five of them! She nodded along when he said he wouldn't tell her how to feel.

Taking another drink of wine she closed her eyes as he spoke about how death affected the mind. She reopened her eyes and managed a small smile when he joked about how she'd had bad times with her children. Her kids hadn't caused her too much trouble over the years, but they'd certainly had their moments. After acknowledging her seeing the light in Charles, he then pointed out her son's darker actions couldn't be ignored. She leaned forward and placed the glass down on the table, no longer trusting it to stay in her hand as her thoughts shifted to Charles' enemies. There were times when she didn't think Charles' own siblings cared that he was gone; they'd slipped back into their daily lives with ease and she hadn't been able to sit down with any of them to truly talk about their loss.

Caroline sat back and folded her arms as he mentioned her need for vengeance. "I don't know. A son for a son. An eye for an eye. That sounds prefer fair and logical to me," she said, shrugging her shoulders. Richard spoke of the idea of innocent until proven guilty, that she should wait until they had a name. As far as she was concerned, that name was Tony Fletcher and it frustrated her that nobody else was on the same page. The way Charles was killed was exactly Tony's - the Butcher's - style. And he'd been swanning around with a spring in his step and even more cockiness about him ever since.

Caroline rolled her eyes when Richard said it wasn't fair to bring the Fletchers' wealth into it. It was true that she'd been born into a wealthy family, living in the large home in Kensington until she married Robert. Most of her friends up to that point had been upper middle class, with little opportunity to know many people of lower classes on a personal level. Still, she wouldn't say she looked down on the poorer classes. Hell, for years she and Robert had not only supported the redevelopment of Birmingham's streets after the war ended, but she'd considered Dorothy Fletcher a friend for a time. But that wasn't going to stop her from calling people out for what they were. "The Fletchers are a bunch of freeloading, opportunistic thugs, as are most of the people they associate with. I appreciate that you can empathise with them on account of how life started out for you, but... Well, you broke away from that and reached your full potential. Norman and Tony are violent thugs. Dorothy is a bitch. And I thankfully haven't had many dealings with the middle three, but her youngest daughter is another mouthy tearaway in the making." Perhaps it was the mixture of the wine and the stress, but Caroline wasn't holding back. "I said what I said, Richard. They're trash, and I have no doubt they know the truth about Charles."

Richard spoke logically and with sense, pointing out that Robert was right to wait for facts before condemning Tony. She deep down knew he was right that it wasn't fair to send her family's employees to kill someone without evidence. But right now, she wasn't tapping into her reasonable side. Between the stress of losing Charles and it stirring back up how hurt she'd been from Robert's betrayals, she needed a target for her frustration and the Fletchers were the obvious choice. Though in that moment, Richard was putting himself in the firing line too. The wine had already started to push aside her filter, but she picked up her glass again to take a long drink. "Of course you'd take Robert's side on this," she said, putting the glass down almost too harshly. "He's had men taken down and broken up families for less. What better reason is there to rain fire down on someone than to honour a dead son? No, he's soft on the Fletchers and that's why they're swanning around the way they are now. Even Charles knew they were scum, but Robert held him back from acting on it."

ReverseTex (Richard)

 

[BasDorcha]

The Vixen~ Birmingham, England~

Alfie Walker[/center]

The day dreamy look in his face lasted longer than expected if anyone had been watching. He'd been thinking about the night Bonnie came by, the magnetism he felt and how he had been so close he could have kissed her but she spurned him and turned away. He wasn't use to that. He'd felt similar feeling with women before - after all, that chemistry was how you picked women up and took them home. You had to feel it, know how to nurture it, how to encourage it, to get a woman to come home with you on the first night, but it was nothing as intense as what he had felt in that short interaction. He couldn't tell what was different about the girl except maybe everything. She was like nothing he'd ever met here in Birmingham. He certainly had never met a girl from Texas before. Hell, he wasn't even sure he could locate Texas on a map, except to point across the pond. Ahhh, well, maybe she'd come by and let him talk her into being around much more. He was sure he could make her give in to him and chase him with the right finessing.

Then, as if awaking from that dreamlike state, she was suddenly in the bar and fixing herself up at the counter. Like a shot he was up and out of his chair, scrambling a bit to get to his feet before heading up to her with a giant boyish grin on his face. As he neared her, he felt that pull in the center of his body again but respectfully ignored it. After all, she was going to be one of his employees, he had to play this smart. Play the long game. Make her want him, he didn't chase women. It would be easy work once they were around each other more.

"Only a block away? I guess I better tell the girls to get their game together if that's the case. I need the whole neighborhood smelling like a beautiful lady of the night." He laughed taking a seat next to her after quickly running to the end of the bar and grabbing the envelope which he slid into his inner jacket. As he took his seat, Jack came up and brought him and her both a glass of water. "Jack, you know I don't drink water after noon. What is this shit."

"Shut it, boss man. If you want to hire this lady, maybe don't do it drunk." She shot back without a second though or giving him time to respond. Looking properly chastised he shrugged and shook his head. "Guess I'm drinking water." He laughed again, turning to listen to her as she finally told him she'd take the job. The look of joy and elation on his face was hard to mask, that charming crook of his smile returning, the almost invisible divots in his cheeks, eyes softening as he realized he wasn't going to have to beg. Thank goodness, I wouldn't even know how to do it. Reaching out, he smacked the bar happily, nodding his head. "Fantastic. Glad to hear it. I had a few people come in throughout the week," he lied, "But I was holding the position for you. Thought you'd be a much better fit. Something about all that sass and worldliness seems like it would be at home here, not for the meek of heart you hear."

Almost forgetting the package in his jacket, he suddenly reached in and pulled it out, handing a fat filled and sealed package to her. "I thought I'd need this to bribe you, but now you can just consider it your hiring bonus. Something to help you get settled and on your feet until your first real paycheck. Now tonight is one of our biggest nights, so you offering to show up and work fits perfectly with me seeing how you're going to handle being on your feet. We'll have a full house, everyone works on Friday and Saturday night. That means three bartenders, ten dancers, and roughly six waitresses. There will also be two bouncers on the front door, one on the back, and several patrolling the floors. We will have a DJ in the booth, our cook and his support staff in the kitchen, and a VIP room bottle girl. It's not unknown for a few scuffles to break out, or someone's lover to come in jaded, or even the cops to show up looking for perps, but don't let it get to you, it's all standard procedure for this district on busy nights. So… Think you're up for the task? You'll be keeping an eye on the girls and making sure they all get a main stage dance, and that they're not slacking off and in the backrooms to much. I'll need you to keep an eye on the bar as well, if we run low the girls are not to leave, grab one of the bouncers to move large crates boxes and grab bottles. Waitresses can as well but try not to pull them from the floor to much."

In his excitement, he was rattling things off as fast as he could think of them, forgetting to breath and let her speak. After he realized it, he sheepishly grinned and scratched the back of his head. "Sorry, I'm not use to delegating, I may be overwhelming you. Questions? Comments? Concerns? Cries of outrage? This is the time to tell me. "

ReverseTex - Bonnie May
Option to insert self - neverbackdown - Thomas

**********​

Tony Fletcher's House

- Aston, Birmingham, England -​

Penny Fletcher

Penny had been busy around the shop and fretting over Marco since the night of the family dinner. At work, she was constantly distracted and thinking about the coming conversation, nervously twisting her hands and staring off into the distance only to be brought back to reality by one of the girls around her. She'd laugh it off, they'd tease her about a hidden love, but she couldn't tell them the truth - someone she cared deeply about was in a metric load of trouble. While Tony hadn't called attention to it, she had actively seen less of Marco since their conversation and heard he was mostly staying busy with odd jobs out of sight - smart move, Marco. Today being the day, she decided to take the day off, asking one of the girls to take care of the opening and another to close so she could focus on the coming task. She had paced nervously around the house before Marco arrived, flipping to a buoyant and bubbly personality when he did. She couldn't let him see her nervous or it would make this even harder for him.

Assuring him it would be fine as they left, it didn't take long for them to arrive at Tony and Julia's house. She gave him a finally nod of encouragement as they stepped out of the car and made their way to the entrance. Smiling when Marco asked her about Tony's mood, she nodded again. "He's got the night off with Julia I think, should be the best time to approach him. He's always in a good mood when he's set to go out with her. I feel a little bad, knowing he probably won't go out after this, but it's better than springing it on him during something like Sully making a reappearing act. Have faith, we'll get through this." Still, it didn't seem to boost him as much as she hoped, catching the comment about it not mattering. She hid a small frown from him, stepping up behind him as he pressed the doorbell quickly.

When he reached back and squeezed her hand, butterflies erupted in her heart, sending her rhythm pitter-pattering through her chest and into her throat, but just as fast as it came, he released her and it faded away just as the footsteps reached her ear. She swatted at him playfully, giving him a little shove as if to say it wasn't funny what he said. Tony opened the door a moment later and laughing at his very bad joke, typical brother humor, she followed the men inside. Penny asked for whatever it was that Julia was drinking with the thought she likely had a bottle of something nice already uncorked. Watching Marco struggle made her want to reach out and grab him again, steady him, help him, but this was something she could only do so much about at this time. When he silently let her know it was okay for Julia to be there, she gave a barely perceptible nod and followed them to sit down.

Taking a seat within arm's reach of Marco, she waited until Tony settled back in to really give him a heart attack. She couldn't help it, call her sadistic, but something needed to break the tension or she was going to break. Sure, Tony and Julia might not feel it, but she could and it was as suffocating as a wool sweater. Grinning a sickly sweet grin, she looked shocked as if he had guessed their secret. "Well, now that you mention it, we probably should get married, the baby needs a good family." She leaned over and gripped Marco's hand, squeezing it tightly and bringing it to her lips to kiss the back of his hand. She held it there long enough for Tony to react, and possibly everyone else in the room before breaking into a laugh and dropping Marco's hand, despite wanting to keep it in her own.

"Kidding, kidding… don't have a heart attack. But after that, anything we say should be a piece of cake, right?" She grinned a moment longer before letting it fade and straightening her face. "Tony, we have news and you're going to be both thrilled and super mad at the same time. I need you to keep a calm head and hear Marco out completely. I also want to remind you that this is the first time something like this has happened, and once he's explained, how freaked out you were after YOUR first time. So please, listen before you explode. Julia, if you could hold him back, I'd appreciate it."

Misty Gray - Soon to be dead/Soon to kill
neverbackdown - Hopefully not covered in blood before this is over[/h]

 

[ReverseTex]

The Walker Residence
Edgbaston, Birmingham, England
In scene: Misty Gray

Dr. Richard Finley​

Richard was sipping his wine as Caroline began her rant. Caroline's compassion at times was selective at best and her mind was often narrow. "That's not your judgment to make you aren't Hammurabi, Caroline. Neither is Robert." When she began her retort about the Fletchers, the mention of Dorothy made him choke on the wine going down. Setting his half-drunken glass aside he quietly cleared his throat as she finished. The wine was getting to the both of them, which frankly he didn't care at this point.

The comparison to his own life and the Fletchers made him reach for the bottle between the two and refill his glass. The motion helped distract him from reacting rashly to his dear friend's wife. This wasn't the first time Caroline used this blow against him and yet she knew each time it hit her mark. That was what made him the most upset. He'd accepted and grown from his past, yet it always shadowed behind him. Nevertheless, it was his lived experience and Caroline wounded him. Out of respect for his opponent and friend, he topped off her glass without acknowledgment. Setting the near-empty bottle down, he sighed and rubbed his eyes behind his glasses.

"Potential is different for every person. That family doesn't have the same opportunities that ours has. I don't like that boy Tony and I can tolerate Dorothy, but for you to sit here and demean their family doesn't bring Charles back. It only temporarily makes you feel like a stronger woman." Taking a small sip, he set his glass down with a sharp clink and continued. "So I'll placate you on this for a moment Caroline, say the Fletchers don't know who killed Charles. You're still going to sit here and damn them for it? What good does that do? None. It's just going to lead your children on and you'll never come to terms with the cards you've been dealt. That's not fair to you or your family. If you're right, then that's for you and Robert to reconcile with whatever ghost of Charles haunts you."

Caroline and Richard towed a fine line between brother and sister. When the two fought, it could be cruel and heated in the moment. The pair had years of various arguments that armed them. Yet at the end of the day, they always found the respect and love for the family once again. By the end of Caroline's words, his poise nature was beginning to crack as it fed off the wine and Caroline's rising instability. "Of course, I take Robert's side. Caroline, do you hear yourself? You've never killed now, have you? You've only been in the room when the order was given to do so. I may be more of a pacifist compared to Robert because I've done my fair share of front-line work, but I take Robert's side because he knows what senseless violence does to people. The faces of the dead never leave you... You can talk to me about killing someone when you've pulled the trigger or slashed the knife, dear." His temper had risen to match Caroline's. In a way, he was processing his grief towards the situation. Charles was the first child he truly got to interact with and help care for. Despite not having children, his greatest regret, he had grown as a man alongside and for them. He was grieving for himself and his chosen family. "Robert is my best mate for better or for worse, just as he is your husband. If we were blood, you'd be my sister-in-law. I bet that makes you just sick to think of that reality, sharing blood with the shiniest piece of trash from Birmingham's slums..." He knew he was losing sight of the original topic at hand, yet this mattered. For his sake, for those in the Fletcher family who may or may not sit innocently, and for those who benefited from the Walker's philanthropy. "The system is hard on those at the bottom. The Fletchers are at that bottom. That is not your job to make their life harder, you may compete, disagree, or hate them all you want. But to wish death on the innocent isn't who you are. I know you better than that Caroline... I don't associate with that life because it does me no good to hold onto my anger from my youth. Just as it won't do you any good to hold onto your anger for Charles's death. If having it out helps you rid of some of that, then, by all means, bring it on dear. Give me your worst." Taking a deep breath, he sat straighter in his chair. Richard thought about going for his wine, but he wasn't quite sure how Caroline would take his fighting words. He didn't want to be armed in the chance he needed to brace.

**************************************
The Vixen
Birmingham, England
In scene: BasDorcha

Bonnie Moody​

It was hard not to ignore Alfie's boyish joy when Bonnie accepted the job. It was certainly an odd reaction to something as simple as a job offer, nonetheless, she let him have it. It was funny to watch and dance around verbally, so she let it linger within the void that pulled them together. "Water isn't so bad bud, it cleans you out. And from the sound of it from Jack here, you could probably use it. I wouldn't say yes to a blubbering drunk English man, probably kick 'ya in the balls" She nodded in thanks for her glass and took a sip, the fresh jump of energy sharpened her focus on the conversation at hand.

At the sight of the envelope, her eyes widened, just like his jubilance it was hard to contain her shock. The last time she'd seen that much money was in Libya; taking an escort job to steal a rich banker's watch. She'd laced his drink at the bar so she never had to do anything serious in the bedroom, however, the experience wasn't enjoyable... "Alfie, I can't... That's too much." She took the envelope as Alfie practically forced it into her hands. As he spoke of the duties around The Vixen, she opened the seal and quietly thumbed through the money. It was genuinely too much money. But she knew it was bad manners to grovel for him to take it back, plus it wasn't productive. So without a second thought, she slid the envelope into her inner coat pocket to rest.

"That all seems reasonably organized. It sounds like it makes sense for me to be mobile, walking between the floor and backstage to make sure all's well. I wouldn't want to be off in a backroom the entire night. But it also sounds reasonable for me to rotate in a routine so that way the girls or you can find me quickly if there's a situation I need to handle. So let's say every hour I pop in behind stage. Between that time I can start from the bar, hit most of the first floor in that 30-minute block, then make my way up to the VIP suite, then back down to the main stage at the finish of the hour. " Bonnie's attentive nature came naturally to her and now that she was officially employed, she could say as she pleased. "I'm sure I'll see it first-hand tonight, but it doesn't sound smart to keep the floor as densely packed as you say. From what I'm gathering, this sounds like there's more employee presence in the customer space. I get the need for the wait staff to be in and out, but if you have so many employees you're going to snuff out profit. More employees patrolling means more people will feel watched. It seems you me you make more money in this business when the customer doesn't feel their sins are exposed for all to see." She wasn't trying to step on Alfie's jurisdiction on this matter, considering she hadn't even seen a night shift yet. However, she knew for a fact she had more lived experience than this man. She knew what people in these situations wanted and paid for.

"I'm not going to roll over and say yes sir just because I'm on payroll now," Bonnie joked as she tapped her coat pocket. "You paid good money for this mouth of mine and I'm giving y'all your money's worth. You'll hear what I think just like you do the rest of these women... We're gonna have some fun Alfie Waker."

​

 

[Misty Gray]

The Walker Residence
- Edgbaston, Birmingham, England -

Caroline Walker​

Caroline's jaw tightened as she listened to Richard tell her the Fletchers hadn't had the same opportunities as they had. Whilst he said he didn't like Tony, he still went on to defend the Fletchers against her supposed shaming of their social class. She'd gazed in the distance beyond her friend as he pointed out none of it would bring her son back. He spoke of the temporary strength she would gain from her behaviour, which she couldn't deny was true. Lately, she'd take hate and anger towards others than have to face the days where she woke up feeling empty and unwilling to approach the day ahead. It was always a battle to snap out of her depression, but she didn't feel permitted to break down. She had to be strong, not only for her kids, but for Robert too. For the sake of the business and their marriage, she didn't want to push him away.

When Richard posed the question of what if the Fletchers didn't know who killed Charles. She knew he was right that there was no good to come from blaming the family when she had no concrete proof they were behind it. She slouched back on the sofa, anxiously running her hand through her long, blonde hair. Of course she didn't want to stop her children from moving on nor prolong their grief. She just couldn't shift the feeling in her gut, the belief in her heart, that the Fletchers were behind it. She cleared her throat, but rather than speak back, she found herself swallowing hard and forcing her emotions away. Anger was easy to display, but she didn't want to subject Richard to her crying. She had to stay strong. Cold.

Her comment about him taking Robert's side had been enough to draw clear irritation from Richard, which in turn meant Caroline could focus her own emotions away from the brink of her breaking down. However, his pointing out that she'd never killed someone therefore had no place to talk to him about doing so caused her to suck in a deep breath. "I'd see less of Tony's face if he was dead," she muttered, but deep down felt the heavy weight of Richard's words. She hadn't killed before, so whilst there were times when she thought she'd take comfort in seeing Charles' killer dead, she knew she couldn't go ahead and pull the trigger in reality.

Richard's temper was rising, which helped stop Caroline from bursting into tears. Instead, she was able to remain stone-faced and confrontational. She'd dealt a low blow to Richard through her judgement of the Fletchers, which led him to comment on how it would make her sick to imagine being the sister-in-law of someone from Birmingham's slums. Having known Richard for so long, she would always welcome him into her family, no matter his background. "I wasn't attacking you. Nor was I attacking everyone at the bottom of the system. There are people who genuinely need more support, but the Fletchers aren't those people. They're capable of defending themselves - and taking from others. It's not their poorer upbringing that makes them scum. It's just what their family is," she maintained.

With her trembling hand, she grabbed her glass and began knocking back the wine when he called her out on wishing death on the innocent. She was sure that somewhere inside she was still a good person who didn't want to wish someone dead, but she felt like something was continuing to grab at her and keep pulling her towards her anger. Towards the idea that seeing Charles' killer suffer would make her feel better. Richard offered himself up for her to offload on to help her get rid of some anger. She glared at him, noticing as he straightened his posture. After knocking back the rest of the wine, she placed the glass down harshly on the marble table, ignoring the fact the action had cracked the base. Her heart began to pound in her chest as her emotions simmered to the top. "You can..." she began, pausing to catch her breath. "Robert's not here, so maybe you should just bloody leave," she snapped, her voice raised. Despite the firmness in her tone, her conflicted expression did nothing to back up that she really wanted to be left alone.

Circling back in her mind to his comment about it not been in her nature to wish death on the innocent, she brought her hand up to cover her mouth, her eyes filling with tears. Getting up to her feet, it might have for a brief moment concerned Richard, but she wasn't going to physically take her anger out on him. "It's easier to blame someone - to find someone to direct my anger at," she admitted. She moved her hand away from her face to instead fold her arms defensively around herself. "Otherwise, the only person left who I can blame is myself. I allowed Charles to be the person he was and I encouraged him to go hard on the Fletchers or anyone else who stepped in his way. The last conversation I had with him, he was wound up about some confrontation he'd had with Tony that day. Despite Robert having told him to let it slide, I encouraged him to take control of the situation and put Tony back down in his place. Charles was killed that same day." Unsteady on her feet through her emotions more than the alcohol, she slumped back down on the sofa. "I should be helping him plan his wedding and instead we've had to bury him." As the tears rolled down her cheeks, she reached for a tissue and quickly wipe her eyes. "I'm a horrible person. I shouldn't have offended you the way I did. I barely recognise myself anymore," she said, a desperation in her eyes.

ReverseTex (Richard)

 

[ReverseTex]

The Walker Residence
Edgbaston, Birmingham, England
In scene: Misty Gray
Dr. Richard Finley
​

​

Richard's drunken pride quickly withered as he watched Caroline's eyes tell a much deeper story. His words hit their mark like he thought, but saying he was right didn't feel good. At what cost was he right? She tried to joke off his words and push them away, but he knew she heard him. She needed to hear it though, no one else would hold her accountable like this. Robert loved her too much to edge out this side of her and the kids weren't even comparable. But he noticed when Caroline switched the sudden sadness to anger, she noticed she was feeling real around him. He couldn't help but frown at the shift, wishing she'd trust him to support her.

Once he realized she wasn't going to possibly throw her glass at him, Richard went for a sip of wine. He slightly jumped at the sound of hers breaking, thankfully the stem was the only victim. Caroline's anger switched to him next as he suspected, lashing out for him to leave since Robert was away. "You think I can drive? Wrong. You're stuck with me dear," he chuckled at her loosely. He lost his anger as the warm wave of the wine helped him recenter his emotions. When he noticed her shakiness on her feet, he would have moved to brace her if she hadn't returned to her so quickly. Then the tears followed.

Richard didn't hesitate to pull himself off his chair and shuffle over to the couch beside her. It wasn't the most graceful maneuver but that didn't matter. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her gently to his shoulder as he let Caroline nestle in. "Don't worry about the sweater, I hear it makes a good tissue," he said gently as he began to slowly rock her head. Seeing Caroline like this felt like the world was upside down. She was the rock to her children and Robert and frankly himself. Taking a deep breath, he could feel the tears well up in his eyes and begin to trickle down. He let them have this moment in silence, simply enjoying the comfort and embracing the sorrow the two shared. Once he felt Caroline was ready, he pulled himself away and grabbed both of her hands gingerly before she could retreat inward.

"Caroline Walker, you are a beautiful mother and wife. Don't let those thoughts win. Don't do it." Richard furrowed his lip, feeling his tears fall freely. "The next morning after Charles died was the last time I cried. Robert called me early that morning before I went off to work and he told me the news. I was beside myself, I canceled my classes that day and just stayed home. Opened a bottle of vermouth and sat by the phone in case you or Robert would call me to come over. I would've. When I realized there wouldn't be a call that day, I cried the whole afternoon. I think I woke up late or early the next morning with the bottle in my lap and puffy from my tears. But I wasn't crying for Robert or Charles... I cried for you. I knew he'd be strong and he and I would handle the situation together on our own time. I wept for you because I know how much you loved that boy, I could see it on your face the first time I met you. Do you remember that? Robert and I were already pretty drunk at the end of the war parade but I remember how you looked at Charles. He was so excited to see Robert he ran across the crowded street littered with servicemen to jump into Robert's arms. You had the purest smile on your face... My mother had never once looked at me with that much love before. I knew at that moment that the best act of service I'd ever do in my life was bringing Robert home to you two. In one piece mentally and physically. " Richard smiled through the slowly diminishing tears, "That's the Caroline I know. And when I look at you now the only question I keep asking myself for your sake and mine guts me. So I'll pose it to you. Is being a parent worth it to be that joyful even though it ended up in despair? Or would have it been better if you were never a parent at all?"

Taking a moment to whip his own eyes with the sleeve of his sweater, he let go of Caroline's hand to do so. His glasses sat crooked and wet on his face. He could fix them later or if she saw fit she could. But he didn't care. This was more important. Once she was ready, he locked hands once more. "You're never going to be the same woman you were before Charles died. That's ok. No one is expecting you to be that person. You have to allow yourself to feel these emotions and accept the facts to grow from them. You're in there somewhere and I'll do my damnest to help you find her." He shook her hands as he squeezed them gently before letting her go, "Besides the fact you encouraged me to get wine drunk and I can't drive home, I would never leave you. You're my friend too dear. Just because I'm Robert's best mate doesn't mean I'm stuck with you. I choose to be here for you. You're the only family I have." Richard turned his attention to the broken glass atop the marble table. Slowly a giggle arose as he went to grab the near-empty bottle. He gave it a good slosh then took the second to last swig for himself. "The last one's yours," he said as he handed her the bottle.

 

[neverbackdown]

Tony & Julia Fletcher's House
- Aston, Birmingham, England -
Julia Fletcher​

Julia had felt as though she was on damage control for most of the week following the eventful family outing, she knew thing were going to kick off at that meeting but she never would have expected it to turn out how it had. Sully returning, Rory's outburst, Marco's bloody arrival it was almost as though they were on a reality show and if she didn't know any better into the life she had married into, Julia would have looked around for the cameras. With Rory and Sully being granted permission to act, Julia felt as though things were starting to calm down but she couldn't help but feel that she was very wrong with this idea, she just couldn't quite put her finger on it but she knew in her soul things were only going to get worse.

"Oh thank you love" Julia commented as she took the glass of wine, curling her legs under her on the couch, a smile played on her lips as she turned to look as her husband "to be honest after the last outing, I think I would be very up for just me and you going out and getting pissed" she laughed before taking a sip of her wine and placing the glass down onto the coffee table. As his arm went around her, Julia instinctively leaned into him "I just hope its good news" a small sigh left her lips but she brushed the nerves away as she leaned in to meet her husbands lips.

When the doorbell rang, Julia used everything in her power not to groan, perfect timing penny, but laughed at his comment as she sat back into the couch "You know i will" amusement was clear in her voice as she watched him move to answer the door.

Julia grinned as Marco and Penny came into the room "Hi Marco, how are you feeling?" concern flooded her tone as she looked him over, she hated to see any of them injured and she still couldn't shake the sight of Marco when he had entered the pub. "Hi Penny" she greeted her sister in law.

A smirk played on her lips as Tony asked if they were getting married and she rolled her eyes playfully at him before turning her attention to Penny as she began to speak. Julia raised an eyebrow as Penny mentioned a baby and a shocked yet amused look played on her features as she tried to figure out if Penny was telling the truth or not, her gaze travelled over Marco and she noted that he seemed nervous, but for what she didn't know. As Penny continued and her tone turned serious, Julia's expression dropped to one of concern. Her hand immediately reached out to hold onto Tony's leg, her fingers tighetning around his thigh as she waited for the bomb to drop. All she knew that if she was asking to hold Tony back then this was a serious matter.

"What is it? what happened" She asked her tone was calm but there was a hint of seriousness to it. Her mind was going a million miles an hour as she tried to figure out what Marco could have done that was so bad, had he attacked the walkers? your first time .... what does she mean by ... no. Julia's eyes widened as the thought hit her, her hand only tightening as she peaked a look towards her husband before looking back at Marco pleading in her mind that she was wrong and this wasn't going to be what she was suspecting. If it was, well she hoped Marco had the sense to run out the front door and not stop running.

*********************
Int;-

Tony/Marco Misty Gray
Penny BasDorcha

 

[Misty Gray]

Tony & Julia Fletcher's House
- Aston, Birmingham, England -

Tony Fletcher and Marco Alessi​

Marco accepted the alcohol from Tony. Not about to argue with him, he simply forced an uncomfortable laugh when Tony told him to forget about the tea. Marco could sense the concern in Julia's tone when she asked how he was feeling. Although he was sure she was worried about how he'd been since his injuries, he couldn't help but feel like her intuition meant she knew more. Then again, he felt a general sense of paranoia at the moment, nervous about what he needed to say. "I've felt better... but it's healing up well. It could've been worse," he assured her.

When Tony singled out Penny, wanting to know what they were there to tell him, Marco couldn't help but tense up. So much so, that when Penny started to joke about about getting married and there being a baby, it took a while for Marco to realise. He eventually snapped out of his serious expression when Penny took his hand and kissed it. He allowed a smile to break onto his lips, but it was clearly strained and betrayed by the grave look in his eyes.

Tony, meanwhile, sat forward with his eyes wide open at what his sister had just said. It wasn't that he was against the idea of her being in a relationship with Marco, nor did he have any reason to be concerned about him. In the 13 years he'd know Marco, there hadn't been reason for concern. He was a criminal, but Tony had him down as one of the low risk ones and he supposed one he wouldn't be too worried about dating his sister. Despite that, it all seemed too much and too soon. "Like fuck you're pregnant," he remarked, a crooked smile on his face. His tone was more of a disbelieving and amused one rather than one of anger or disappointment. Their mother could deal with the whole pregnant sister thing!

Thankfully, Penny laughed and let go of Marco, telling him it was a joke. He was relieved he didn't have to work out how he felt about Penny being pregnant, or even her being in a relationship with Marco. Yet, there was still something he needed to be told and apparently it was worse than her having a baby with Marco. "Jesus Christ. Will you just spit it out?" Tony asked, letting out an impatient groan. The way she was building up to something; telling him to stay calm, was making him feel more anxious by the second. "Freaked out about what?" he repeated her words, shifting his focus onto Marco who was sitting quietly and with a very worried look on his face. "Ah, come on now. What is this?" he asked, an offended tone to his voice at Julia being told to hold him back.

Marco opened his mouth, but no sounds came out. He'd been going over the conversation in his head for days. Planning how he'd build up to it; set the scene about how horrible they all knew Charles to be, along with his own personal trauma he experienced before Tony found him all those years ago. Painting a picture of why he'd kill Charles would hopefully soften the blow and Tony wouldn't hold it against him. That was how he thought he should approach the admission. However, with Tony and Julia focusing their attention on him, his mind went blank. Julia had asked him what happened and there was a delay in processing her question. Looking between her and Tony, he tried to speak again. "It was me... I... I killed Charles," he stuttered. All of the things he planned to say to ease them in had gone out of the window, leaving the first words out of his mouth to be confessing what he'd done. None of the how or why.

It was not secret that Tony couldn't stand Charles. For years, they'd been at loggerheads with each other; usually Tony pissing Charles off in some way, and Charles threatening Tony in return. But one thing neither of them spoke of were the years as children when their parents were all on good terms with each other. Even as kids, the two eldest sons of each family didn't get along, trying to avoid playing with each other as neither had a thing in common. Yet, despite never liking Charles as a kid and damn well hating him as an adult, Tony had still been shocked when he learned of his death. For all his outward nonchalance and at times apparent amusement about Charles being killed, there was a part of him that was silently shook by it. He'd known Charles for almost all of his life, so for him to be killed felt personal in many ways, along with that, it brought home the reality that none of them were safe. They may have come from two completely different backgrounds and be of different social classes, but their criminal lifestyles were something they did have in common.

For over two months, Tony had been swearing blind that he didn't know anything about who killed Charles. Whilst it had been frustrating that Robert didn't believe him, it had given him a lot of confidence seeing how much the Walkers were squirming and asking him for help. Tony had asked everyone in his circles if they had anything to do with it or if they knew anything about it. Not one person had told him they did. In a weird way, he felt pride that for once his business wasn't actually the cause of the Walkers' discontent. But with Marco's revelation, that was now over and the perspective was taking a sudden shift.

"Wait." Tony finally spoke up. "This isn't some kind of metaphor shit or that one of your mates did it? You physically killed Charles. You stabbed him enough to kill him?" he asked Marco for confirmation. When his younger friend nodded, Tony mirrored him with a nod of his own.

Marco had been about to speak up to finally give him the why and how so he could hopefully soften the blow. The words never left his mouth as Tony rushed to his feet. Marco had been quick enough to stand up but not to dodge out of the other man's way. Tony's fist collided with the side of Marco's face, right where last week's bruise had been doing well at fading before now. Having been a boxer since he entered his teenage years, it was second nature to Tony by now. So whilst the blow was certainly a painful one, even in his anger, Tony had controlled it enough not to cause real damage. "Are you fucking crazy?!" he shouted, grabbing the collar of Marco's top in both hands before pushing him backwards...

BasDorcha (Penny) neverbackdown (Julia)