Realistic or Modern The City: 1990s Gangs - IC Thread [ENDED]

[Misty Gray]

The City: 1990s Gangs - IC Thread [CLOSED]
Start Date: Sunday 7th September 1997

:: CHARACTER SHEETS :: BONUS SCENES :: AMA THREAD ::
:: THE MULTIVERSE ::
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**90s Movie Trailer**

Chapter Index​

Chapter 1: Unnatural Habitat

Chapter 1 Summary:

With Trevor in attendance at the meeting, Ezekiel persuades Abel to pull out of his contract with Noel Farringdon to instead sign a deal to lead the construction on a new Carter Technologies research lab.

Will helps Reign after a waitress spills wine on her dress during a conference at Carter Technologies HQ.

When the Brooks family attend Sunday dinner at Alex and Kerry's house, tensions between May and Christian are highlighted. Trevor later shows up with blunt advice for May.

Zachary and Maverick attend Daisy's nightclub, where the former collects the fees she owes and passes on a warning from Ezekiel for Daisy to back off where Victoria's work is concerned. Meanwhile, Maverick meets and gets to know Cassandra. Later, Zachary takes Melissa out from the club for a driving tour of London.

Invited to Sunday dinner with Spencer, Shona and the children, Logan has a heart-to-heart with Shona about his desire to leave Fort William behind so he can have a fresh start.

The Zegarras and Harpers get together in their Cuban home for a regular sunny evening of drinks and socialising. Whilst the older adults chat, Michael and Collin take a walk together to speak privately.

Billy, Hendrik and Charlie have a normal evening meal at their home in Utrecht.

Bruce, Darcey and Raphael enjoy the warm sunshine of France in their peaceful home.

Roxie, Syd, and their kids spend time together in their Germany residence.

Jeremy and Bucky remember Harper, talking and watching a home movie whilst ordering pizza.

Rachel and Riley spend time together, along with Laura, talking over dinner.

Klaus reveals to Wesley the intention to bring the Kings, Porters and Sullivan out of hiding to help Interpol take down the Carter Family.

In Gran Canaria, after fainting during a night out with Rhiannon, Lucas admits to Finn and George that he's struggling with his life apart from their old friends and family.

In Dublin, Leo and Natasha come to blows after he didn't come home to her and the kids that day.

Alejandro and Violet flirt at the gym... lucky that Dermot doesn't show up!

Bonus Content:

After Interpol gives him the opportunity to return to London to help deal with the Carters, Billy comes clean to Hendrik about his real identity before asking him to come with him. Jump to scene.

Wesley shows up at the Fort William pub to offer Spencer a chance to return to London and help fight the Carters. The scene takes an emotional turn when Logan walks in on the truth and then Shona breaks down. Scene to be posted.

Chapter 2: London's Burning

Chapter 2:
Chapter Summary will go here.

Chapter 3: Joining Forces

Chapter 3:
Chapter Summary will go here.

Current Active Cast: Misty Gray Bellz Pyroclast Melanin-Gxdess BasDorcha neverbackdown

:: 1948-1949 :: 1959-1960 :: 1971-1972 :: 1985 :: 1997-1998 ::​

**WARNING: the material you are about to read depicts violence, abuse and/or otherwise very real situations. This could be uncomfortable for some readers and we please ask you to proceed with caution. Thank you... the GMs. **​

 

[Misty Gray]

*****
If you are interested in joining, please PM Misty Gray
*****​

 

[Misty Gray]

Chapter 1: Unnatural Habitat
Sunday 7th September 1997
...12 years later...
London, England: Early Evening - Mild, Cloudy, Breezy
Fort William, Scotland: Early Evening - Cool, Overcast, Windy
Manzanillo, Cuba: Evening - Warm, Clear Skies, Breezy

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Carter Technologies
~ City of London, London ~

Ezekiel Carter and Trevor Stewart​

Ezekiel Carter was by now a well-known businessman, not only in London but across the country and internationally. Carter Technologies was a renowned business, inventing and manufacturing a whole range of technologies. Not only had he maintained and built upon the stellar reputation in technologies that his father had created, but he'd expanded the business far greater than his late father could have ever imagined. Ezekiel himself was also known as a philanthropist, donating and supporting all kinds of charities, especially in the medical fields. The man's popularity in London was at its highest and he had no intention of allowing that reputation to slip. The latest show of his charitable nature was closing business operations tomorrow, following Princess Diana's funeral the previous day. All but employees such as security and technicians had been gifted with a paid Monday holiday. Unfortunately for some employees, whilst they may have been given that day off, they'd found themselves being called into the office for various meeting today - a Sunday, of all days!

As there had still been some time before Trevor and Abel were due in the meeting room, Ezekiel had taken the opportunity to talk Reign through the recent updates within the business. With him at his side of the large desk in his modern, stylish office, he has Reign sit at the other side. She was his daughter, but in the confines of his office building, she was his employee and as such he preferred to maintain that professionalism. The panoramic windows behind him gave a perfect view of the city, overlooking the city and the Thames River from the 60th floor. Ezekiel was able to look over his city and appreciate the empire he had built. Focusing on business, he moved on to upcoming affairs, briefing Reign, who he expected to be taking notes, and every so often setting out her part to play in each matter.

"Lance Gledhill will be flying over from New York in the coming weeks and we need to ensure every part of that visit runs like clockwork in order to maintain the favourable terms of the contract. He's too valuable to lose," he reminded her. In an official sense, Lance provided vital parts to pieces of medical equipment Carter Tech manufactured and that was integral to production. Off the records, Lance had key contacts within the arms trade and ensuring that smooth flow continued for Bianca to do her job meant the Carters continued to maintain their weapons shipments. Though for all the wealth and power of the great Lance Gledhill, he was a simple man who was driven by sex and Ezekiel had learned the man had taken a shine to Victoria Cavendish, whose escorting services had proved to win the man over on his last visit. Lance had specifically asked for her services again on his next visit, which was why Ezekiel was now particularly interested to hear she had been steered away from Riley's employment by Daisy. He'd put Zachary and Sloane in charge of resolving that and ensuring everything ran smoothly when Lance came to London.

"And finally, it's been brought to my attention that we've got too many people working in the IT offices. I want you to have a meeting with Will and Xavier to discuss getting rid of some of the dead weight - three low-level employees should do it. Xavier is the Head of IT and has expressed he's keen for more responsibility, so you need to make sure he knows it's on him to do the firing," he informed her. If Xavier thought he was capable of more than Ezekiel was already giving him, then he was going to put his son to the test.

On that note, it was time for the main meeting and Ezekiel led Reign into the adjoining meeting room where Trevor was just being shown to his seat at one side of the large rectangular table. Ezekiel and Reign took their seats directly opposite. "I'm glad you could make it," Ezekiel told Trevor. He wasn't about to apologise for bringing the man into work on a Sunday and he hadn't expected Trevor to refuse.

"It's no trouble. Are you both doing well?" Trevor asked, stretching across the table to shake Ezekiel's and then Reign's hand.

"Before Abel is brought in, I wanted to have a quick word about your sister-in-law," Ezekiel informed him. Trevor maintained a neutral expression, despite wondering what Sarah had done or said this time. "She's meddling again. Showed up here hassling me about my interest in Abel's business and Daisy's club. If she comes into this place mouthing off again, she will be put in her place, Trevor. It's only through good will and your valued reputation that I've been patient with her. But if she crosses the line, I won't hesitate to introduce her to Damian and his merry men. Understood?"

Trevor knew all too well how brutally honest and hard to control Sarah was. If the woman had something on her mind, she wouldn't hesitate to say it, and that extended to confronting dangerous people who she knew full well she had no business standing up against. "I'll have a word with her and Phil. Last thing anyone wants is Damian's hospitality," he remarked.

"Sarah is a fiery woman and I like her courage, but she needs to direct it well away from my business," he reasoned. "I've given her and Daisy plenty of chances, but that generosity is wearing thin. You shouldn't even have to deal with covering their backs when I have enough work for you to do."

*****​

Abel had been called earlier that day and asked to attended a meeting with Ezekiel. The Carters had allowed Slate & Co. Construction to continue doing business in the City of London as long as nothing they built, upgraded, or planned affected Ezekiel's own desires for London. There had been times over the years that Ezekiel had thrown his weight around and had Abel compromise with him. Overall, things had been running smoothly between them. Today, however, Ezekiel did have a concern which he wanted to resolve. He'd invited Trevor along to the meeting on account of them being family and the expectation he'd keep Abel sensible.

Upon entering the 62-storey tower block, Abel was escorted to the private elevator by one of the security guards who swiped his ID card and entered a PIN number into a keypad to gain access. When they finally reached the 60th floor, Abel was led out of the lift into a reception area, where he passed through a metal detector and body scanner before being approached by two further security guards who would need to give him a pat-down search. By the time this was all successfully carried out, the security guards had backed off so Abel could be greeted by the charming Will Roberts.

"Abel Stewart. Glad you could make it," Will greeted him with a firm handshake and a smile. "I hope you didn't have too many Sunday plans," he joked, knowing the man had been called in at short notice. Will walked alongside Abel before reaching the corridor entrance to the meeting room and knocking on the door. Once he heard Ezekiel's command to enter, Will pushed open the door and entered the room, stepping aside to allow Abel to follow.

"Abel. Take a seat," Ezekiel said as he stood to shake the young man's hands and then motion to an empty chair beside Trevor. Before getting started, Ezekiel turned to his daughter. "Reign, could you accompany Will to check how things are going at the conference?" he instructed her.

With Reign and Will gone, Ezekiel was happy to address Trevor and Abel himself. "How are you doing, Abel? Family all okay?" he asked, deciding to start things on a pleasant note. "Your wife, Alice is a teacher, if I recall from when I last met you both together. Is she looking forward to a new school year starting tomorrow?" he curiously asked.

BasDorcha (Abel)

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

Will Roberts​

Will waited on the corridor for Reign to leave the meeting room and join him. On the 10th-floor of the building, the medical conference was taking place. Whilst it wasn't specifically related to the technologies development, it attracted academics and the floorspace was often used for all kinds of conferences and exhibitions. Ezekiel wanted this one to go well as there were always some people in attendance who would later wish to do business with Carter Technologies. Whilst he had every faith in Sophie Lambert, the meeting and events coordinator, Ezekiel still knew it would pay to have a Carter work the room for at least a bit. That Carter this evening was Reign.

As Ezekiel's senior assistant, Will had been checking in with Sophie at the conference frequently to ensure everything was going smoothly. With Reign now accompanying him, his evening took an unexpected turn for the better. As they walked towards the elevator and with nobody in earshot, Will turned his head to look to Reign walking alongside him. "Well, my evening suddenly improved," he commented, flashing her a smile.

When they reached the elevator, he swiped his card and entered his PIN number into the keypad. As the doors opened, he stepped aside to allow Reign to enter the lift before following her inside. As he stood next to her, their reflections staring back at them from all sides of the mirrored interior, Will briefly diverted his eyes upwards before turning back to her. "Here I was planning on slacking off all evening..." he joked, given that Reign was his highest superior below Ezekiel. Of course, Reign would know by now that Will was a hard worker and always carried himself professionally. In the confines of the elevator, stood close to such an attractive woman, it was certainly a challenge to maintain that reputation right now.

Bellz (Reign)

Alex King's Family Home
~ Bethnal Green, London ~

Kerry King, Callum King,
and Christian Brooks​

It had never been officially planned and set in stone, but somehow, every few weeks Alex's and May's families would get together for Sunday dinner. This time is was Kerry's turn to host in her family home. Since first falling for Alex, she'd hadn't looked back and now they had two children together, as well as her stepson, Callum. After most of the Kings were gone, things were hard for them, especially Alex who had lost a lot of his family and was suddenly left in charge of the legal businesses the Kings had owned. Kerry had been there to support him through it all and was even manager of one of the cocktail bars now, which she loved. Balancing life between her children and work had been difficult, but she was able to do it and with the support of their extended family there was always help available. Surprisingly, Trevor had proved to be true to his word, not only sticking around in London but also being a committed grandparent to the children in his life. It was why he was invited to the family dinners along with May's bunch. He'd called ahead already to tell her he'd be running late and to start without him as he'd been called into work at the last minute. Kerry was fully aware of the Carters, especially considering they'd been throwing their weight around London for years now, which included demanding they paid a fee for the pleasure of running their businesses in Ezekiel's supposed city. So whilst Kerry didn't like that Trevor was stuck working at Carter Technologies, she understand the difficult position and that when Ezekiel commanded someone to jump, the only question they should ask is "how high?"

As Kerry was setting the dinner table, she listened as Callum and Harrison spoke nearby. Over recent years, her once perfect relationship with Callum had become a volatile one, with the teenager showing resentment and frankly disrespect towards Kerry. She knew much of it was driven through him losing most of his family at a young age as well as for some reason deciding to blame Kerry for Savannah and Alex not being together. There were still moments where her stepson was an angel to her, but that was often overshadowed by the times he was being unpleasant. At least he was playing nicely with his little brother today, which brought a small smile to Kerry's face as she set out the cutlery.

"Harry. I've got an idea," Callum said, beckoning his little brother to come closer. "When Uncle Christian gets here, I dare you to ask if someone brought bacon," he said, grinning as Harrison smiled and quickly nodded his head.

"Callum!" Kerry spoke firmly as she turned to looked at her two sons. "Do not repeat what your brother just told you, Harrison," she said crouching down to her youngest's level to look him head on. "It's not nice, okay?" she asked, to which the boy quickly nodded.

"Ah, come on, Kerry. Take a chill pill," Callum remarked. "It's not my fault he decided to be a stinking copper. Shouldn't even be letting 'em in our house. Trevor would find it piss funny if Harry did say that to Christian."

"Well, your Grandad will be running late today, so he would miss such a comment anyway. Also, you need to watch your language around your brother and sister," she reminded him. Callum rolled his eyes before walking away so he didn't get roped into helping with dinner. Not wanting another argument today, Kerry let him go and instead focused on Harrison, smoothing out his hair that had been messed up whilst he'd be running around in the garden a short time ago.

Able to leave dinner to cook for a while unattended, Kerry left the kitchen with Harrison running ahead to go play in the living room. Kerry stopped in her tracks when she saw Alex in the hallway. Their lives had got busier the moment Alex was left to look after the remaining King businesses in London and it had only got busier since. With the Carters practically taking over the city, Alex and Kerry found they had even more stress in the lives, especially with the pressure to stay in line and not upset Ezekiel. She was just grateful she had Alex and the kids to remind herself of what they were fighting for. "How's it going? Not working too hard, I hope," she asked, leaning in to kiss his lips. "Dinner's going to be ready soon and I'm expecting May to arrive with the others too. Oh, and Trevor's running late. Carter called him into the office. Surely he has better things to be doing with his evening's than holding business meetings."

Melanin-Gxdess (Alex)

*****​

The last week had been another busy one at work. Christian had made some breakthroughs, but there were other cases that hit a brick wall. Despite being confident in his findings and where the evidence led, it was yet again becoming clear this some of his colleagues' loyalties sat with the Carters rather than the citizens of London. Not a day went by that Christian didn't question if it was worth all of the stress of fighting a losing battle, but he always reminded himself that even being able to help just one victim find justice made it all worthwhile, even if in more cases the bad guys won.

As he drove to Alex's house, with May in the front passenger seat and the kids, Jensen and Chloe, in the back, Christian found himself wishing he could have some time at home to switch off. Of course, he'd always liked Alex and Kerry. However, he wasn't overly fond of Trevor, not to mention that Callum made his life hard work, both when he was on the job and when he was sat around the table for a family dinner. In an ideal world, Trevor wouldn't be there tonight and so Christian wouldn't have to put on false pleasantries.

Due to his erratic shift patterns, this was the first time Christian had chance to speak much with May in the last few days. "How was work this week?" he asked her, briefly glancing away from the road ahead to look at her. "You know you can find better, don't you? Away from the Carters..." he trailed off. It was bad enough Trevor was working close to Ezekiel, but having May working in the company the man owned too was often a sore subject. If Christian had his way, the dangerous Carters would all be arrested and their empire demolished.

"I want to be a detective," Chloe spoke up between the first silence, having always been interested in her father's line of work.

"I think you'd be great at that," Christian said, smiling as he glanced to the rear view mirror to see Chloe and Jensen. "What do you reckon, Jensen? Chloe certainly has an eye for details and not much gets past her. Believe me, I've tried," he teased.

BasDorcha (May, Jensen)

Daisy's Cocktail Bar & Nightclub
~ Soho, London ~

Zachary Costa and Daisy Richardson​

Earlier in the day, Zachary had been called into Ezekiel's office his boss could instruct him on an errand he needed him to run. Of course, "errand" was a nicer way of putting it. The two men stood alongside each other by the panoramic window as they looked out across the River Thames. "When you collect the payment from Daisy Richardson this evening, I need you to take an extra 10% from her. The insurance and tax she pays me is to secure my permission for her to conduct business in this city." He turned to look the hitman and security guard in the eyes. "It has been brought to my attention that she's been poaching staff from one of my affiliated clubs," he said, referring to Riley's place. "So she will begin to compensate me for the loss of earnings this has caused. "I need you to have a word with Daisy and tell her to keep her nose out. Victoria's services are required for an important client of mine who will be visiting from America. Warn her to back off and if she doesn't listen, be more persuasive in making sure she does."

"I'm sure I can appeal to her sensible nature," Zachary assured his boss.

*****​

Daisy had invited Cassandra and Alice over to her club that evening for some drinks. As the evening got into the swing of things, Daisy was in high spirits and so when Cassandra arrived, she couldn't hide her excitement, giving the younger woman a hug. The fact she was dating Cassandra's brother, Jakob, made her keen to get to know her more. As they waited for Alice to arrive, Daisy stood at the employees side of the bar as she poured her friend a drink. "I hope Alice makes it tonight," she commented. She knew Alice wasn't always big on socialising, especially since learning she couldn't have children had affected the woman's confidence. Daisy was about to continue the conversation when she noticed Zachary and Maverick entering the club. As nice as the man was, for a Carter employee, Daisy knew that Zachary almost never visited her club if business wasn't involved. "Ugh. Hold that thought," she told Cassandra.

Zachary's usual partner in crime was his close friend, Jake Hunter, but this evening he'd been paired with Maverick as they went on a debt-collecting mission of sorts, showing up in various businesses in London to collect what they owed. Now it was time for Daisy's place and Zachary recalled the specific orders Ezekiel had given where this one was concerned. Ideally, Daisy would be smart and just pay up what was owed without a fuss, then he could go about the rest of his night without having done something unpleasant. "This one might take a bit longer than the others, but the boss was very specific about what he wanted, so I'd rather not leave without what he sent us for."

Approaching the bar, Zachary caught Daisy's eye and cocked his he'd to the side, in the direction of her back office. "Mav, keep an eye on things out here while I sort this. Make sure nobody tries to cause any trouble," he told him. With that, Zachary led Daisy towards her own office, leaving Maverick and Cassandra standing next to each other at the bar.

Once they were both alone in the office, Zachary invited himself to sit in Daisy's seat at her side on the desk, making himself at home as he watched her discreetly open the safe. When she eventually handed him the envelope of cash, Zachary pointed to the chair at the other side of the table to instruct her to sit down. Despite his gesture, Daisy remained standing, rolling her eyes as the man began counting the cash. Once he finished, he slotted the notes back into the envelope. "There isn't enough. The boss has increased your fees by 10%. I'll wait here while you retrieve the shortfall from your safe," he said, sitting back casually in his seat.

"Is he fucking serious?" Daisy snapped, shaking her head. "He's not getting any more than that out of me."

Zachary let out a sigh and sat forward in his seat. Ezekiel had told him to make her listen, but he was a reasonable man and he liked Daisy, so he would rather not have to take the violent approach to getting what he came for. "Daisy. You need to pay what I told you and you also need to back off where Victoria is concerned. Her services are required by the boss soon and if you get in the way of that, it won't be pretty."

"I'm not scared of you. Give it your best shot, Zach," Daisy goaded him.

Standing up, Zachary rounded the table and stood in front of Daisy, highlighting their size difference. "If I'm given the order to break your arm or put a bullet in your head, rest assured I will do it. It's how I earn my living," he darkly warned her, despite preferring not to have to resort to hurting her. "And think about your friends and family. Your cockiness could get any of them hurt or killed. Your brother has been a liability for some time and I'll bet he'd be the first to take a hit - don't push your luck on this one. Or maybe those you care about will be spared but this club will be burned to the ground. You'll be left wishing you'd just paid the 10%." Walking towards the safe, he tapped the locked door and flashed a friendly smile. "Get the rest of the money so things don't have to turn nasty. I don't want us to fall out."

OVER TO YOU TWO: BasDorcha (Maverick) neverbackdown (Cassandra)
OPEN FOR INTERACTION: Daisy and/or Zachary. Let me know.

The Loch Inn Pub
~ Fort William, Scotland ~

Spencer King (Nathan Miller)
and Logan Thomson​

The Loch Inn Pub had not only become Spencer's new home but also his new beloved business. For the first two years since being moved to Fort Willian in 1985, he hated it. He resented everything about the pub and Scotland as a whole. Neither of them were The Royal Taphouse or London, which was enough for him to not to give his new home a chance in those first couple of years. It hadn't helped that for a time he felt out of place and unwelcome; an Englishman shoved in a place where the majority of his customers and all of his neighbours were Scottish. It had been difficult to break that ice and discover common ground. The first real breakthrough had be the day in the spring of 1987 when he'd finally been told Lottie could go home having spent the first few weeks of her life in intensive care on a neonatal ward. It was only then that he realised that those neighbours and customers he'd been keeping at a distance weren't so bad after all, with the well-wishes and gifts he received upon showing his face with his baby girl that day. Since then, he'd only continued to make friends and business associates. Some the relationships were forced, with him playing along to the life he'd built for Nathan Miller. But many, he genuinely liked and the friendships were important to him. None was more important than the relationship with Logan, who had gone from a new employee he took a gamble on, to a friend and now practically family. London would always be his true home, where his heart belonged, but Fort William had become the next best thing.

Having returned from running some errands in the afternoon, Spencer made the mistake of entering his home through the main entrance of the pub. Before even reaching the bar he'd been accosted for small talk and quiet queries on when he was next hosting one of his off-the-records poker nights. He'd then found himself at the bar, where he asked his bar manager, Fiona, to get him a pint of beer. Looking at his watch, he knew he could spare a few minutes before going upstairs where the private area of his home was located.

Fifteen minutes later and Spencer found himself regretting his decision as he stood at the bar, toying with the empty glass in his hand as Gary stood next to him banging on about whatever trivial chatter entered his thoughts. Something Spencer had learned over the years was that the general community liked Nathan Miller because he was a friendly, helpful and patient man. However, as Gary had been talking at him about his new lawn mower and the rusty hinges on his garden shed, the less patient Spencer in him was keen to be freed. "Rusting, you say?" Spencer asked, turning back to face Gary as he forced himself to look interested. He didn't want to upset him. Gary was boring, but he was a nice bloke and didn't mean any harm. His daughter was good friends with Lottie and his son was on the youth football team Eddie played in & Spencer coached. Still, for years Spencer had suffered from chronic insomnia, but right now, he was sure Gary could cure him and send him off to sleep. "I have the the perfect solution for get rid of the rust," he said as he proceeded to explain what the man needed to do.

"You know a lot about chemicals and all that, Nath," Gary said, nodding his head with approval. "It was only the other week you told me I'd been taking my meds all wrong and I've felt spot on ever since following your advice."

"I told ya, mate. I read a lot of books and I was a science nerd in school," he underplayed his qualifications. Spencer couldn't say that he had a degree in chemistry and biology, nor that his real family, the Kings, had owned a Pharmaceutical company in London. As far as the story went, Nathan Miller didn't have those qualifications and he'd certainly not been a part of King Remedial. That kind of knowledge would lead to more questions to which the answers would jeopordise Spencer's and Shona's freedom to watch their children grow up. "You should try reading more, Gary. I read while Rangers are playing, just to make that boring ninety minutes go by faster," he teased, knowing Gary support the Scottish football team, Rangers F. C.

"Every time you say that, I appreciate the Germans more for thrashing your arse last year," Gary commented back, referring to England being knocked out of Euro 1996 by Germany.

"Low blow, Gary. Too soon," Spencer said, feigning upset. "On that note. I need to go see Alicia to cheer me up again. Catch you later," he said, seizing his opportunity to escape. As he walked away from the bar and to the employees only area of the pub, Spencer caught Logan's eye as the man finished serving a customer. In the back office and out of earshot of others, Logan joined him, handing him a brown envelope. Spencer peered inside to see the notes and betting slip copies from the punters. He been running books often over the years and the profits from that continued to grow. "Nice one," he praised Logan for collecting the money. "I'll give you your share tonight, mate. I'm arranging a poker night soon, so make sure you're free."

"I'll make sure I'm available. After I cleaned you out last time, I've got a taste for it. Easy money," Logan teased his friend, flashing a mischievous grin.

"Cheeky fucker," Spencer grumbled in return. "Alright, I need to get upstairs and help serve dinner. Give us fifteen minutes to get settled and come join us for your break. Alicia and the kids are expecting you," he told him.

Spencer unlocked the door that led to his family's home and separate areas of the large pub. As he reached the top of the stairs, he could hear Lottie's raised voice. Suspecting she was having one of her tantrums, he shoved the envelope of money in his coat pocket and headed straight towards the sound of his daughter's voice. He reached the doorway just in time to see Lottie about to throw her empty glass at the television. "Hey! You break it, you pay for it," he firmly told her. The girl was caught by surprise but sheepishly set the glass back down on the coffee table before she could do any damage. This kind of thing was a regular occurrence, with the girl often struggling to contain her frustrations and anger. Seeing the his daughter's irritable expression and that she was taking deep breaths, he stepped into the room and beckoned her towards him. "I've missed ya. Give your dad a cuddle, then," Spencer calmly told her, to which Lottie didn't hesitate to do, wrapping her arms tightly around as he did the same and lifted her a little into the air for a brief time. Settling her back down and releasing her, Spencer crouched down to Lottie's eyes level and rested his hands on her shoulders so he could look her head on. "Now. What's upsetting you, love?"

Lottie let out a frustrated breath through her nose before relaxing her tense shoulders. "I was trying to do the maths questions but I don't understand it. I'm rubbish at maths. I don't want to do it any more. Ever."

"You're not going to give up that easily are you?" he rhetorically asked her, lightly shaking his head as he spoke. He then flashed a smile at her before continuing. "It just so happens that your dad here is great at maths and so I'm going to help you figure out those questions later, okay?" Seeing Lottie smile and nod her head, Spencer could see she was already calming down. "For now, you can watch TV until dinner's ready. We'll look at your maths work after. I was also thinking, if you finish all of the work you mum sets you tomorrow, you can come with me to the gym in the afternoon and be my assistant again while I train. What do you think?"

"Yes please!" Lottie excitedly agreed. Spencer would run it past Shona first, but he was keen to try seeing if letting their daughter join a boxing or karate club would help her relieve much of the aggression the child tended to bottle up. The girl tended to hold it in until she no longer could and then they were all faced with the eventual explosion of her verbal and physical anger.

Spencer made his way into the kitchen and dining room area, finally removing his jacket and draping it over the back of one of the chairs for the time-being. Approaching his wife, he wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, pulling her in close and kissing her neck. "Evening, my bonnie lassie," he playfully greeted her in his best Scottish accent. Releasing her so she could turn to face him properly, he then leaned in to kiss her lips. He'd been in and out of their home all day, running various activities and errands, but now he could settle with his family for the remainder of the day. "How's your day been, love?" he asked Shona as he moved to the sink to wash his hands so he could offer to help finish preparing dinner. He leaned against one of the kitchen counters as he dried his hands with a towel. "I told Logan to come up and join us in a bit, just to give us chance to catch up... I'm going to help Lottie with her maths work after dinner and I thought I might let her come to the gym with me tomorrow. Give her chance to blow off some steam, maybe?" he said, looking to his wife to see how she felt about the second idea.

Spencer proceeded to getting out the cutlery and crockery so he could set the table, speaking all the while. "Where's Eddie at? Getting his stuff together ready to start back at school tomorrow?" he curiously asked. "He was spot on at footy training this morning. I wish the opportunities around here were as good as they are in London. He's better than what this place can offer him," he told her.

After setting the table, Spencer returned to Shona, offering her a warm smile as he admired his queen. "Alright, boss. Where do you want me next?" he asked, offering his help with what still needed to be done.

Pyroclast (Shona, Eddie)

The Harper Family Home
~ Manzanillo, Cuba ~

Adam Harper and Jasmine Zegarra
(Julian Santana and Lana Villanueva)​

When he lost his home, his gym and the job he'd been doing for the Sullivans for most of his life, Adam had been shocked at first. He'd never imagined he'd be able to lead a life without the adrenaline the mob brought him. It was no doubt the fact he was an adaptable and resilient man that made it easier to get used to life in Cuba than he'd expected. Of course, it helped having the most important people in his life there with him the whole time. With his daughter, his wife and his best friend, Adam knew he was fortunate to have them all still in his life after Interpol stuck their big noses in. As time went on, his family had grown, with Elena and Thomas marrying then bringing into the world his two grandchildren. Along with his stepson Collin, and his three godchildren, Adam couldn't have asked for more. Living in Cuba was an added bonus, having always considered the country his second home when he was living in New York or Dublin. The weather was certainly a bonus and he'd made the most of the heat, the beaches, and the parties over the last twelve years.

Today was no exception, with the Harpers, Porters and Zegarras all getting together at Adam's place for drinks. Whilst the children played inside and the the 18-20s did their own thing, Adam, Blake, Chase, Jasmine, Elena and Thomas all sat at the patio table in the back garden of Adam's house having drinks and snacks. If Adam was anything to go by, it would be a long night and he was always happy to be drinking into the early hours, so he half-expected his grandchildren would end up having a sleepover tonight. "I hope Safia's keeping the kids in line. Don't think I won't make Enzo and Maria do unpaid labour to compensate for any mess they make," he teased.

"Good luck with that, Adam," Jasmine remarked, taking a sip of of wine as she sat next to Chase with her head rested on his shoulder. "Even you can't handle the selfish, stroppy teenager that Safi has become," Jasmine said, with a laugh. "Although maybe St. Chase here could have a word with her. Her dad can do know wrong," she said, resting a playful hand on her husband's chest. Whilst Safia came to blows with Jasmine lately, she was fine with Chase.

Jasmine had been used to upheavals and having to change her lifestyle over the years, so other than missing the Callahans immensely, she had managed to get used to her new life in Cuba with ease and along the way had grown closer to Blake and Elena. She'd been most concerned about how Michael would have taken the change. Even though it meant they were removed from the criminal acitivites of the mob, which Michael had wanted, she had worried about him being separated from his best friend Liam and even Father Healy who he'd looked up to as a kid. All in all, everyone seemed to have adapted well and Jasmine was enjoying Cuba just as much as she had all of her past homes.

Adam filled his and Blake's glasses before resting his arm around her shoulder and leaning in to kiss her. "How's it going, love?" he asked, with a wink. Since they first became an item in 1985, Adam's love and attraction for Blake had never faltered. She was his first and only true love, so he savoured every moment he spent with his wife at his side.

Someone else he doted on was Elena and although he was concerned about her relationship with Thomas to begin with, due to the man's PTSD battles, he'd soon come to accept him as being right for his daughter and eventually the man he came to call his son-in-law. As long as Elena was happy, Adam was too, and she seemed to be thriving. "How have you both been? Need any jobs doing around the B&B?" he asked Elena and Thomas. Although he didn't work for the mob anymore, Adam often found other things to keep him busy, usually fixing up cars at his garage and training people at the gym, or in more confidential settings dependent on the type of training. Sometimes that meant he lost track of what his wider family needed from him and he always wanted to be able to spare some of his skills to help with his daughter's business.

Bellz (Blake, Thomas) Pyroclast (Elena, Chase)

Currently Active Cast: Misty Gray Bellz Pyroclast Melanin-Gxdess BasDorcha neverbackdown​

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[Pyroclast]

Chapter 1: Unnatural Habitat
Sunday 7th September 1997
...12 years later...
Utrecht: Early Evening - Dry, Overcast, Cold
Cagnes-sur-Mer: Early Evening - Dry, Clear Skies, Hot

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Billy King's Residence
~ Utrecht, The Netherlands ~

John Campbell (Billy King)
Charlie Campbell (Charlie King)​

“Babe?” Billy called out. “Can you come in ‘ere, please?”

The leaves hadn’t even begun to change colour yet, but Billy had decided that roasting season had begun. His 41st birthday had been unexpectedly indulgent, and after a week of dining out and eating birthday cake, he was keen to get back to a healthier diet - and what better way to start than a home-cooked roast lamb dinner?

When Hendrik showed up at the door, Billy beckoned him over to the stove, sliding an arm around his waist when he got close enough. He lifted the gravy spoon from the pan and lightly blew on it before raising it to Hendrik’s mouth for him to taste. “Tell me what you think,” he said, smiling as he fed the man. “I need you to keep it stirring while I serve out, so go ahead and season it to your taste. I know you like that bit.”

Billy enjoyed cooking and generally took pride in it, but of the two of them, Hendrik was the real chef. Besides being Billy’s personal trainer and dietician, the man sometimes took shifts at his friend’s restaurant as a chef. Billy of course adored when the man would cook for him, but he also liked to give him a break by cooking for him in return.

The couple hadn’t yet been together two years, but Billy felt his life had improved greatly since they got together. For one thing, birthdays had got easier…of course he still missed his family particularly strongly on that day, as well as Charlie’s birthday, his family’s birthdays, Christmas and the anniversary of the day they had all been split apart. Charlie had known the truth ever since the day Billy broke up with his previous boyfriend, Florian - a local actor and fashion model with abusive tendencies, who kept Billy wrapped around his finger for six years. The man had one day found Billy, drunk and passed out in his workshop, surrounded by photographs of his family that he kept hidden in there. After confronting him about them a few days later, they got into a huge fight and Billy ended up having to tell Charlie everything. Despite his young age, the boy had proven himself a reliable secret-keeper, but knowing that another man, Erik, had been supposed to raise him alongside Billy, Charlie never managed to accept Hendrik when Billy eventually moved on. To Billy, however, the tattoo’d Dutchman changed his life for the better. While he never told him the truth and still kept the reasons behind his depressive bouts to himself, their relationship still managed to make life brighter for him. He no longer depended on alcohol to get him through the pain of missing his family. Since Hendrik came into his life, he was happier than he had ever been since he moved to Utrecht, and in the best physical shape of his life.

While his boyfriend looked after the gravy, Billy got the plates out of the oven and began to fill them with roasted carrots, parsnips and cabbage, before carving the lamb. “CHARLIE!”

A few moments later, the boy came wandering into the kitchen diner, his head stuck in a book.

“Come on, what’d I say about readin' while ya' walk?” Billy tutted at him. “You’ll walk into somethin’ and hurt yourself.”

Charlie managed to find his seat at the table and sit down, never looking up from his book. “It’s a good one, Dad!”

“Gravy time,” Billy prompted Hendrik, while carefully constructing a dam on Charlie’s plate with the slices of lamb. “Remember not to let it touch Charlie’s vegetables or he won’t eat 'em…”

Eventually the table was set and they all sat down to eat. Charlie was still reading, and Billy looked over at him. “What is that?” he asked. “De tranen der acacia’s? Ain’t that a bit mature for you?”

His son didn’t reply - instead he kept his eyes on the book, picking up his fork to idly push his vegetables around.

“You’re meant to eat those, kid, not play hockey with ‘em,” Billy lightly teased, and then turned his attention to Hendrik.

“What’s your week lookin’ like, then, babe?” he asked, pouring the man a glass of wine. “You wanna do somethin’ Friday? Charlie’s at a sleepover, and I’ve got nothin’ on...”

Interactions
Misty Gray Hendrik

The King Residence
~ Cagnes-sur-Mer, France ~

Raphael Delon & Ken Parker (Bruce King)​

With a pitcher of mojito in one hand and two cocktail glasses in the other, Raphael had to use his elbow to push open the sliding French doors that led out onto the patio. It still struck him sometimes how those doors were the very reason he had ever met Darcey and Bruce. That fateful day when he had slipped into their home to take cover from his murderous pursuer had changed his life immeasurably. Never would he ever have expected that entering someone’s home without their knowledge would result in a lifelong friendship - had he had time to think about what he was doing, he might have expected to be killed or arrested for it, but at the time all he cared about was escaping a fate worse than death.

If his old motorcycle club were still after him, Raphael was sure it was now on the bottom of their list of priorities. Nine years had gone by since he had last seen them and he had relaxed into life with Bruce and Darcey who, to his knowledge, were a couple of retired expatriates who had come to live out the rest of their days on the sunny south coast of France. Despite spending the first 20 years of his life in Paris, Raphael had grown to love the smaller, more peaceful life in the town of Cagnes-sur-Mer. What Paris had to offer, he could never afford anyway. No longer impoverished or forced into crime, he led a much easier life now; Bruce and Darcey cared for him, and he cared for them in return.

The air in the courtyard still carried the aromatic scent of the barbecue they had had that afternoon. Bruce had fallen asleep on the sun lounger, looking extremely relaxed with his shirt hanging open. Earlier on, Raphael had drawn a smiley face on his chest with suncream as a prank, and was waiting for him to wake up and find out. Until then, he would sit with Darcey at the small mosaic table on the patio, drinking mojitos in the sun.

“Et voilá,” he said, placing the glasses and pitcher on the table between them. He took a seat before leaning over to pour them out. “Perfect way to end the day. I put the restes in the fridge, if you want more later.” He tipped his sunglasses from the top of his head back over his eyes and leaned back in his seat, taking a sip of his cocktail. “Are you feeling okay, chérie?”

Interactions
Melanin-Gxdess Darcey

 

[Bellz]

Chapter 1: Unnatural Habitat
Sunday, 7th September 1997
...12 years later...
Manzanillo: Evening - Warm, Clear Skies, Breezy
Dublin: Early Evening - Cloudy Skies, Cool
London: Early Evening - Mild, Cloudy, Breezy
Berlin: Early Evening - Wet, Cloudy, Chilly

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The Foley Residence
~ Berlin, Germany ~

Brie Foley (Roxie Porter)

Noah Foley (J.J. Porter) and Luna Foley (Lucia Porter)
Sebastian Foley (Sebastian Porter)​

"Mam! Mam! Mam! Mam! Luna gibt mir meine Schokolade nicht!" Sebastian screeched from down the hall, causing Roxie to reach up to rub her temples lightly. Her youngest son was saying that Lucia or Luna as she was known in Germany for the past decade, wouldn't give him chocolate. "So ein Geschwätz!" Lucia said back, her voice much softer, but sharp as she picked up her younger brother who started to kick his legs around like the little terror he was. "English, both of you, English. I know they want you to speak German in those schools but we speak English at home, German makes your father nervous." Lucia was giving her a smirk, one that resembled so much of her own that it was like looking in a mirror, "Don't give me that smirk, kiddo. I invented that smirk." Roxie was having a flashback to when she used to say that to Jeanie as well, briefly feeling an ache in her chest. "I know what that makes your father sound like. He's not a German hater." Roxie said, her voice tired as Lucia giggled, still holding onto her wiggly worm brother, "I never called Daddy that but maybe I should tell him that you said something along those lines." She teased, scrunching her nose as she smiled. There were some days when she looked at her, and others...Roxie could see Matthew in her face...like at this exact moment. A weird heavy feeling settled in her chest again and she moved her right hand to it. "Mam, quit working. I'm hungry." Her son said and Roxie let out a laugh, "Such manners on you, what happened to my sweet boy? He seems to have been replaced by a little German Chocolate Goblin hungry for sweets. Dinner is already in the oven. Baked Zitti, your favorite! Extra cheesy for you just the way you like it." Sebastian cheered and Lucia laughed, rolling her eyes as she set him down and watched him scamper out of the room.

"Can I help make the salad and bruschetta, mam?" Lucia asked, "Kitchen is always so quiet." Her voice was small, clearly, she was overwhelmed by the amount of energy her brother had and Roxie smiled softly. "Of course, mi cara, you don't even have to ask. You've proved to not somehow set the lettuce on fire like your brother Noah and your Daddy, so you never have to ask." Roxie snapped shut the portfolio she had been looking over in her study before moving to stand. She was steady on her feet for a moment, feeling great but all too soon the world spun and her vision tunneled, causing her to fall back into her chair as Lucia gasped out, "Mam!" She rounded her mother's desk before grasping her shoulders as she spun her mother in her chair, who by now looked as white as a sheet. "Are you okay, mam?" Lucia asked, her eyes watering with tears, voice breaking immediately, and Roxie, despite feeling incredibly dizzy went into protecting mama bear mode. "Shh shh shh, I'm okay. Breathe, love. I just stood up too fast. Head rush." Lucia looked at her as if she didn't believe her but when Roxie pushed herself off of her desk chair, leaning forward to grab her daughter's shoulders, she smiled with strength behind it. Lucia had no choice but to believe her then, her mother never smile like that unless she really was okay. "See? I'm okay. Thank you for the concern, mi amor. Now come, let's get dinner finished before your brother gets into the cabinets. Or worse, convinces your father to try and make him pasta again. The last thing we need is the fire department here." Roxie stood slower this time as Lucia giggled and the pre-teen reached to take her mother's hand which Roxie took.

"Ma, looks like someone got to the candy." J.J. or Noah as he was called now, shouted down the hall in the kitchen, causing Lucia and Roxie to look at each other with a hauntingly similar knowing look. "Someone huh? I wonder who it could be. Luna, love, mind tracking down the chocolate goblin?" She looked disappointed but nodded before heading to find Sebastian. Roxie headed back to her office for only a moment, shutting the door and grabbing the blood pressure meds and blood thinner meds from the bottom drawer before fishing out the right dosage. Popping two in her mouth, she swallowed with water that she had on her desk before throwing the pills back in her drawer. It had been a few weeks since a routine appointment had turned into a bit of a nightmare after doctors found a blood clot the size of an olive in her right breast. It wasn't close to her heart, but close enough that doctors took pretty immediate action with medication. She had been ordered to take the meds as prescribed, take it easy in terms of exercising, and change some things around in her diet. And you must keep your stress levels down to as close to zero as possible, thinners and pressure medications can help but clots can cause a heart attack or stroke which can be fatal.

That part had been echoing in her head every day when the chaos of her life grew quiet at the end of it all...while she lay in bed, next to Syd. As a young woman, Roxie had an issue with her blood pressure primarily during her pregnancies. It caused nearly all of her kids to be born early, except for her youngest but the circumstances had been much more relaxed. She had chalked it up to that, not the fact that her body had an issue maintaining its own blood pressure. Roxie hadn't told a soul about her scare, not even Syd, knowing it would most likely send him into a spiral with the thought of her dying from a heart attack or stroke...even if it was a slim possibility. No, she wouldn't tell him until it was all better until the meds regulated it all and she was in the clear. Or maybe she wouldn't need to say anything by that point? "Found him, mam!" Lucia cried out and J.J. was laughing in the distance, "Slippery little thing, with chocolate all over his face. Red-handed, mate." Her eldest son said, now holding Sebastian upside down by his legs as her younger son squealed with glee. "No-ah! Put me down!" Sebastian said through a fit of giggles, "I don't think I can Bastian! I was aware there was a cookie monster, but when did Sesame Street get a chocolate monster? Seems like it's turned into a dodgy neighborhood! Elmo's gonna have to move outta town!" J.J. said and when Roxie entered the living room she rolled her eyes, "Noah, put him down! He's gonna get a head rush!" "Me want more chocolate!" Sebastian growled, doing his best cookie monster impression and Lucia and J.J. both giggled as well as Roxie. "I would say you could have more after dinner but I think you might have cleaned us out, kiddo." Roxie said, watching as J.J. delicately flipped Sebastian back onto his feet, holding his shoulders to make sure he didn't wobble around. When it was clear the little kid was okay, J.J. released his shoulders and the kid went zipping off with chocolate on his face. Roxie was too tired to rush off to find him and J.J. was now looking at his mother, his brows furrowing as he examined her face.

"You doing okay, Ma? You look tired." J.J. asked his voice sweet, accent light, and twinkling, soothing just like his father. Before Roxie could answer, Lucia chimed in, "I already barked up that tree." before heading towards the kitchen to start getting things out for dinner. Roxie watched her go before turning back to her eldest son, "I'm fine, my boy. Old age, as I keep telling you and your worry wart sister. What are you doing at home? I thought you were working at the pub tonight?" She asked and J.J. smiled, "Ah, I got off early, figured I'd take any opportunity I could to spend some time with my family. Though I didn't realize I was going to come home to a 5-year-old hopped up on chocolate." Roxie laughed, her husky voice slightly strained with emotion as she said, "You were once that 5-year-old boy hopped up on chocolate." Her New York accent emphasizes the word chocolate making it sound like chaw-co-late. "Oh, Ma! Don't give me those eyes, you know I can't handle those eyes! I'm home aren't I?"

In the kitchen, the small stereo system turned on and a band known as Green Day started playing a song called Brain Stew. Roxie didn't mind the band, but the words in some of the songs were a little bit vulgar for a 5-year-old running around. "Luna! Keep it on a lower volume! I thought you didn't want any noise?" She called out and J.J.'s eyes lit up, "Can I help with dinner?" And Roxie looked at him like he was crazy, "You can help set the table as I am sure you can't burn the dishes." J.J. rolled his eyes then and snorted, "Oh haha, I'm sure Dad finds that hilarious too." Roxie chuckled, "I'm the funniest person in the world to your father, so yes, he finds it hilarious. And is on the same restrictions you are on. Now come on, let's go make dinner."

Roxie and J.J. walked to the kitchen where Lucia had already pulled out the cutting boards, mixing bowls, and all ingredients to make the salad and bruschetta. Suddenly Sebastian came squealing back through and Roxie nabbed him before he could go anywhere else, "Gotcha!" She said, her voice deep and he giggled. Sitting him in his seat, she locked him in it before moving to set some toys on the table as well as some coloring stuff to keep him preoccupied. She then put on his favorite pair of earmuffs to keep him from hearing the music. Fortunately, it worked like a charm. When she turned back around, J.J. and Lucia were holding up spoons singing in harmony,

My mind is set on overdrive
The clock is laughing in my face
A crooked spine, my senses dulled
Past the point of delirium
On my own, here we go
​

The head banging that followed between both J.J. and Lucia was surprising considering Lucia was so gentle and dizzying because of its violent nature. Man, I really am getting old. Roxie thought to herself, but she remembered a time in her life that felt not too long ago when she was doing the same to artists like Led Zepplin, Black Sabbath, and Pink Floyd. Time really had a way of just passing by. When the song came to an end, Roxie moved to turn down the volume a little bit, "Alright little Rockstars, come on, time to get dinner ready, Luna, I'm leaving you in charge of the kitchen. I'm gonna go find your father and Josie." She said and J.J. pouted, "The 12-year-old is in charge of the kitchen!" He protested and Lucia stuck out her tongue lightly, her cheeks burning before she gave him a sweet smile, "Oh come on Noah, don't be too upset, I'll be nice! Now get those tomatoes washed! MOVE IT!" Roxie left them, kissing Sebastian on the head as she passed before moving through the house.

12 years had gone by since they'd last seen their family. Since they'd last seen Dublin. Germany had been a struggle in terms of calling it home and Syd had been admitted to the mental institution shortly after they had relocated in March of 1986. But by chance, or by fate, or by perhaps...shit luck, another familiar person had also been admitted at the time...one that had been visiting the house with Interpol. When Roxie found out that the Harper King ended up in the same mental hospital as Syd, she had been heavily suspicious at first. But they all quickly learned that the girl had a rough history of mental illness as he had. After they both were released and after Harper spent some time recovering, her visits to the house continued and a friendship between the young woman and Syd formed that Roxie hadn't, or really anyone for that matter hadn't anticipated but it had been a welcomed change of pace. The young woman brought warmth with her that really couldn't be replicated, was polite, and humble about where she came from and where she still had to go, and was eager to learn from others. She also had a fire to her that Roxie herself had been able to relate to, even if it was hidden under a thick layer of mental illness on Harper's part.

This friendship in turn brought Roxie and Syd's family, which included the kids, Lucy, Reina, and Olivia's family closer to Harper's family, Erik and Ava, and her Interpol team. Over the nearly decade they had together, things started to feel almost normal like they had a family to rely on. The kids had other kids to play with and spend time with. The Porters didn't have to hide their identity around the Interpol agents. Though they had to keep up the names for the smaller kids' sake, not wanting to confuse them all. Of course, they formed relationships with other people in their town, J.J. in particular had met a young woman named Arabella who Roxie basically adopted without permission after learning that both of her parents had died and she was left with no family, much like herself. She always invited her over and if she couldn't come over, she always sent J.J. over to her place with extra food and sweets as well as gifts for her birthday or holidays.

In between those 12 years, Roxie took Syd and her's relationship to the next level and proposed to him. While she was sure he had plans to propose, after everything he'd done for her, Roxie wanted to show him how much she loved him with a grand gesture and did with the help of others in their life in Germany. After years of struggle between them, Roxie had thought they'd never get married. But they were married, husband and wife. Things were perfect. Or...at least they had felt that way for most people in the house. Jeanie, the eldest of the Porter children, left shortly after her 18th birthday in 1990 and never looked back. Only having recently visited in September of 1994 after her last stint in jail where Roxie bailed her out for the last time and brought her back home. In 1991, much to her surprise, she found out that she was pregnant yet again, and in 1992 they welcomed a little boy, Sebastian to the world. The joy of welcoming new life only lasted so long.

Things weren't always so picturesque...try as they might to make it that way. Lucy had been suffering from dementia for a long time, diagnosed in 1989 but suspected to have been suffering since 1987 or so. She died from complications the same year, 1992 and that was when things started to slowly fall through the cracks. Syd started to fall apart, mentally, and physically and Roxie was struggling to pick up the pieces without Lucy around to guide her through it anymore. With a newborn, the kids, and Syd, she juggled and juggled. Those in Interpol had actually been a huge help to her, especially Harper who had put down things she was doing when she wasn't working, or taking care of her own family to come over and help where she could. But again, tragedy struck in August of 1993 when the young woman tragically died in a car accident while on a job. Once again, Syd was knocked back into a mental break and Roxie was juggling.

"Max? Josie? We have dinner almost ready! You both hungry?" Roxie called out to them both, looking throughout the large house. On top of all of it, Roxie knew that Jane had been struggling without her twin sister around. Jeanie had selfishly left, not thinking about what it would do to Jane. J.J. had been selfless including her in everything he did, inviting her out with Ari and out to other things he did and even just taking her out for one on one time with him but he and Roxie both knew it wasn't the same for her. She tried to keep tabs on Jeanie but her daughter didn't seem to have a house phone or cellular phone...she did have her pager but refused to follow up in returning any pages. When Roxie found her husband first, her face broke out into a natural smile, "Hello, love." She said, watching him closely for any signs of stress. Every day was different, but she'd grown used to it in the years, many years they'd been together, on and off or otherwise. The ring on her finger, caught in the light of the room they were in, causing her to look at it for a moment. Despite their rocky start in 1971, Lucy had given Roxie her wedding ring which was now fitted on Roxie's finger. The diamond caught in the light, causing her smile to only grow. Sometimes she liked to think it was Lucy giving her a little wink of encouragement. Looking up from her ring finger, that smile lingered, " The kids are rocking out in the kitchen, probably making themselves dizzy with all the headbanging they are doing to Green Day if you wanna join us. Dinner's just about ready. Lucia's supervising. Are you doing alright? You're more quiet than usual. Not that I mind, Sebastian has been screeching...got into the chocolate that I thought I hid well. Must have been watching me." Roxie had purposefully switched back to using their children's real names, knowing that it was unnerving for Syd to use their given undercover names. But with the smaller children, they all had to use the undercover names all the time, since they were going to school. It was best to avoid a slip-up that way.
with: Syd + Jane Pyroclast
mentions: Ari Melanin-Gxdess
Lucy (RIP my angel )

The Gray Residence
~ Berlin, Germany ~

Bucky Gray

April 1992​

"Mum?" Bucky had asked, 6 years old at the time, turning to look at his mom. "Yes, little love?" His mother said, affection dripping from her voice as she turned to look back at him. Both of them were now laying upside down off the couch cushions, books in their hands. She was reading her favorite book, Little Women for the millionth time, he was reading a short vowel book to practice with. "Why are we reading upside down?" He had asked Harper, his voice light, twinkling with curiosity. "Well, why not?" Harper followed up and Bucky looked at her like she was crazy, causing her to let out a belly laugh. "Reading is reading, why not do it upside down?" She murmured to which Bucky answered quickly, "It's weird." This caused Harper to smile. Bucky definitely was her son, worrying about whether something was weird.

"It's more fun, to embrace that weirdness and not care what anyone thinks about it. So what if it looks funny, you like hanging upside down right?"

"Yes, mum."
"You like reading, right?"
"I do." ​

"Well then, don't worry about it my angel. Do what you enjoy and stop worrying about what other people think is weird to them and do what feels good to you. Mum had to learn that the hard way too many times, now we can be weird together!" Harper cheered and Bucky giggled, the sweet sound filling the room and her heart...

....Present Day...​

"Then shouldering their burdens, they set off, seeking a path that would bring them over the grey hills of the Emyn Muil, and down into the Land of Shadow." Bucky quietly said to himself, finishing off the final sentence in The Fellowship of the Ring as he hung upside down on the couch cusions in his living room. Atticus, his Jack Russel, trotted over as Bucky snapped the hardcover book closed, and the dog leaped at the chance to give him kisses. "Atti! No! Down!" Bucky laughed, moving to shove the older dog aside, trying to do so gently but in that motion, he lost his balance as he hung upside down like a bat and slunk to the side of the couch, feet dragging all the way down until they hit the floor with a thud. "Oof!" Bucky said as Atticus barked now, thinking it was time to play and Bucky looked at him with a playful glare.

"You made me fall over, punk!" He told his furry best friend before scooping up the Jack Russel in his arms to give him kisses behind his ears, tossing the book he'd finished onto the couch. Atticus growled playfully in his arms, wriggling about like a spazz as Bucky just tried to cuddle with him. "Quit your growlin' would ya! I just want to cuddle!" Bucky laughed but the dog persisted, so with a dramatic eye roll, Bucky set the little dog down on the floor and Atticus immediately went for one of his toys. Bucky watched him grab it before running to drop it at his feet, crouching down on his front legs before wagging his little rear in the air since he only had a small nub for a tail. "Ahhh, you think you're so cute, don't you?" Bucky said, staring down at the toy for a long moment before getting into a tense stance which caused Atticus to let out a playful growl. Bucky then swiped the toy from the ground and ran off with it, out of the living room towards the backyard since he knew that his dad didn't like them roughhousing too much in the house.

"Come on then, got all riled up, let's play!" Bucky said, throwing the toy and watching the dog run after it, his four little legs propelling him forward with such speed that it surprised his young owner. Atticus was about 11 or so, an old man in dog years, so any time he could work himself up to play like this, Bucky was always surprised. But that shock was short-lived when the dog walked back with the toy in his mouth instead of running back and sitting for him to throw it again, he just let the toy hang in his mouth and lazily rolled onto his back. "You made me walk all the way out 'ere for that!" The dog just whined at him and Bucky rolled his eyes and groaned, "A piece of work, you are. Come on, let's go see where Dad is at." Bucky huffed, moving to bend over again scooping up the older dog in his arms. Once he had him secure, Bucky walked back into the house and looked around. It was about dinner time but he didn't see anything cooking, he figured they were going to order takeout or something tonight like they did some Sunday nights, then.

"Dad? Are you home yet? Atticus just faked me out, clearly, he's bored and I am too. You wanna play chess or something?" He asked, walking through the house to find him. Moving towards the study where he would normally find him, Bucky passed a picture in the hall. Stopping for a moment, his eyes saw his mother staring back at him, smiling brightly and it made Bucky smile back at her. "Love you, mum. Atticus has gotten lazy...we miss you." He murmured gently, before continuing on. He stopped just shy of the door which was slightly jarred. Unable to see if he was actually in there, the 11-year-old repositioned his dog with a groan, "You're fat, Atti." He huffed and the dog whined as if his feelings had been hurt, "Dad, you in 'ere? Want to order a pizza or something? Or we can see if we can crash at Uncle Klaus and Aunt Ava's for dinner if we're desperate? Didn't realize we'd forgotten when dinner was?" He said, a teasing smile gracing his lips as he pushed the door open, hoping to find Jeremy behind the door. The last few years, Bucky had been grappling with the loss of his mother in one way and his father had been grappling with it in another, but neither ever seemed to meet in the middle of it. Bucky, much like his mother, didn't push him unless absolutely necessary these days, knowing he worked hard at his job but Sundays were days when he usually came home from work early and they spend the rest of the night together...at least he hoped it still meant that.
with: Jeremy BasDorcha



London

The Frost/Fitz Residence
~ Wouldn't you like to know, England ~

Rachel Fitz
Laura Fitz​

Early Morning...
5 more kilometers...she could do that. 5, that was easy. Her favorite running shirt was well worn through in only the year she'd owned it, holes tattered along the collar, and sweat was dripping down the front of her. Her body was aching for her to stop, as it usually did with most things she did throughout the day but she ignored it. Arthritis caused by injuries in her accident tended to act up the worst during the cold and as the weather started to match the fall upcoming months, she was pushing herself extra hard instead of resting like her doctors said she should. Stubborn, as usual. She had a marathon she was training for anyway, and Rachel saw no reason to stop while she was ahead.

In her headphones, Dawson had been kind enough to make her a mixed CD for Rachel's Discman. He said he'd added some songs that she would definitely like and others that he'd be interested to hear her opinion on considering how much music she needed to be caught up on. So far, she had quite a few favorites that she'd have to try to mentally remember to bookmark for later. It had been 4 years since she'd woken up from whatever coma she'd been in after a car accident nearly took her out. She had no name, age, no family to claim her. But by the grace of God, maybe...some days Rachel didn't know what to think, Riley had found her again.

She knew who she was, they had dated before, broken up of course, or rather parted ways on mutual terms she had told her. Whatever it happened to be, Riley stopped them from making a choice that wasn't really theirs to make. Saved her life and ultimately, the little hitchhiker as Rachel called Laura affectionately from time to time. She had been quite a surprise to Riley and her, but they decided to tackle it. With lots of support from Riley and doctors at the hospital where Rachel was working through rehabilitation...she did what some say was impossible. Sometimes Rachel gives herself the credit. But besides her inner circle, she doesn't tell her story to most, Dawson was the exception after she had finished getting her teaching degree in an accelerated degree program and landed a job at a secondary school on the outskirts of London.

Rachel doesn't like to call her life perfect but it felt that way, for which she is forever grateful. But perfection or near perfection always comes at a price. One of the reasons she took up running, which waited until after she was through with her pregnancy, was to keep her ever-sore body from becoming too much. Doctors these days push and push pain pills as the solution to everything. Rachel at one point had given them a try after the first few weeks home from recovery and grew immediately ill 5 minutes after swallowing them. It left her body feeling like it had been through some sort of flight or fight experience, something she never wanted to be replicated. Unfortunately, after spending so much time focusing on her well-being, that reaction had been a precursor to the amount of work she would have into the trauma she couldn't even remember from the accident.

There was also hope that perhaps therapy would tap into some memories that Rachel had long since forgotten about and bring back to the light. She already had Riley and a baby on the way and that was absolutely all she needed, but it would be nice to at least know where she had come from before she had dated her. But after Laura was born in 1994 and those memories were never jogged, Rachel didn't dwell on what she couldn't remember and just focus on the memories she could build moving forward.

The familiar 5-kilometer marker in her neighborhood park came into view and when she passed it, she started to slow down going at a much slower pace than before towards her house as a cool down. Laura and Riley were still both asleep by the time she had made it back, which as usual, had Rachel slipping off her shoes before stepping inside to keep from waking them both.

Tip-toeing to her office, she quickly put gently shut the door, turning to press her back to it as she let out a gentle sigh. She loved her family dearly, but alone time was truly a rare thing these days. With her headphones still blasting music, she moved to do her regular strength routine consisting of pushups, sit-ups, and various ab and leg workouts even dragging out the weights from her office closet.

Later in the Day...

The day had begun with a tiring workout but keeping up with her high-energy daughter had been the real challenge of the day, as much as she loved Laura. Sundays were her only day off. Monday through Friday consisted of working at the secondary school from 8 am to 2:30 pm and then after school voice lessons on Thursdays. Saturdays, Rachel dedicated her time volunteering at the local theater, working with kids, teens, and young adults through a program that helped underprivileged youth stay out of trouble. In between all of that were the doctor's appointments Laura had to go to for her chemotherapy sessions, MRI scans, CAT scans at the hospital sometimes overnight stays. Not to mention her own hospital visits and her own appointments. And then piles of grading papers, projects, and other things that came with normal life. Her life was always going, but Rachel preferred it to be that way. A busy mind was a happy mind, if she was left sitting for too long, she started to get too antsy. But she wasn't busy enough to not take a moment or two throughout her day to appreciate the moments she had with Riley and Laura, the second chance at life she'd been given. How grateful she was for it all. The beauty in even the smallest of things. Even after Laura was diagnosed with cancer last year, Rachel still was able to find the positive in all the little beautiful moments she had with her strong daughter.

"Alright you, I'm gonna set you on the couch, you can have dessert after dinner but you have to stay here. Can't have you running around in the kitchen while mummy's trying to finish dinner." Rachel said softly, setting Laura down on the couch in the living room. Her daughter was already enthralled in the cartoon on the TV, much to Rachel's relief, mission accomplished. "I'll be in the kitchen, you holler if you need me, okay?" Rachel asked and the kitchen timer went off, causing her to look in the direction of the kitchen. "Laura, did you hear me?" But her daughter wasn't responding. The kitchen timer went off again and Rachel took her daughter's inability to answer as a sign that she wasn't going to move from the spot that she was in. The timer went off yet again and Rachel rushed to the kitchen, grabbing oven mitts before throwing open the oven door. A waft of smoke hit her face, a burning smell hitting her nostrils. The smell of it sent her stumbling back towards the island counter behind her, catching her before she could really fall on her butt. "Oh my gosh!" She said, trying to regain her balance. The burnt smell made her head spin, and her vision tunnel but she was persistent as she pushed herself up and reached for the whole chicken she'd baked, grabbing it from the oven and placing it on the stovetop before shutting the oven door and using the oven mitts to beat away some of the smoke.

Throwing the mitts to the side, Rachel clasped her hands against the counter to the left of the stove, unable to really support herself any longer despite her best efforts to gain control now. Her heart was racing so hard in her chest it was making a whooshing sound in her ears, she could taste copper in her mouth. The anxiety attack that grappled her seemed to come from nowhere, but Rachel knew that the burning smell had triggered it. "Mum?" Laura's small voice called from behind her, causing Rachel to turn around quickly, spinning so fast that her vision doubled for just a second and she saw two of the small blonde 3-year-old who was practically her mini-me. When her vision realigned, Rachel couldn't even be upset, not that she ever was with Laura, that she was in the kitchen after telling her not to be. "Otay?" Laura asked, and Rachel nodded, slowly bending down to her level. "I'm alright." She murmured, opening up her arms for her daughter to hop into before standing to carry her. Giving the chicken a once over, she realized that maybe the grease from the pan had fallen to the bottom of the stove and was just burning off because the chicken looked perfect as usual. The lingering burning smell still wafted under her nose but Rachel did her best to ignore it as she walked Laura to the dining room table, "Alright kiddo, in your seat, we go. Let's get some veggies cooking and maybe if Maddy sees you with some veg on your plate she'll eat hers too huh? Broccoli sound good?" Rachel asked, buckling Laura into her booster seat. Laura made a face at the word broccoli and Rachel laughed. "God, you and Riley really do make the same I hate broccoli face don't ya? Well if you both want dessert, you're both gonna have to eat it."

With that, she turned to grab a few coloring stuff for Laura and set them down in front of her neatly before moving to get the rest of dinner ready, turning on some music while passing by the stereo in the kitchen as well.
with: Riley or Maddy Melanin-Gxdess

Cuba

...10 Months Ago...

The Santana Residence
~ Manzanillo, Cuba ~

Ferris Santana (Collin McCarthy) ​

10 days after their breakup, Collin had been trying to get back to normal. Or whatever that was these days. During the height of his relationship with Michael, Collin had been working at Elena's Bed and Breakfast less as a nighttime entertainer, usually glued to the piano and microphone singing away for hours and hours on end and spending more time with his boyfriend. But with no relationship to keep him happy, Collin had been working himself like a horse, and when he wasn't working he was helping his mother or Adam with whatever they needed before auditioning at the local theater for any part in shows that interested him. What had started out as just an innocent thing had turned serious at the start of Summer in 1995 and by the Winter of 1996 it was over. Not by Michael's doing. Collin had ended it. Michael loved him and Collin felt the same way but when Michael wanted to come out to the family after keeping their relationship under wraps, Collin couldn't. Fear? Maybe. Coward? Most Definitely.

Collin had been in the living room of his parent's home, not wanting to be confined to his lonely apartment, idly stroking some of the keys on the piano while knocking back a drink when his mother's voice sounded behind him. "Wow." She had said, though Collin didn't turn around. Her footsteps against their tiled floor could be heard and when she moved to sit next to him on the piano bench he still didn't look up, just continuing to stroke the piano keys. "She really had you by the balls, didn't she?" Blake asked then, her vulgar words now causing Collin to crack a smile even in his low mood, which made Blake smile. "Ahh, there it is, that beautiful smile I worked so hard to create." She had hummed. Collin looked up from the piano, tears in his eyes now and Blake's expression softened. "You have his smile lines, you know?" Blake asked, moving to wipe at his tears before tracing her son's smile lines on his cheeks with her index finger, one...then the other. Collin just searched her eyes, not saying anything. "The right one is out there, Collin. I know that sounds like a cliché. But it's true. Hell, I found two of them. Your father and then when he passed, Adam." The young man looked away then, but nodded his head, more tears falling as they hit the keys of the piano.

Everything was silent for a few moments, just the birds chirping away outside the open windows when Collin finally said, "Mam?" His voice was small and rough. Blake looked at her son, but he couldn't look up, not yet as he squeezed his eyes shut. Michael's face in his mind. "What if h-she was the right one? And I just fucked it up?" Collin asked and Blake raised a brow, having caught the slight hiccup in his words but didn't think much of it at the moment, not when her son needed her. "Second chances, come to those who deserve them, Collin. And I may be biased given that you're my son and all. But if it's meant to be. And she's the right one, you'll get it." Blake reassured, rubbing his back before leaning in and pressing a kiss to his temple. " Plus a handsome mug like yours, your father had all the ladies at his doorstep, I was having to keep them away with a broom when we were dating. Though now that I think about it, I was mainly hittin' your Uncle Conor with it. Man wanted your father more than I did some days!" His mother teased and Collin barked out a laugh, looking up to meet his mother's eyes to which she said, "See look at that, so handsome. Might have to get another broom to keep the ladies away from this house too, or gentleman eh?" That comment made Collin stiffen but Blake just laughed it off, "Gotcha kiddo! Now come on, stop knocking back my good whiskey! Let me fix you a glass of my cheap stuff!"

***


...Present Day...
​

The time between his mother's birthday and his birthday was always a weird time. Collin never considered himself to be a man who got easily depressed minus after his breakup with Michael or the first year they'd been separated from their family but his mood as of late had been particularly low. Natasha had been on his mind a lot. He continued to work himself like a horse, not letting himself up after his breakup 10 months ago and even after his talk with his mother. After that talk though he'd taken an interest in doing more things with Adam, particularly just working out more and getting into better physical shape. Anything to keep his mind from just thinking about Michael, or rather...their relationship. Once he was ready to speak with him again, Collin was overjoyed, but he took it slow. The family, of course, didn't know about their relationship so taking it too slow with them around was nearly impossible to do. Still, Collin didn't make it weird...or at least he thought he wasn't making it weird.

He kept things as they were before their relationship really took off, friendly, sweet, and what Collin did best...made it fun. Today, the Zegarras, Porters, and Harpers, or rather the Villanuevas, Monteros, and Santanas were all together and the middle children, the ones young enough to still not have kids but not be kids themselves had broken off from the rest of the family to just be on their own. Emilia had suggested it and at first, Collin in a sheer state of anxious panic was going to try his hardest to get out of it, but deciding that he'd been avoiding hanging out with Michael one on one for far too long knew he had to face the fear. Plus, Blake was like an Irish bloodhound, after the comment she'd made just 10 months ago, he was starting to get this sinking suspicion that she knew something was up and it was making him all sorts of flighty.

"Don't veer off too far you three," Blake had told Michael, Emilia, and Collin, kissing her son on the temple as he rolled his eyes. "You got it, Mam." He said, giving her a little mock salute followed by a teasing smile. "She runs a tight ship around here doesn't she, Dad?" Collin asked Adam on his way out the door, beer in his hand, opening it against the counter before disposing of the beer cap in the trash. It was the only thing that was going to get him through this interaction. Sure, Emilia was gonna be there, and that was going to help buffer any awkwardness but Collin hated any kind of awkwardness. With a passion. Once the three of them were outside, the breeze had picked up slightly, the warmth causing him to sigh lightly. While he missed home, his sister, and everyone. Cuba was beautiful. Knowing that his mood was low, Collin had to work hard to continue to be friendly, especially in the presence of guests so turning to Emilia and Michael, he smiled at them both. "How long do you think it's gonna take for each of our parents to get plastered? I know Adam can handle his liquor the best, so my bet is on him being the last to go down. I'll place my bets on Thomas being the first to puke."
with: Michael Pyroclast ; Emilia Misty Gray


Germany

Interpol Headquarters
~ Berlin, Germany ~

Nikolaus Jäger
Wesley Roberts
​

"So what does this mean then, Klaus?" Wesley asked, looking at his superior up and down before looking over to where Erik was seated, knowing that his partner was probably growing impatient like he was with Klaus's usual dancing. "I know ye Germans like to dance, I'm a big fan of the polka myself but today's not the best day for it." He joked, once again looking towards Erik. After having spent so long with him, Harper before she died, and the rest that they both held so near and dear, Wesley knew today was a...bittersweet anniversary of sorts. The first time Harper tried to take her own life. While it had sparked a lot of negative things in her family, from those negative things came a lot of positive growth...at least from what Wesley had been told. Erik had gone to visit Harper in the psychiatric hospital after reading what she'd written about him and her brother in her suicide note, compelled to know her more. It sparked a friendship, unlike Wesley, had ever seen and if he was being honest, unlike he'd probably ever see again in his lifetime. Harper got a second chance at her life, learned that she was pregnant with Bucky, and her family grew to understand that there were things she needed from them that required far more than just their constant overbearing protection. That had been before Interpol meddled in their business.

Once the raid took place, Harper had fallen apart, even after Klaus did his best to make the transition easy...offering the woman some guidance and distraction by working with the Porter family, specifically Syd Porter, as a way to get her mind off all that she'd lost and connect with others outside of her own who were going through the same thing. But it hadn't been enough. Harper had tried to take her life again on March 23rd, 1986 just 10 days after giving birth to her only child Nicolas Buchanan Gray, or Bucky as she fondly called him. No one knew what to expect when Harper went in there, but the last thing they expected when she came out, was the close relationship she had with Syd Porter following that stay and her eagerness to be a part of Interpol much to the objection of both Jeremy Gray, who was forced to join shortly after due to the criminal rehabilitation program guidelines and Erik...who was now in Harper's place at this very moment.

​

Things had calmed down since 1993 after Wesley and Harper were on a job and she died in a car accident that he could have prevented...or continued to tell himself he could have despite telling others he had long since forgiven himself. Aurora Walsh, just like Harper King, had been in Wesley's life and gone in an instant. Leaving the next year in 1994, a one-night stand between them and nothing more, no goodbye. Wesley, had he been in a better place, had he had more time...may have listened to the words Harper had told him a few months before she died while on another job. How will you know if you don't ever try? She had said to him on account of Rory. This had been after several drinks and her moaning and groaning about how Rory and Wesley were always making eyes at each other in the backseat of her car on missions, how they were always bickering like children, and that if they really wanted to be together then they should just be, Life's too fuckin' short to faff around, Wes. Don't you want a family of your own? Or at least her? Harper had said before nearly falling off her bar stool. "Wesley?" Klaus said, causing the Northern Irishman to snap back to reality. "You just asked me what it meant, made fun of polka dancing, and checked out. Listen up, we don't have much time." Klaus instructed gently before looking between Erik and Wesley. "Sheesh someone woke up on the wrong side of the lederhosen this mornin'." Wesley said, turning to Erik again to see if he was listening before giving his shoulder a gentle nudge.

"We've already made talks with those on floors 10 and 11. We are just waiting for the signature from the heads upstairs. What this means is..." Klaus looked to Erik and Wesley, his face serious despite Wesley's joke. Klaus looked tired, having been all night the night before talking with those above him having to explain to his superiors that people who were meant to be dead were actually alive. He wasn't giving out locations, not yet at least. He needed collateral. Reassurance that Interpol wasn't going to fuck them over and just kill innocent people even though he'd fucked them over a decade ago. "If we get those signatures. The Kings, Sullivans, and Porters will have their identities restored in full. But with that privilege comes a price. One that is currently being negotiated with me and others upstairs. I can assure you that I am working hard to make sure no one is getting taken advantage of and that no one will get hurt by the organization here." Klaus looked at Erik specifically as he said this, knowing that the man didn't trust him at all. Even after 12 years, Erik still had his doubts about him but Klaus wasn't going to work hard to persuade him one way or the other. Ava was all he cared about. His family with her was his entire world and their happiness was his top priority as well as their safety.

"One of the stipulations I can tell you will be a definite is that they will all be allowed to resurface under the condition that they are under Interpols bidding until the operation is complete. Carter is out of control in London, far more than he wants anyone to see but we've had our eyes on him for years thanks to efforts that Harper was able to lock down before she passed." Klaus murmured softly, bowing his head in a respectful way. "We'll have more eyes on the inside than ever before with the likes of you Erik, Jeremy, Syd, and the rest...but this is a delicate situation and must be treated as such. Once those papers are signed, we will be sending you all out to retrieve them and bring them back to London." Any jokes Wesley had in him had long since been knocked out of his head as he listened to every word his superior was saying, not even turning to look at Erik yet.

"They are allowed to come out of hiding then? Get their names back, everything we worked to do just...?" Wesley asked, confusion painting his voice and Klaus nodded his face. "It's not as easy as that but essentially yes. The Kings, Sullivans, and Porters are once again free to roam the earth...but as I said, the organization has plans for them. We have a much bigger threat on the horizon, boys."
with: Erik Melanin-Gxdess

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Chapter 1: Unnatural Habitat
Sunday 7th September 1997
...12 years later...
Dublin: Early Evening - Cool, Cloudy Skies
Gran Canaria: Evening - Warm, Clear Skies, Breezy
******************************

******************************
Sullivan Family Home
~Gran Canaria~
Christina & Chelsea Donovan
(Rhiannon & Sydney Sullivan)

♫Angel By The Wings x Sia♫

Spoiler: Trigger Warning

Brief mention of attempted suicide

The sound of freshly laid ice being cut up underneath her skates was something Rhiannon never knew she’d miss. The arena itself - lights dimmed, stands empty - was her haven. It was peaceful and made all her worries disappear. When she was out on the ice nothing mattered; nothing existed besides her and the cold, hard ground beneath her blades.Save for the employees, it had been empty today. Most people preferred to take advantage of the sunny island and stick to the beach. Usually, Rhiannon was one of those people but today she needed a distraction. Earlier that day she'd been cleaning her room when a photo album fell from her shelf. She took a moment to look inside and the first page had her immediately tearing up. Five polaroids of her and her older brother, Leo, sat arranged neatly with descriptions scribbled next to them. They were images of her in sparkly dresses, sitting on his shoulders with different colored medals. They were all from different ice skating competitions.

Leo had always been her biggest cheerleader when it came to ice skating. He was her coach and the one she went to when she needed help with practicing routines for her programs. She could always count on him to push her the furthest to make sure she succeeded. "Tuck your goddamn elbows," she could hear him say. She laughed at the brief memory of them arguing on the proper form for a triple axel. The rest of the album had various pictures added. Their birthdays and graduations and family events. Silly ones Rhiannon had taken while he was sleeping. It was a book full of bittersweet memories and looking at it then absolutely broke her heart. It'd been 12 years since she'd last seen her older brother and she missed him dearly. They'd made plans to go all the way to the Olympics together; he'd be her official coach and she'd go on to win a gold medal for Ireland. And after her third consecutive win, she would retire and they'd go down in history as the best brother-sister duo ever. But after the Interpol raid, those dreams no longer felt like something within her grasp. She couldn’t do it without her older brother and even then it didn’t feel right to her.

Clair de Lune played over the headphones of her walkman as she glided along the ice with precision. From the outside looking in you couldn't tell that she hadn't skated in the past decade. Sure,in the beginning she was rusty as hell, but the moment she found her rhythm she was golden. And once she got to that dreaded triple axle she landed it with no problem and let out a shocked laugh. If only he had been there to see it; her mastery of such a move with such ease and grace. The thought made her start crying again, coming to a stop against the edge to hold herself up. She hadn't cried over her brother like this in years. Not since the depression and the attempt and seeing someone for help. It felt like she had a hole in her chest and it didn't matter what she did; nothing could ever fill it. Not until she was able to see her brother again. If she was able to see him again. Marco had been sitting in the stands nearby - Rhiannon seldom being seen without him. But, that wasn't because of the potential danger of someone finding them. No, ever since Rhiannon's reckless behavior years ago Marco was always right behind her. He walked over and stood on the other side of the partition, wrapping his arms around her shoulders. Even if he didn't know why she'd been crying he was always going to be a shoulder for her.

"Come. Volvamos a casa, hm?" She nodded her head against his chest as Marco handed her her blade guards and shoes. After a few minutes, they were back in the car headed home - Marco glancing over at her in the front seat. "He'd be proud of you, you know." Rhiannon didn't respond right away, sniffling before asking how he knew. "All big brothers are proud of their younger siblings, Chiquita. The fact that you were able to grow into the wonderful woman you are in his absence shows your resiliency." While Rhiannon herself didn't believe she was anything great or special, she appreciated Marco's attempt at making her feel better. "Thanks. My parents don't pay you nearly enough to be my therapist," she joked. Marco let out a chuckle before shaking his head, pulling into the driveway. "Your parents don't pay me at all."

---

The moment they arrived home Rhiannon thanked Marco for his time and company. He always said the same thing, "You don't have to thank me," but she always felt like she did. He looked out for her in place of her older brother when he didn't have to; something she would forever be grateful for. Rhiannon walked into the family home and before she could even announce she was back, Sydney appeared. She was accosted by her younger sister bounding down the stairs the moment she stepped into the family home. "Rhini! When did you leave?!" Sydney had been napping when Rhiannon left earlier that day. When she woke up, she'd gone looking for her older sister only to find she'd gone. "A few minutes after you went for your nap," she told her, giving her a hug and kissing the top of her head. "Where're the parents?" Sydney quickly informed her they were out sunbathing together before changing the subject. "So listen, I have a new song and I want to hear your opinion. You got a minute?" Though all Rhiannon wanted to do was crawl into bed and cry her eyes out, she wasn't going to tell her that. Not when Sydney was so excited about something. The tone of her voice and that sparkle in her eyes made it clear enough. She gave her a soft smile and nodded toward the stairs. "Of course, babes, come on." Sydney squealed and led the way up to her bedroom.

"Um, okay. So, it's- it's a work in progress, Rhi, so don't judge." Sydney was nervously fidgeting with herself; tugging on her clothes, constantly brushing her hair behind her ear. She'd been working on this song for her school talent show for months now but she only had one verse and a chorus. She invited Rhiannon to sit on her bed to listen - Rhiannon smiling as she did. Sydney always said the same thing when playing her newest song for her and it never got old. "I never do, Si-Si," she assured, leaning back against her hands. "Come on. Let's hear it." Sydney glanced at her guitar, propped up against the wall. She started biting and playing with her lip before letting out a nervous laugh. "D-Don't you and Lucas have plans? I don't wanna take up all your time." Rhiannon nodded her head. "Sure, we do. But they aren't for another couple of hours." Rhiannon observed her sister with soft eyes - something she'd only ever done for her. She could tell that this song meant a lot to her - all of them did, really, but there was something specific about this one that had her more nervous than usual. "So come on. As your number one fan I demand to hear your newest song first," she smiled, causing Sydney to do the same. She finally relented and picked up her guitar. "Remember, I'm still working on it." Sydney then moved her desk chair to the middle of the room - sitting it in front of Rhiannon before taking a seat. The moment she strummed her first note all those worries seemed to melt away.

Rhiannon had always known her younger sister would end up doing something with music. Whether it was singing it or writing and composing, it was something. She'd always been talented and had a thing for music since she was born. Their aunt Sinead seemed to nourish that talent when she was in single digits and when their family was split apart Rhiannon took on that responsibility. Rhiannon wasn't sure if Sydney remembered their aunt, but Rhi did. Often she wondered how she'd feel knowing that Sydney stuck with it and was making her own music. That earlier sadness she'd felt about Leo was starting to creep up on her but she forced herself to listen to Sydney's song.

♪Ceilings, plaster
Can't you just make it move faster?
Lovely to be sitting here with you
You're kinda cute but it's raining harder
My shoes are now full of water
Lovely to be rained on with you
It's kinda cute but it's so short
Then you're drivin' me home
And I don't wanna leave
But I have to go
You kiss me in your car
And it feels like the start of a movie I've seen before
Before♪​

Sydney went on for a few more measures but eventually came to a stop. She played with her lip and looked up at her older sister, who sat with a proud smile on her face. "Rhini, you're freakin' me out! Say something." Rhiannon laughed and stood up, walking over to her. "Si-Si, it's great." There was a brief pause in her speech, Rhiannon squatting down in front of her. "Is it... About him?" Sydney's face turned red, her lips folding inward. She started playing with her fingers before scrunching her face up and looking at Rhi again. "Yeeeeah?" She cleared her throat and stood up, pacing the room. "No, yeah it totally is. Is that like, crazy? Psychotic? To write and perform a song about him at our school talent show?" Rhiannon sheepishly shrugged her shoulders. "I mean-," she paused, watching Sydney's eyes grow in horror. "Not if you've got some stuff to get off your chest. Besides - everyone knows you use your music to cope and speak your mind. I don't think you should hold back just because of what some brats at your school might think." Sydney smiled at her - nodding her head. "Yeah. Yeah, you're right," Sydney exclaimed. Something about her older sister always gave her the confidence she needed when it came to her music and her life. Sydney knew that as long as she had Rhiannon by her side she'd have the support and confidence to do anything. Sydney thanked her after that - Rhiannon departing to get ready for her night out with Lucas. When she reached the door frame, she paused and turned around. "Hey, Sydney?" Sydney looked over at her. "...Leo would be proud of you too - you know that right?"

There were very few things Sydney remembered about her older brother before the separation. It'd taken her flipping through photo albums to remember what he looked like. There were times when she'd have dreams of him; dreams that her family confirmed were actual memories instead and not something she made up in her head. Splashing about in the pool during the summer. Falling into piles of leaves during the fall. Snowball fights during the winter, and jumping in puddles during the spring. Such small moments, and yet she remembered every one of them. She couldn't quite remember what his voice or his laugh sounded like, but she did remember his smile. Sydney smiled wide and nodded her head. "Yeah," she whispered, scrunching up her face. "You okay?" For a second Rhiannon stood in silence. She knew what it meant when Sydney asked her such a question with that squirrely look on her face. She'll never forget the day Sydney walked into her bathroom and saw her on the floor; tiles painted red with a razor nearby. "Yeah, babes, I'm okay," Rhiannon stated. "I promise."

Rhiannon took her time getting ready for her evening out with Lucas. She'd called him just before she left for the arena to ask if he wanted to go out. Sure, it was a Sunday, but Rhiannon needed to escape. She could feel the depression creeping in - clouding her mind and she wasn't about to resort to her old ways. Instead, shots and dancing would be her haven for the night. Standing in the kitchen, rummaging around for food, Aliana snuck and smacked her bottom. Rhiannon yelped and turned around in surprise. "Mom!" Immediately she rubbed the spot with her hand and Ali stood laughing. "You're always so skittish," she teased, looking her over. "And every time you go out it's with fewer and fewer clothes." Rhi looked down at her attire; a leather skirt, a long-sleeve mesh crop top that showed her black bra, and thigh-length leather heels. "This is a long-sleeved shirt," she said matter-of-factly, resuming her food search. There had been leftover pasta and she wasted no time in heating it. "It has holes in it, Rhini." Her daughter smirked at her. "Oh, pfft. I saw some of the clothes you used to wear in your heyday, young lady. I don't wanna hear it." Ali let out another laugh before moving to sit on the other side of the island. "Touche." Aliana then observed her daughter as she moved about the kitchen. She'd grabbed a fork. A cup of water. Then stood in front of the microwave and opened it just before the beeping went off. And when Rhiannon muttered, "Yes," in triumph to herself, Ali smiled.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" Rhiannon had felt her mother's eyes on her the entire time; she just didn't want to ruin whatever thoughts were going through her head. With a mouth full of pasta, she looked up at her. "Marco told you about what happened today?" There was a knowing look in her eyes. Marco was a keeper of secrets, that much she could say about him. But when it came to Leo and anything that may potentially send her on a downward spiral she knew he would always bring it to her parents. "I miss him too," Ali whispered. Her voice was sad and it matched the longing look in her eyes. They’d gone two years thinking that he and Natasha were dead. Two years of grieving and trying to get themselves together. And at the end of those two years, they were told they were alive and well and had even more children on the way. That grief turned into the hope that they’d be able to see them again sooner rather than later. But as the years went on the pure, innocent hope turned into desperation until they were forced to come to terms with their situation; they had no idea how long it’d be until they saw him or any of their family ever again… Aliana reached up to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her daughter’s ear. “But, just like Agent Walsh said. He and Nat are together; they’ve got kids and are alive. Just knowing that is something, ain’t it?” She searched her eyes as if needing Rhiannon to confirm her thought process; to reassure her she wasn’t just blowing smoke or even bullshitting herself. “Yeah, of course,” Rhiannon whispered. “And one day I’ll get to see my nieces and nephews and you get to see your grandchildren.” Ali chuckled and took a step back. “Well, if you would settle down I could see some now.” Rhiannon immediately set down her bowl and moved toward the front door. “Oh, would you look at the time! I gotta meet Lucas.”

After saying her goodbyes, Rhiannon climbed into the passenger seat of the black SUV Marco drove the family around in. She never sat in the back because she hated feeling as though Marco was her chauffeur; he wasn’t. He was so much more than that now. “What time should I be back,” Marco asked, pulling up to the entrance of the nightclub where Rhi would be meeting Lucas. Turning to him, Rhiannon gave him a sarcastic glare. “We both know you’re gonna be parked right up the block, waiting for me and Luke to stumble out the front door.” Marco gave her a chuckle before shaking his head. “A block? No, no, Chiquita. I’ll be right on the other side of this street.” He pointed to an empty spot parallel to the club. Despite the no parking sign, she knew Marco was going to do whatever he wanted. “Right.” She playfully rolled her eyes before jumping out. “Salud, Marco.” To which Marco replied, “Salud, amor, pesetas y tiempo para disfrutarlos, pequeñita!” He then told her to stay safe before driving off as Rhiannon glanced around for her cousin. When she found him she approached him with a grin on her face. “Are you, dear cousin, ready to get drunk on the holiest day of the week?”

Lucas ( Misty Gray )

---

Bryne Family Home
~Dublin~
Declan Bryne
(Leo Sullivan)
♫Gilded Lily x Cults ♫​

Leo Sullivan had been struggling to sleep the past couple of nights. The raid of Interpol in 1985 haunted his dreams and each time it did he’d wake in a cold sweat. He’d check and make sure he didn’t wake Natasha, who seemed to always be pleasantly sleeping next to him. After staring at the ceiling for fifteen minutes he always managed to shake the thoughts from his head, hold his wife, and fall back asleep. However, tonight had been different. There was no going back to sleep so he’d just committed to being awake. He glanced at the clock next to him, reading 5:48 in neon green. With a heavy sigh, he gently pushed himself up from bed, throwing the covers off to the side. He made sure not to wake Natasha - folding his side of the covers down to prevent her from getting cold. After throwing on a pair of sweats and a shirt, he kissed her forehead and made his way down the hall. One by one he checked on his children, accidentally waking Seana - his eldest - up in the process. “It’s not time to be up,” she softly whispered, her eyes still closed. “I know. I just-,” Leo faltered. He couldn’t bring himself to tell her why he’d got the sudden urge to check on them; like they were about to be ripped from him at any second. “I was making sure you hadn’t snuck out.” Seana gave him a sleepy chuckle and waved him away. “I have a few years before that. Go away.” Leo chuckled to himself before gently closing her door. However, he hadn’t walked away from it just yet, pressing his forehead against it and closing his eyes.

"Natasha and I are... Having a baby. We're pregnant. She- she's pregnant." The sound of his voice echoed in his head. The excitement. The joy. He could remember that feeling he had when telling his family about Seana. They hadn’t known, of course, back then that it was going to be a girl but that didn’t matter. He and Nat were about to fulfill the dreams they’d shared just a few weeks prior. It may have all been happening faster than they planned. Faster than they had anticipated but… They would be together and that’s what truly mattered at the end of it all. Their family would lend a hand and welcome their newborn daughter with open arms and smiles and everything was going to be okay! Until, of course, it wasn’t. Their family was ripped from them, their dreams smothered until there was no life left. They were lost and broken and unsure of what to do next. Forced to figure out their next moves alone before Seana was born in just a few months. And when that day finally arrived it was bittersweet. They’d welcomed their first child into the world but those who meant the world to them weren’t around to see it. Leo was sure back then he was bound to break but 12 years later showed the opposite. Leo then moved on to check on the triplets next. All three were sleeping in their beds and their rooms. Sometimes he’d find Wayne in someone else’s room or even Seana in someone’s room. He loved that his kids were so close as they reminded him of his relationship with his own.

“Can we… Sleep with you tonight?” Rhiannon may have been an independent girl when she was younger, Leo thought, but she was softer than she let on. He remembered that particular night as it had been after he had gotten shot. Neither Sydney nor Rhiannon wanted to leave his side for weeks. Some nights he’d woken up with them in his bed and others they’d asked but he would never deny them. He wanted his sisters to know he would always be around and be there for them. Leo was the older brother after all and it was his job; a title he happily accepted when his mother first told him he was going to be a big brother. After gently placing kisses on each of the triplet’s foreheads, he softly closed each door to not wake any of them up before heading back to his bedroom. For a split second he was going to climb back into bed, try and force that sleep he so desperately needed, but decided against it. There was no way he was going to be able to now - not with these memories swirling in his head. Before he left he walked to Natasha’s side of the bed and squatted down in front of her. She’d been sleeping so peacefully. There were no creases on her forehead and she didn’t look so stressed. So tired and let down. Leo couldn’t help but look down at his hands and wonder if he was the cause.

“I just want things to never change between us. As in I want us to continue to be best friends as we've always been. Just because we might be married or have kids, I don't want us to change. We can love each other and still be the best of friends. We are proving that now. I just hope that never changes.” Natasha’s words played through his head then. A promise made by both of them over a decade ago. He couldn’t exactly say that they were still fulfilling that promise, could he? Things didn’t feel the same the night they’d had such a conversation. And as much as Leo held on to it he couldn’t help but feel like it was slowly slipping from his fingers. He looked up at her again suddenly wondering if he’d failed her. Wishing that she would tell him if he had but worried about the way things would end if she did. So instead he placed a soft kiss on her forehead and stood up to quietly leave. The door clicked closed and Leo found himself down in the basement gym. It took him a bit to properly wrap his hands and once he had Leo set about taking out everything on the brown punching bag hanging in a corner. Flashes of that fateful day ignited in his mind. The screaming. The panic in everyone’s voices. The look in his mother’s eyes when his father handed her that black duffel bag. Both of his sisters had been present during the announcement and he hadn’t even gotten to hug them. To properly share his excitement with his immediate family as well as extended family. All because of Interpol. The word caused him to punch the bag harder than he’d been doing thus far. They were the cause of all of this. Some assholes who wouldn't mind their goddamn business. His punches got harder and faster - sweat dripping down his face and soaking his t-shirt. The scene then changed in his head once more.

He and Natasha were wearing hoods that concealed their faces as they stood in front of an electronics shop. In the display window were several small TVs stacked on one another. Some showed silly commercials and goofy cartoons while others showed the news. It was the news that had caught their attention - a house engulfed in yellow and orange flames in the background. And it only took them a split second to recognize it as Lucy’s home. Leo and Natasha moved with swiftness back to his aunt’s home. When they got there police were swarming the place and trying to keep passersby and journalists and camera crews back. They could hear mentions of dead bodies and it was enough to send them both reeling. Leo looked down at Natasha before again grabbing her hand and leading her away from the rabble. But, Leo wasn’t about to give up. Surely, he thought, they were still alive? Maybe those Interpol folks moved them to another house just for the moment; just until he and Nat got to them? And it was that hope that Leo had clung onto that propelled him through every disappointing discovery of empty and ransacked homes. When they finally made their way to his own home and found it empty Leo felt something break.

The memory shocked Leo’s system and he had to pause. The punching bag swung with a squeak and Leo just watched it, breathing heavily. Tears stung his eyes and for the first time in years, he sobbed. With one hand propped up on the wall beside him for support, the other rested on his hip and he sobbed. A decade ago Agent Walsh showed up on his doorstep and informed him his family was, indeed, alive and well. But when he asked if he could see them she immediately shot him down. It was a bittersweet moment - especially as Natasha had been pregnant with the triplets when the news was broken. He wanted so badly to, again, break, but he couldn’t. Not when Natasha herself was doing so. His wife and daughter - and soon triplets - meant much more to him than anything in the world and they needed him. Needed him to provide and be strong and take care of them. There was no time for him to go breaking down anymore. So he swallowed the grief. He swallowed the heartbreak and gave his wife whatever it was she needed and was there in whatever way she wanted.

His cell phone rang after a few moments and he had to get himself together before he answered. Glancing at the clock it was now almost seven in the morning. “Yeah,” he said, wiping his eyes of tears. The voice on the other end sounded frantic. “Fuck, Elle, slow down. What’s the problem?” The young woman began to explain something about the casino and how there had been an ‘incident’ but didn’t mention what kind. “I’ll be there,” he said, moving toward his office. There was a closet inside where he kept some of his clothes when he surrendered a small portion of his bedroom closet to his wife. “Call Alejandro and have him meet me there, alright? Don’t call anyone else.” He flipped his phone closed and took a deep sigh. Sunday morning. And he was about to go to work. Just the thought of it made his headache, but the circumstance wasn’t why. It was the fact that he was working on a Sunday and he knew what the consequences of doing so were. But, what could he do? Ignore it? Then there would be a plethora of issues and Leo couldn’t lose what he’d built. Not now. Not when he was barely holding on to his sanity. Bucking up and steeling his nerves Leo took a quick shower before silently leaving his home. He’d left a note on the table in the foyer explaining his whereabouts and how long he’d be. By the time you wake up, I’ll be back. A lie. But, not one told on purpose.

---

Because of her babbling, Leo didn’t understand what his employee, Elle, meant when she said someone had been hurt. “Someone was fuckin’ stabbed, Elle, not hurt.” Leo pinched the bridge of his nose as Alejandro squatted to the ground over the dead body. “I mean,” he started, pressing two fingers underneath his neck searching for a pulse. “ ‘M sure it hurt when it happened, so.” Leo glared at him before turning to Elle. “What happened?” The three of them were standing in the secret section of the restaurant and lounge, where a select group of people was allowed. In this secret section, there were several different tables set up for illegal gambling. Blackjack, roulette, a card table, you name it. Along the wall had been a smaller bar lined with liquor bottles and differently shaped glasses. The lights were turned on now and it illuminated the normally dark room with white light. “H-He was cheating! And one of the other guys caught him and-,”

“What other guy,” Leo demanded, looking around. There was no one else there and if the look on her face was any indication he was about to have a long morning. “You let him go?” Elle shook her head, trying to explain but again it came out as babble and she gave up. “Elle! Fucking relax!” He hadn’t wanted to snap at the girl but she was starting to piss him off. “Alejandro-,” the man stood and nodded his head. The man didn’t even need to say anything to him for him to know Leo needed the dead man disposed of. Luckily it wasn’t someone important. Riff-raff that’d managed to wiggle his way into a place he shouldn’t’ve been. They would dump his body in some dumpster somewhere and when the police found the body they’d chalk it up to gang violence or something. But none of it would come back on him; it never did. Leo ran a relatively clean business - managing to keep cops from snooping and deaths down to a minimum. It was truly a rarity when someone did in his business but when they did he immediately took care of it and he did it himself. He didn’t trust anyone else.

Elle started to cry and Leo heavily sighed, grabbing her by the shoulders. "Alright, alright, come on," he said through gritted teeth. The twenty-something-year-old wiped the tears from her eyes before looking up at him. "You did right by callin' me." Elle nodded. "I-I know you said not at this time of night and- and that your wife would be pissed but I didn't know what else to do!" Leo reassured her that he hadn't even been in the room when she called, ignoring her question of why he was up. He moved to Alejandro who was asking one of the bouncers to bring a rug and a few other supplies. They were going to dump the body and then get on their hands and knees and clean up all the blood pooling underneath the cards table. And it had taken a lot longer than Leo had anticipated. Dublin was awake and he was sure his family was too. He hadn't even realized what time it was until Elle came to inform him she was about to open the doors for the evening. "Fuck, it's that late?" Alejandro looked at him and nodded. "Didn't realize it either, hermano. I've got a date," he smirked, closing his cell phone. "Found the guy, by the way. You wanna handle this now or..." By the worried look on Leo's face, it was clear it would have to wait until later. It was bad enough he was working during the weekend - on Sunday at that - but he'd been away for nearly the whole day! "We can handle it tomorrow. Nat's gonna kick my ass if I'm not home sooner rather than later." Alejandro couldn't help but chuckle. The fact that he knew Leo was telling the truth is where he'd found the humor in his words. "Good luck," he shouted, watching as Leo grabbed his keys. "I'll finish here."

Leo pulled into the driveway of his home - checking the mailbox before walking up to the front door. Before he’d even opened the door he could hear the pitter-patter of feet and even the dog’s collar. Even if he wanted to he couldn’t help the smile that grew on his face every time he heard it. The door swung open, and Seana took a step back to allow her father to enter before he was attacked with hugs and excited talking. The four of them always seemed to talk over each other and Leo had gotten good at figuring out who was saying what. “Alright, alright, alright,” he said, closing the door behind him. He got down on one knee so he was able to be at eye level with them. “Now, you know I can’t process what you guys say when you’re talking over each other so how about this,” he said, glancing down at his watch. "Give me thirty minutes alone with your mother and then you can tell me all about your day." As he said it he couldn't help but feel guilty. If he'd been home like he was supposed to be he'd know exactly how their day went. The triplets departed leaving only Seana staring at her father. She had that same disappointed look on her face that Natasha at times looked at him with. "So. How upset is she?" Seana raised her eyebrows and crossed her arms. "I already have a blanket and pillow ready for you on the couch." She gave him a pat on the shoulder before following after her siblings. Leo took a deep breath, hanging his head for a moment. It was inevitable, he guessed, the conversation he was about to have. There was no avoiding it. “Nat,” he shouted, standing to his feet. There was a brief moment of silence before she answered with her location. Things between him and his wife had been… Rocky, to say the least. He wasn’t stupid and knew things hadn’t been perfect, but in his head, they hadn’t been horrendous either. It was probably a sentiment he alone had but he wouldn’t know. He and Nat rarely spoke about their true feelings these days. He just hoped that she would hear him out and understand his reason behind leaving so early and being gone all day...

Natasha ( Bellz )

---

The Bodyshop
~Dublin~
Alejandro Cortez
♫Cotton Candy x Weston Estate♫

After watching Leo depart in a hurry Alejandro took over cleaning up the mess. He got rid of the bloody, soapy water and the bucket that held it. There was no trace of anyone ever being stabbed and killed once he'd finished. Even the materials they'd used were disposed of properly. Most would've dumped it in the garbage out back but not Alejandro. No, he disposed of everything in a dumpster a few blocks over. That way if anyone decided they were going to do a little bit of snooping they would find nothing of importance. When he returned to the underground casino he noticed Elle still looking nervous and biting at her thumbnail. "Next time," he advised, Elle looking over at him. "Frisk the patrons. Or just get Jasper or someone else to do it but frisk them." It was one of the rules Leo had set in place when he first started the illegal casino. Elle was supposed to be the person to make sure those rules were followed. Why and how she'd been put in such a position Alejandro would never understand but it wasn't his place to question it. He gave Elle a pat on the shoulder before looking at his watch. "I've gotta get going. Let's try not to have any more incidents, huh?"

Alejandro departed then, heading for the gym where he was supposed to meet Violet. It'd been two years since he landed in Dublin in search of his father. When he found out he was no longer there, the first thing he did was called the person who'd given him the information. Rory informed him she didn't know who'd ended up staying in Dublin and that it meant he was somewhere else - somewhere she couldn't tell him. It was bad enough that she'd said as much as she had to begin with. It was hard to accept such a fact but it wasn't all bad. In the process, he'd met Dermot - a man who'd been close friends with his father. Alejandro explained who he was and from there would ask about Marco. The stories he'd hear about the man were... Exciting, to be honest. He wished he'd been able to experience such things with him, but he knew the reason why. He knew why Marco left and understood the circumstance behind it. There was no malice behind the way he felt about his father either. He just wished he'd gotten to Dublin sooner.

In meeting Dermot, Alejandro also met Violet, the man's daughter. It didn't take a rocket scientist to see how protective he was of her so Alejandro trod carefully. That is, until he found himself alone with her and talking to her more and more. He couldn't deny that she was just as beautiful as she was intriguing. He'd taken a genuine interest in her but thanks to dear old Dad he often found Dermot getting in the way of that. Marco was a womanizer and a well-known one at that. No matter how much Alejandro tried to reassure those around him he was nothing of the sort it didn't seem to work. If the day ever arose when he would meet his father he definitely had a few choice words for him. Sullied his reputation before he even had one to build up!

Alejandro changed his clothes in the locker room. When he emerged he wore a black tank top and matching black shorts. He was in the process of getting the hand wraps ready to go when he spotted Violet walking through the door. And as per usual he just paused and watched her. Admired her. Maybe it was the independent and confident way she carried herself that had him forgetting where he was. He was attracted to such an attitude and Violet had no shortage of it. A smile grew in the corner of his lips and he looked down at his hands, shaking his head. "Amor enfermo idiota," he whispered to himself. When he glanced up again he finally called out to her. "Violeta," he shouted, waving his hand. "Was starting to think you were standing me up. You're not that kind of girl though, are you?"

Violet ( neverbackdown ) Cockblock, aka Dermot ( Misty Gray )

 

[Bellz]

Bryne Family Home
~Dublin~

Stevie Bryne (Natasha Sullivan)
Feat. Veronica Bryne (Sullivan) ​

Natasha gasped awake, sitting upright in bed despite having slept rather soundly throughout the night. Sleeping medications did their job, giving her dreamless sleep. After years of tossing and turning, years of tending to the triplets and Seana when they were small, she finally bit the bullet and took the offer from the doctor. It was the only thing keeping her sane. She had her job to think about, her kids and Leo...as damaged as that relationship was now, she still cared about the father of her children, even if he was a stranger to her now and he slept next to her every night. They shared the last name, still married. But Natasha knew that if the circumstances had been different if they hadn't been in hiding if he hadn't been all she had left, and if she wasn't dead to the entire world...they would have parted ways long ago. Looking at the time on the clock on Leo's bedside it read, 8:02 in neon green but he was nowhere to be seen. Her heart suddenly jumped into overdrive, a breathless feeling causing her lungs to grip the oxygen she had as she ripped her blankets and sheets from her bed to get out. He normally slept in on Sundays. They were the day they all got up when they wanted to. Lounged around and then decided what they wanted to do from there. But he wasn't there.

Natasha's legs trembled, struggling to carry her just to their bathroom, "L-Leo?"She called to him, not hearing the shower but hoping he was in there somewhere. When she couldn't find him, the tears pricked in her eyes, panic immediately consuming her thoughts with nothing more than negative things. He'd been hurt, and taken, they'd finally come back and they took him. Natasha wasn't ignorant of his business to what he did with it. She knew that most of what he did was legal but she also knew about the illegal side of it. Tumbling towards her bedroom's double doors, she yanked them open, and Milo, the family labradoodle, who hung out in the hall watching guard dutifully followed her as she moved to check on the kids who were still asleep. She did her best not to wake them in her panic, moving to wrap a robe around herself as she hurried down the stairs, Milo's collar jingling all the way with her down them and when she saw the note on the table in the foyer, she grabbed it with such force it ripped in half. By the time you wake up, I'll be back. It said, explaining that he'd gone to work. On a Sunday. As if they hadn't had that conversation a million times before. The adrenaline from her anxiety, paired with the anger at that moment caused her to stumble towards the armchair next to the table, landing in it as hot tears spilled down her cheeks. Nat pressed her palms into her eyes, painfully so but it felt good at that moment as she tried to wrap her head around the fact that Leo not only left in the early hours to take care of something at work on a Sunday but wasn't home yet like he said he would be. Milo, pressed his head against her leg, letting out a soft whine as Nat let out a soft cry.

By late morning, the kids had been fed, Natasha cooking up enough food to feed an army, leaving a plate for Leo as well as his usual space made up at the table. Nat found herself staring at it during breakfast, that same plate staying there while she cleaned up breakfast and watched the kids muck around in the backyard before she finally cleared it. She had another crying spell, a wave of anxiety that sent her running to the bathroom, dropping to her knees, and making her sick while her kids entertained themselves as she waited for Leo's phone call. He always called. That was the deal. When they have left alone, after the raid. When they thought they'd lost everyone...all they had was each other, every trip they made, whether it was a shopping trip, doctor's appointment, or otherwise was always followed with a phone call. But later in the day, Natasha held the phone nearby, both her cellular and the house phone and they never rang. After throwing up into the toilet several times from the anxiety, Veronica, the eldest of her triplets had grown worried and checked on her. "Mam? I don't like it when you're like this. Dad will be home...he always comes home." She tried to reason softly, moving to wipe at her mother's face with a cloth and Natasha moved to take it from her, feeling horrible that Veronica even saw her like that. "He does love." She said weakly, though there was no confidence in her tone. Natasha knew the kids didn't understand, just what they went through, what they'd seen.

When lunch came around, Natasha had once again made a plate for Leo, set his place at the table, and sat down at the other end of the table only to stare at the empty side. Both phones were next to her at the table and while her kids chatted away, fighting at times, Nat looked at her phones, Please, please, please, please. She begged. While it was hard to describe what she felt for Leo at this point in her life, whether it was love anymore or just sheer co-dependency. Natasha would never want to see him hurt. Could never see him hurt. The thought of being alone, truly alone. Natasha suddenly pushed out her chair, causing Veronica and Jaxson, the two elder triplets at the table to jump as she was sent running to the restroom. She locked the door this time, throwing up in private and not allowing them to walk in on her this time.

I don't want us to change. We can love each other and still be the best of friends. We are proving that now. I just hope that never changes. Her own words were echoing in her head by the time dinner was rolling around, which she was trying her best to focus on instead of worrying about Leo being out dead somewhere. Best friends. That's what they used to be. Now they were parents. They were meant to be husband and wife too but...Natasha didn't feel like his wife much these days. Leo seemed more married to his job than he was to her. For a moment, Nat thought about her mother, Collin, and Adam. Her eyes burned as she cooked up some vegetables on the stovetop. When she'd gone back to her mother's house, her house, there had been very little left. Just a bunch of things in her old room and Collin's room. Toys and the like. Nat managed to get them back and the kids were now able to have them. Something she was grateful for. But that was all she had of her family. All she would ever have. That and some pictures.

Nat moved to wipe some tears that were falling down her cheeks when the kids suddenly moved to the foyer, Milo barking excitedly. Leo. Natasha's heart swelled confusingly, okay that he was okay but ached in a matter of seconds as she knew they were going to have the same argument. The one she hated having. But how many more times was she going to have to tell him? How many times was she going to have to go through this? He was making her physically ill. Of course, he didn't know that but...after they drifted apart...Natasha felt he couldn't know that anymore. They had their kids and that was it. The only common denominator. The only reason they were still going. The only reason she was still going. "I'm in the kitchen!" She called back. Letting him come into the kitchen. Preparing, she steeled her nerves, wiping at her eyes again to try and hide any sort of evidence that she had been an absolute wreck all day long without him. The note he'd written was on the fridge on a napkin, torn in two from when she'd snapped earlier in the morning.

When he walked into the kitchen, Natasha's face was serious, unmoving as she watched him. "You forget how to use a phone, or just forget my cell number or our house number?" Nat asked, slapping the note he had written her down on the island harshly before moving to grab some other things to make dinner. "I woke up this morning to find you not in bed, look for you throughout the fuckin' house, find your little note that said you'd be back before I wake which was confusin'!" Nat said, her voice raising as she looked him in the eye.

"Breakfast, lunch, I made you a plate, waited for your phone call...Nothing! NOT A THING! WORKING ON A SUNDAY, LEO I THOUGHT WE'D HAD THIS CONVERSATION BEFORE!"
with: Leo Melanin-Gxdess

 

[Misty Gray]

Bar Street
~ Gran Canaria, Spain ~

Lucas Sullivan (Niall Donovan)​

"I saved someone's life today."

Earlier that afternoon, Lucas had been rostered to monitor the beach with his lifeguard bestie, Sindy. Some days he was stationed at the public swimming pools, but he much preferred the freedom of working on the beach, despite how intimidating the vast ocean was to some. As he'd been walking along the sand keeping a keen eye out, the alarm was sounded by Sindy who had spotted a teenager in danger in the water from her vantage point. Lucas had sprinted along the beach towards the location of the emergency before rushing into the water to help the teenage girl. As soon as he'd pulled her out of the water and onto the sand. He administered CPR and after time seemed to freeze in a tense void, the young woman finally came around coughing up the water from her lungs. Whilst for years Lucas had put on a brave front and pretended he no longer missed Dublin, it was times like today that he remembered he loved his new life too. Despite there being a gaping void deep down.

Now, as he stood in the kitchen of his home sharing his news with George, his face beamed upon seeing the clear pride in his father's features. "You're amazing, Niall, you know that?" George said, pulling his son in for a firm hug. Releasing him, he kept his hands on Lucas' shoulders as his warm smile lingered. "I'm so proud of you and your dad is going to be suited too," he said of Finn.

It had been 12 years since leaving Dublin and having to change his identity, but Lucas still struggled at times with being called 'Niall'. He was an easy-going guy but it wasn't something he'd ever fully accepted. Part of him knew that his real identity was the one his friends and cousins back in Dublin had known him as. Part of him believed Collin was still alive and kicking somewhere. He hoped that if his old best friend was still alive that he remembered him - Lucas Sullivan.

"Thanks, Dad," Lucas said, smiling back at George. "I'll never get tired of that feeling. Knowing that I helped someone... That girl got to go home to her friends and family today. It's indescribablle," he said, placing his hand to his chest.

George nodded encouragingly, loving seeing his son take pride in his achievements. "With all of that excitement, I suppose you'll be staying in tonight and resting. Maybe chill out with your dads in front of the TV?" he hinted. George was aware Lucas never stopped. If he wasn't working as a lifeguard or working at the club, then he was out partying into the early hours of the following day. The lad was young but George was concerned he never took a break from it all.

"I will stay home tomorrow, I promise," Lucas assured him, quickly nodding. "I promised to meet Rhi and go out around the clubs with her tonight. Honestly, I'm on such a high from today that I want to ride with it and celebrate. I'll be home safe, I promise."

"I know you will. You always get home safe, but it's usually when the rest of us are waking up to start our day. Take it easy, won't you? Don't make me hire you a bodyguard," he said with a wink. He was fully aware that Marco often kept an eye on Rhiannon, so as long as Lucas was with her, George at least felt some reassurance the pair were in safe hands.

*****​

After checking in with his dads, Lucas showered and got ready to go out for the night. When he arrived on the club strip, he was too early to meet with Rhiannon. A few small thoughts later, he soon found himself inside one of the clubs, having been recognised by some of the tourists he'd served a few times over the last few days at the club her worked at. Ever the social butterfly, Lucas was happy to pass the time grabbing a drink and a dance with the group of young men and women.

Although Lucas was known for being impulsive and a little chaotic at times, one thing he never did was let his friends down. So as he danced around with the various neon glowsticks he'd accumulated in that short time, he checked his watch to see it was almost time for his cousin to arrive at their meeting point. He knocked back his drink and tore himself away from the group, waving as he backed out of the club.

Once he was back outside, Lucas walked down the street just in time to see Rhiannon getting out of Marco's care a little further away. He quickened his pace but just missed Marco before he drove off. When he realised Rhiannon had seen him he smiled brightly at her, still wearing the neon glasses-shaped glowsticks. "Hey hey! Looking good, Rhi! Am I ready to get drunk on this fine Sunday? It would be a sin not to!" he brightly informed her. "You should've told Marco to come out with us. He'd love it!" He then toned himself down a little and softened his smile. "What have you been up to today? I keep meaning to come over and bug your lot - Uncle Conor is always a laugh to hang with."

Walking alongside Rhiannon, he pointed towards the first club that stood out to him. "How about that one?" he asked, trying to make out the trance music that was playing inside.

Melanin-Gxdess (Rhiannon)
Mentioned: Bellz (Collin, Finn)

 

[BasDorcha]

Carter Technologies

~City of London, London~​

Abel Stewart


Abel had been content to have a weekend home with his wife when he'd gotten the call that he needed to make an appearance at a meeting with Ezekiel. This soured him more than normal, as he had been working longer and harder days, more over time than he'd like, for several weeks straight and had been desperate for some downtime. Of course Carter would call a last minute meeting, on a Sunday no less, and force him in. It wasn't like he had a choice. The pressure he knew the man held didn't need to be directly applied for him to know it was there. He called his father, giving the man a quick heads up something was about to happen, what he wasn't sure, but he'd call him later and let him know.

Kissing Alice goodbye, he gave her a longing look, a lingering caress, before heading for the door. Parking outside, he looked up at the tall, towering building, hands in his pockets, a cigarette hanging from his mouth. What was this man up to? A sigh escaped him, hand moving to flick the cigarette into the wind before the crossed the street and entered the big doors. Greeted inside by security, he followed them to the elevator, silent the entire time. He had nothing to say to them and thankfully, they seemed to have nothing to say to him. Coming here was never fun, especially with the insane security that Ezekiel kept. It always made him uncomfortable, though he didn't let it show on his face. Always with the casual cocky smile and easy going attitude, he wasn't going to let his business demeanor be disrupted.

"Will Roberts." He said as he shook the man's hand in return. "I had plenty of plans that involved sitting on the couch, beautiful woman next to me, and lots of tv, for the record. This couldn't wait until tomorrow?" While Abel meant every word he said, he kept his tone light and friendly. When he entered the room, his eyes alit to Trevor with curiosity. What was he doing here? Then he smiled and gave Reign a nod of greeting, as well as shaking Ezekiel's hand as he took his seat. Quietly he watched as Ezekiel excused Reign and Will before settling into his seat again and turning to address his uncle and himself.

"Yeah, she's excited. She loves her job, though how she deals with all those youngin's is beyond me. I remember what I was like at that age, as well as other kids, and it wasn't always fun for teachers." He fell silent, watching the man careful though his upbeat outlook stayed in place. "How are you, everything going okay? Anything I should be worried about, being called in on a Sunday?" He looked over at Trevor, eyebrow perked and inquisitive. It wasn't often that Trevor was needed in Abel's line of business, so why he was there today was the biggest red flag in his mind. "Uncle Trevor…" He said, rubbing his lower lip as he trailed off, waiting for one of them to explain why he had to give up his only day off to work for someone who was not his boss.

Misty Gray - Trevor/Ezekiel

 

[Bellz]

Carter Technologies
~ City of London, London ~

Reign Carter ​

"Thanks Dex, I'm gonna be a while so feel free to go. I'll call you when I'm done." Reign told her driver, offering him a closed-lip grin before she slipped out of the back of the car. The high rise that her father owned stood towering in the murky grey sky, every day... as it was right now she stopped just before walking up the stairs to the entrance just to look at it. Just in appreciation. That she was given the chance to prove herself, to help build an empire that made even the royal conquest pale in comparison. After a moment, she cleared her throat, looking around to see if anyone saw her staring before sauntering towards the entrance. Security greeted her at the front desk, nodding their heads with a friendly smile as she went through the metal detector, holding out her own purse for them to look at. Once she was clear, Reign moved over to the elevator, pressing the up button and waiting. For once, the elevator was empty, so once the doors closed, she grabbed her mirror and lipstick from her purse. Applying some lipstick, she smacked her lips together. Will Roberts would never cease to make her feel like she needed to look at her best. It wasn't that he verbally had any expectations of her, at least not that he ever vocalized, but Reign felt like she had something to prove to him too. The only man besides her father that she felt that way about.

He was just so intuitive, so brilliant. It was intimidating and arousing. Reign, of course, could keep up with his battle of wits, the flirtatious energy the pair had. But one of these days she hoped he would make the first move. Reign was a feminist through and through, but in order to keep her reputation spotless, she couldn't be stirring up trouble by making the first move. Will and her father got along well, it would be a terrible thing to damage it. Not only that, but the friendship between Will and herself was something she worried about breaking. While Reign wouldn't call herself a bitch, she wasn't the warmest person. Friends were far and few because her expectations were high. But Reign had known Will for so long that she was willing to bend those rigid expectations she had for other people when it came to him. All thoughts of him would have to wait for now, knowing that her father had called her in for a reason. The elevator ride up to her father's floor was long but it gave her time to collect herself. Sundays were normally not a day she was called into work, same with her father but...she was dedicated to the cause nonetheless. Counting each floor as it made its way up helped soothe any nerves she may have had deep down, and by the time she arrived on the floor, her face was masked with an expression of confident determination.

After greeting her father, she joined him in his office. Sitting at the opposite side of his desk as she grabbed out her notepad and pen. To those who didn't know the pair, the business-like way they both operated despite being family might have seemed odd, but Reign preferred it that way, feeling that she had much to learn from her father in this setting and would rather not dally around and getting confused with any blurred lines. The views of the 60th floor were breathtaking and as Reign set up, she took the briefest moment to look at it before turning back to her notepad, taking diligent notes as her father started to brief her on upcoming affairs for the weeks ahead. Reign was nodding her head actively listening as her father spoke of Lance Gledhill a business partner who provided vital parts to pieces of medical equipment that their company manufactured, it was an integral part of the production. While Reign knew there was that side to Mr. Gledhill's contract with her father's business, she also knew that Lance was also an important key component in maintaining the weapon shipments that her father had a stake in. Reign had joined her father's business after graduation under the impression that she was joining more legitimate agreements. But, when it became clear that things were done a certain way in her family business Reign did not shy away, rather embracing it and asking her father to be included and to learn more.

Reign's official position within the company as Vice President of Supply Chain Operations and International Business Liaison, but after understanding that there was more to it all, she was willing to be a jack of all trades. "Lance has always been an easy one to please." Reign said, her accent light, voice smooth and confident as she held her chin high. "But I already have his itinerary finalized with the drivers, hotels, all of the entertainment he'd favored the last few visits as well as some that he may be interested in this time around. Leaving plenty of room for business, of course. Should be a breeze, sir. But, I will be sure to make sure everything is spotless before his arrival." Reign reassured her father, offering him the slightest closed-mouth smile.

Her father finally informed her that she was to meet with Will, which she fought to keep a smile off her face at the mention of - successfully - and her brother Xavier, to get rid of some dead weight in the IT department. Three-lower level employees. She was meant to sit back and let her brother do the firing, and supervise. She could do that. "Not a problem, sir. Xavier is more than capable of handling dead weight." Reign said with full confidence. She had been going to bat for her younger brother in terms of pushing her father to give him more responsibility in the company for a while, and she was pleased to see that her work was paying off with this little test. Reign would see to it that it was done.

With that, Reign stood, following her father into the main meeting room where Trevor Stewart was just being shown into his seat. "Good to see you," Reign said, her voice neutral as she shook Trevor's hand. "Well." Was all she said at his question, not bothering to ask how he was as her father dove right into business as they sat down. Reign remained neutral throughout the entire meeting, taking notes when needed and answering questions when prompted or chiming in when feeling the need.

The meeting room door opened again and when Reign looked up, lightly moving some locks of hair from her face, she saw Will and tried her best not to smile. Abel walked through the doors and Reign watched him like a hawk watched a wee little mouse, she was sure Will was ever so charming to him. Her father then turned to her and Reign turned to look at him, giving him a smooth nod, "Of course, excuse me, gentlemen." With that, she stood, not too eagerly but not too slowly to give the men the meeting room as she gathered her notepad and purse and headed out of the conference room.

Stepping into the corridor, Reign said nothing, letting Will say something first. They walked towards the elevators, nobody within earshot and Reign tried to maintain the confident composure she normally carried on a daily basis, hips swaying rhythmically in her form-fitting outfit. Swiping her tongue across her teeth, she prayed to God the lipstick she'd carefully placed on earlier didn't come back to bite her in the ass. Well, my evening suddenly improved. Reign's cheeks heated as she turned to look at Will, a quick glance as she smiled, and he flashed her a smile as well. "Not bad for working on a Sunday, view's rather nice this evening." She said, keeping her sentence vague. They were on the 60th floor, the views were incredible from up this high. But that wasn't what she was talking about.

Stepping into the elevator, Reign could see their reflection from all sides in the mirrored interior. But while she stared intently, confidently in front of her as the doors closed, Will diverted his eyes upward, causing her to smirk ever so slightly. He joked about slacking off and Reign cracked a rare full smile, and an even rarer laugh, a husky sound escaping her as she tilted her head back lightly. Once she locked her head back into place, she turned to look at him, "I hear the lady boss is a real ball-buster, but I won't tell a soul. But she does have a way of knowing. She always knows." Reign said, her tone teasing and light in the private confines of the elevator. Will tended to bring out a side of her that she wasn't sure if she should run away from or embrace. Some days...she enjoyed it, others...she felt she didn't have time for it. Or she tried to convince herself she didn't.

"Sorry you're working tonight." Reign said, expressing sincerity in her voice as she said this. "Hope you didn't have any important plans? No dates interrupted? Hard to tell a woman you're married to a calculator hmm?" She said, another rare joke of her own slipping past her red lips. Realizing that she was being unprofessional now, Reign wanted to kick herself. What was it about him? Turning to look at him, the smile faded and she replaced it with a neutral expression though her eyes were still kind, "Ah okay, that one was probably a bit out of line. I apologize. It's been a long week. 7-day work weeks are...interesting."
was with: Ezekiel + Trevor Misty Gray
mentions: Abel BasDorcha
with: Will Misty Gray
(Basically just misty in a bunch of wigs)

 

[neverbackdown]

Daisy's Cocktail Bar & Nightclub
~ Soho, London ~
Cassandra Stewart
​

Cassie stepped up to her floor length mirror, a soft smile gracing her lips as she took in her reflection. After spending the week surrounded by crying babies and covered in multiple toddlers bodily fluids, Cassie was more than ready to relax and unwind tonight. Now, don't get her wrong, Cassie loved her job and she absolutely adored children but a bug had made its way around the creche last week and well lets just say being around sick children who can't clean themselves isn't particularly glamorous or fun. What she needed tonight was drinks, a laugh and to forget all about work.

"Right I'm off see yous later" Cassie screamed through the house unsure of who was actually home as she ran down the stairs and out the door, closing it swiftly behind her with a unexpectedly loud bang. The loud noise caused a startled Cassie to jump before a giggle fell from her lips as she shook her head as though disappointed in herself.

It takes a special person to scare themselves.

Stopping in her driveway just short of opening the gate, Cassie placed her headphones on before stuffing her walkman into her jacket pocket, If only this was smaller or womens pockets were bigger .. after a slight fight involving her hand, a denim jacket and a walkman she finally managed to push the item down into her pocket. The success only made sweeter when the familiar voice of her current favourite band began to play through the earphones.. "Cause tonight is the night when two become one" softly singing to herself, Cassie swung the gate open and began her brief walk to the club, thankful that it was relatively close, however, it is true what they say good music does make time pass quicker and Cassie finally broke from her daydreams as the tape ended to realise she had somehow managed to walk straight past her destination. She was just happy in that moment there was nobody there to witness her mistake as she turned immediately on her heels and began to walk back the way she came from.

Walking up to the door of the Club, Cassie took out her headphones and carefully wrapped them around her walkman before placing it into her handbag. As she walked through the entry doors, her eyes scanned the crowd quickly looking for Alice and/or Daisy, thankfully spotting the latter almost immediately as she quickly walked towards her a bright smile present on her features.

"Hi, you look lovely, as always" Cassie said in greeting, her voice sweet and sincere as she embraced Daisy in return. "Oh I've been so excited for this" Cassie chimed in as they walked over to the bar. Leaning again the bar she watched as Daisy expertly make the cocktail, a grin on her lips but an impressed expression on her features as she looked around the room before her eyes landed back on Daisy as she spoke.

"Yeah I hope she does too we need to all hang out and do girls nights like ... " Cassie stopped speaking as Daisy appeared to be distracted by something, turning her head, she followed Daisy's gaze onto two very good looking men walking towards them. Raising an eyebrow she watched as one of the men, clearly the one in charge between the two motioned for Daisy to go with him. As she tried to decide whether to speak up or not the man spoke and the word "trouble" caught Cassie's attention, perked now to attention she tilted her head sightly as she looked between the guy who spoke and the man now beside her who apparently was called Mav..

She quickly tried to hide the confusion on her face as she twirled the straw in her drink, hoping that by seeming busy she seemed somewhat unbothered butt in the know of whatever was happening as she made a mental note to ask Daisy later about the strange men.

She watched the man and Daisy leave, going towards what Cassie assumed to be the back office before her attention was cast back to the guy now standing beside her. A problem Cassie was relentlessly reminded of was her too trusting nature, she knew that based on what just happened she shouldn't speak to this guy, she should put her head down and pretend he isn't there until Daisy returned but her gullible and innocent side was stronger than her reasoning as she found herself unable to look away, there was just something so intriguing about him, he seemed harmless, so gentle and besides for all she knew they could be friends or part owners of the club.

"Hi Mav was it?" she greeted as their eyes made contact, a soft smile playing on her features.


Interactions;- Daisy Misty Gray / Mav BasDorcha

 

[neverbackdown]

The Bodyshop
~Dublin, Ireland-
Violet Murphy ​

The last twelve years had been interesting for Violet to say the least. As she caught her reflection in the passing window, she couldn't help but notice the difference in the woman she was now compared to the girl she had once been.While she thought she was strong then, it didn't take long to realise how weak she actually was.

After the fiasco at the hotel many many years ago, her father had started to train her just enough to be able to defend herself if something like that ever happened again but as the Sullivan family went into hiding, taking her only friend with them, Violet leaned more into training and gave it her all, she found that she liked the strength and confidence that it gave her and the most positive aspect was she finally started to have a relationship with her father, no longer strangers and as Violet got older, the hatred that was once there dribbled away until there was only mutual respect left between the pair.

It was during this time that Violet realised she actually liked this line work and decided to follow in her father's footsteps, after a little resistance, which to be honest Violet believed was merely more for show and because "he had to say no" rather than actually meaning it, she began to work alongside her father, being an extra hand and helping out in anyway that she could.

Approaching the gym, Violet smiled to herself as she thought about todays plans and just hoped that her father knew not to come. Her father had never been the overly protective type or even just a protective type for that matter usually leaving his kids up to their own devices unless their choices impeded on his work, but something had changed the day he laid eyes on Alejandro Cortez, maybe it was because he knew Alejandro's dad but Violet was never one to judge a person based on their parents, especially considering her own homelife and background.

When Alejandro decided to stay with them, Violet found it was hard to even get a minute to talk privately with him as her father, who Violet believed has as much stealth as a bull in a china shop, seemed to be constantly arriving from the shadows, always watching and always getting in the way. The "Im a grown up" talk seemed to work for a short period but as Violet felt her and Alejandro begin to get closer, Dermot came right back out of woodwork.

Lost in her thoughts, it was almost like she was on autodrive as she walked into the gym, only really snapping out of it as she heard a familiar voice calling her name. The immediate blush that she felt spreading down her cheeks was less than desirable, her persona was one of confidence and independence but yet there was something about this man that seemed to turn her into mush at the very sound of voice and she couldn't tell if she liked this feeling or not. Shaking her head, Violet let a laugh escape her lips as she tilted her head to look at him, an amused smirk playing on her lips "I wouldn't dream of it" she commented as she came to a stop beside him "besides without me to beat you in training, how else would we keep your ego in check" she teased, amusement clear in her tone as she dropped her bag on the ground and quickly tied up her hair in a tight ponytail.

Interactions:- Alejandro - Melanin-Gxdess
Mentions - Daddy dearest (Dermot) - Misty Gray

 

[Pyroclast]

The Harper Family Home
~ Manzanillo, Cuba ~

Maia Montero (Elena Porter) & Tristan Villanueva (Chase Zegarra)​

It was hard for Elena to comprehend sometimes how much her life had changed in the last 12 years. Aged just 19, her dream at the time of leaving Cuba was nothing more than to find her father and build a relationship with him that would make up for all their lost time together - but that turned out to only be the beginning of her adventure. Adam Harper was everything she wanted in a father and more, and falling in love with Thomas Porter was something she never even expected, and something she was grateful for every day. Those nine months in Dublin were a short but defining chapter of her life and despite the family and friends she made along the way, it wasn’t without its trauma. She suffered at the hands of men, being kidnapped and sexually abused, and it took a long time for her to recover from the psychological impact it left on her, not to mention having to watch Thomas suffer with PTSD and the grief of losing his father.

Their time in Dublin came to an abrupt and dramatic end when a team of Interpol agents burst into the Porter house during James’ wake. It didn’t quite catch up to Elena what had happened until they suddenly found themselves back in Cuba, though in Manzanillo this time rather than her hometown of Havana. A subgroup of the Interpol agents had been working against their own team and murdered them in order to help the Irish Mob escape with their lives rather than be arrested and put in prison. Elena was sure neither she nor Thomas would have been taken away, but the rebel agents still fixed the couple with a new identity and sent them into hiding along with Adam, Blake, Collin and the Zegarra family. What became of Natasha and Leo they never found out, and Elena had to try her best not to assume that they had been killed or torn apart. Still, whether they were dead or not, she mourned her and Thomas’ best friends and the rest of the family on the basis that they weren’t expected to ever see them again. She still thought about them now, wondering where they were and hoping that they were okay somewhere.

As for her own life, Elena was more than content with what she had. Unlike her childhood, Cuba was a much happier and easier place for her to be now that she was surrounded by family whom she loved, with the man she married and had two beautiful children with, and her own business to bring in income and keep her busy - a bed and breakfast she ran with Thomas called La Monterilla. With love, family and food on the table, and back living in her home country, she could ask for nothing more.

As they did every Sunday, the Harper, Porter and Zegarra families - or known locally as Santana, Montero and Villanueva - had come together to mark the end of another week with drinks, food and good company. It was still warm out in September, something both Elena and Chase had missed while living in Dublin. With the younger children playing indoors and the older ones off together somewhere, the three couples sat with drinks in hand, soaking in the last of the day’s sun.

At Adam’s threat to make her children, Enzo and Maria, clean up after themselves if they make a mess, Elena only smiled. Making him a grandfather was one of her biggest achievements in life and even when he was tough on them, he managed to do it in a fair and loving way. It was far from the treatment her own family gave her and her little brother. Seeing him with her kids gave her an idea of the sort of father he might have been to her when she was young if he had known she existed and been around…but she didn’t dwell on it. He could have been a completely different person back then, and besides, she was just happy to have him now.

As was likely the same for the others, their Sunday family get-togethers were the highlight of Chase’s week. He was sitting with his arm around Jasmine and sipping on a cold beer. In spite of his large stature, Chase was sensitive to Dublin’s cold weather and felt much more comfortable back in the warmer climate of his home country. After all the uprooting he had done since joining the mob, he hadn’t been too fazed by the sudden change back when Interpol had split them apart and sent them to all corners of the globe. While he found himself thinking of the others from time to time - especially Natasha and Leo - Chase was grateful to have those he felt closest to around him, and that his children could grow up in touch with their Cuban roots. The fact he had raised them to speak Spanish as well as English put them in good stead for settling in smoothly, but he knew it would be hard still, particularly on Michael who had to leave his best friend Liam behind. However, the boy had seemed to make a close friend in Collin and also found solace after joining the local church. Chase himself had long since let go of any Christian teachings his primary school had drilled into the pupils at the time, but he had made a choice not to stand between Michael and his faith. Even from a young age, the boy hadn’t been ignorant to the violence that surrounded their families and it was clearly unsettling for him. If forming a bond with God helped him to find peace in the violent world he was so familiar with, then Chase wasn’t going to get in the way.

Chase couldn’t help but grin when Jasmine made a remark about Safia’s bad attitude and mentioned how Chase was the only one she never got grumpy with. He hummed, trying to think of something nice to say, since his daughter seemed to consider him her favourite. “Trust me, Jas, I’m this close to sending her to church with Michael,” he joked.

“Oh, send her to me!” Elena said, sitting upright with an eager smile. “We can have girl time, like I have with Emilia. She can come to La Monterilla, I do her hair and make up and just talk together, mujer a mujer - while Tomás does the work around the B&B!” She turned and gave a cheeky wink at her husband, giggling at the idea of giving herself a day off.

On the subject of the B&B, Adam offered his help. “Mmm, no, I think it’s alright,” she said in a questioning tone, looking at Thomas again to see if there was anything he knew of. “La plomería?” she uttered to Thomas before turning back to Adam. “The water pressure has been not so good for a while, I think, if you know how to fix that. But other than that, I think we are all doing fine.” She was just about to take another sip of her cocktail when she thought of something else. “Oh! I know something - Enzo,” she added. “He is so big now and has so much energy - is there a class de artes marciales in the gym that he can go to? I think he will like that.”

There was another reason why she was keen on introducing her son to martial arts. Having done a bit of research on it herself, it seemed like the sort of thing that could teach the importance of prioritising defence over attack. Sitting close to Thomas, she looked at him with large eyes and lowered her voice. “I don’t like him fighting with the other kids, Tomás,” she said softly. “I worry about that, and I think some real training will help to discipline him…is it a bad idea?”

Interactions
Bellz Tomás, Blake
Misty Gray Jasmine, Adam

 

[Bellz]

The Santana Residence
~ Manzanillo, Cuba ~


Blake Harper (Reagan Santana)
Thomas Porter (Andre Montero) ​

11 years, 9 months, and 15 days. That's how long it had been since Blake had last seen her baby. Well, her other baby. Collin was currently walking out the door, seemingly happy as a clam compared to 10 months ago. But that was how long it had been since Blake had seen Natasha. That was the last time she'd seen anyone in the family besides those who were over tonight, at her and Adam's home. At first, Blake had refused to believe the worst had happened, refused to think that something had happened to her daughter and Leo in all of the chaos but over time...the tough exterior that she'd put up in order to protect not only her heart but Collin's as well had slowly shattered into a million pieces. Cuba was...an adjustment. Blake had grown up in Belfast nearly all of her life before Dublin so the temperature difference had been something to get used to. Not only that but it just wasn't home. Even with the love of her life there, her son, even the Zegarras and poor Thomas who had been separated from Lucy and the rest of the Porters, though he was grateful to be with Elena and loved her to death. It was still an adjustment. Thomas and Blake, while not having been close in Dublin, ended up forming a pretty close relationship in Cuba, as he had no other family to turn to and they both were experiencing similar feelings of familiar loss. He was missing his mother, brother, sister, and nieces and nephews while also feeling guilty for enjoying being with Elena and loving her to pieces. Blake was feeling much of the same, while also grappling with the fact that perhaps Natasha and Leo didn't make it out of the raid alive and that they were long gone.

Days had turned into months, months into years, seasons changed and birthdays came and went. Blake found herself being able to breathe easier in the presence of Adam, who she loved with every fiber of her being. Collin found comfort in having a somewhat complete family, even though he also struggled with the loss of his sister. Thomas and Elena were people he also turned to and Michael proved to be an excellent friend for him. Blake and Adam eventually got married, which was a beautiful ceremony on the beach. Collin even called Adam "Dad" which made Blake's heart so full she thought it would burst. Despite the loss, things eventually fell into place after years of hurting. Years of wondering. The Harpers, Porters, and Zegarras all got together for drinks and events on the regular, which was Blake's favorite thing in the world. She enjoyed watching all the kids grow up and when Thomas and Elena eventually got married, welcoming their own little ones to the world, Blake was right there to help wherever she needed or was welcomed to.

"You will not make those babies do any unpaid labor in my house!" Blake said, giving Adam a teasing smile. It was a beautiful evening on the back patio of their home, the kids were inside playing, and the older "children" were doing their own thing while the parents were all around the patio table enjoying drinks and snacks, a much-needed break. "My kids? Causing chaos? Oh come on now, Adam, they are perfect angels!" Thomas chimed in from where he was sitting next to Elena, giving his father-in-law a knowing smirk. It was true they could be rowdy but they did their best to make sure they behaved and always cleaned up when it was time to.

Blake laughed when Jasmine told Adam good luck, mentioning that Safia had become a stroppy teenager. "Oh boy, I don't miss that at all." She reminisced lightly, giving Jasmine a sympathetic look before rolling her eyes as she said St. Chase could do no wrong. Fortunately and unfortunately, Natasha really only had Blake around, so she couldn't be snippy with her, but she had been at times. Collin had been nothing but a sweetheart during his teen years. When Adam turned to her, Blake had been lost in her thoughts of her daughter for just a moment, almost missing his kiss but was quick to recover and return it. A hum escaped her as she returned it followed by a soft smile as he asked how it was going. "It's certainly going. You better behave, honey." Blake said lightly before leaning in closer to him, " Or I'm gonna have to send everyone else home early." She said in a lower voice and winked back at him.

Thomas had turned to look out towards the back garden for a moment, briefly listening to the conversation as Jasmine told Adam good luck with Safia. Teenagers. Some days he still felt like one. It was hard to look in a mirror sometimes and realize that he was, in fact, 37 years old with a wife and two kids. A stark difference from what he had seen himself as back in Dublin all those years ago. Not even a teenager then, but still felt lost like one. Falling in love with Elena had been the best thing to ever happen to him, to snap him out of whatever self-loathing bullshit he'd managed to tangle himself in when he was trapped in Iran. The 9 months they had together in Dublin were short, but they had defined them. Traumatic, yes. But trauma followed his family like a disease. Something he'd been bitter about from his teens well into his early adulthood. Something he let get in the way of spending time with his family when he had the chance. Thomas's jaw set slightly as he moved to take a sip from his beer, shaking his head once lightly at himself thinking about his mom, Syd, and his family as well as Olivia and possibly her own at this point. All the things he was now missing out on. It had been years since he'd come to terms with his father's death, but there were days when he'd take a moment to think about James Porter. Especially if he did something that reminded him of the man. Which happened to be a lot of things. It used to annoy him, but now he embraced it.

Thomas Porter was indeed a changed man, a lot of the motivation behind the change was the beautiful, smart, wonderful woman sitting next to him, and then the other two who were running around causing chaos in the house. His PTSD and grief, from losing his father, his kidnapping in Iran, losing his family in the raid as well as Natasha and Leo, his best friends... had consumed him the minute they had stepped on the shores of Cuba. But after about the 6th month of being there, he'd realized it wasn't sustainable. Elena and surprisingly, Blake had been a huge part in helping him get back on his feet again and then Adam as well as the Zegarras were there to help him as well. Thomas only stumbled slightly when Lucky, his service dog, passed from old age. He knew it had been coming...as with all animals. But he got back up again. Thomas stopped prolonging mourning his family, even if they were out there, stopped prolonging mourning Natasha and Leo...who at that point, in his head, assumed the worst but for Elena's sake never said anything. Cuba was his chance to start fresh, to be a new man, so he was going to take that chance.

He was married to a beautiful woman who made him so genuinely happy and smile so much that his cheeks actually hurt, had two amazing children who kept him on his toes in the best of ways, reminding him of her. While he might not have his own family around to share his little family with, Adam was there to be the best grandfather to Lorenzo and Maria, and Blake was an amazing grandmother. Thomas helped Elena open up a bed and breakfast to bring in an income and to keep her busy, wanting her to feel empowered in any way she wanted. It was her world and Thomas made it clear that he was simply just living in it. After everything she'd been through, after everything she'd given him...he would do it for her a million times over. Thomas personally went around fixing things that needed it, feeling useful when he was using his hands. Plus, after years of following James and Syd around the garage or the house helping fix things that needed fixing for his mother or his aunts, he'd grown pretty good at repairing things. Now he was an expert.

Thomas! Mind grabbing me that ratchet wrench? James had said from underneath his mom's car, causing Thomas immediately back away from Syd, who he was pretending to torment with a noogie. Ratchet wrench! Got it, Dad!" Thomas said, running over to the large toolbox to look inside of it before his eyes went a little crossed in confusion. Syd walked up behind him, putting his hands on his shoulders as he let out a light laugh, "Want a hint?" He asked, and Thomas shushed him, "No no no, just a minute!" Caused Syd to laugh, before Thomas reached out to grab the one he thought it was. "Look at that! You got it!" Syd smiled and Thomas looked up at him with wide proud eyes, smiling back before giving him a high five. "Dad! I got it! Here!"

Thomas had checked back into the conversation at the end of Chase saying he was going to send Safi to church with Michael. Tramp, his half-German Shepherd, half-husky service dog...bumped into his leg. Making his presence known now as he whined. Clearly, that memory had triggered a response of some sort and Thomas noticed his heart was pounding in his chest. Reaching under the table, he rubbed behind the dog's ears lightly to let him know he was okay. While he'd put a lot of his PTSD and grief behind him, things still triggered him. He had his moments.

Elena then said that she could have her come to the B&B and have girl time as she has with Emilia. "I just think you like giving yourself infinite days off, my love." Thomas commented lightly, his cheeks turning bright pink as she winked at him. "But whatever my baby wants, she gets. If you want to hang out with a moody teenage girl please, do. Just tell me when you do so I can stay out of the way. I dealt with enough of them with my nieces and sister. Dreading the day when Maria has to hit that stage." Thomas took another sip of his beer to ground him with a shake of his head and a soft laugh.

When Adam offered assistance at the B&B Thomas let Elena answer, though as of late the only thing he'd been struggling to fix was the damned water pressure. "That's right love, I could use some help with the water pressure. Everything else is in tip-top shape. But the water pressure, is absolute shit. We've been getting a lot of complaints. If you have any idea how to fix it I'm all ears. I've tried everything I could possibly think of." Thomas told Adam, giving his father-in-law a nod of appreciation followed by an easy-going smile. Elena then brought up Enzo, causing Thomas to look at her. She had been concerned about their son's energy and his temper. He was fighting with the other kids. While he was worried too, it had been...somewhat normal in his family.

Elena then turned to him, giving him those large doe eyes that she knew he couldn't resist. "I know. But he's okay. It's not a bad idea but we can't hover, hovering will make him push us away. I pushed my parents away when they hovered. Syd did the same. We can sign him up for a class if there are any but I feel it needs to be under the guise of something fun rather than...you know, worry." Thomas reached out to touch his wife's cheek lightly, offering her a smile. "But I get it, we have to re-channel that energy into something more positive. This is a tough age. And he's a lot like his old man, unfortunately."

Blake looked at the pair and at Chase and Jasmine and Adam, "All of the kids fought it out, or most of them did. I blame it on the energy like you're saying Elena. Bouncing off the walls these young ones are. Collin would just rattle in his seat I thought he was gonna blast off like a rocket. Though he was an exception, the kid never got into a fight."
with: Adam + Jasmine Misty Gray ; Chase + Elena Pyroclast

 

[BasDorcha]

Alex King's Family Home

~Bethnal Green, London~​

Maeve and Jensen Brooks

For the last week, or what felt like longer, May had barely seen her husband. Most of the time, it felt like it was just her and the kids, not that she didn't respect and understand what he was doing. That morning she'd awoken early, laid out outfits for everyone, made breakfast, showered and gotten herself ready and reminded the kids to be on their best behavior. Before she knew it, they were in the car, on their way to Alex's with Christian driving and the two littles - or rather not to little any more - in the backseat. Quietly, she watched the world pass by, the buildings coming into view and disappearing again as she contemplated another family gathering that would end in Christian pretending to be nice and tension she picked up on but ignored for the sake of the family. It made her throat tight just thinking about it.

When Christian's voice finally broke the silence, May found herself being pulled back as if through water, everything around her hazy and sounding thick at first, then clearer. Here they go again, talking about her job. Her steady, normal hours, home for the kids, home for dinner daily, job that drove him up a wall. It always made her feel less than the way he went about it. A deep sigh escaped her lips, not loud but enough he heard it in the shared front seat. For a brief moment, her eyes met his before looking away and back out the window. "Work is the same, nothing changes. So I guess you could say it's been good, at least it's steady hours. I could find something different but the hours may not be guaranteed, and that's what we need the most right now…" May had no proof that the Carter's were bad people, but it was obvious that Christian had a bone to pick with them that he would not let go of. He didn't have to tell her what happened at work for her to be able to read him after so many years together. The way he tensed, face furrowed, shoulders stiffening whenever the name 'Carter' came up gave away more than words ever could.

When it fell silent, Chloe slipped in with her input, reminding them that she wanted to be a detective too. A soft smile broke her lips as May turned around and reached between the seats to pat her daughters knee, giving it a squeeze. "Of course you'd be great at that, love. One day you can give your da' a run for his money, I'm sure." Jensen rolled his eyes at them, moody and entering into those early stages of teenage attitude. He could tell his mother was feeling distant again, as so often she did, and to his eyes it was like an ocean of distance separated his parents, not just a few feet. He could feel the tension radiating from his dad, and the silent sadness that often encompassed his mother before deciding to try and break it.

He smiled and ruffled his sisters hair, "I think she'll make a great little copper one day. She already does such a great job ratting me out when I get in trouble, don't ya Bunny?" He teased. "I think I'll be a game creator, or do something with computers though, that's where the money is these days, just wait and see." As they pulled up to the house, Jensen looked out, eyes looking for his cousin's and what cars were at the house. May looked up as well, seeing Trevor's vehicle missing from the bunch. As much as she wanted to see her dad, it was a bit of a relief to know that for now Christian would be more at ease and some of the anxiety she felt melted away. Turning in her seat to smile at the two in the back and her husband driving, her hand moving to pat his knee, she fluffed her hair and straightened her top. "I think it's a great idea to follow the technology, Jen."

Misty Gray - Kerry/Christian/Callum/Chloe
Melanin-Gxdess - Alex

 

[Misty Gray]

Carter Technologies
~ City of London, London ~

Will Roberts​

Will subtly smiled when Reign made a comment about the lady boss being a ball-buster before nodding his head. "That's correct... and your discretion is much appreciated. I'd hate to get on her bad side," he remarked.

When she expressed her apology for him working on a Sunday evening, he turned to her and lightly shook his head. "I've been working for Ezekiel for long enough now that I'm used to it. He keeps us on our toes," he commented. He then let out a chuckle when Reign said she hoped no important plans or dates were interrupted, but it was her mentioning him being married to a calculator that made him laugh. "Hmm. Married to a calculator, I may be, but that also means I know exactly which buttons to press," he flirtatiously commented before turning to look straight ahead. When his superior then apologised for her questions, Will turned back to her and shook his head. "Maybe I chose to take it as a compliment. It must mean you know how smart I am and that I'm committed to my job," he said, with a wink.

"A whole week? Maybe I should put in a good word with the boss to get you some time off," he joked, knowing full well she had more weight with Ezekiel than he did.

The bell sounded in the elevator and the doors opened in front of them. Will waited for Reign to step out first before following her. Walking along the corridor alongside her with his serious, professional face back on, he rounded the corner and they stepped into the large conference hall. It appeared a presentation had just ended and the dozens of attendees were now mingling with drinks in their hands as the waiting staff walked around the hall serving them.

Noticing Sophie in the distance, Will was about to draw Reign's attention to her so they could go to the events coordinator for an update. Instead, one of the waitresses bumped into Reign, the champagne glass that was on her tray tipping over and the contents spilling down Reign's front. Will was quick enough to catch the glass before it fell to the wooden floor, but the champagne was already spilled...

Bellz (Reign)

 

[Bellz]

Daisy's Cocktail Bar & Nightclub
~ Soho, London ~

Dr. Melissa Sullivan ​

"Oh come on Mel! You look fine!" Britney, her best friend was saying, her tone sounding tired of convincing her as Melissa looked at her reflection in the mirror. "This dress is so short!" Melissa said, her tone worried, chewing on her bottom lip as she turned around slightly to look at her backside. "What if I bend over to grab something I dropped and-" Brit was giving her a look and Melissa's cheeks turned bright pink, "I mean it! This thing barely covers my ass!" Melissa hissed, her normally more gentle demeanor turning a bit harsh with her anxiety but Britney was unfazed as she rolled her eyes. "That is the whole point. Picking up some babes with beautiful accents, you got an ass, might as well flaunt what you got, yes?" Britney asked and Melissa gave her a look. How they ended up being best friends was sometimes a mystery to her. Melissa was an introvert through and through and Britney was anything but. The perfect Sunday night for Melissa was curled up on her couch with a bottle of wine, a novel, or a murder documentary to watch on the TV and in bed by 10 pm. Predictable.

Her job was already demanding enough as it was during the week so the weekends and days off she had were for unwinding and alone time. "Now come on, we are meeting the girls. We are gonna be late." Melissa looked at herself in the mirror one more time, about to demand that she change but knew she would make them late if she did and Britney would only moan and groan. "Fine, grab my bag." Her best friend dutifully did so, only to unsurprisingly moan and groan, "What the fuck is in this thing?! Rocks?!" She asked and Melissa let out a small laugh. "You woulda thought, huh?" She said, smiling at her with a shake of her head, "A few reinforcements for you and the other chuckleheads. The last time Renee fell and nearly split her head open, fortunately, I was prepared with my medical kit in my purse. Imagine if I wasn't!" Britney was once again rolling her eyes, "Such a mom, what would we do without you?" Her voice was thick with sarcasm but Melissa just smiled proudly, "Ah, now there is a million-dollar question, Brit. Maybe let me stay home and find out. I got a bottle of unopened wine with my name on it."

***​

Much to her disappointment, Melissa was dragged out of her apartment whether she liked it or not. She could have screamed, kicked, and clawed but truth be told, she would rather keep an eye on her rowdy friends as the mother of the group. It had been 12 years since she'd learned about the death of her family. Robert, of course, still kept in constant contact with her. The first year, the pair had kept close...and it reminded her of when they'd first been adopted by Finn and George. But as the years went on, Robert went on to do his own thing and she eventually went on to do her own as well. Phone calls were never missed, however, despite their busy schedules. They tried to speak at least once a week or at least every other week. These days...their adopted parents and brother were very rarely brought up in conversation. Not because they didn't want to bring them up...but both couldn't bare the pain.

Grief was a funny thing that came in waves, after losing two sets of parents and a sibling they loved so dearly...it almost felt too much. Robert visited during some holidays and Melissa managed to do the same but working for Carter Technologies managed to take up a good chunk of her time now so it had become difficult. These days she hardly had time for herself, her friends or god forbid, dating. Which...intimidated her. Her friends had decided on a cocktail bar and nightclub in Soho. One that Melissa had seen but never been into. Which was the case for most of the nightclubs in London. Having lived in the area for quite some time and being relatively young, one would think she'd have scoped out the nightlife but...it never suited her much. Out of all of her siblings, despite the anxious hyperactive energy she displayed...she was not much of a partier.

"Jesus, chargin' an arm and a leg for a glass of wine! Criminal!" Melissa said but accepted the wine the bartender set in front of her handing him the cash. He walked away and she took a sip, it was the exact same drink she had sitting in her fridge at home, something she could have been enjoying on her own. Britney and the rest had already meandered off to the dance floor without her, which wasn't unusual. Melissa wasn't a dancer and didn't pretend to be, she was happy to just sip on a drink and watch them from a distance taking on the role of mom as they predicted they would. Nothing wrong with predictability. It was safe. They didn't know how good and safe were these days...not after what happened to her loved ones. After taking a long sip from her glass, Melissa set it down on the bar before turning to look out towards the dance floor. To her left, she could see a rather inebriated man staring at her exposed legs, but did her best to ignore it. What she wouldn't give for a familiar face right about now or maybe just one of her friends needing her help...
with: Your time to shine Cassanova (Zachary) Misty Gray

Carter Technologies
~ City of London, London ~

Reign Carter ​

Reign bit back a satisfied smile at the sound of Will's laughter, it was a most pleasant sound. Genuine. The temperature in the elevator suddenly changed the minute he talked about knowing exactly what buttons to press. Reign could feel the skin underneath her suit tingle, causing her to bite the inside of her cheek out of embarrassment for such a physical reaction. When she felt confident she wasn't looking like a deer in headlights, Reign turned to Will, a closed-lipped smirk on her face as he said that perhaps he chose to take her questions as a compliment, that it must have meant she knew how smart he was and how committed he was to his job. "We'll have to let your next performance review decide, cheeky." Reign said, returning the wink before a smile managed to break across her face despite her best efforts to conceal it, shaking her head as she looked down at their feet for a moment.

He then mentioned the week she'd worked, saying that he should put in a good word with the boss to get some time off. She was about to make a joke of her own. Full of them, she seemed to be in the confines of this elevator with him, but --saved by the bell. Reign never slouched, her posture impeccable, confident but she straightened out even more as the doors opened in front of them. Flirting was left in the elevator, any casualness gone. Reign stepped out of the elevator first, her expression falling back to an unreadable neutral mask as Will fell into step beside her. What needed to be done was circling in her head, her own little mental checklist sounding off as they rounded the corner and stepped into the large conference hall.

Things seemed to have just wrapped up. The attendees were mingling, seemingly happy and everything appeared to be going off without any trouble. As she normally did, Reign was surveying the entire room, eyes glancing from one end to the other. It was the main reason why she hadn't noticed the waitress apparently had a problem seeing her and bumped into her, Reign felt the champagne pour down her front. She started to gasp out but forced herself to go silent, her blazer, button down, skirt...it was all soaked. Will had grabbed the glass with impressive reflexes before it fell to the floor and shattered, saving Reign any embarrassment but the waitress was starting to babble like an idiot loudly, causing a few heads to turn. "I-I am so sorry!" She squeaked out, "I-didn't see you-" Her voice grated on Reign's last nerve as more heads turned, she didn't dare turn her head to look at them, her own head staring at the waitress as she continued to babble, face unmoving. When she didn't quit talking Reign finally hissed out, "Enough!" And the woman clammed up. Finally.

"You are very fortunate this drink was spilled on me and not someone important to my family's business." Reign said, her voice cold. "You are in a room full of medical professionals, holding a tray and walking is a simple thing to do, and yet here you've just fucked that up." The waitress's eyes filled with tears and Reign nearly lost it but knew she had to keep her cool in a room full of people. She had no time for emotions. "You are relieved for the evening, you will be paid for what you worked and nothing more. Consider yourself lucky you are even getting that. And if I see your face around here again you'll be sorry." Reign's voice was firm, threatening but low, not yelling. She had no time for emotion or dramatics like some of her siblings might have opted for.

Grabbing the tray from the woman rather forcefully, Reign stepped away from her, not bothering to look at anyone else in the room as the woman said nothing more, practically running from the conference hall. Despite the venom and strength behind her words, Reign couldn't meet Will's eyes as she said, "Change of plans, obviously can't be parading around smelling like a cheap mini-bar at a 2-star hotel. I have a spare change of clothes in my office, up to you if you wish to accompany me." Her voice was tight but she wasn't upset with him in the slightest. After she spoke, only did her eyes manage to look at others in the room, staring directly at a few who dared to gawk. Her head tilted as she stared back at them before her jaw set again, teeth grinding as she spun on her heels, shoving the tray towards another waitress.

Silently fuming, the woman moved to head back toward the elevators, When she got there, her hand reached out, swiping her key card before jamming her finger against the up button several times. The damned thing hadn't opened yet, causing her to shift from foot to foot. "Oh come on!" She hissed out lowly, only turning her head when Will came to stand beside her. "Sophie should hire more competent staff, shouldn't be hard to hold a bloody tray. This suit is one I actually like."
with: Will Misty Gray

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Alex King's Family Home
~ Bethnal Green, London ~
Alexander & Elizabeth King
​

Alexander King wasn't necessarily one who was comfortable with change. It didn't feel right going against his normal, daily routine and when something didn't feel right he lost his mind. Staying with the current instead of against it was by far his favorite option. It wasn't until he met Kerry that he wanted to step out of his norm; trust in a new feeling and not run away from it the moment he didn't understand it. He was glad he had, too, otherwise, he'd have had to deal with the loss of his family members on his own. With Callum now permanently in his care the last thing he wanted to do was lean on him too much for support; he was only in single digits when it happened, after all. Every morning for the past 12 years Alex woke up wondering what his life would've been like without her. Would he have survived those depressing nights? The days he struggled to get out of bed and be there for his son? Maybe he should've been giving himself more credit, but he didn't think he would have. As much as he loved Callum, Alex was prone to getting in his way. He for sure thought he'd have royally fucked up had Kerry not been around. And sure, he had May and Trevor but they weren't... Exactly what he needed during that time. Especially when his relationship with them was only surface-level before now. But, Kerry King had been that constant reminder for him to do better than what his intrusive thoughts told him to be; for 12 years he had been. He'd gotten over those negative feelings he'd had for both May and Trevor - the latter and himself becoming even closer over the past couple of years. It even extended to them having Sunday dinners with each other - a tradition never missed since it began.

"The red means there's no profit," Alex explained, his daughter sitting in his lap. The two of them sat behind a brown oak desk in his home office. He was looking over the numbers for the pub when she came in looking for something to do. "Means I'm losing this much every week." Her small, manicured finger slid to another column with green numbers. "And that means there is?" Alex nodded his head. "Yup. This means we'll take this one off tap and put something else there. If people aren't buyin' it there's no use in me doing so, right?" Elizabeth nodded her head. A silence settled in the air before she turned to look up at him. "I think it should be apple juice." A laugh bubbled past his lips as he propped his elbow up on the desk. "Apple juice, huh? And what's the rationale behind it?" She gave him a confused look as he used the word 'rationale' - Alex replaced the word with 'reason' instead. "Well, what if someone comes in and asks for apple juice? They wouldn't be able to have any because you only sell grown-up drinks. What if they don't want any grown-up drinks?" Alex let out an amused sigh before shrugging. "Then the pub is the last place they should be." He gently lifted her off his lap and onto the floor. "Let's go see what mom is up to," he stated, gathering his papers and neatly stacking them on the side of his desk. "And then we can see how she feels about your little apple juice idea," he teased.

The two of them left his office and just as they turned the corner Kerry was in view. The small smile on his face instantly grew and whatever worries in his mind settled for a moment; an effect she had on him more recently. She spoke to him and placed a kiss on his lips - Alex returning it without hesitation and Elizabeth going, "Ick." Alex paused and turned to his daughter, picking her up and placing kisses all over her face. She squealed and giggled trying to shield herself but her tiny hands were no match for him. "Still ick," he asked, setting her down. "Very," she wiped her face and proceeded to fix the black and white beanie that sat on her head. Alex then turned his attention back to his wife and she continued to speak. She informed him that May and Chrisitan were arriving soon with Trevor being the one who was going to be late. He was about to rear up a joke but stopped himself once Carter's name was spoken.

The King family had never bowed down to anyone in the past. No one dared to try and make a mockery of their family or try them on their own turf. The criminal underworld of London knew better than to try such a thing. However, after the raid things changed. The King family name no longer held the same amount of weight as it once did. Alex and Kerry were being watched very closely and therefore criminal activities weren't a smart thing to do. Going legit was the only way their family was going to survive and be safe from it all. Alex was forced to leave the illegal activities to someone else. And when that someone else was revealed to be Carter, Alex thought things would be smooth sailing. He thought wrong. Whatever relationship was cultivated between Carter and his uncle didn't extend that far to himself. Alex was forced under Carter's thumb and somehow his father had found himself there too. "Lovely," Alex managed to force out, not wanting to use the profane words he wanted in front of his daughter. "Just another opportunity to whip out his-," Alex glanced at Elizabeth before handing his mouth so only Kerry could see it. "Dick," he mouthed. He dropped his hand and shook his head. "Whelp. Nothin' we can do right, so..." He clapped his hands together and tried to smile at her. "Anything we can do to help with dinner? Where're the other two?"
Kerry ( Misty Gray )

The King Residence
~ Cagnes-sur-Mer, France ~
Darcey King
​

Darcey King sat with her elbows propped upon a mosaic table. Her chin rested in the palm of her hand as she silently watched her husband fast asleep in a lounger. A small smile rested upon her lips and she sat, taking in the air around her. This was the life she never knew she wanted. To be in a small, oceanside town such as Cagnes-sur-Mer with a beautiful view every hour of the day. The smell of salt drifting in the breeze entangled with the fruit from their small orchard. The rays falling from the sun on their skin in a way that wasn't too hot or too cold - just right in every way. It was something people could only dream of and Darcey would've never known such a place had existed had it not been for Interpol. But then again, had it not been for Interpol, her entire family could've experienced this. They would've loved it, she thought. It was quiet and far removed from the chatter and busy bustling streets. There were no explosions or shoot-outs or kidnappings. They would be safe and happy and healthy here. No worries to cloud their minds and judgments. Every day they would be able to experience peace and it was foreverlasting. But alas, they weren't. And for 12 years Darcey had to keep reminding herself that they weren't and it would never happen. She knew better than to hope for it. Hope was the breaker of hearts and she couldn't have her heart broken any more than it already was.

The sliding door caught her attention and glanced to see Raphael exiting. Funny, she thought, how the first time she'd ever seen him through those doors was when they first met. He hadn't had permission then and almost caught a bullet for it. Now, he had free range of the place and didn't have to worry about her shooting him. She watched in silence behind her black sunglasses as he re-joined her with their mojitos. He voiced what she was thinking - the mojitos being the perfect way to end the day. "Isn't it," she softly chuckled, moving to take a sip. As usual, it was the perfect mint-to-cucumber ratio and wasn't over-powering. She then set the drink down and went back to watching Bruce before Raphael questioned her. For a moment she wondered what to say. He knew very little about the life they lived before moving to Cagnes-sur-Mer and for a good reason. Darcey liked to believe it was to keep him safe in case things went awry, but it was also to keep them safe. She trusted Raphael and didn't think he would ever do anything to hurt them but... There were just some things she felt he didn't need to know.

"Did we ever tell you how long it took for us to get married?" She absentmindedly began to play with her wedding ring - thumb gently spinning it round her finger. "Decades," she sang. "All because we were too stupid to realize how madly in love we were with each other." She turned her head to look at Raphael - hand now cradling her cheek instead. "I didn't think I'd be good for him. I had big dreams of being a successful businesswoman. Didn't want anything to get in my way and I worried that a husband and children would. I was so young back then - so insecure. When the opportunity arose to tell him how I felt I didn't. In fact, I told 'im to marry someone else." Darcey loved Olga with all her heart and she was truly happy for her and Bruce. Even if it tore her apart for all those years, Darcey was glad Bruce didn't waste his life hoping that one day Darcey would change her mind about their relationship. He deserved so much more than that and then some. "Years later he lost nearly everyone he cared about. His children, his wife, and his sister. He was left to raise his nephews and niece and I was right there by his side. We still never admitted how we felt- that wasn't the time and we surely weren't thinkin' about it. But, I stayed. And helped raise them and watch them grow up."

A smile grew on her lips and her voice was warm, almost dream-like. "And I had it. The life I tried to run away from - I had it. And I was still successful. And I can say I was just their aunt, but no. At least not to the two youngest," she said, always avoiding the use of their names. "I was their mother." Darcey wasn't sure why she was telling him all this all of a sudden. The medication she'd taken a bit earlier was starting to settle in, so perhaps they'd gone and put her in a mood. Or perhaps it was that sudden feeling of mortality once again creeping in... "And when I almost died it all hit me. Bruce and I were made for each other and it took us decades to realize it! We were so fucking stupid," she chuckled. "Time is short, Raphael, so when you see something you want don't hesitate." She then leaned back in her seat, picking up her glass to sip from. "I'm sorry - I didn't mean to go on some old woman tangent. How are you, darling? And I mean really. None of that sugar-coating bullshit."

Raphael, Bruce ( Pyroclast )

The Frost/Fitz Residence
~ Wouldn't you like to know, England ~
Riley Frost​

Creeping through her house at 4 am was nothing new when it came to Riley Frost. Her club was open Sunday through Saturday and closed at 2 am most nights. As the owner she wanted to make sure nothing went awry during closing and therefore stayed until the last person had left the building - which was always at 3 am. Making sure her girls were okay and splitting up the tips earned was harder than she thought. Every night the same argument would be had. "Well, I had more customers tonight so I should get more!" "Yeah, but I brought in better tips so I should get more!" The old Riley wouldn't have given them anything and told them to fuck off, but the new and improved Riley - or rather, the Riley who had been court-appointed a therapist - was trying to be fair. "I asked you stupid fucking bitches how you wanted to work the tips three months ago," she pinched the bridge of her nose standing in the dressing room surrounded by half-naked girls. The smell of cheap perfume mixed with sweat and powder wafted in the air and was starting to give her a headache. "You said, 'A split sounds fair' and I said it was fuckin' stupid because then you'd argue like this and," Riley sarcastically gestured around the room. "Lo-and-fucking-behold, you're arguing. So, no. Fuck you, I'm not changing a goddamn thing. It's split - my 30% and then the 70% split evenly between the rest of you." The girls started up again - arguing how it wasn't even fair that Riley got 30%, to begin with when she didn't, "Get on stage and shake her ass," Riley glared at her and opened her mouth before remembering what her therapist - and her wife - told her. Through gritted teeth, she frowned and clenched her hand into a fist. "Take it or leave it." After a few more minutes the girls finally agreed and Riley handed them all their cuts before shooing them out.

Riley appreciated the long drive home as she was able to be with herself for once. It was hard taking care of so many people - her boss, the girls that worked for her. Her wife and her stepdaughter. How she'd suddenly become a caretaker she'd never understand. At one point she was a free agent. She was able to do whatever the hell she wanted to do whether that meant sleeping with whomever or traveling wherever without explaining herself. Riley didn't have to act a certain way or bite her tongue. There were no breathing exercises to be done or consequences to think about; she could just be. Alas, ever since that goddamn court-appointed therapy session things had changed and she was becoming a more productive member of society. The thought made her sick. But then she thought about Rachel and the second opportunity she'd been given to be with her. Every day she was reminded that if she wanted to keep being in her life then she needed to be on her best behavior; that her past tendencies needed to be buried and never see the light of day. That was the only thing keeping her from flying off the handle and becoming reckless once more.

The first thing Riley did before ever getting into bed with Rachel was shower. Riley knew how much she hated the smell and idea of her working at a gentleman's club and after a couple of arguments about it, Riley got wise. She'd scrub her skin and hair free of the cheap scents and cigarettes. Instead of smelling like strippers, she'd smell like she had a normal job with normal hours. Riley knew her job was unconventional and particularly difficult for most to handle, so she was more than grateful that Rachel understood. It prevented a lot more arguments from happening and Riley from doing or saying something she was sure to regret. And as boundaries continued to pop up Riley made sure to respect them as best she could... Once her shower was done she wrapped a towel around her hair and made her way around the house - checking that it was secure. Ever since she'd discovered Rachel in that hospital bed, she worried that something would happen. That however ran her off the cliff would find out she was alive and come looking for her; that Alex would. It was a risk she couldn't take and took every precaution she knew to prevent that as well. It was the reason they lived so far from the city. With the house secure she popped in on Laura. Her health issues had always been a concern and though she pretended to be indifferent sometimes, Riley had a soft spot for the kid. Kids were never really her thing but Laura was... Different. Whether that was because she belonged to Rachel, the impossible circumstance of her birth, or even the fact that she was sick, she didn't know. But, she'd grown increasingly protective over the young girl even if she did hide it. Once her nightly routine was complete Riley went to bed and it was around the time Rachel was getting up to run.

That afternoon, Riley had gone to the grocery store to pick up some things that were on Rachel's list. Sunday's Riley had taken off so she could spend some proper time with Rachel and Laura. It was hard to manage during the week with such a crazy schedule between them both, but she wanted to make the effort. "Broccoli," she read out loud. Even as an adult the vegetable made her turn her face up. "Fuckin' broccoli," she mumbled throwing it into her basket. She paid for the groceries and made her way back home, putting them away into the cupboards before going down for a nap. When she woke up again, she could smell something burning and groaned into her pillow. "Burn the house down, why don't you?" Sitting up she threw the blanket off her body and forced herself to get up. She was wearing a pair of her favorite, strawberry-print-covered shorts and a tank top - her hair falling on her shoulders in a mess. "What are you doin' in here," she asked, rubbing her eyes. "I'm startin' to question your cooking abilities with how many times I smell something burning." She stretched and looked over at Laura and the coloring materials. "Draw Mommy a fire extinguisher, huh?" Riley walked over to Rachel and gently took her face in her hands. "Seriously, you okay in here?"

Laura, Rachel ( Bellz )

Interpol Headquarters
~ Berlin, Germany ~
Erik Snowden​

Erik and he are lovely together and I hope they have a lifetime of happiness. He could see the letters forming sentencing in his head. The way her letters looped together neatly yet still looked like a mess on that white paper. He could hear the sound of Jeremy's voice fading in the background as he continued to read that note, but Erik wasn't listening. It was that one sentence that he was paying attention to and the man sobbing in his arms. Harper may have had a different opinion but for Erik, that note was the beginning of their friendship. That note was the thing that changed everything. How he felt about Harper and how he saw her. The friendship that blossomed when he went to visit her in the hospital after the first attempt. He'd shared something with her he never got the chance to share with Billy; opened himself in a way he never had all because of a suicide note. Sometimes he wondered if the two of them would be as close as they were had he never gone to see her and always came to the conclusion that they would. The universe would've made it happen because, at the end of the day, Harper King was Erik Snowden's platonic soulmate; they would've found a way to connect regardless. Erik believed it to be true and he didn't care if no one else did - it was real to him and always would be. And when she died, Erik felt it. He felt something in the universe shift and change and nothing was ever right after that night. The phenomenon was difficult to explain to people who had never experienced something like that, so he stopped talking about it.

Sitting along with Klaus and Wesley, Erik was finding it hard to concentrate. His fingers idly played with the silver cigarette case he now took with him everywhere. It belonged to Harper and Erik found it in his possession a while ago. It housed the cigarettes he now smoked after getting clean. One vice for another, except this one didn't make people worry about you. He looked down at his wrist and rubbed the silly tattoo he'd gotten with her during a drunk night. The two of them had woken Ava up for it and threatened to do it themselves if she didn't do it for them. She relented, knowing that they definitely would, and put the cowboy ducks on their wrists. Erik thought fondly of that time and a small smile creased his lips. He lifted his sleeve a bit more and looked at the tattoo he'd gotten in her memory. The moon with the face of a woman. Ava had perfectly captured what Erik wanted before making it a permanent part of his body. He'd never really felt one way or another about tattoos but after being split from Billy and Charlie and going through turmoil these past 12 years, they became something of an escape. And a way to remember those that were lost to him.

Wesley nudged his shoulder and Erik could hear Klaus' voice coming back into focus. When he'd tuned the two of them out, he couldn't say, but he had. He'd missed whatever the two were talking about and couldn't remember what was said even before that. Klaus went on to explain what he was talking about and Erik was piecing it all together. Right, he thought, they were here to discuss whatever it was Klaus had been doing the past couple of days. Some days Erik regretted becoming Harper's replacement. It meant he had to sit in on boring meetings like this on important days like this. He was supposed to be at Harper's tombstone updating her on his life right now - not in some stuffy building. Erik sighed and crossed his arms, willing himself to focus. Which, was a good thing considering Klaus' next words.

Erik hadn't thought about Billy... Romantically in two years. Out of respect for his boyfriend, Will, he'd moved on and focused on him. Will was the light at the end of a very dark tunnel and was the reason he'd gotten clean for good. He owed it to him to make their relationship work and so far it had. But hearing that now there was a possibility - after all these years - to see Billy again made him feel... Conflicted. And he was trying his best not to show it. Klaus mentioned that no one would get hurt by Interpol and Erik couldn't help but let out a sarcastic laugh. "Don't make promises you can't keep, Nikolaus," he shook his head. "Especially when it's out of your control." Erik's relationship with Klaus still felt like a work in progress. Some days he could stand to be around the man, keeping the animosity from his voice and off his face, and other days... Well, let's just say colorful word combinations were used to express how he felt. If it weren't for his dear cousin and her children he'd have killed him a long time ago. However, after blurting the truth about Ava's miscarriages he did try and put forth more of an effort to be more amicable toward him.

"And what if they don't all agree? What if they don't want anything else to do with this - then what? They get locked up? Then what the hell was the point of keeping them hidden for so long?" Erik wasn't exactly angry. He was tired, really, and worried. What would happen to Billy if he told them he was happy where he was with whoever he was with? What would happen to Charlie? Klaus informed them that Carter was becoming a bigger and nastier threat than any of the crime families before them. The name didn't ring an immediate bell in his head, but once he focused he remembered. "What guarantee does he have if he decides not to go along with the plan?" Erik wasn't aware that he'd said 'he', referring to Billy, and when he did he cleared his throat. "I mean- he as in Bruce or Spencer..." He trailed off, hand subconsciously rubbing yet another tattoo on his chest. "Twelve years of being gentrified an' you think they'll just drop it all to help the very people - very person that destroyed their family?"

Hearing Klaus mention a bigger threat on the horizon, Erik couldn't help but wonder just who that threat was. The Carters? The biggest and most influential crime family to date? Or Interpol? The biggest, most influential law enforcement group to date? He couldn't help but think Interpol just wanted them all to take each other out so they wouldn't have to worry about it, but he kept it to himself. As much as he wished he could force himself to do so, he didn't trust Klaus. Not enough to ask so he would wait and ask Wesley when they were alone.

Wesley, Klaus ( Bellz )

Bar Street
~ Gran Canaria, Spain ~

Christina Donovan
(Rhiannon Sullivan)
​

Rhiannon wasn't surprised to see her cousin already decked out in neon lights. When he said her real name, she quickly covered his mouth and shook her head. "Christina," she reminded. She took him in and laughed when she noticed that he had already started drinking. "Can't believe you started having fun without me AND didn't even get me my own cool pair of glasses," she teased, playfully pushing his shoulder. Despite all the bad things that had happened to her over the past 12 years, she was glad to have had Lucas there with her. Growing up it had been Rhi and the twins - namely Jeanie - but at times there was also Lucas. And when it was just the two of them their relationship had continued to grow. Most of her secrets she shared with Lucas and when something exciting happened he had been the first one she called. He had quickly become her best friend and the breath of fresh air she needed to survive. "A sin indeed, dear cousin." At the mention of Marco, she pointed toward the car and gave Marco a wave. As he was supposed to be incognito Marco didn't wave back but he did smile to himself. "Pfft, yeah right. Marco doesn't 'drink on the job' he says." Rhiannon rolled her eyes as she'd seen him drinking once with an attractive woman while he was supposedly on the job. "I keep telling him we're not a job but he doesn't care." She appreciated Marco still acting like a bodyguard. It made it easier to get Lucas home when he partied a bit too hard.

Lucas asked what she was up to, stating he'd been meaning to come over. "Syd wrote a new song, Mom tried to tell me to put on more clothes, and I managed to escape before Dad saw me," she joked. "Seriously, they're doin' alright. But you should still come over for dinner - Mom likes cooking dinner for everyone now." Rhiannon rolled her eyes at the thought. "Oh! I went ice skating today." At the mention of it, she started rubbing her arm. "It's been like a decade, but I still got iiiit," she said in a sing-song voice. "I think... I wanna start again. Does that sound crazy?" When Rhiannon quit ice skating, Lucas was the first person she explained the reasoning why. It didn't feel right without Leo. No one tried to convince her to do so after she shared that information either. It was too sore a subject to bring up back then and by the time it was okay to it was too late. She linked her arm with his as the two of them began to walk down the street. "And what crazy adventures have you been on since we last hung out? Meet anyone yet?"

Rhiannon looked in the direction that Lucas was pointing - a pub that had people standing about, chatting and taking a breather. The door opened and laughter poured out, cut off again the moment the door shut. "Why not," Rhiannon said. "We may as well try them all, right?" She winked at him before leading him toward the building. The moment she reached for the door handle a drunk group of friends tumbled out, Rhiannon instinctively pulling Lucas to the side. "Well," she said, watching as they tumbled to the floor and bust out laughing. "I want whatever they were drinking." She let out a laugh before finally walking into the pub and forcing Lucas to lead. He was the taller one out of the two and would be able to see better - Rhiannon gently pressed herself up against his back so she wouldn't get lost. Once they made it to the bar and placed their orders, Rhiannon looked at him with a mischievous grin on her face. "So, dear cousin, what are we on the hunt for tonight? We thinking long-term? Short term? A quick fling in the bathroom?"

Lucas ( Misty Gray )

Bryne Family Home
~Dublin~
Declan Bryne
(Leo Sullivan)
​

The sound of Natasha's voice caused him to hesitate. He knew what was waiting for him the moment he joined her in that kitchen and he wasn't sure if he was prepared for it. Ever since the morning he'd been feeling such an intense amount of emotions and he didn't understand why. Sadness was welling up in him and then anger and it was hard to ignore. When he walked into the kitchen, he wasn't sure which one would come out. "Fuck," he mumbled, shoving his shaking hands into his pants pockets and making his way to the kitchen. The moment he saw her face and the tears she'd tried to hide he wanted to hug her. But, he was smarter than that. He was liable to get punched in the face the moment he opened his arms. She angrily slammed the note in front of him and even though he already knew what it said, he read it. His fingers gently slide it closer to him as a way to avoid her gaze before she moved about the kitchen, yelling at him. Leo laid his forearms on top of the counter, lacing his fingers together as he looked up at Natasha.

The sadness and anger in her eyes caused the guilt in him to surge. She was right, clearly. All he had to do was make a phone call - two seconds. But he had forgotten. The chaos of having to deal with a dead body and Elle and he had let it slip; the one thing he was always supposed to do. When she brought up him working on a Sunday he nodded his head. "Yes, I know, Nat," he kept his voice low, not wanting to get into some sort of screaming match with her. "But I can't help it if I suddenly have to rush over to take care of something." He hesitated, not really wanting to tell her about the body but knowing that she'd hear it elsewhere. And that she needed to know everything that happened in the business. "Some... Bloke got caught cheatin' durin' a poker game and someone stabbed him to death. Elle didn't know what to do so she called me this morning in a panic and I had to go take care of it, Natasha, you know I don't like when other people clean up those kinds of messes. They always fuck it up." Leo furrowed his eyebrows at the thought. He couldn't leave anything up to chance. Nothing that would ruin the life they had built.

Although he thought, maybe he wouldn't have to deal with things like that had he been completely and 100% legit. But then again, being 100% legit doesn't yield the same results fast enough. Not to give his family the life he'd promised and that he thought they deserved. Leo pushed himself from the counter and slowly made his way toward her. "I'm sorry I didn't call," he genuinely stated. The same anxious thoughts he often got when they were apart were the same ones she had. Leo knew what it meant for him to check in with her. Knowing that he'd failed to do so and caused her so much distress made the guilt surge even more. "That was my fuck up and it won't happen again, but Nat, I can't apologize for working. At least not this time around. I'm always home on Sundays with you and the kids and this time was an emergency and you can't hold that against me. Not when it's me making sure our way of life doesn't get fucked up." His voice, though firm, was also filled with him pleading. He didn't want her to hold this hiccup against him but he also wanted her to understand where he was coming from.

Natasha ( Bellz )

The Bodyshop
~Dublin, Ireland~
Alejandro Cortez
​

"Oh, how kind you are," he teased once she reassured him she would never stand him up. "Nothing at all like your father." He couldn't help but joke, grinning at her. Dermot was a nice enough guy, he thought. Just very rigid and immovable, it seemed, when it came to his opinion of him. Some days it felt like it didn't matter what he did or said. He would always be Marco's son and that meant he would be exactly like Marco; a womanizer. Only, he wasn't. But how was he going to convince a father he was nothing like his former friend? Alejandro let out an amused chuckle as she retorted that she would be beating him during their training session, followed by her needing to keep his ego in check. He looked up at her, hand on his hip and his head slightly cocked to the side. "My ego," he repeated, pointing at himself with his free hand. He shook his head and got closer to her, nearly closing the gap between them both. "Your ego. It's huge. It suffocates you a bit, ya know? Pulls the oxygen from the room," he teased before he shrugged. "I'll be happy to knock you down a couple of pegs. Save a couple of lives?" He remained where he was for a few more seconds before chuckling and putting a few feet of distance between the two of them. Any longer, he thought, and he was sure he'd have done or said something embarrassing.

For as nervous as Violet often made Alejandro - both her being and because of her father - he was doing pretty well at keeping it in just then. Maybe it was because he had something else he was able to focus on or because they were in a gym surrounded by people who would tell Dermot if anything was amiss. Whatever the reason he was on his best behavior just then. "You wanna wrap your hands before you change or after?" He asked as he started to wrap his own. If she answered with wanting to change first, he would patiently wait for her to return before gently taking her hand into his own and wrapping them up. If the opposite, he would do the same. He made sure not to wrap too tightly or too loosely either, asking if they felt good and fixing any spots that needed working on. When they were both ready to start their normal routine, Alejandro took the lead. They started with a ten-minute warm-up before moving on to a 30-minute cardio routine.

By the time the two of them made it to the ring, Alejandro's shirt was drenched in sweat. "Come on, carina, don't go getting tired on me now," he teased. He was sliding his hands into boxing pads, his eyes glued to her. He wouldn't admit it aloud but working out and training her was probably one of his favorite pastimes. She kept up with him and even if she wasn't able to he slowed down for her. When she expressed the desire to train he'd quickly taken her up on that offer without hesitation. It was another way for them to spend time together even if they didn't talk much during the act. It was her presence, he found, that he desired the most. "Alright, you remember what I taught you, right?" Alejandro put his hands up, his eyes on hers. "A person's eyes can tell you a lot but so can their body language. The smallest of movements can tell you everything you need to know, yeah? So come at me."

Violet ( neverbackdown )

 

[Misty Gray]

Daisy's Cocktail Bar & Nightclub
~ Soho, London ~

Zachary Costa​

"Fuck you," Daisy hissed at Zachary as he brought her brother and friends into it. It wasn't only Justin who could be put in danger, but Jakob and hs family too. Knowing how much the Carters already tried to assert themselves over the Stewarts, she didn't want to add to their problems. "Just back off," she said, wishing to create some distance so she could access her safe again without him standing over her. After opening the safe, she grabbed some cash and counted it out between both hands, stopping when she'd got to 10% and shoving the rest away securely. "Here, take it," she said, pushing the notes against Zachary's chest for him to catch.

"We've all got our jobs to do here," he calmly reminded her as he slotted the notes with the rest of the cash in the envelope, then placed it securely into the inside pocket of his jacket. "I don't want to see you get hurt, Daisy. Just stay in line, for everyone's sake," he reminded her. He knew she was fiery and confrontational, but he also knew that would only get her into trouble if she got on Ezekiel's bad side again. "And I get what you're doing and that you think you're helping her out, but don't get in the way with Victoria. Trust me," he warned. "Stay out of it."

Zachary left Daisy in her office and returned back into the club. He had been about to return to Maverick but someone more appealing caught his attention. As he approached her, he noticed the drunk man getting more than a good look at her bare legs and it didn't appear like Melissa was impressed by that. "Fancy seeing you here, away from work," Zachary greeted her with a charming smile, acknowledging that they typically only saw each other on account of their professions. As he did address her, he made a point of positioning himself so he was blocking the drunken man's view of her. Resting his elbow on the bar as he continued to address her, he was more than capable of looking her in the eyes, no matter how attractive she was. "Please tell me you're not here alone? That would be criminal," he told her. In saying that, he was mindful that perhaps she was on a date and the lucky guy would return at any moment, but it was a risk he was willing to take and if it was the case, he would be sure to leave her be.

Bellz (Melissa)

 

[Misty Gray]

Carter Technologies
~ City of London, London ~

Will Roberts​

As he held the now empty glass in one hand, Will focused on Reign, not wanting to rush in to draw too much attention to her or provide help that she didn't necessarily want. He just made sure to show he was ready to help her in any way she asked. As the waitress babbled out her apologies, Will caught the eye of a waiter and signalled for him to get a mop to attend to the spillage, not wanting it to become a hazard for the guests. Will turned back to Reign as the woman hissed at the clumsy waitress but he remained still with a stoic expression. Whilst he was sure it was an accident, he wasn't about to butt into how Reign wished to deal with the matter - she was his superior, after all.

When Reign berated the woman, pointing out that it could have been worse if an important client had fallen victim of the waitress' ineptitude, Will couldn't help but agree. As apologetic as she may have been about the accident, the waitress had one job and should have been paying more attention to it. Still, it didn't escape him that they woman was emotional by the accident and being berated by Reign, so part of him did feel bad for her. As it happened, he'd long since learned people needed a thick skin to work for the Carters, even those employed as waitresses. Really, though, he understood Reign's reaction. The last thing she needed when representing the business was to have some fool spill wine all over her.

When Reign informed him she was going to get a spare change of clothing and left it open as to whether he accompanied her, he subtly nodded his head, sensing she was tense. As she quickly waked away, Will stayed on the spot for a moment before handing the newcomer waitress the empty glass to go with the tray Reign had just shoved at her.

Will didn't need to rush to catch up with Reign as the elevator was clearly taking it's time to arrive. "Maybe we should have words with Xavier. See if he can hack into this to make it move quicker," he commented about the slow lift. When she said Sophie should hire more competent staff, he nodded his head. "I'll have words with her before the end of the night," he offered, given that Ezekiel had asked him to keep checking in with the Events Coordinator throughout the evening.

Once they finally got into the elevator, Will took a moment to assess the damage to her suit but he was sure it would clean up. "It is a good suit," he agreed with her as he pushed the button for their desired floor. "I can arrange for the dry cleaning to be sorted," he calmly told her, having had to sort that service out for Ezekiel in the past. "I don't doubt you have many other good outfits to chose from, though. I don't think I've ever seen you make a bad choice on that front. Not that I pay attention or anything," he said, quirking an eyebrow. The last thing he was going to do in this moment was fuss over her. She was his superior, but also because he didn't want to do anything that might embarass her. She was clearly capable of taking care of herself.

Bellz (Reign)

 

[Bellz]

The Frost/Fitz Residence
~ Wouldn't you like to know, England ~

Rachel Fitz ​

Rachel had already finished setting the table when Riley showed up, looking disheveled from her nap. "Oh haha, this time it was the grease from the chicken. Not my ability to cook. Quite the comedian, you are." She hummed, her heart rate finally starting to settle as she sucked in another deep breath. While Rachel wasn't always thrilled with Riley's choice in career, she had made her peace with it quite a long time ago. Riley put in the effort, showering before she got into bed with her because Rachel couldn't stand the smell of the club on her. Fights between them, as non-confrontational as Rachel was, had been heated before Riley switched to showering before getting into bed. Now they were less frequent. Rachel would always be in her corner as long as Riley showed her that she was trying for them. And she was doing more than that. Which Rachel loved her wife for.

Rachel tried not to look as bothered as she felt by her episode, for Laura's sake, but their daughter was currently coloring away. When told to draw a fire extinguisher, Laura smiled at Riley, "Otay, Maddy!" Only looking up once from her paper before diligently getting back to work. Rachel took the opportunity to put the finishing touches on dinner, sucking in a few more deep breaths, not seeing Riley walk over to her until her hands were on her face and guiding her to look directly at her. After she'd woken up four years ago, Riley had been the only person Rachel knew. But at the same time, she had no idea who she was. While also not knowing who she was herself. Riley knew her, more than she knew herself and that was part of the reason she trusted her so quickly. After all, she'd lost, memory-wise and more...what else did she have to lose? Rachel may have not known who she'd been before...but something led her to believe that she was a person who had always trusted her gut.

She trusted her gut with Riley and 4 years later...here they were, happy as can be. Sure, they had their ups and downs, more so than most couples given the things she'd been through and the things Laura had to go through but they made it work. Rachel searched her wife's eyes for a long moment, there were times when she hid how she was feeling but most of the time, she didn't feel the need to be dishonest, "Burning smell triggered me..." Her voice faltered. Her own therapist she saw chalked it up to her car accident and PTSD. "Unfortunate considering I can never seem to stop burning something, huh?" The woman asked, finding her voice again as she smiled trying to make a joke out of it now as her eyes slid to look towards Laura. Rachel's hands reached up to grab Riley's, "Working on it, though. The trigger and the trying not to burn things as much. Feel like the therapy has been helping...not sure how much that can help with the burning problem though. " Pulling her hands away, Rachel cupped them in her own before leaning in to kiss her wife gently, before pulling away completely.

"How was that nap? Thank you for going to the market. Should have seen the look on Laura's face when I told her we were having broccoli with dinner. Swear to god, you both bounce off each other." Rachel's voice was upbeat, her smile kind and sweet but it didn't necessarily meet her eyes as she still fought to recover. Turning back toward the food, she used the slight privacy to start fixing up plates. While Rachel appreciated the concern Riley gave her, she knew that she had worried about her enough the last 4 years. Some things were better left for her to figure out privately than to drag her wife into. Oddly, she felt guilty about it, which she had no reason to...at least none she could remember.

"No broccoli." Laura said from the table and Rachel let out a genuine laugh, "Oh, so extra? If you insist, love." The woman said, and the girl pouted. "There it is! That look!" Rachel said, nodding her head towards Laura as she smiled at her wife, "A Riley look if I ever saw one. Pouting over a vegetable. If you both weren't so darn cute I would be more than annoyed." Rachel laughed and Laura scribbled on her paper a little angrily causing Rachel to laugh again. "Oh come on, Laura. Just a few florets and you can have dessert. Promise. Here, let's clean up the table." The blonde busied herself by grabbing Riley's plate and Laura's plate first, moving to set it at the table. Rachel pulled out Riley's chair for her. "What do you want to drink, babe?" She asked, clearing Laura's coloring stuff before setting her plate in front of her along with her own drink.
with: Riley Melanin-Gxdess

Daisy's Cocktail Bar & Nightclub
~ Soho, London ~

Melissa Sullivan ​

Just as she'd been hoping for someone to save her from the drunk man staring so openly at her before he dared to say something, Zachary greeted her, making a point to block the man. Melissa had visibly relaxed, shoulders softening as she smiled widely at him, dimples on full display. "Zachary, hi!" She said, her voice having to raise a little over the music. The pair had become familiar with one another through work and Melissa found him...more than attractive in every sense of the word. She was sure if the club hadn't been so dark, her entire face would have been as red as a tomato. Thank god for the club atmosphere. And what was more attractive was he was staring directly into her eyes when talking to her and not anywhere else, like that drunk man who was completely blocked from view. Criminal. She thought she had just been saying that about the price of the wine she was currently drinking. How ironic. "Alone? Oh no, my friends are just out dancing. I'm not much of the clubbing type. I like to supervise in case one of them has a dance floor accident or something." Melissa said, biting her bottom lip before moving to take a drink to keep from chewing on it any further.

After taking a healthy sip, Melissa continued to smile at him, not skipping a beat to express how happy she was to see him. She really was, any conversation she had with him was always pleasant, and right now he'd swooped in and saved her. "You out with friends too? Or alone, on a date?" Melissa realized she might have been asking too many questions. "Oh god, feel free to not answer any of those. I'm just glad you're here! And not in the work setting. And thank you for blocking me-" Melissa slightly peered behind him but couldn't see the man anymore. "That guy had a staring problem. I normally don't go out in something like this but my friends," She pointed to the ones dancing a little wildly, "Thought it suited me so I thought I'd give it a shot. Starting to think that some things are better left to be worn just around the house." She giggled before shaking her head. God, she felt like she was talking his ear off. That was completely unlike her and it must have been the wine doing its thing. Liquid courage.

That and she was just an anxious ball of energy in settings like this, crowds had never been her friend, especially after losing her family. While she knew that she was far removed from what they had been involved in, there were times when she wondered if it'd happen to her. It had her scoping out the exits in places like this, which she'd already done several times.
with: Zachary Misty Gray

Interpol Headquarters
~ Berlin, Germany ~

Klaus Jäger
Wesley Roberts ​

Wesley stiffened hearing Erik's sarcastic laugh, the first thing he'd heard from him the whole meeting. Klaus rarely lost his temper so he didn't have much to worry about but still, Wesley was more on guard these days than he was off. Switzerland. He thought in his head. Both of these people were people he considered family and unfortunately for him, just like his own fucking family, he had to be smack in the middle. Like Switzerland. Wesley simply turned in his chair slightly to look at his superior, wondering what he thought of the promised comment from Erik. It was true, Wesley thought, there were some things you just couldn't promise and while Klaus had the best intentions...man tended to put both of his German clogs in his mouth. Do they wear clogs? His brows furrowed together in deep thought about that question until Erik's questions pulled him out of it. Clogs, WESLEY FOCUS. Maybe we should up your meds.

Klaus was straight-faced, listening to Erik. His feelings for him were clear and Klaus wasn't fazed. But, impressively enough, he had good questions. Wesley looked between Klaus and Erik now, his jaw setting. This was all strange. Years ago, they had hidden the Kings and Sullivans because Interpol had gone to shit. Was being bought out, politically charged...the whole works. Now, Klaus wanted to just...throw that all away. None of it made sense. At least not yet. Wesley knew just like everything they'd done, there was a lot of moving pieces. "I'm working on an opt-out deal, Erik. Or trying to. Not everyone...or at least that is the idea, has to agree or should. Just like our operation to get you all hidden, the smaller, the better. The point...of hiding you all at the time was because I was doing what I thought was right for your cousin, for the innocent people in your family, in the King family, and the Sullivan family. I like to think I made the right choice. Interpol wasn't what it had been 10 years prior to 1985 when I joined. They were buying heads to kill, not serving justice. But over the last few years, we've seen new leadership, less political influence...I'm more confident things have returned to normal."

Wesley and Klaus both raised their brows as Erik mentioned he, asking what guarantee there was if they decided to not go with the plan. Wesley definitely wasn't an idiot...okay, sometimes. But not about this. The man had been going back and forth to The Netherlands for the last 12 years to do wellness checks on Billy and Charlie. He knew who he was talking about. Klaus had his suspicions but chose for Erik's sake to go along with Bruce or Spencer as he corrected himself. "Spencer won't be an issue, I'm sure. Man didn't seem too keen on Scotland last time I heard and was fixing to get back in the action. Might not be too happy that it's at the bidding of the organization, but, the trade-off is his and his family's freedom. So while I may be the very person to destroy his family, Erik, would you pass up a deal like this? Your identity returned to you, and your family in exchange for services that basically involved things you already did before? In a place, you're already well familiar with." Klaus was well aware that he might have sounded like a dick for saying it that way, but Erik needed to hear it. Plus, Klaus may or may not have already been in contact with Spencer before. He knew well how the man felt about getting back into the action, about getting his title back.

"With that." Klaus said, looking between Wesley and Erik. "I'm going to set you loose. Ava will kill me if I'm late for dinner with the kids. I have to be back here in 2 hours for another meeting. I should know by midnight. Have a good evening, both of you." Once Klaus left, Wesley swiveled in his chair, watching him go before turning to look at Erik. "Ye got a face on ya like a Lurgan spade." He commented, saying he didn't look too happy but knowing why. "Ye both keep me on my toes, playin' Switzerland and all. But yer askin' the right questions." Wesley complimented, giving him a smile before sighing. He'd been watching his friend closely the whole time. It ate him up to see just how much he was suffering, especially knowing he was primarily to blame. Wesley couldn't bring himself to ask about Harper, at least not yet. So instead, the man gave a rather cheeky grin, "So...Spencer King, didn't realize ye were so concerned about him. I thought he and Jeremy were best friends forever. As the kids are saying these days."
with: Erik Melanin-Gxdess

Bryne Family Home
~Piss right off, Dublin~

Stevie Bryne (Natasha Sullivan) ​

Yes, I know, Nat. Those words. Somehow he always knew but yet he didn't know anything. It had been that way for a long time. Like they were both just talking but no one was actually listening. Eventually, she just stopped talking altogether. Natasha scoffed as he defended his actions, telling her that he couldn't help it if he had to suddenly rush over to take care of something. "A phone call, Leo!" She repeated, her voice quivering as she continued to move about the kitchen though her movements were aimless at this point. The woman had since forgotten what she was doing in her scattered thoughts. Even if she were wanting to remember, any thoughts she was trying to hang onto went completely out the window when Leo then told her someone had been stabbed to death at work and that was what he was taking care of. The nausea she'd felt on and off all day came back to hit her like a semi-truck and she paled. They always fuck it up. Words escaped her she was in such a state of disbelief. Elle's name came up, another thing that Natasha just couldn't stand.

All Nat could do now, after having yelled and screamed at her husband when he walked in was stare at him in silence as he apologized to her for not calling. She wasn't even sure she was blinking, or moving, or breathing. That was my fuck up and it won't happen again...The words she wanted to hear...but Nat, so close. So fucking close. Every time she thought that perhaps he'd just leave it at that, he never did. Leo-fucking-Sullivan. The man she just had to fall in love with. Looking into his eyes right now, she felt she still did love him and it just tore her heart out. Stuck between her convictions of what she believed was right for her and the kids and what he believed was right for her and them. They had both been very different from the start and they were just kidding themselves.

"Let me stop you right there, Leo." Her voice was no longer raised, a deadpan voice as she stared at him. The difference was stark compared to how she'd been moments ago. "You handling a dead body. Fucks up their way of life." Her arm gestured towards where the kids were, somewhere in the house.

"Nat. When I'm ready and when it's time to step up, I'm taking over. But listen to me. I know, now. I know that I can't force it on you and I won't force you to accept it and I understand that. I know that this family and the business we're in is the reason your dad died but I-... I've thought about this. And no one is making me or pressuring me. I want this."

That horrible night at the casino played in her mind, the night they broke up, the night Elena was taken. "We had a chance! As horrible as it all was, to lose them, our family...we had a chance to start fresh-" Nat cut herself off, having to turn away from him as she moved to cover her face with her hands. "You aren't thinking about them! You aren't thinking about the kids! Take me out of it, because clearly you didn't care enough to call. Think about our kids!" She said, pulling her hands away to reveal her tears now, voice raising slightly.

"Remember there was a time when Seana was it. When she was all we had besides Benjie and Lorelei and even we thought we were gonna lose them so Seana was it! Our little girl, we pulled through for her. Then the triplets and with them came the news our family was out there somewhere. All of them are having to abide by the law Leo! Fuck they are dead to the world like we are, what makes us different?!" Natasha had lowered her voice again knowing the kids might hear. "Our kids deserve normalcy, Leo. Not their father going to prison. Jaxson gets in enough fights at school as it is and I can't..." Natasha was going to say that she couldn't do it alone but the woman refused to show any sort of weakness now. "So save your apologies. Elle calls you crying about a damn dead body you tell that bitch to take care of it herself. If you can answer Beaker's distress calls in the wee hours of the morning, you can call me."
with: Leo Melanin-Gxdess

 

[Misty Gray]

Bar Street
~ Gran Canaria, Spain ~

Lucas Sullivan (Niall Donovan)​

"Oh yeah," Lucas muttered when Rhiannon corrected him about his use of her old name. Sometimes it still slipped out, especially when he had his guard down, but to him she would always be Rhiannon. Just like deep down he would always be Lucas Sullivan and not Niall Donovan. He perked himself back up and brightly smiled when she teased him for having fun without her and getting the neon glasses. "I got here early and it would have been a crime to just stand around on the street. Here," he began, removing his novelty glasses and putting them onto her, mindful not to mess with her hair. "They suit you," he said, with a playful laugh. Much of his time growing up in Dunlin had been spent with the boys in his family's trusted circle; Collin, Liam, Michael and JJ. Although he'd spent plenty of time with Rhiannon too, it was only when they'd both been relocated to Gran Canaria that they grew closer and became best friends. Perhaps she'd had limited choice of who to hang out with at that time, but Lucas had no doubts now that the close friendship was completely genuine and he was grateful to have always had her nearby.

Lucas' attention was fully on Rhiannon as she updated him on her family, always able to naturally commit his full attention to others and often even detect words they left unsaid. "Syd wrote a new song? I hope she lets me hear it some time," he enthused. He then laughed when she said Aliana had told her to put on more clothes. "Pfft. Doesn't she know how warm the clubs are here? We've got to let the skin be free!" he joked. He nodded in agreement when she said he should come over for dinner. "I'll make sure I do. Your mum is a good cook!" Lucas turned to properly face Rhiannon when she told him she'd been ice skating. "Really? And how was it?" he asked, clearly happy with the news. "It doesn't sound crazy at all. You're good at it and you enjoy it, so why not?" He calmed his tone a little and looked her in the eyes. "He'd be glad that you did it, you know? He'd love that you gave it another go," he reassured her, knowing how it hadn't been the same for her without Leo.

When asked what adventures he'd been up to, he smiled to himself as he thought for a moment. "Okay, so. I saved this girl's life today. She was drowning in the sea and I got to her and I saved her. I just... I know it's my job, but I just can't believe I made a difference. Luca-" Stopping himself, he shook his head. "Niall Donovan made a difference," he said, momentarily losing the excitement. He'd always been aware of the Sullivan name often being attributed to the mob and their criminal lifestyles. It never bothered him and he knew of the good in his family members even if they did break the law. His own father, Finn Sullivan, had done so much good over the years and saved so many lives. The fact Lucas had saved another life today and it would not be attributed to the Sullivan name hurt. He was a Sullivan, not a Donovan. Although he was usually completely honest with his fathers, there was one thing he'd never been completely open about and barely admitted to himself. Whilst he'd always maintained he was content with never meeting his mother, a part of him had deep down hoped she would one day at least try to find him. Now, living in Gran Canaria and under completely new identities, he knew that was no longer a possibility, that even if she tried to find him she would give up if she discovered Finn, George and Lucas Sullivan were all dead. Catching himself, he smiled again at Rhiannon. "Well, whatever my name was when I saved her. What a high!"

Lucas decided to move on to her other question, which still brought up its own unresolved feelings, but at least Rhiannon was aware by now about how he'd felt about Collin. "Nah, not met anyone yet. Still searching for the one!" he casually shrugged. "Maybe tonight is the night."

As they entered the pub, Lucas gasped as Rhiannon pulled him aside just in time to avoid the drunken group leaving the pub they were about to enter. "Woah, hey!" he exclaimed as the drunks tumbled onto the floor. Instinctively reaching forward, he gripped a downed man's hand and help pull him back to his feet. As soon as the group walked off, Lucas turned back to his friend. "Hell yeah. If we're not falling out of this building later than we've failed."

Lucas lead Rhiannon to the bar and flagged down the bartender to order their drinks. When his friend asked what they were on the hunt for, he couldn't help but laugh at the options she set out. "Definitely not a quick fling in the bathroom here. If you saw how grubby it is in there, you'd understand why," he assured her. "Let's go with short term. After so many disappointments, I need to keep my expectations realistic." He then nudged her arm. "How about you? Need my help and are you looking for a keeper?"

Melanin-Gxdess (Rhiannon)

 

[BasDorcha]

7 years later

Jeremy had gotten up early that morning to make breakfast, the smell of pancakes and eggs, coffee and toast filling the house. Harper was still sleeping in bed, unusual for her but he didn't mind it. He intended to give her an easy morning, making breakfast for Nicolas and her before he dropped the kiddo off at school and headed in for his shift with Thea over at the office. He had been lost in the kitchen, music playing in the background as he moved around, assuming the house was still full of sleepy heads. He watched the dawn come up and the world starting to move around outside, ready to go and get up the other two in the house.

His first stop was Nic, asleep in his bed. He opened the door, stepping over to the foot of his sons bed and giving his foot a shake. "Hey slick, breakfast is ready. Common, time to get up, you'll need to get ready for school. Can't be late, we gotta work, you gotta learn." Nicolas didn't move at first, sprawled under the blanket with his head buried in the pillow. Rolling his eyes at his son, he grabbed the blanket and pulled it off, rolling it into a ball and dropping it into his chair. "HEY, up and at 'em, or I'll eat all your pancakes and bacon."

Nicolas grumbled noisily at him, stretching as he turned over and rubbed his eyes to look at his dad. "There's no school today." He tried to roll over and go back to sleep, but Jeremy picked him up and threw him over his shoulder, carrying him out of the room and into Harper's and his. He was prepared to drop his sack of flour child onto the bed next to Harper, but she was already out and in the restroom. So instead, he just dropped him right in the middle of the bed, Nicolas giggling and coming to a fully awake state. "Now, go get dressed and get ready for school, breakfast is getting cold."

Turning around, he looked to check in on Harper, peeping his head in the door. She was just pulling his favorite pair of underwear back up, causing him to grin. "Good morning sleepy head, I see you finally woke up."

"Cram it, husband. I didn't sleep well and I'm extra tired." Jeremy furled his eyebrow as the seductress in front of him went on to brush her hair. Pulling her hair to the side, he kissed her cheek, then her lips as she turned her head to meet him. "I love you. Now, rinse off, meet me in the kitchen, I have a surprise."

"Actually, I'm going in late today, so why don't you shower, and meet me at the table like a good boy?" Harper winked at him and left the bathroom.

A moment later he could hear them talking in the kitchen. He rushed to shower, afterwards standing out on the rug drying off. He dropped his towel, and as he leaned down to pick it up, he couldn't help the trashcan that appeared in his face.

Confusion greeted him as a positive pregnancy test glared back at him. Picking it up, he stood up, scratching his head as he pondered what was going on. Looking at the box, it looked like a standard over-the-counter pregnancy test, but he noticed a small decal at the top corner: Please wait 1-3 minutes. He laughed. He was willing to bet when immediately following the pee test it didn't come up positive she tossed it and moved on. Why hadn't she told him? He knew she would if she had known it was positive, but with her thinking it was false she likely just thought she was psyching herself out over nothing. Laughing, he hurried through getting dressed faster than he ever had before.

As he entered the kitchen, he sat down at the table, the test in his pocket. "So, I have something in my pocket, want to guess what it is?" He winked at Harper only to get an eyeroll.

"Love, Bucky is right there, no dirty jokes." Harper lightly kicked him under the table, Nicolas laughing when he owe'd and scowled at her. "Wife, you're the one with your mind in the gutter, I meant a real thing, that came in a box, with a wrapper, the whole shebang." Curious now, she opened both eyes at him wide. "Ohhh, so you're serious huh? I don't know Buck, what do you think it is?"

"Is it…something for me?" he asked excitedly.

"Sort of. It's kind of for the whole family." Jeremy grinned.

"Did it cost a lot?" Harper asked him suspiciously.

"Nope, not at all." He knew what she thought, which she would be getting at some point, but not now. "I'll give you a hint," he chuckled. "It's small enough to fit in my pocket, it's a gift for all of us, and Mommy thought it was trash." He looked up at Harper, watching to see if she would figure it out. At first she just looked profoundly confused, until she started to understand. The dawning look of realization covered her face slowly, her mouth agape.

"Wha-what? That came out negative." She paled a bit, but he reached over and grabbed her hand, squeezing it gently. "Turns out sometimes it takes longer than a minute." Pulling the test from his pocket with his free hand, he sat it down in the middle of the table for the two of them to see. Two matching lines showed, though Nicolas seemed confused. "What is it?" he asked questioningly.

"It's a pregnancy test. Long story short Bucky, you're going to be a brother." The same kind of slow realization came over his face before he jumped up, running around as he cheered. "YES! I FINALLY GET A SISTER! OR A BROTHER! OR BOTH! YAY!" Like a shot he was off, running through the house. He stood up and pulled Harper's hand, standing her up with him. With a quick jerk, he pulled her into him as he dipped down and wrapped his arms around her thighs, lifting her up until she was higher than his head.

"Are you sure? You've never even used one of those things, Jer." She looked at him doubtful but grinning. Jeremy spun them around, kissing her stomach as he buried his face in her softness. When he looked up at her, he laughed, "Yes I'm sure, I read the label. I'm willing to bet you haven't read it, eh?" Harper looked shocked again, then pouty, frustrated he had made such a good point.

"Harper, baby girl, we're going to have another baby." Looking at each other, they both broke out in wide smiles, Harper putting her arms around his neck and leaning down to kiss her as he held her up in the air. Just to tease her a bit, he broke the kiss momentarily, smarting off, "I might have to stop calling you baby girl now, might be kind of weird if we ended up with a daughter to keep calling both of you that. Guess I might have to find a better name."


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

Jeremy had a trying week at work, not that every week wasn't a trying one. Since his wife had gone missing every day seemed incredibly long, stretching more with each rising sun. He himself had changed, growing distant from the world and everyone around him. He could still fake a semi normal personality around folks, and his son was still able to bring him around to his old self, but it wasn't quite the same. Nicky had become the center of his world since the day he was born, only sharing space with his mother. He was just wrapping up in his office when he heard Nicolas calling out to him, looking up with a rub of his eyes as he shut the file in front of him and slid it away. What time was it? He looked about and realized more time had slid by then he thought. It was almost dinner time and he hadn't come out yet.

Standing and stretching, he turned just as Bucky pushed open the door. "Hey, I’m in here. Let's go order something so we can get it here before too much later. I don't know if Uncle Klaus and Aunt Ava are expecting company tonight." Moving closer, he scooped up both Nicolas and Atti, snuggling them both in his arms as he squeezed them playfully tight. Carrying them out of the office, he closed it securely behind him to put a shut on the week officially. "God, when did you two get so heavy?" He pretended to heave them through the house, dropping them lightly on the couch. "Whatever am I going to do with you two?" He lightly teased back to them.

Sitting down next to them, he pulled out the phone book - full of menu's and numbers and began flipping through, looking for places to eat. "What are you feeling tonight? Pizza? Burgers? Chinese?" He tossed the open menu section down on the table, sliding it towards Nicolas. "take a look and see what sounds good." He offered a smile, reaching over to ruffle his hair. He loved his son dearly, and while he wasn't the best single father in the world, he would do anything for his kid. It hurt to think that he should have two kids by this time, but that thought wasn't on the forefront of his mind anymore these days. Instead it was just the occasionally intrusive thought that he had to fight off.

Looking around the living room, he stopped on a picture of his once family, Harper with little Nicolas, Jeremy standing with them. It made his eyes water a bit, looking at it. Swiping away the water from his eyes, he picked up the phone, ready to dial in their order. "So what'll it be, champ?"

Bellz - Nicolas Bucky Gray[/imagefloat]

 

[Misty Gray]

Carter Technologies
~ City of London, London ~

Ezekiel Carter and Trevor Stewart​

Trevor had caught Abel's eyes when his nephew entered the office, sending the young man a friendly smile. In all honesty, Trevor wasn't sure why Ezekiel had called a meeting with Abel. Given that in the past Ezekiel had used Trevor to help encourage family members such as Alex and Sarah to compromise with his requests - demands - Trevor had a good idea his presence today was to ensure Abel was agreeable too. Soon enough it was just the three of them but the fact the Stewarts now outnumbered the Carters gave them no advantage, as Trevor had observed on many occasions. The man had played witness to a lot by now and in doing so, helped provide Interpol with valuable intelligence. He wondered if today would be another one of those times, but at the very least, he was at least glad to be there at his nephew's side.

Ezekiel genuinely smiled as Abel spoke about Alice and how much she loved her job. "There is nothing more satisfying than working in a career you enjoy and it sounds like your wife has found her calling. She certainly must have the patience of a saint to teach classes full of kids," he agreed with Abel's sentiment. "She'll no doubt make a fine mother too," he lightly suggested.

"I'm doing great and everything is running as it should - or at least I expect it will be after this meeting." The young man then asked if he should be worried about being called in on a Sunday. Before Ezekiel could answer, Abel turned to Trevor for his input on the situation. Trevor looked back at him, but the fact he didn't know the answer meant he was about to say he was sure Ezekiel would explain but the man himself spoke up before he needed to. "Trevor doesn't know any more than you do."

Opening up a folder, Ezekiel retrieved some papers and shifted them over to Able and Trevor for them to look at. They were approved planning permission documents which Abel would have seen or been made aware of before. "It has come to my attention that you've been awarded the contract to build David Farringdon's new hotel a few blocks from here. He already has hotels in Islington and Hackney, as well as the outskirts of London. They're cheap and they're tacky, with no place in my city," Ezekiel explained. He knew Farringdon was trying to build his own name in central London and had no intention of letting it come to fruition. Attempts to have the planning permission rejected hadn't been a success and Ezekiel was running out of options that didn't end up with a potential business rival sinking to the bottom of the River Thames. "You're going to pull out of the contract, Abel," he finally told him. "We don't need his grubby hotels clogging up London."

Trevor shifted in his seat as he listened. He'd come to learn Ezekiel was selective about who he allowed to do business in London and usually they had to compensate him for the privilege. Farringdon was clearly someone Carter didn't want trading on his playground. But he was aware of the reputational damage pulling out of a contract could do and that Abel would have to compensate Farringdon for it. As he was about to speak up, Ezekiel lifted his hand slightly to instruct him to stay silent so Abel could respond first.

BasDorcha (Abel)

 

[Misty Gray]

Alex King's Family Home
~ Bethnal Green, London ~

Kerry, Callum and Harrison King
Christian and Chloe Brooks​

Christian knew May didn't like him questioning her job, but then he didn't like her working for someone as dangerous and corrupt as Ezekiel Carter. How she and Trevor could work for the Carters when they were intimidating and cashing in on their own families was beyond him. Whether it was Alex's and Kerry's businesses, or Abel's and Sarah's, he knew full well that Ezekiel was throwing his weight around. Whilst he couldn't give his wife or his father-in-law the specifics of what he knew about the Carters, he'd hoped they'd at least just take his word for it when he told them not to get involved. Years down the line, both were still working at Carter Technologies. "You're right... at least it's steady hours," Christian repeated her words, expecting she knew it wasn't that simple.

Chloe smiled as both of her parents encouraged her with her aspiration to be a detective. "Or a journalist," she was quick to add, clearly already having a list of things she wanted to do when she grew up. She may have only been eight, but Chloe often picked up on the tension between her parents, as well as when her brother was unhappy. It was why she'd spoke up about wanting to be a detective at all. "Hey!" she protested when Jensen ruffled her hair and accused her of ratting him out. "Yeah, well, you shouldn't break the rules," she protested, as if she'd never misbehaved in her short life.

Hearing Jensen say he thought about being a game creator brought a smile to Christian's face. "That's a smart idea," he encouraged him. "When I first worked as a detective, there weren't a lot of computers. Now they're everywhere at the station, including the one I have to use these days," he commented. As he parked up his car in Alex's driveway, Christian was glad to see the father-in-law wasn't there and hopefully Trevor wouldn't be able to make it at all.

After turning off the engine, Christian got out of the car and opened one of the rear doors for the kids to get out. Chloe suddenly perked up at the thought of being able to see and play with her cousin, Elizabeth, who she had plenty in common with.

*****​

As Alex returned her kiss, Kerry heard Elizabeth vocalise her distaste as they pulled away. She watched on with amusement as Alex lifted up their daughter and set about kissing her. Despite all of the family he'd lost, Kerry loved these moments where she was able to watch her husband with their kids, seeing him able to take advantage of the love and happiness that was in his life now despite so much loss. She smiled when her daughter continued to express her distaste. "Can your mum at least get a hug?" she asked, pouting at her daughter.

Kerry knew how hard it had been, not only for Alex losing most of his family but also many of the businesses too. Then they had Interpol watching them closely all whilst the Carters muscled in on what was previously King territory - their empire. It was difficult for Alex and Kerry tried her hardest to be supportive throughout, to help her family in London continue to live their lives despite Carter looming over them. When Alex made his discreet comment about Ezekiel taking an opportunity to whip out his dick, Kerry knowingly smirked and nodded her head in agreement. Having found herself on the bad side of both the Sullivans and the Morettis, the Carters' hold over London now felt all too familiar. She may have come a long way pushing behind the PTSD following her ordeal in New York, but the last thing she wanted was to end up on the bad side of another megalomaniac. "No, not much we can do," she agreed with a sigh. She wished they could stand up to the Carters and she knew Alex did too, but they lacked the manpower and the freedom to do so, given Interpol still watched them closely.

"Dinner is pretty much ready to be served once the others arrive, so you're good," she said when Alex offered his help. With the question about the boys, Kerry let out a sigh. "I told Harrison to play for a bit and Callum slumped off after I told him to cool it with trying to wind up Christian." In that moment, the teenager appeared on the scene, having just walked straight past the front door. "The copper's here," he informed them but brushed past Kerry, head glued to his mobile as he texted his girlfriend. Kerry looked back to Alex with a 'see what I mean' kind of expression in response to Callum just proving her point.

Kerry walked to the front door and pulled it open in time to greet the Brooks lot. "May. Christian," she said, giving them both a quick hug. Straight away she could sense a tension in the air, but in all honesty, it wasn't the first time. "And hey, you two," she cheerfully greeted Jensen and Chloe. "Come on in. Dinner is ready, if you want to eat right away?" she offered.

"Good to see you Kerry. Dinner sounds good, I'm starving," Christian said. The sooner they ate, the sooner they could go home, he figured. Of course, he enjoyed Alex's and Kerry's company. Trevor's and Callum's not so much, not to mention he and May weren't in the best of place at the moment and he knew he'd have to keep up an act all evening now. "How's it going, Alex?" Christian asked, giving his brother-in-law a firm handshake. "No trouble?" he asked, of course meaning the Carters.

"Trevor got called into work so he's going to be late coming over," Kerry told May, but loud enough for Christian to hear too. "Are you doing okay?" she asked May, sensing all wasn't entirely well with her friend.

Whilst Chloe rushed over to Elizabeth to catch up with her, Harrison scooted past them into the hallway to see the new arrivals. With a bright smile on his face, he looked up to May and then Christian, clearly thinking of something as his mouth hung open. "Did... Does anyone want some bacon? Cos Christian's a copper?" he asked, much to Kerry's dismay.

From the living room, Callum could be heard laughing. "Oh God! Close enough, Harry!" he called out between his amusement.

BasDorcha (May, Jensen)
Melanin-Gxdess (Alex, Lizzie)