Realistic or Modern The Oath - 1940s Gangster Drama - IC (Ended)

[Misty Gray]

James Porter​

When the chair was kicked at James, it slammed into him, hitting just below his rib-cage. The impact winded him slightly and almost caused him to squeeze the trigger on the gun. He coughed a little, but continued to hold the gun, loosening his index finger's grip on the trigger. Alex's next sudden movement caused the chair to hit James' arm and he dropped the gun on the floor. He instinctively kicked the gun aside, even though there was practically no chance Alex could grab it in her current predicament.

"For fuck sake, Alex!" he angrily roared at her. Deep down, he hadn't wanted to lay a finger on her but now she left him with little choice. He grabbed the chair back with one hand and the back of her neck with his other. He then used his feet to kick Alex's legs from underneath her, dragged her and the chair down onto the floor. Hands still tied to the chair arms, Alex was now on her side, as if sitting on a chair that had toppled down sideways.

James grabbed the gun and then crouched down over Alex. "Now, why did you have to go and do that?!" he coldly hissed, pressing the barrel of the pistol into the side of her head.

neverbackdown ​

 

[Bellz]

Peter Callahan and Lucy Porter

with: Sinead Misty Gray mentions:
Peter's heart leaped in his chest as Sinead revealed that she too wanted to kiss. He didn't know what to say at this point, maybe because nothing could be said. It was time to act on this feeling he had deep inside of him, damn the consequences now. She leaned in closer to him as he hesitated to move forward. His skin warmed as she placed a petite hand on his shoulder. His eyes widened as she continued to move forward and her own eyes closed. No turning back now, he took a deep breath before moving his face closer to meet her lips with his own, his eyes slid close.

The kiss was gentle and sweet, a bit clumsy for Peter could not keep his own lip from trembling slightly with nervousness. A few blissful moments passed and Peter could have stayed like this forever, but the blaring of a phone coming from the other room caused him to jump, scaring him away from Sinead. He stayed silent as he knew Savannah was still fast asleep, but a laughing expression passed on his face at his own behavior. He was so jumpy that his heart was erratically thumping in his chest much quicker than it had been before the kiss. Looking towards the door for a moment, the phone continued to ring before he turned to Sinead.

His cheeks turned pink and warmed greatly as he struggled to find the right words, "I..uhhh..." He cleared his throat softly. "Sorry...for that." Apologizing for ruining the kiss with his jumpiness.

with: Conor Misty Gray mentions: Cormac neverbackdown .
Lucy nodded along softly as her brother explained his reasoning for doing this to Alexandra. It was understandable and admirable, and on any other day, Lucy may not have questioned such a thing. At one point in time she believed the woman deserved everything she had coming to her. Seeing Conor this way was only making her own emotions worse, being unsure of James being able to handle such a task at the moment was also making her worry. After leaving her brother to head back to the kitchen, she grabbed the bottle she had pulled out previously and poured herself another large glass.

Without much thought, she downed the glass, at this point feeling as though the alcohol would be the only thing to numb everything she was feeling. Conor's footsteps caused her to look his way. Her face must have looked miserable as Conor offered her another tight hug, to which she accepted gratefully. Lucy's eyes were cast downwards as Conor brought Sinead's name back into the conversation. Her sister was hurting because of her, because of the cruel things she had said. The blonde shook her head quickly to Conor and sighed. "No...its alright. Its not just me who needs time at the moment Conor, James needs it...and Sinead perhaps needs a few days for this to all blow over. We will be alright. We always pull through." Lucy was just about to pour herself another drink when the phone rang.

"I'll get it." She sighed softly and walked towards the phone. Picking it up, she spoke. "Hello?" The other voice that greeted her was Cormac. Her heart dropped suddenly. "Cormac? What is it? What's happening?"
​

 

[neverbackdown]

Alexandra Romano​

Alex heard the gun drop but knew it was little use to her in this state there was no way she could pick it up without landing head first on the ground and knocking herself out in the process. She tried to come up with a plan but before she even had time to blink she felt his hand on the back of her neck and her legs slipped from her under her, Alex felt her world turn sideways and she knew there was nothing she could do about it. She cried out, unable to hold back the pain which radiated throughout her body as the chair hit the floor, it felt like every bone in her body had broken on impact. She felt the blood on the side of her face as the wound Cormac had caused earlier reopened itself as it hit the floor.

She tried to think of a way out but all thoughts vanished when she felt the cold metal being pressed against her head. She squeezed her eyes closed for a second trying to block out the fear before she turned her head to face him, leaving the gun to be pressed into her forehead, she looked to him for a second and wondered if he was going to be the last thing she ever saw. “I know how these things work James, no one knows I’m missing and god knows how long I’m going to be here” she told him, her voice was calm and her face was blank as she refused to show the fear she was feeling. “I also know I’ll be leaving here as a shell or in a body bag but your messed up if you think I’ll let that happen without a fight” she stared at him trying to see if he truly did hate her of it there was any signs left of the man who had offered to take the blame of Vinnie when they rescued Finn, she sighed as she was unable to read any signs of how he was feeling. Her expression turned serious as she stuck her head forward so the barrel of the gun was pressed firmly into her skull “and I’d rather be dead”

Misty Gray

 

[neverbackdown]

Cormac Sullivan ​

Cormac breathed a sigh of relief when Lucy answered the phone, he was worried that Conor would answer or that no one would answer the phone.
“Lucy, We’re at that apartment James has” he looked around trying to figure out whereabouts they were but he was useless at street names so he hoped Lucy would know exactly what he was talking about. “We have Alexandra” he explained quickly as he looked back up towards the apartment. “James said to tell you that he doesn’t think we’ll get to Vinnie this way and that he might kill her, now personally I don’t care if the Italian brat dies but Conor was severely against it” Cormac explained as he casually played with the wire connecting the phone to the box “I don’t know you might want to come over and talk your husband down” he suggested. “But don’t tell Conor obviously we don’t want him worrying”


(Honestly wasn’t sure if I was supposed to invite Lucy down but it’s done now haha)
Bellz

 

[Misty Gray]

James Porter​

James kept the gun pressed against Alex's head as she spoke. Once he had caught his breath back, the hand holding the gun was steady. After so many years of preciously aiming a gun and learning to keep a steady hand, even his present inner turmoil did nothing to stop him from keeping his hand under control. "Keep pushing your luck with me and I can answer that question for you... You won't be here for much longer. Not alive, at least," he remarked. He showed the smallest frown and glimmer of sorrow when she suggested she'd be leaving as a shell, if not dead. She added that she'd rather be dead.

"You know, Alex," he began, his tone sounding less cold but the barrel of the gun still firmly pressed into her skull. "I didn't want it to get to this stage, not with you. I wanted Vinnie tied to that chair. I wanted him to be the one with a bullet in his skull. I'd rather he left this room in a body bag than you did." James shook his head. "Physically, that man in untouchable. That means, the only way we can get to him his through the few people he finds it in his selfish heart to care about."

In a sudden movement, James pulled the gun away, leaving a temporarily imprint in Alex's skin. He shuffled back slightly and sat himself down on the floor, a few feet from Alex. His eyes remained fixed on her as he continued to hold the gun, ready should he need to quickly react. "It's a tough call, Alex. It would have been much easier were it Nicolo or Fallon here right now," he admitted. "I wouldn't have hesitated to take from Vinnie just a small amount of what he's taken from me since before I could even talk."



neverbackdown ​

Bellz

​

 

[Misty Gray]

Sinead Sullivan​

Sinead kept her eyes closed as she felt Peter's lips touch hers. She gently rested the palm of her free hand against his chest and felt the quickened beating of his heart, which seemed to match that of her own. The kiss might have been a little clumsy, but that didn't make it any less sweet and warming to her. All of her worries up to that point temporarily left her head as she found herself simply in this perfect little moment of theirs. She barely registered the sound of the telephone ringing, but when Peter suddenly jolted back, away from her, she quickly opened her eyes again. At first, she worried he'd pulled away because he'd decided this was a terrible mistake. However, his laughter made her realise it had just been the shock of the ringing that dragged him out of their moment. She couldn't help but giggle a little too, adorably scrunching her nose up as she listened to him bashfully apologise.

"Oh, that's alright," she softly told him, her eyes still looking into his. She slowly removed her hand from over his chest, stopping herself from feeling the endearing and hypnotising beating in his chest. The other hand, which was on his shoulder, she slowly and lightly traced down his arm until she held his hand in hers. "I'm glad we did that," she assured him.

Sinead briefly closed her eyes before sudden chuckling. She then looked to Peter again and cheekily grinned. "I only just realised something... Your name is Peter and some of my family call me Tinkerbell. How hasn't Conor even realised that?" she joked, hoping to distract Peter enough for his nerves to calm down.

Bellz

 

[Bellz]

Lucy Porter​

with: Conor Misty Gray mentions: Cormac neverbackdown .
Lucy gasped into the phone as her cousin relayed the message her husband had demanded he give her. Biting her lip, she turned to look towards the kitchen were she had left Conor. Her eyes glued to the doorway, looking for any signs of him coming closer as Cormac suggested that she come over and calm James down. After another moment of dead air over the phone, Lucy turned back towards the wall where the phone hung. "I'm on my way. I know you would like to see her dead Cormac...but please, make sure he doesn't kill her." With that, she hung up the phone and looked towards the kitchen once more.

A wave of guilt passed through her as she realized she was having to sneak around her brother's strict orders to not leave the house, and would be interfering with his plans. Lucy knew that something like this would happen, as much as she wished it wouldn't. Lady and Samson's paws could be heard as they caught movement in the front entrance way where Lucy currently was. "Stay." She simply told the dogs as they looked at her with wonder. Reaching into the hall closet, she retrieved her coat and heels before closing it. Opening the front door, she slipped out without a word and moved towards the garage to grab one of the many cars. Slipping on her heels and coat, she found the keys to one of the vehicles and slipped into the drivers side. The apartment building Cormac had mentioned was one that Lucy had only been familiar with one time before, so the location had been difficult to find. A familiar car had caught her eye and she looked up to see the apartment building. Parking the car, she moved out quickly and started to trek up the stairs.

Once she was sure she found the right apartment, she knocked on the door roughly. The gun that sat on her inside coat pocket weighed heavily as she placed a hand inside to hold it, ready to shoot if need be. Lucy grumbled a few curse words under her breath as she tried to turn the door handle, finding it locked. She hoped she wasn't too late. Lucy stood by her statement that Vinnie was the one she wanted to suffer...Alexandra may have been some sort of tie to that, but she wasn't worth their time...at least that's what she needed to convince James of.

(Peter coming up next )

 

[neverbackdown]

Alexandra Romano​

Alex listened to James as he spoke, she tried to ignore the gun pressed against her forehead but the coolness of the metal and the idea that one move of his finger would end her life meant that she could not push it from her thoughts. But yet she found herself eerily calm in the situation, almost wanting him to get annoyed again so he’d do it and that concept scared Alex more than the gun did. Did she really want to die?.

She watched as James retreated back a few feet and let out a breath that she hadn’t realized she was holding. Even though James had moved back, Alex couldn’t take her eyes of the gun almost longing for it to be pressed back against her head and for him to just finish it all together for her. But yet she didn’t want to claw and dig at his insecurities but not incase he killed her but because when she was dead she would never be able to take it back or assure him that she had lied.

When he mentioned how much easier it would be if Fallon or Nicolo were sitting here, Alex frowned “and that’s why I’m glad it’s me, they might deserve it more, they’re definitely involved but I’d rather take this shit than imagine it happening to them” she told him as she broke her eyes off the gun. Her neck was starting to hurt from being at such an awkward angle so she let it lay down so it was resting somewhat on her shoulder. When her cheek hit off her shoulder she grimaced as she picked it back up due to the pain it caused and decided it slightly hold it up and to just ignore the stiffness it was causing.

Misty Gray

 

[Misty Gray]

James Porter​

When Alex said she was glad she was in this position rather than any of her siblings, James simply nodded his head. That was part of how he knew she was different to Vinnie - she would put her own life before that of her siblings and whether true or not, James genuinely didn't believe her father would do the same. He wished he hated her and that she was a coward, but instead, he knew if he had to kill her then this would be one hit that would stick to his conscience. Most of the Romano men he'd killed didn't even make a dent on his conscience because he either didn't know them or he knew of their own despicable actions. They were no real loss to the city.

Hearing the sound of the door handle turn, James figured it was Cormac as he hadn't given the man a key to get back in. He had been starting to wonder why the man was taking so long. "Save your energy and don't bother trying anything," James warned Alex, making it clear he was keeping the gun in his hand and ready to use at any given moment.

When he reached the door, James peeked through the spy hole and was shocked to see the blonde woman standing there. He wasn't surprised after the message he'd sent, but he was somehow still shocked. He took a deep breath before turning the latch and pulling the door open. "You shouldn't be here," he told his wife. Regardless, he ushered her inside and checked to see if Cormac needed to come in. He couldn't have them standing in the corridor for too long and risk being seen.

"Any new developments or instructions?" he flatly asked, gun still comfortable in his hand. Without waiting for an answer, he walked back towards Alex to make sure she wasn't trying anything else. He was trying his best to block out how disappointed or angry Lucy might be with him right now. This was a mess.

neverbackdown ​

Bellz

 

[Bellz]

Peter Callahan

with: Sinead Misty Gray mentions:
Peter was relieved to see that Sinead wasn't upset with him for ruining such a moment like that. His heart was still fluttering in his chest, mostly due to the fact that Sinead still had her hand planted on his firm chest. A small sigh escaped his lips as she slid it from his chest, releasing him from the power of her touch. Or at least that's what he thought until he noticed her hand that had been on her shoulder was trailing down his arm, which then grasped his own hand in her small one. "Maybe we should do it again sometime eh?" He asked, a boyish smile forming on his lips as his heart rate finally began to slow.

He watched her close her eyes before she chuckled. He raised an eyebrow and wondered what she was laughing at when she explained. Her words distracted him from his nervous feelings and he in turn let out a laugh, smiling even wider than before now. "Well that sounds like a match made in Neverland doesn't it?" He murmured to her, giving Sinead's hand a squeeze before lifting it to his mouth and kissing the back of it.

Savannah was still sounds asleep and from the sound of it outside the room they were in, it was quiet. He wondered if it was time to escort her back to her own room. "Do you think we should head back to your room? I mean...we can't hide in here forever can we?" As much as he wanted just that with her, he knew eventually others would start to worry.​

 

[neverbackdown]

Alexandra Romano and Cormac Sullivan ​

Alexandra heard a knock on the door but didn’t bother looking in that direction as she guessed it was Cormac coming back in. She watched as James got up to answer the door and sighed softly to herself as she tried to maneuver her head into someway that was comfortable, which was very hard to do with the position she was in. The blood running down her cheek was starting to irritate it and she just wanted to wipe her face clean.
Alex half heartedly attempted to pry her arms free but knew it was futile she just wished James or Cormac would turn her back to an upright position, her body aches and the way she was lying did not help.
Alex placed her head back down gently, unable to hold it up any longer. She closed her eyes and gritted her teeth and she tried to get the pain to a manageable level

Cormac walked up to the apartment and could tell how worried she was as she practically ran to the apartment. He followed in a little behind Lucy and walked into the apartment before closing the door behind him. He looked at Alexandra now lying sideways on the floor and a smirk crossed his lips for a brief second “what happened here?” He asked motioning towards the Romano

Misty Gray Bellz

 

[Bellz]

Lucy Porter​

with: James Misty Gray ; Alex and Cormac neverbackdown mentions:
Lucy was growing impatient and was about to reach for the door handle again when she heard the turn of the lock. The door was opened swiftly and she was greeted by her husband who looked different compared to how he normally was. Her eyes narrowed as all he stated was that she shouldn't be here, stepping inside as he gestured for her to do so, Cormac was close behind her and shut the door behind them all. Lucy stared as her husband as he asked if Conor had given any new instructions, she was about to answer when he walked towards where Alexandra must have been. Biting her lip, she followed him and clenched her jaw as she saw the poor girl.

Before either of the men could get another word out, she was quickly moving towards Alexandra, pulling her into an up right position. "Conor doesn't know I'm here. But this isn't going to continue James. She isn't the one we want to suffer, that Conor wants to suffer." Making it clear she was serious, she stepped in front Alex and pulled the gun from her coat. "We want this to end we have to go after the source while he's down, he may not be dead but he sure isn't walking around with a fucking spring in his step." Lucy wasn't sure if this was the right thing to do for her family, but it was the right thing to do for her brother who was clearly struggling with the decisions he had to make.

"This whole mission is over." She stated simply but held her ground with out moving, knowing that one of them was bound to argue with her on this point.

 

[Misty Gray]

Sinead and Conor Sullivan​

Sinead smiled brightly when Peter suggested they should kiss again sometime. "Maybe? Hmmm, I say we definitely should," she flirtatiously told him. She felt truly lucky to have had this sweet young man walk into her left. At the same time, she felt a little guilty too, for thinking of her own romantic feelings whilst Lucy's heart was broken. She felt like perhaps she wasn't allowed to feel anything good until her sister was able to smile again. Still, she returned the gentle squeeze Peter had given her hand. "What I would give to be in sweet Neverland right now!" She thought the kiss he gave the back of her hand would melt her.

When Peter suggested they headed back to her room, she initially got the wrong end of the stick and had to quickly compose herself. She soon realised it had been a perfectly innocent suggestion. "Oh... Ohhh. Yes, I suppose you are right," she said, her cheeks turning red. She didn't feel ready to face her family, but she knew he was right and they couldn't keep hiding. She hesitated before releasing his hand

Sinead got up to see if Savannah was still asleep, and as if on cue, the baby seem to wake up. "Well, hello there, pretty girl," she spoke to her daughter, somehow managing to put on a voice even sweeter than usual. After paying some attention to the baby, Sinead finally lifted her out of the basket so she could cuddle her and carry her out of the room. As she gently rubbed Savannah's back, she looked to Peter and sent him a shy smile. She wondered what he thought when he saw her with her daughter. She wondered if her having a child was something that would make him reluctant to want to kiss her again. "Uh-ohhh," she suddenly broke the silence. "Looks like I have a stinky baby!" she commented.

When they left the room, Conor briefly froze as he saw his sister for the first time since he'd heard of Lucy's bad news. He soon recovered, knowing nothing could change for him where his sisters and niece were concerned. He approached them and instinctively held his arms out to hold Savannah and place a kiss on his niece's head. Part of him hoped the angel in his arms would bring him some comfort and warmth right now. It was a brief cuddle as he soon heard Sinead mention the baby needed changing and he wasted no time in handing Savannah back to her mother. "You go and change that cute bundle of stink. I need a word with Peter anyway," he suggested. He waited for Sinead to leave before he turned to Peter. "I hope my sister isn't making things hard for you," he half-joked. It was the best he could manage, given how much was going through his mind. "It's important that Sinead doesn't leave this house for the time-being, not unless I say so," he firmly told Peter. "There's a lot happening right now and it's not safe for any of us, especially not my family."


Bellz

James Porter​

James watched on as Lucy stepped in and helped Alex up from the floor. In a way, he was glad his wife had done it. As much as he hadn't liked seeing Alex in that position, he figured it was show weakness or retreat if he'd helped her up. Then Lucy spoke to him and told him the plan wasn't going to continue. To add to it, she stepped between him and the Romano girl. "We can't get to Vinnie. He might be down, but his men are not and neither are the cops. If we go within a mile of that hospital, any one of them will pounce on us," he firmly told her.

When Lucy told him the mission was over, he quickly shook his head. "Like Hell it is!" he argued, still holding his gun, but by now out of habit than any intention to use it. "I didn't want Alex to be involved is this either, but now she stays here!" he continued, his voice louder. He walked back to the door and locked it from the inside, placing the key into his pocket. "Drink champagne and paint each others' nails, for all I care. She stays here. The Romanos blame us for Vinnie getting shot and when they attack us, which they will, we will need some leverage. Without Alex, we have no way of stopping them." He leaned back against the door and shook his head. "The mission is NOT over!" he loudly repeated.

James hated talking to Lucy like this, especially after what they'd been through today. She was the only person he figured was left to care for him in this world, but he still couldn't help himself right now. He knew their loss was adding to his anger, but he believed this was the only choice they had to get the upper hand over the Romanos..


neverbackdown Bellz​

 

[neverbackdown]

Alexandra Romano and Cormac Sullivan ​

Alexandra felt herself being lifted up and raised an eyebrow as she opened her eyes to see who had done it, her eyes widened slightly as she saw Lucy was here but the shocked look on her face only grew when Lucy stood in front of her protectively. She watched as James and Lucy argued and her eyes flickered to Cormac who looked just as awkward as she felt. She sat back in her chair and let her head fall back to rest on the back of the chair as she listened to the conversation. She sensed a change in the situation where it seemed that she was going to be left alone for the time being. “I wouldnt say no to champagne but can I have a cigarette first?” She spoke up trying to put as much strength in her voice as possible. She spoke up because firstly she really wanted a cigarette and secondly she wanted them to think they hadn’t broken her and to pretend she wasn’t as distressed as she was.

“Shut up, nothing has changed here” Cormac growled at Alexandra before turning his head to look at Lucy. He didn’t understand why Lucy was protective over this girl, her family had caused them so much pain and yet here she was defending a Romano, the confusion was clear on his face as he looked between the two “is there something I’ve missed here?” He asked before shaking his head. “Lucy your my cousin and I love you but James is right, we need her here and if you try anything to let her go or get in our way I promise I will drag you out of here screaming and drop your ass outside that door quicker than you could blink” he promised his cousin with a deathly tone to his voice

Misty Gray Bellz

 

[Bellz]

Peter Callahan

with: Sinead and Conor Misty Gray mentions:
Peter smiled sweetly as Sinead blushed and revealed that he may have been right about heading back to her room. In that moment, as if she had been listening the whole time, Baby Savannah woke up. Peter watched the sweet seen between the mother and daughter before Sinead announced that Savvy needed a change. Nodding his head, he followed behind her and watched as Conor froze briefly in their presence. It was refreshing to see him interact with Savannah in such a sweet way, a brief smile showed on his face but just as Conor said he needed to speak with him, it faded. Looking a bit nervous, he watched Sinead walk away with Savvy.

Luckily for Peter, Conor's conversation was on a topic he was hoping for, business. Peter nodded his head softly and looked back to where Sinead had walked off to. "I will make sure that she stays on the property sir," He vowed to his boss before clearing his throat and sighed. "And Sinead is actually doing the opposite of making this job hard, she has made me feel welcome here." A large smile and the twinkle in his eye would reveal there was definitely a hidden meaning behind those words.

Lucy Porter​

with: James Misty Gray ; Alex and Cormac neverbackdown mentions:
Lucy glared at James now as he spoke to her in such a manner. She understood the frustration that he was feeling but she would not stand there and be a punching bag. Her jaw clenched and the hand that held her gun gripped the handle tighter, her finger rested just above the trigger. Alex's voice could be heard behind her and she silently willed the woman to shut her trap, she should have known by now it would only make matters worse...perhaps that's where the maturity needed to come in. Cormac's voice rang out and she turned her eyes to stare at him, her glare not wavering as she stared at her cousin. His threat prompted a dark laugh from her and a large smile painted her lips. "No can do Cormac, come near me or her and this bullet will find a home in your leg. I love you too but this isn't the way to handle this." Her eyes turned back to James.

"May I remind you that you work for my family. If I tell you the mission is off, its off! If I tell you left is now right, then you better fucking believe it!" She raised her voice now, clearly angry with her husband in that moment. "I told Conor not to send you here because this would happen! I told him none of this will work!" Lucy looked behind her at Alex for a moment. "What happens if this doesn't work the way we wanted it to? Vinnie will walk free and he will send his worse after you and you!" She hiss and pointed her fingers at both of the men. "Leverage will mean nothing to Vinnie Romano, he's a heartless psychopath! And you are just throwing this dog a bone, giving him more of a reason to torture our family, my family. Haven't we already lost enough James?"​

 

[neverbackdown]

Cormac Sullivan ​

Cormac looked at his cousin with an amused look on his face before pulling out his own gun and aiming it at Alex “while I won’t shoot you because James will kill me” she stated looking at James for a moment “I will shoot her without a second thought so lower the gun and put it away Lucy” he told her, his voice fully serious as pressed his finger gently against the trigger. He couldn’t help the laugh that escaped when Lucy claimed left is right and all the other crap she said. “Listen, James might have to listen to you and do what you say since yous are married, I don’t have to do such a thing” a tone of amusement was still present in his voice before his tone darkened a serious amount “I don’t work for you, I work for Conor and so we are not going off the plan unless Conor says so” he looked at Alexandra and smirked before turning back to Lucy “now tell me Leg or arm?” He asked her motioning to Alexandra with his raised gun “tell me a body part or put the gun away”

Misty Gray Bellz

 

[Misty Gray]

James Porter​

James was caught off-guard a little when Lucy pulled rank and reminded him he worked for the Sullivans. Whilst he knew she hadn't meant it in the way he may interpret it, hearing it referred to as her family still felt like another blow. Likely only getting to him because he'd only just been reminded he wasn't part of Rayna's perfect and exceptional family either. "Sorry, I guess I forgot my place and grew concerned about the well-being of your family," he sarcastically apologised, hurt evident in his eyes.

"There's a chance none of this will work. But sitting back with no leverage and letting the Romanos attack us has never worked out well. Isn't it time we had the upper hand?" he asked. "What else do you propose we do, Lucy? We have lost too much and we're running out of things to lose. Isn't it time to take a different approach?" he asked.

James was prepared to just unlock the door and walk right on out of there. He didn't like being in this situation. He stopped, however, when Cormac began arguing with Lucy too. Despite his stance, he didn't want Alex getting shot in the leg and he certainly didn't like to leave if Cormac was going to upset Lucy. Cousins or not. Marital domestic or not. His concern would always be for his wife before anyone else. He waited for Lucy's responses, still prepared to step in if needed.


neverbackdown ​

Bellz

 

[Bellz]

Lucy Porter​

with: James Misty Gray ; Alex and Cormac neverbackdown mentions:
Cormac's response was irritating and Lucy in that moment wanted to shoot him. Cousin or not, he couldn't just waltz in here and continue to call the shots, Lucy was Conor's sister. Being the stubborn Sullivan that she was, Lucy refused to put the gun down. "Shoot her and you will only be on the same boat Cormac." Lucy growled out in warning to him as he tried to get her to choose between where Alex got injured. Lucy took a step back to even further cover Alex and raised an eyebrow. "Fuck off with the intimidation games! I will not put this gun down, and I will certainly not let this continue. She stays here fine, you want to use her as leverage, fine! But lay a hand on her and you will regret it." Any damage done to Alex further will only anger the Romano's further, if they were to send her back unharmed...it may lessen the next blow.

Looking to James now, she addressed his answer which had been followed by the clear hurt in his eyes, which was like a punch in the face. He was already hurting, she could see it, she herself was still feeling it all from the news given this morning. Now they were yelling and screaming at one another when they should have been working together. Her words had been severely taken out of context, and now her husband was hurting at her hands. "I want this all to end just as much as the next person, but Alex should not have been touched. Sure, leverage may work, but when you return the victim in less than healthy condition, it only makes matters worse." Her eyes looked to Cormac briefly, not trusting him at the moment as she continued to stand in front of Alexandra.

"Promise me that you won't hurt her any further...and I will put the gun down." Lucy's eyes begged James to let this happen.

 

[Misty Gray]

James Porter​

James watched on as Lucy and Cormac argued with each other. He hated that they were all arguing amongst each other, especially in front of the Romano girl. Still, he was too irritated himself to wish to step in at that moment.

He then listened as Lucy said Alex shouldn't have been touched, even if she was being used as leverage. As far as he was concerned, he'd done his best not to lay a finger on the girl. "She was only on the floor because she decided to attack me," he explained. As far as he was concerned, he hadn't hurt her. Still, he wasn't about to become a child and protest that Cormac was the one who had hit her. The two men had been in this together so he would maintain such solidarity.

"I won't hurt her, alright?" he told Lucy. "So put the gun down. Cormac, you need to relax too," he suggested, nodding to the man. Although he remained by the door and placed his gun still to hand in his pocket, James meant his word that he wouldn't hurt the girl. "So what now? Perhaps you could take Alex back to your place and have a kidnapping sleepover party?" he half-jokingly suggested. All he knew was he wanted out of the apartment and away from any further public arguments with his wife. "Better still, let Conor babysit his hostage. It's your choice, right?" he offered Lucy, not quite about to let the pulling rank thing go, despite managing a smirk.

neverbackdown ​

Bellz

 

[Misty Gray]

Conor Sullivan​

Conor was glad to hear Peter's assurance that he would make sure Sinead stayed on the property. "Thank you, Peter. Just don't be fooled by that sweet face of hers - she can be real stubborn at times," he warned him. That would usually be accompanied with a humoured smile, but right now he could barely find it in himself to do so. He then also thought back to James and sighed. "I'm certain James is training you well, even if you might be exhausted by the end of it all. He's got a few things going on himself right now, so don't take anything too personally from him at the moment and I'm here too if you need anything."

Conor did manage to smile when he was told Sinead was making Peter's job easy, which he was relieved to hear as he'd worried his sister would put up a fight at the idea of being 'babysat'. It also didn't escape his attention that there was a twinkle in the young man's eyes, perhaps more to his words than face value. Taking the opportunity to lighten his own mood for even the briefest of times, he placed a firm hand on Peter's shoulder and raised a curious eyebrow. "Sinead is good at making people feel welcome. She's very open with her feelings, so if she likes you I'm sure she's made it crystal clear," he told him. "I mean, has she made it clear?" he curiously asked. He hadn't had time to gauge Sinead's body language around Peter, but looking at the young man, he couldn't help but think he was already sweet on her. "I'm sure you've already been introduced to Savannah too. Do you like kids?" he asked. If he was right and Peter was attracted to his sister, he'd make damn sure he didn't mess her around and that he understood Savannah was a permanent fixture in Sinead's life.

Bellz​

 

[neverbackdown]

Alexandra Romano and Cormac Sullivan ​

Alexandra kept her head back on the seat as she listened to the three argue and allowed her eyes to close. She heard Cormac threaten her with the gun but she didn’t care if he shot her or not , her body not even flinching with the possibility.
When James mentioned Conor, Alex felt the tears starting to prick at her eyes and placed her head down so her hair was covering her face. She still couldn’t believe he had done to this her, he had completely and utterly thrown her under the bus and without any real explanation. She willed herself to not cry and she gripped onto the arm rest of the chair.

Cormac looked at Lucy as she threatened to shoot her if he shot the Italian. As she threatened them and warned them not touch the Romano, Cormac sighed and put his gun down back into his pocket. So the fun was now over?. He looked at the Italian, with her head back and eyes closed as though she was relaxing, Cormac knew that the girl felt safe now and he didn’t like that, not one bit. Cormac saw Lucy eye him and sighed “I won’t touch the girl again” he muttered bitterly to Lucy. He added again in so that Lucy would know that he hit Alexandra, not James.

Bellz Misty Gray

 

[Bellz]

Peter Callahan

with: Sinead and Conor Misty Gray mentions:
Peter nodded along to Conor's words and took note that his mentor James, was also going through things at the moment, which was no surprise to him since Sinead had explained what happened. He wondered just how much would change around here now that the news had taken its toll. Sinead and Lucy weren't talking to one another at the moment and who knew how long that would last. Watching as Conor placed a firm hand on his shoulder, Peter's cheeks were warming and he wondered in that moment if he looked like a tomato. Shrugging his shoulders, trying to play off his embarrassment, he offered Conor a small smile. "Well, she seems to like me sir." Was all he could think to answer, unsure if he should allow himself to say anymore for fear of accidentally spilling the truth.

The young man nodded his head when Conor assumed he had been introduced to Savannah and asked if he liked kids. "Love them, who wouldn't? Children possess a sort of knowledge and outlook the world that we boring adults have all lost over time."Peter had seen this as he grew up himself and in the children that grew up around him when he was at the orphanage. Children were always optimistic, always holding onto the last thread of hope. "I use to help watch a lot of the kids in the orphanage, and little Savannah is very well behaved compared to most."

Lucy Porter​

with: James Misty Gray ; Alex and Cormac neverbackdown mentions:
Lucy was satisfied with both of their answers so she tucked the gun back into her coat pocket before stepping away from Alex. Her eyes narrowed slightly at James still, seeing as how he clearly wasn't going to let what she had said before go very easily. Sighing softly, she walked to look out one of the windows for a moment. She probably should've stayed home, she knew it was foolish to come. She had been so worried about her husband and how he might handle Alex and he seemed to be doing just fine. Conor should have been here though...and perhaps that's exactly what needed to happen.

"I think bringing Conor here is a wonderful idea." She told her husband before turning back to face the room. Lucy was well aware that in this world of men she really didn't have a rank within the family, but sometimes the voice of a leader wasn't enough. James did work for Conor and the family but was this something he necessarily had to take care of today? After everything they had just went through? He would never deny Conor on any job but this is where Lucy might have to step in. "Like you said, its his hostage. Don't you think our boss should be here handling her? Vinnie has always been around for one of these sessions."

​

 

[Misty Gray]

Conor Sullivan and James Porter​

Conor sent an approving nod when Peter said Sinead seemed to like him. "I'm sure she does. In fact, I'm certain all of my family is fond of you already. My mother might give you some stick along the way, but she's like that with everyone," he lightly warned him. "I believe she used to scare the Hell out of James."

As Peter spoke about his time in the orphanage and helping look out for the kids there, Conor found it quite impressive. "I like that, Peter. I like that you're willing to look after kids. A lot of men I know think it's beneath them to be that way, like it's for women to care... Follow me to my office and we can talk there," he suggested. He knew that right now he needed to stay by the telephone, both the family line and his private line. As they walked he continued their friendly conversation. "Savannah is very well-behaved. My old man used to tease Sinead as she had been a loud and screechy baby. Although, in retrospect, we realised she was probably stretching those vocal chords of hers. Still, she'll be lucky if Savannah doesn't take after her on that front!"

Conor didn't exactly have business to discuss with Peter, but right now he was appreciating having a simple chat with the lad and finding a distraction from his worries. He offered Peter a seat at the desk, opposite to his own chair. He then slumped himself into his seat when he noticed the telephone flashing. He lifted the receiver and began listening to the message, one which Alex had left for him earlier in the day.

"I need to meet you tonight, meet me at the clock tower at dark" She spoke into the phone "keep a tight eye on everyone and be weary please, I love you".

A wave of guilt, even more than he was already feeling, took over Conor. Peter would noticed the boss' face turn pale. Hearing that Alex had wanted to meet up with him that evening and was even looking out for his safety made him feel like a piece of dirt. "Fuck..." he muttered under his breath. He wondered if it was all too late, but until James contact him he didn't have a clue where Alex was being kept or how to contact them.

Bellz (Peter)​

​

James folded his arms as he watched Lucy walk to the window. He didn't like to be stubborn with his wife, but something about Alex's and Cormac's presence made him feel that way. He just wished he could be alone with her so they could talk things through. The last thing he wanted to be doing right now was fighting with Lucy when they'd had such bad news. He just wanted to be able to comfort her, if they could get past their disagreement.

James raised a curious eyebrow when Lucy agreed with letting Conor deal with Alex. Her reasoning followed his own. This was Conor's hostage and the boss should take a leaf out of Vinnie's book by being around for this. "I'm not going to argue with that. How about you call your brother and tell him to get over here? The sooner he's here, the sooner I can leave," he abruptly told his wife. In reality, he hoped Lucy would leave the apartment with him. Conor and Cormac could handle this mess. "Cormac, will you go with Lucy to the phone?" he asked, not wanting her to go outside alone considering the circumstances. James would have accompanied her, but his mind was set on having a few words with Alex in the meantime...


neverbackdown
Bellz

 

[neverbackdown]

Alexandra Romano and Cormac Sullivan ​

Cormac watched quietly as James and Lucy kept talking, he was glad that they weren’t fully arguing anymore but he knew that they were going to have to talk alone to sort this out, it was clear that Cormac and Alexandra’s presence was making this worse. When both agreed that Conor should come down, Cormac nodded in agreement before looking at James. “C’mon Luce” he said as he walked towards the door. Cormac didn’t know this was going to go but he knew one thing for sure and that was that Conor was going to be furious when he found out Lucy was here. Cormac held the door open for Lucy allowing her to walk first before closing it behind them.
“I have to say, while I didn’t agree with you up there, I am impressed how you held yourself” he told her

When Lucy and James agreed that Conor should come here and deal with this himself, Alex was unable to stop the tears from spilling out. She found herself wishing that James had just done what he threatened and shot her when he had the gun to her head, she did not want to see Conor. If this was part of the plan to break her then they had definitely succeeded.
When she heard the door close behind Lucy and Cormac, Alex lifted her head to look at James, tears stained her cheeks and the dead look in her eyes was as clear as day. “I lied about Rayna” she told him, her voice was as weak as she felt “she came over to meet you and regrets ever leaving you behind, I’m pretty sure she stopped talking to my father after the wedding but she’s been annoyed with him since she heard what he’s done to you over the years” Alex explained. She needed to tell him the truth, she didn’t want to mess up their relationship and the lies she had told were eating her up inside. Alex looked at him with pleading eyes, now that she had said what she needed to say to him, she had one question to ask “please just kill me before he gets here”. Alex didn’t care if this showed that they had succeeded, she didn’t care if she showed herself to be weak. Alex just didn’t care anymore, she didn’t see the point.

Misty Gray Bellz

 

[Bellz]

Lucy Porter​

with: James Misty Gray ; Alex and Cormac neverbackdown mentions:
Lucy could see that their night wasn't going to end once they eventually ended up at home, it seemed that there would need to be discussion between them. Until then however, Lucy was going to have to continue to guess what her husband was thinking. Thoughts of him being disappointed in her crossed her mind and worried her immensely now. Looking to Cormac as he walked towards the door, Lucy moved to tuck a blonde strand of hair behind her ear. "Okay." She murmured, her eyes catching James' before she walked through the doorway, Cormac closing it behind them. Walking down the hall, her cousin spoke up and caused her to smile for a brief moment, eyebrows raised in surprise.

"Thanks Cormac..." She told him as they quickly moved back down the staircase and out main doors of the building. The pay phone was only a few feet away now, and Lucy began to grow nervous. Conor was definitely not going to be happy with the fact that she was here, or that she was basically demanding that he come take care of his hostage, but for the sake of her own small family that hadn't gotten a fighting chance, it needed to be done. Conor was the boss, he needed to act like it. "I'm sorry about that...up there." Lucy told her cousin, referring to the argument between herself and James. "We normally don't argue like this...but James wasn't ready for this mission, I wasn't ready for him to go." She wondered if Cormac had been briefed on what happened bit she knew James wasn't one for talking about personal issues during business...as shown only a few moments ago, it always ends up going terribly.

After fishing for some change in her coat, she loaded up the pay phone and dialed the home number quickly. It rang once, then twice..."Come on Conor, please answer." He was going to hate them for this, she was sure of it, but Alex would also be completely safe under his watch.
[/center][/center]

Peter Callahan

with: Conor Misty Gray mentions:
Peter smiled slightly as it was revealed to him once more that Mrs. Sullivan may give him a hard time. He was actually a bit nervous for it but was curious to see what the woman had up her sleeve. If she used to scare James then she must have a talent for such intimidation. Peter was glad to see that Conor was impressed with him in a way, watching children was something that Peter didn't have to think about too much...he never thought of it as a serious gender issue before. It made him frown slightly at the thought of men not doing their part with the raising of the children, his own parents having abandoned him early so that they didn't have to.

Pushing those negative thoughts from his mind, he enjoyed the short information that Conor revealed about Sinead as a baby. A soft smile formed on his lips thinking about the woman again, hoping that he would be able to spend more time with her later. He took a seat opposite of Conor as his boss gestured to the chair and sat silently as he checked the messages on his phone. Peter could read people well, but Conor's face visibly fell after hearing what someone had to say on the other line. Biting his lip, he watched his boss curse under his breath. Once he hung up the phone, Peter opened his mouth, ready to voice his concerns when the phone began to ring again. Odd He thought as he stared at the phone openly, raising an eyebrow.​