RP/V: The Morning After

[Rebecca]

"Maybe if I had married Ciaran I wouldn't be like this now but I wouldn't be happy. I would have married for the sake of my mother and I wouldn't have the twins. Pull out of what is left of Roxbury, give the information the police want," Kelly replied. "And don't hit your brother in law again, unless you never want Suze to talk to you again."

"I'm sorry, Kelly. I know there's nothing I can say that'll ever be enough, but I am sorry," Liam said quietly, "It'd be a pretty bad move to hit him again considering I think we should ask Suze and David if we can stay here for a couple of days. It's safer. We'll sell the apartment, get my brother and sisters to help us move everything out and find a new place. Did I tell you that Janet wants to be the new leader of the Roxbury gang, by the way?"

"I'll pick up your SkyBike if neccessary," Kitty commented before sighing. "It's always been me and my mom. My dad died before I was even born so it was always just the two of us and we are just so stubborn that we wind each other up."

"Wow. OK, I didn't know that. You're something else, Kitty Stewart," Jim said, looking at her as though he was seeing her for the first time, "I think a lot of people are going to try, but I don't think anybody'll ever be able to figure you out."

[Nicky]

"As long as we are together I don't mind whether we have to live with my parents," Kelly said firmly. "And no you didn't tell me that Nicole wants to be the leader of Roxbury. If she wants to let her get involved in the mess."

"The first person who will figure me out will be the last," Kitty said weirdly. "Even I don't understand myself so I can't expect anyone else to without a lot of thought."

[Rebecca]

"As long as we are together I don't mind whether we have to live with my parents," Kelly said firmly. "And no you didn't tell me that Nicole wants to be the leader of Roxbury. If she wants to let her get involved in the mess."

"It's really bizarre. I went to this hotel that Cassidy owned - I think she used to live there - with Chloe and they told us Janet had arrived just before we had. And then she was there, just announcing to us that she wanted to be the leader. She's a Columbia graduate, for God's sake. She's got everything going for her. I'm not saying I got into Roxbury for the right reasons, but she has the opportunity to be so much more..." Liam said, "I don't know. It was just one of those moments, just one little thing that somebody said. Sometimes that's all it takes for you to realise something. And I realised I belonged here, with you and Mark and Erin."
"Suze, what are you doing?" David's voice, although hushed, could clearly be heard from outside the door, "You can't go in there. They're having a private conversation."
"You honestly have no idea how funny you sound when you've got a nosebleed. I wish your voters could hear you talk like that," Susannah retorted, "Look, he's my brother and she's my best friend. Trust me, they won't mind."
Liam glanced at Kelly and raised an eyebrow comically, a trace of a smile crossing his face at the fact that his sister and brother-in-law had been eavesdropping.

"The first person who will figure me out will be the last," Kitty said weirdly. "Even I don't understand myself so I can't expect anyone else to without a lot of thought."

"Well, if you ever find him I want to meet him," Jim said with a smile, "He'd have to be one heck of a guy."
"I did tell you they wouldn't allow it, dear," a male voice came from the doorway of the room, "It's a hospital."
"Well, it's just ridiculous if you ask me," Sally replied to her husband, "I'll bet if they did let animals in here the patients would be much happier, for one."
"Hey, Dad. I was starting to think Mom had lost you for good this time. What's going on?" Jim joked, "Oh, this is Kitty Stewart, my boss."
"Your mother decided to buy you a present. Well, she made me go out to get you a present. Only, as it turns out, you won't actually be able to have it until you're allowed out of the hospital," Jim's father explained, before reaching forward to shake Kitty's hand, "Pleased to meet you, Miss Stewart. You can call me Ben."
"OK," Jim said, looking slightly confused, "What did you get me?"
"A puppy," Sally explained, "A gorgeous little golden Labrador puppy, but they won't let him in! He's such a sweetheart, Jim. You'll love him."

[Eddie]

Janet remained quiet, taking in what Chloe was saying whilst she put her wine glass down on the floor and stood up from her armchair. She glanced over at a painting on the wall of Cassidy's hotel room - her home, Janet supposed - for a while and then turned back to Chloe, her expression showing the vulnerable woman cowering on the inside for just a brief second before her face became cold and confident once more.
"What's the point in living if you can't feel alive?" she asked simply, then shook her head, "No, Chloe, I didn't kill her."

"Alive? You'd be surprised Janet. You haven't ever killed anyone, have you? It's hard to explain to someone who hasn't ever done it, but it's like a drug, that's the best analogy I can think of. Right afterwards you feel euphoric, adrenaline is pumping and stuff. But with every high, there is a low too. Maybe it's my way of feeling guilty, I don't know, but about an hour after I kill someone, I feel like I'm dead myself. I could be in a room full of people and feel alone. That feeling levels off after awhile and I just feel kind of numb until I have to start the process over again. And the pay isn't as good as you think it'd be. Overall I guess it's a decent career, but if becoming a gangster is the only way to feel alive then this whole life thing is pretty fucking overrated," Chloe commented before getting up and taking a look in Cassidy's refrigerator. She grabbed something to drink and went to where Janet was standing. "I'm glad you didn't kill her, I'd have been expected to kill you on principle. I wouldn't have, but still."

[Rebecca]

"Chloe, would you just shut up and quit patronising me? No, I've never killed anybody, but that doesn't mean I don't know how you feel. I know because I feel like that all the time. I feel empty inside, I feel like I'm constantly trying to do something - anything - that'll make me feel like a person again. I used to know who I was, Chloe. I knew who I was, I knew what I believed in, I had all the answers. Now I don't have any," Janet explained, although her tone didn't show any emotion, despite her words, "What Liam just did, just now - he had something else to believe in. What happens when you don't have that?"

[Nicky]

"It's really bizarre. I went to this hotel that Cassidy owned - I think she used to live there - with Chloe and they told us Janet had arrived just before we had. And then she was there, just announcing to us that she wanted to be the leader. She's a Columbia graduate, for God's sake. She's got everything going for her. I'm not saying I got into Roxbury for the right reasons, but she has the opportunity to be so much more..." Liam said, "I don't know. It was just one of those moments, just one little thing that somebody said. Sometimes that's all it takes for you to realise something. And I realised I belonged here, with you and Mark and Erin."
"Suze, what are you doing?" David's voice, although hushed, could clearly be heard from outside the door, "You can't go in there. They're having a private conversation."
"You honestly have no idea how funny you sound when you've got a nosebleed. I wish your voters could hear you talk like that," Susannah retorted, "Look, he's my brother and she's my best friend. Trust me, they won't mind."
Liam glanced at Kelly and raised an eyebrow comically, a trace of a smile crossing his face at the fact that his sister and brother-in-law had been eavesdropping.

Kelly smiled evilly at Liam before whispering in his ear her plan. She then spoke out loud, making sure it was clear for David and Suze to hear. "Oh Liam," she moaned. "I've missed this."

"Well, if you ever find him I want to meet him," Jim said with a smile, "He'd have to be one heck of a guy."
"I did tell you they wouldn't allow it, dear," a male voice came from the doorway of the room, "It's a hospital."
"Well, it's just ridiculous if you ask me," Sally replied to her husband, "I'll bet if they did let animals in here the patients would be much happier, for one."
"Hey, Dad. I was starting to think Mom had lost you for good this time. What's going on?" Jim joked, "Oh, this is Kitty Stewart, my boss."
"Your mother decided to buy you a present. Well, she made me go out to get you a present. Only, as it turns out, you won't actually be able to have it until you're allowed out of the hospital," Jim's father explained, before reaching forward to shake Kitty's hand, "Pleased to meet you, Miss Stewart. You can call me Ben."
"OK," Jim said, looking slightly confused, "What did you get me?"
"A puppy," Sally explained, "A gorgeous little golden Labrador puppy, but they won't let him in! He's such a sweetheart, Jim. You'll love him."

"I'm seeing problems," Kitty whispered so that Jim could only hear. A cat and dog. She hoped he knew what she was on about. She shook hands with Ben. "Nice to meet you."

[Rebecca]

Kelly smiled evilly at Liam before whispering in his ear her plan. She then spoke out loud, making sure it was clear for David and Suze to hear. "Oh Liam," she moaned. "I've missed this."

Liam laughed silently when he heard Kelly's idea, nodding at her and leaning across to kiss her as obviously as possible just for good measure.
"I've missed this too, babe," he said, plenty loudly, "Feels like when we first got married."
"Ew!" Susannah hissed at her husband, "I so did not need to hear that."
"No, I don't think I did, either," David commented, looking slightly disgusted, "Hang on a second. Aren't the twins in there too?"
"Yeah, they are! That's so - oh my God, wait, I know what this is. They can hear us!" Susannah said, pushing the door open and glaring at her brother and sister-in-law, "You think you're so funny. You actually had us going for all of two minutes."
"Oh, Suze, you were there?" Liam asked innocently, "Sorry, you know what it's like. With the twins keeping us up all night we haven't had a lot of time alone together."

"I'm seeing problems," Kitty whispered so that Jim could only hear. A cat and dog. She hoped he knew what she was on about. She shook hands with Ben. "Nice to meet you."

"Hmm? What problems?" Jim said, not bothering to whisper before he grinned at his parents, "Mom, you're the best! That's the coolest thing ever. What should I call him? What d'you think, Kitty?"

[Nicky]

Kelly smirked at David and Suze. "Learnt your lesson about eavesdropping on other people's conversations?" she asked. "You actually thought we would do it with the twins present?"

"Erm, I don't know Jim. I'm only your boss. Doggy? Or maybe you should save your name deciding for when you see it," Kitty replied, curling up in her chair.

[Rebecca]

Kelly smirked at David and Suze. "Learnt your lesson about eavesdropping on other people's conversations?" she asked. "You actually thought we would do it with the twins present?"

"I didn't," David defended himself, his nose now having stopped bleeding but still quite red, "And I wasn't eavesdropping, either. That was just Suze."
"Are you really quitting, Liam?" Susannah asked, looking almost afraid to hope, "What about the money? What about the cops?"
"I'm giving the money away. And if I lay low for a while, I don't think the cops will come after me. They'll be too busy trying to track down everybody else who's still doing it, not to mention the Gargoyles," Liam explained, "It's real, Suze. This is probably the only chance I'll ever have to get out."
"I just can't believe it," Susannah said, putting her arms around her brother as he stood up, "I can't believe I get my little brother back and a part in a movie all in the same day."
"I still can't believe what I said to you earlier today, what I did, I'm so...wait, what?" Liam said, looking incredulously at her, "You're going to be a movie?"
"Independent. But hey, it's still a movie. I'm playing a nurse in the Iraq war who falls for a solider in the Iraqi Special Republican Guard," Susannah explained, "It's two months filming in Toronto, and I wasn't sure if I should go but..."
"But what, Suze? No questions about it, you're definitely going! And then you can shove it in Dad's face when you become a star," Liam said, then turned to David, "What about you? Aren't you going to get jealous of your wife having to film scenes with some other guy?"
"It's her job," David said simply, adding sarcastically, "And I accept your apology for punching me, by the way."
"We have to celebrate," Susannah said, "David, do we still have that bottle of Moët & Chandon?"
"Yeah, we do, but it's not really fair since Kelly can't drink it," David pointed out, "How about some lemonade instead?"

"Erm, I don't know Jim. I'm only your boss. Doggy? Or maybe you should save your name deciding for when you see it," Kitty replied, curling up in her chair.

"You're my friend, too. Although, seriously, 'Doggy'? Where do you come up with this stuff?" Jim wondered, "You'll look after him until I get out of here, right, Mom? Or you could try and sneak him in."
"Of course I'll take care of him. You must be tired, dear," Sally said to Kitty, sitting down beside her, "Are you sure you don't want to go home and get some sleep?"

[Nicky]

"And has that ever stopped you while I was pregnant?" Kelly questioned. "Break it open and I'll made do with lemonade. I am starting to like the sober life. You never know I might stay teetotal once I have finished breast feeding the twins."
As in it was a cue for them they began to both start crying at the same time. Kelly let out a sigh. "They are like clockwork these two."

Kitty looked at Jim to see whether he wanted her to go home. "I don't know I might do now that you two are here."

[Eddie]

"Chloe, would you just shut up and quit patronising me? No, I've never killed anybody, but that doesn't mean I don't know how you feel. I know because I feel like that all the time. I feel empty inside, I feel like I'm constantly trying to do something - anything - that'll make me feel like a person again. I used to know who I was, Chloe. I knew who I was, I knew what I believed in, I had all the answers. Now I don't have any," Janet explained, although her tone didn't show any emotion, despite her words, "What Liam just did, just now - he had something else to believe in. What happens when you don't have that?"

"I don't know if I'm the best person to ask that question... But the only thing I've had to believe in since I was 17 is this gang. So, let's do this," Chloe nodded, trying to put on a brave face. A small part of her still wanted to just get on a plane and fly as far away as she could. "What we need to do first is reestablish control of our people. So we should let McBride and a few other people in on the plan. It's not like we can hold a big meeting and announce our new leaders, we just need to tell 5 or 10 people that matter and it'll get around. We shouldn't do it here though, a van full of Gangsters walking into this hotel would attract attention and my apartment might be being watched. So, I think we should meet at the warehouse by the pier. You'll need to buy it from Liam before he sells it to some coffee importers. I don't think we really need any of the other property right now."

[Rebecca]

"And has that ever stopped you while I was pregnant?" Kelly questioned. "Break it open and I'll made do with lemonade. I am starting to like the sober life. You never know I might stay teetotal once I have finished breast feeding the twins."
As in it was a cue for them they began to both start crying at the same time. Kelly let out a sigh. "They are like clockwork these two."

"That might not be a bad thing. You're not very good at holding your drink at the best of times," Liam noted, "Although Suze can be a lot worse. Holy shit, Suze, do you remember that time at Mikey's party?"
"Er, yeah - I don't think we need to let David know about that, do we?" Susannah said, waving them through to the living room, "Come on, we'll all have some lemonade in Kelly's honour."
"OK, now I actually want to know what you did at Mikey's party," David commented, "Either that or we can just get you really drunk and see what happens."
"You think they want feeding?" Liam asked, picking Erin up and cradling her for a bit, "Or maybe they're just bored. I'd get pretty bored having to lie on my back like that all the time."

Kitty looked at Jim to see whether he wanted her to go home. "I don't know I might do now that you two are here."

"You can go if you want to, Kitty," Jim said, although his expression conveyed the exact opposite of the words that came out of his mouth, "You probably have a lot of work to do, anyway."

The next morning...

"I didn't want to wake her up," Jim explained to his brother, sitting up in his bed and gulping down his breakfast, "She looks really peaceful when she's sleeping."
"I can't believe she stayed here all night. Mom and Dad couldn't believe it either when they called me this morning from the hotel, you know - if you don't want them to find out you guys are dating, you're doing a really sucky job," Thomas commented quietly, before walking across to shake his boss's shoulder, "Kitty, it's eight in the morning."

[Nicky]

"They need feeding and that is one job that you cannot do Liam," Kelly said picking up the pillow she had brought with her and then placing it on her lap before picking up Mark. She looked at David and Suze. "You can go and crack open the lemonade if you want to."

Kitty woke with a start and in the process her neck cracked. "Oh god. I've got work to do and my cat needs feeding," she said beginning to ramble on.

[Rebecca]

Felicity Russell twisted the keys to her apartment in the lock and stumbled inside the door, her make-up smudged and her hair smelling quite distinctly of alcohol and cigarettes. She'd told Oliver that she was going to meet him for lunch earlier that day, although she was too drunk to remember having done so - as it was, she walked over to him and put her arms around him.
"I did something stupid today," she told him, slurring her words slightly, "Really stupid."

"I don't know if I'm the best person to ask that question... But the only thing I've had to believe in since I was 17 is this gang. So, let's do this," Chloe nodded, trying to put on a brave face. A small part of her still wanted to just get on a plane and fly as far away as she could. "What we need to do first is reestablish control of our people. So we should let McBride and a few other people in on the plan. It's not like we can hold a big meeting and announce our new leaders, we just need to tell 5 or 10 people that matter and it'll get around. We shouldn't do it here though, a van full of Gangsters walking into this hotel would attract attention and my apartment might be being watched. So, I think we should meet at the warehouse by the pier. You'll need to buy it from Liam before he sells it to some coffee importers. I don't think we really need any of the other property right now."

"Thank you, Chloe," Janet said, managing to produce a smile, "I don't think this is the right thing to do, and I don't even know if we can pull it off - but I haven't got a clue what I'm going to do with my life if we don't. Oh, and since Liam is selling this place anyway, maybe we should look around and take as much as think we need before we go? What if Cassidy had stashes of cash or something?"

"They need feeding and that is one job that you cannot do Liam," Kelly said picking up the pillow she had brought with her and then placing it on her lap before picking up Mark. She looked at David and Suze. "You can go and crack open the lemonade if you want to."

"OK, fair enough," Liam conceded with a laugh, "I am getting pretty good at changing diapers, though."
"Changing a diaper is beyond easy," Susannah pointed out, "Seriously, anybody could do it."
"Oh, so that's why you were completely petrified of changing Erin's?" David queried, then turned to Kelly, "Come join us when you've finished, OK?"
"Oh, there's something I have to ask you guys," Liam said, walking out into the corridor, "Can we stay here for a couple of days? I don't think the cops will be able to get a search warrant on us, but just in case."
"Do you honestly even have to ask, Liam? Of course you can," Susannah said, "The babies will need a crib, though. Maybe we can get them one of those portable ones?"
"Stay for as long as you need," David agreed, "Just don't punch me again. Please."
"I won't," Liam promised, "As long as you don't give me reason to."

Kitty woke with a start and in the process her neck cracked. "Oh god. I've got work to do and my cat needs feeding," she said beginning to ramble on.

"I think O'Brien might understand if you don't go to work today, Kitty. I don't know about your cat, though," Thomas commented, "You look like crap, by the way."
"Very pretty crap," Jim pointed out, "You hungry, Kitty? I've got some omelette left over and I would offer you my banana but I don't think I could keep a straight face if I did."

[GREG]

"Yes, Captain." Eve responded, and stared Captain Stewart down as she spoke to her. "Sure Captain, just make sure you don't drag yourself and your daughter down with me if you feel the need to get me fired." Eve coolly walked out of the room and headed for the morgue.

...

"How do you ever get used to the cold?" Eve asked conversationally as she descended the stairs with the man in charge of the morgue - Jason Benson.
"Wear a vest, two t-shirts and stock up on tissues." Jason smiled, and opened the door to the 'John Doe Ward' as it was known to the staff. He led Eve into the room, and started working methodically backwards. "So you say he was last seen alive within the past 6 months?" He checked, and also used it as an opportunity to check her out.
"Yes, if he died it would have been a couple of months ago, he was very keen on making appearances at important events. Brown hair, fairly tall and well built, caucasian, in the region of 40 to 50 years old." Eve repeated from memory.
Jason began the process of opening and closing the pull out deathbeds, showing Eve the face, watch her shake her head in frustration and moving onto the next one. She was pretty, Jason wondered if she was single. He was glad she hadn't found the body she was looking for, he liked spending more time with her.
"That's him!" Eve exclaimed, loudly and, in retrospect, too happy. "I need to get a name. He went by the name of Brian, but I don't have a second name and I'm not sure if that was his real name or not."
"Well, according to the notes here, he was shot and fell from the roof of a building. Sounds like whoever killed him, meant it. It says here that somebody came in to look at the body but didn't claim it, however the note's added that they seemed to recognise him."
"Does it say who came in?" Eve asked, intrigued.
"Yes, a Mrs Louise Todd." Jason said. "It doesn't say anything else though, you might want to check it out anyway."
"I think I'll do that. Thank you," Eve looked down at Jason's badge. "Jason." She smiled at him, and then made her way out of the morgue.

((I just realised I referred to him as Adam on page 9. Could somebody edit that to Brian, please?))

All done, Greg.