Fire, Fire

-Colin Reeves- -21- -Caddy- C'mon, admit it...I'm pretty funny.

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Sophie closed her eyes and shook her head, letting out an exasperated sigh. He just didn’t know when to give up. Didn’t he realize that this was only going to make it worse? 

Compliantly, she marched over to the bench and sat down, looking up at the stark white sky. It was going to snow, and if she had any illusions to luck on this trip, she’d hope that they would at least be able to get out of here before it came down to stick. 

Sophie snorted at the coincidence of his situation, he really did have the blackest sort of luck. Everything that happened in his life seemed to be a series of unfortunate events; being a proficient bootlegger, falling in love with a girl who would literally gut him, meeting her… She shook her head to herself and considered his question, working her jaw for a moment. She turned her gaze away from him and looked out over the frosty hustle and bustle of Boston in November. This was a city that only slept at night, but even then something was moving. 

"I’ve been working with the Gang." She shrugged. "Not much choice in it, we lost too many to not at least try. We’ve been making runs, trying to rebuild. It was really ugly for a time, and I…I dunno. It was hard, still is…” She took in a shaky breath. “Most of all, I’m tired. Like that feeling ya get when ya’ve had too much coffee and just want to sleep but can’t get comfortable. Like I’m half awake all the time. And people keep looking at me like…well,” She glanced at him with a grim grin, “Like you’re lookin’ at me now. Like I’m a bomb waiting to go off. I dunno, maybe I am.” She shrugged again and sat forward, hunching her shoulders as she wrapped her coat more tightly around herself. “So yeah, maybe I’m broken, but there’s nothin’ for you to fix. I think this is what they call growin’ up, old man.” She said with a faint smile.

[colin-reeves]

Colin simply nodded, "I understand." He said softly. Carefully, he gave into the urge to comfort Sophie and wrapped an arm around her. He didn't want her to feel alone, or as if she was about to explode. Colin knew Sophie was having a hard time, but hearing it come from her mouth made it that much more real. The instinctual urge to take care of those he loved bubbled up back in him. He sighed, "You're allowed to go off, y'know? There's nothing that says you can't break down or blow up. And allowing yourself to do that might just be the thing that'll make you feel a wee bit better. But I can promise you this, I will not try to fix you, because you're right. I don't think you need fixing." 

Colin squeezed her shoulder before getting up. "I shouldn't keep you from getting to your room. I'm sure you'll have a busy day ahead of you tomorrow. And I'll keep an eye on your people. Not that I think they need it, but it's not like I'll be sleeping anyway." he sighed bitterly. 

"I know I have no right to ask about this, but I don't want to lose you again. I made a mistake and I'll do whatever I can to make that right. I know it'll be different. And hard. But I don't care. I'm staying here in Boston for the foreseeable future, I can't go back to Montford. But I'll be here, and you'll know. And I'll call, and write. Or do neither. Whatever you want, I'm here. And I mean it this time." 

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She should have called it, really. Colin was, as always, the most stubborn ass she’d ever met, unable to let anything go or leave without having the last word. 

Sophie tried to pretend that she didn’t hear, making a beeline for the hotel without breaking into a run, and because of that he caught up to her. At one point in time, she’d have hit him without thought, but his touch, no matter how innocent, seemed to send a numbing sensation up her arm and she turned, feeling about a thousand years old. 

"It’s not like ya can show me the sights this time." She pointed out giving him a small, involuntary smile. "I did live in Boston for a good while.” After a moment she sighed, letting out a puff of breath that misted in front of her before she nodded and gestured down the way. “Alright then. You can tell me about the mess you’ve been getting yourself into.” She snorted before saying quietly so only he would hear. “Bootleggin’ mastermind, Colin Reeves. Ah, to see those headlines with your goofy face printed right beneath ‘em. People’d think it was a practical joke. Actually, that could probably work to your benefit.”

Her words came out quickly, too fast to pass for comfortable, too normal to pass for nervous. It was like she was trying to force the old cheerful Sophie to the surface, but the hard shell that she’d grown into wouldn’t quite allow it. Good things didn’t happen to her, she’d realized after he’d left. Even her time with him had been tarnished by events that were out of their control. Why should now be any different?

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Colin shook his head, "I'm not planning on showing you the sights, I've already played that card if memory serves me correctly." He sighed before gesturing to a bench. "Just listen to me, alright? If you want to go once I'm done, you can. And you'll never have to hear from me again." He offered as he sat down. The way she shifted uncomfortably on her feet made him anxious. Her quick speech set him on edge strictly out of familiarity of the anxiousness of the situation. Ever since he left, the thought of Sophie gave him the same feeling. Only now with her right in front of him, his feelings increased tenfold. 

"You want to know what trouble I've gotten into?" He asked with a soft scoff, "I once again managed to be in just the right place at the right time. It was ironic, really.I came to Boston, got drunk off my ass and started going on and on about how this speakeasy I was at could fix their brew. I wake up the next morning with a hangover and a new job. Course I didn't stay long. I came up with a some new stuff, taking risks and stuff. Next thing y'know I came up  with this bright idea. So that's what I've been doing since. Throwing myself into becoming a bootlegger. Good goin' Colin, you've made a life out of yourself by all this illegal activity and could go to jail any second." He rolled his eyes. 

"But that's enough about me. Tell me about you. And not everything that's going on around you, how've you been doing? I know what I did wasn't fair and I know things haven't been easy for you, but I want to try to fix that." He looked at her in earnest, his pleading eyes meeting hers, fully expecting a wall of ice and or a slap in the face. 

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Sophie sighed and waved Liam on, watching him disappear with a disapproving look on his face before she turned back towards Colin. She had opened her mouth to tell him that he didn’t need to go through the trouble of seeing them off when the words died in her throat.

Colin had always had the fairest skin, starkly different than her Irish paleness. She couldn’t tan like he did in the summer, otherwise she chanced becoming one giant freckle. But he, well… He’d always been lovely. 

The still healing marks stretched across his midriff, a muted scarlet blemish on otherwise beautiful skin. Her hands had begun to shake again without her noticing and she dropped her gaze the second after he turned around. 

It took her a moment to bite back the surprise wave of guilt that had suddenly overcome her before she could look up at take the papers from him.

"Thanks." She muttered, staring blindly down at them, tapping the paper with a nail. 

Some days all she wanted to do was hunt down Evelyn Westwood and make her pay for what she’d done to him. What she’d done to them. It was easier to blame a deranged girl than it was to acknowledge the fact that she’d fucked up and he’d chosen to leave without her. Sometimes, Evelyn Westwood was the perfect Straw Man. 

Sometimes. 

Sophie turned slowly and walked towards the door before pausing and turning back towards him, near enough an escape that she was comfortable voicing her dangerous thoughts.

"You remember that first time we met?" She asked after a moment. "Out on the sidewalk when you showed me around the town even though I’d already gone and seen half of it myself? You were too fun to pass up." She said, shaking her head with a small smile. "We talked about running away. Even that first day…" Sighing, Sophie looked up to meet his gaze, her eyes exhausted. "I shoulda taken you and run when I had the chance." 

Before he could respond she’d slipped back out into the hallway where Liam waited for her. 

"Soph-" 

"I’m tired, you go fetch the boys, I’m going to go lay down. Feel free to enjoy yourselves." She said, giving him a look that told him now was not the time. They would talk about Colin, either on the way back or once they got home, but not while they endured in the same city as he. Sophie didn’t see the people she passed as she walked through the speakeasy, back through the false door and hit the street once again. 

She needed to get out of this place before she screamed.

[colin-reeves]

Colin opened his mouth to speak, to say something, anything really, that could make it up to Sophie for all the crappy things he's done over the past months. But he knew that nothing could really heal the wounds he created, nothing but time and trying to rebuild her trust in him. He wanted that, more than anything to at least try to have some semblance of a normal life with Sophie. If he learned anything over these past few months, it was how terribly lonely life was without her in it. 

When she spoke of their first night together, running around town, Colin showing her the sights, it was almost surreal to think of the people they were back then. Before he knew about her life, before she knew about his. It was even stranger to think that he had gone years before meeting Sophie, even though part of him felt like he knew her his whole life. When he left he told himself that it was just puppy love, and that he was being pathetic and he needed to get over it and focus on the task at hand. Which he had been pretty damn good at until she showed up at his fucking doorstep. 

When she left, Colin stood there in a shock momentarily. He mentally weighed his options, he could let her leave...Again. Or maybe this time he could try to do something about it. With a sigh, he waited for Liam to leave the hallway as well before he locked up the room and  told one of his men to hold down the fort, that he needed a walk to clear his head. Thankfully, the Irishman didn't ask any questions, he just nodded.

It didn't take much to find Sophie as she made her way to the hotel right next to the bar, he took a deep breath, "Sophie!" He called, jogging up next to her. He grabbed her arm gently, hoping that she didn't react reflexively to the touch and land him a broken arm. He waited until he was sure he had her attention. 

"Do you want to go for a walk?" He asked hopefully, looking at her carefully, "I know I have no right to ask but here I am, makin' a fool outta myself as always." 

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Sophie was surprised by the fact that he picked up on her words, and even more so when he replied in her native tongue. How often had she tried to teach him her language but enjoyed the anonymity it gave her. She could tell him things like that, at least. Things he would know, just…not understand.

When Liam came into the room she didn’t meet his gaze, knowing her friend would see what he was looking for on there. She didn’t need him to start a row with Colin, not over this. Liam was just as overprotective as Aidan, but he also gave her the benefit of the doubt. She doubt he’d be as generous in this situation, not after he’d seen what Colin’s disappearance had done to her. 

Liam, thankfully was meeting Colin’s gaze with an incredulous one of his own. Sophie could tell that he was assessing him, the trainer in him too dominant to not be proud of what came of his pupil, even if he was pissed as hell at him. 

"No one’ll come snoopin’, not with this many Irish families in the area." Liam argued. "They were just being loud, it’s not like they’d whipped out their di-"

"Alright, alright." Sophie said, waving a dismissive hand. This was all too bizarre, and the rage that had boiled her blood moments ago was dulled in Liam’s negating presence. 

At the suggestion of the hotel, the two Irish had a silent conversation with a look, with Liam shrugging his shoulder indifferently and Sophie sighing.

"That’ll be fine." She told Colin wearily, shooing Liam back towards the front with a flick of her wrist before she began to follow. "We’ll be back in the mornin’ then." She said, a large part of her not wanting to turn her back on him but doing so anyways. "We’ll be out of here before dawn." 

[colin-reeves]

Colin tilted his head and raised an eyebrow as Liam attempted to defend their men, Colin honestly didn't give a damn, the police around there knew who belonged and who didn't, regardless of if they were Irish or not. He opened his mouth to cut him off but Sophie beat him too it. He kept his eyes locked on Liam, it was Colin's operation, and regardless of their past together, he didn't appreciate any insinuations in regard to his ability to run this business. 

"Early rising then? I'll be sure to make sure I'm conscious to see you off." He smirked before falling to a small frown. He realized that Sophie didn't know, the terrifying insomnia that had plagued him for months, the waking nightmares of his father, or Evey coming at him with a knife all over again, or the ones where he saw Sophie dying, unable to do anything to help her. All of these nightmares were more than enough to keep him up late into the night, he had long learned that there were few things that could put him to sleep and ease his anxiety. He hated himself for it, the constant drinking at night, but these days he was long out of options. 

"Here, let me get you these papers for the motel." He sighed, reaching up to one of the higher racks that held barrels of alcohol, his fingers moving around. His shirt rose up as he stood on his tip-toes, exposing the red, angry line across his abdomen that resulted in Evey stabbing him months ago. It had just barely begun to heal over, it seemed like forever, but he was able to properly lift again. He was about to give up, his fingers fumbling around before finally finding the papers. A grateful breath left his lungs as he settled down back onto the balls of his feet. 

"There we go!" He managed cheerfully, handing out the papers for them to claim. 

"Until tomorrow then? And of course you're welcome to the bar on your way out." He added.

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And the blows just kept coming.

Despite his outward appearance, Colin still held that uncanny gift to hit the nail on the head when it came to her. All that anger came rolling back till the edge of her vision spider webbed and her head spun. 

Of course, he shouldn’t have left her in Montford! After all the times they’d talked about running off, regardless of if it was in theory or just a daydream, she thought he’d have at least seen the desire beneath her words. Hadn’t she made it painfully clear that she hadn’t wanted the life that she’d been given? And still, she’d been forced to take it, practically and ironically, at gunpoint. 

Her smile was once again nowhere to be seen and the look she gave him made her look far older than her twenty years, her lips pressed into a hard line. When she opened her mouth to unleash hell, the last thing he said stopped her short and she seethed silently, grinding her teeth and staring at a spot on the floor instead of looking at him. 

“D’fhág tú dom." She finally breathed, hazel eyes filling with angry tears as he finally raised her eyes to his again. She was ready to relinquish any control she had over her emotions and if it wasn’t for a small scuffle at the door she’d come in through, she’d probably have done just that.

"Look, if you don’t let me through to see her, I’ll knock you into next Thursday."

"Liam, tá mé i anseo." She called, her gaze still on Colin’s before she tore it away. The blonde man came around the corner, shoving the shorter member of Colin’s crew to the side and stopping mid stride as he saw who Sophie was talking to. He quickly shot a glance at Sophie’s face and his gaze darkened as he looked back towards Colin, approaching slowly. 

"Colin." He said, moving to stand beside Sophie  before he turned his gaze on her, searching her face. "I came to see what was taking so long. I think I understand now."

"We were just finishing up." She told him flatly, looking back at the crates as though the entire discussion had been about the sale. "We’ll take fifteen boxes of your highest quality booze, at ten percent less than you’re selling to the streets. If it sells well, in return we’ll make this a permanent route s’long as we find ourselves safe passage from here to Montford. Though that’s not anythin’ you have to worry about. We’ll come down biweekly."

"Er, Soph?" Liam said hesitantly.

"Hm?"

"The boys got some unwanted police attention, I told them to drive off to avoid arousing suspicion, but maybe we ought to stay in Boston for the night and pick this up in the morning." 

Sophie cursed in Gaelic and glanced at Colin. “Would that work for you?”

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Colin exhaled, pursing his lips, "Tá a fhios agam." He managed poorly. Four months wasn't long, but being surrounded by Irish all the time, he picked up on the local language. He frowned at the sight of her eyes filling with tears, wanting nothing more than to reach out and pull her into his arms. 

Before he could add anything else, he heard Liam make his way into the room, rolling his eyes as he offhandedly shoved on of his men away. He raised an eyebrow at his worker, knowing full well that if he wasn't a client Liam wouldn't be as lucky. 

Colin kept his steely gaze locked on Liam for moment before nodding at Sophie's business proposal. "Sounds good to me, I don't disappoint my many when it comes to this." He half-smiled at Sophie and nodded, "I'll draw up the prices and the papers." He nodded before shooting another stern gaze at Liam. 

"Trouble? Your men really brought trouble to this side of town? I swear if anyone around here comes snooping, it's not going to be pretty for anyone involved." he sighed exasperatedly, running a hand through his hair before motioning for one of his men to come forward. He leaned over to whisper to the man, ordering him to make sure everyone was more alert than usual. The man just nodded and walked away quickly. 

"Now that that's taken care of..." He sighed and clapped his hands together, "You two are more than welcome to stay in the hotel next door, Irish run, pretty homey, I do business with the hotel so they'd be willing to give you two a room to stay in." He explained. "It's fine with me, I might give you a better tour next time, show you how the whole operation works." His lips twitched upwards into a proud smile. 

"Sound like a plan for you or should I see what I can do about alternate living arrangements?" 

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Sophie couldn’t look at him without cracking. The sincerity that dripped from his words dulled the anger that had been building within her. Why couldn’t he just let her hate him? Why didn’t she hate him? She listened to him with her head ducked down, staring at the floor and biting her lip. Glancing up when she thought he’d finished, she saw the all too familiar grin on his face and inhaled sharply, taking a quick step back, bumping into the crates and holding her hands up as if warding him off.

This was dangerous territory, that’s what it was. If she let Colin in, there was nothing keeping everything else tightly locked away. He’d always been able to pry things out of her that she’d kept from her family, because he was the only one who would never look at her differently. 

She wondered how he would look at her now.

"I’m not angry that you left," She said after finding her voice, her words hesitant, carefully chosen. "I understand why you did. What happened with you nearly dyin’, your Da…hell, the way things were in general." She could feel the humorless smile she wore wavering as though she were in pain. "I’m glad you left.” She told him sincerely, refusing to admit just why it was that she was so angry with him. Surely the fact that he was alive should have canceled everything else out. 

"With everything that happened, Montford may as well have burned. So many people died." She told him softly, her eyes haunted. "It was War. And then…. The losses became too great." She shrugged, before shaking her head and pushing the image away of the scarlet splattered barber shop. "I’m glad you weren’t there for that." 

Shaking her head she came to a silent decision and put on a genuine smile, the now unfamiliar pull stretching her face in a way that was almost painful.

"I’m angry, I’m surprised but… it doesn’t matter. I’m really happy you’re okay. Truly. After all, what sort of world doesn’t have Pretty Boy in it?" She asked, each word she spoke a lance through her heart. She could pretend for now. Pretend for his sake that everything was okay, or at least getting better. "Really, you don’t owe me any apologies, I know what you did was necessary." She nodded, her gaze softening as she gave him a hesitant smile. 

[colin-reeves]

The bootlegger flinched when she took step back, he wanted to move to help her, but he knew that he'd do more harm then good. Sophie was a different person, she was on edge around him, all well within her right to be doing so. It still hurt that he felt such a pull towards Sophie but he knew that if any of those ideas were put into action, she'd completely clam up.

Colin exhaled slowly, "It's not about that though, besides everything that happened, I shouldn't of left you in Montford." He breathed. Regret had filled his being at the thought. At the time he didn't know if Sophie was willing to leave her whole family behind in exchange for the risk of the road with Colin, who had just been practically gutted by the girl he had loved for a long time.  

"Everything that happened... You shouldn't of been there either." He looked at her sternly, "I know that you never really had the opportunity to get out... But..." He ran his hands through his hair nervously, "I just.. I wish you could have gotten out too." He offered, despite the expected backlash.

Colin nodded slowly, "I'm doin' alright for myself. I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss you though." He allowed himself to admit out loud. Colin again was expecting her to bite back in some form of another. He was being more the selfish. He didn't deserve to miss her. He didn't deserve to wish that she got out of Montford. He failed her in so many ways and now he had to suffer the consequences. He had to watch Sophie barely stand to be in the same room as him and the scars that she had received that he couldn't keep her safe from.

Colin's stomach continued to drop at the thought of all of these things. His defenses that he had developed over the past four months were shaking uncertainly merely from Sophie's gaze and the few words that she had spoken. He could hear the hurt that she had striven to keep hidden behind her voice. He felt stuck between a rock and a hard place, he wanted to help her but he knew that after everything he had no right to try to become a part of her life again. 

"I really should just stop talkin', huh?" He rolled his eyes, "You've been here less than an hour and ya already got me running my mouth again." He shook his head and glanced up at the ceiling. 

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Sophie listened to him with a small plastered on smile. A small part of her marveled at the change in him, while another part vehemently rejected it, wanting to warn him that he didn’t really know, couldn’t possibly know, just how bad it could get. 

It was the venom in his voice that brought her up short and for a split second, the mask fell away. She jerked her head back as though he’d slapped her, and a flicker of pain crossed her face before it vanished. She bristled, gritting her teeth to stop from giving him an earful. Not that he didn’t deserve it, but this reunion was costing her more than just time and patience, she could feel it. Soon enough she wouldn’t be able to hold back from yelling at him, from telling him exactly how he’d hurt her and how she’d counted him among the dead beside her father, and Gabriel and the rest of the people she’d loved and lost. 

A bitter smile crossed her lips once more and she gave a slight shrug of her shoulders. “Oh, you know me.” She said weakly. “I’m resilient like that.” The truth of the matter was, if survival wasn’t so ingrained into her being, there were plenty of chances for her to have fallen among the others in the war with the Italians. Some days it bothered her that she hand’t. Maybe then she could have found some peace. 

She made a small sound in the back of her throat and looked back towards him. Colin was brilliant, that much she knew, she’d always pictured him doing something smart with his life, but always on the up and up. Of course, bootlegging was dangerous, but it wasn’t what her family was into. So long as he was safe, he would be fine. He still had plenty of chances to do good in his life. The Dry Crusade wouldn’t last forever. 

How’ve you been? How was it that such a simple question could bring into prospective her unhappiness? How was that the hardest thing to answer in this moment?

Licking her lips slowly, she tried to speak but her mouth had gone dry and though her words came out they had little volume, a whisper.

"Are we going to do business?" She asked, the plea laced through her words. Don’t ask this. It was a silent prayer and one the old Colin would never answer. 

[colin-reeves]

Colin pursed his lips and held his breath as he contemplated her words. Colin couldn't change the past, or what he had done in the past. He knew that Sophie had changed a lot, if not more, than the had. It made it so much harder for him to get a read on her, he felt like he was trying to walk across a land mine without it exploding. 

"I get that you don't want to talk to me Sophie, which is fine, because you know what? You don't have to talk, just listen." He said, finally letting out a breath before meeting her gaze. "I don't know what happened to you in Montford, but I am sorry about it. I wasn't there and I should have been. There were a lot of things I should have done, but I didn't because I didn't want to disrupt your life or make things more difficult for the both of us. Believe it or not I was going to write to you, or ring you up when the time felt right. You're well within your right to be angry at me and honestly I'm surprised you haven't slapped the ever living shit out me yet. But all of that? It still doesn't change that I care about you, and everything I've done, regardless of how it actually affected you, I did with good intentions." He sighed with a nod, offering her a small boyish smile that made him feel so much younger than he really was. Like he was still a caddy in Montford, like his whole life hadn't gone up in the smoke of a slowly building fire. 

After he got all of that off of his chest, his gaze never wavered, he continued to watch her face for any kind of reaction he could pick up on. 

"If you don't want to do business with me because it's too difficult then fine. You can leave, no questions asked." He amended at the end shrugging nonchalantly. It was harder than had anticipated, keeping his cool. He wanted nothing more than to pull her into his arms and apologize and do everything he could to make it up to her. He had learned that his success, something everyone considered to be 'happiness' wasn't really worth it if he felt so damn alone all the time. He had his crew, but they weren't friends they were employees who would rather tell him what he wants to hear than tell him how it really is.

Colin did miss that much at least from Montford, he missed the town, the feel of it, how every time he'd pass the Christmas tree in the main square he'd think of bumping into Sophie, he missed the people, the roots he grew within the town. But more than that, he missed Sophie so much it hurt. Not that anyone would figure that out, he hopped that Sophie would at least be able to notice, but he wasn't going to bet on it. Sophie had been through hell and she deserved more than someone who pulled her in and loved her just to abandon her when shit got tough. 

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"I didn’t mean your buyers, I meant your crew. And that’s how it ought t’be. I mean, you’re not quite the shrimp ya once were, but size doesn’t matter in this game. Either ya have the years behind ya or ya gotta be willin’ t’get your hands very dirty.” She said in such a way that made it clear she’d learned from experience. “Your ruse is a good one though. And it keeps ya safe. You have the blessing of anonymity, hold onto that as long as ya can.” She shrugged, finding it strange to be giving him these words of wisdom. There’d been a time when she would have given anything to keep Colin away from this lifestyle. 

It was as if his words wrought that desire right back to the surface, no matter if it made her the worst kind of blasphemer. Her face twisted as she scowled at him.

"Maybe ya should let them know you’re alive before callin’ to try and broker a deal." She snapped, searching his face and not at all liking the calculating look she saw there. The only time she’d seen that look on his face was when they were off, about to get into the most ridiculous but entertaining kind of trouble. Now? Now it reminded her too much herself.

 ”Well…not me." She admitted, turning her face away. Seeing the grin on his face was even more painful than the unfamiliarly grim mask he wore. "I’ve been keepin’ busy myself. The Gang’s a mess, but Aidan takin’ over set some o’ that right, I’ve been doin’ what I can to get things workin’ smoothly. Liam’s the one who heard o’ ya. He’s out front actually, though," She added hurriedly. "You probably don’t want to see him. He’s not exactly happy with you." Her hands ran over a few of the bottles as she walked a little way away from him and picked one up.

"You’ve done really well for yourself, Colin. I’m glad that you’re happy." She said in a small voice. 

[colin-reeves]

Colin smiled softly, "Thanks for the advice." He nodded, "I have a good crew, they're good at what they do. I'd like to think I'm pretty fair with 'em too." He explained with a shrug. "I know how bad it can get, Soph. So far I haven't had anything too bad." He explained, thinking back to his past travels and dealings to get him where he was. 

He fought a flinch as she snapped at him about making a business with the Jones, "That's how I'm used to thinking, excuse me for jumping to what I know." He said with hint of venom. He was good a calculating things, the right way to say something in order to manipulate the situation directly to his needs. 

He raised an eyebrow, "Of course it wasn't you. It never is." He fought the urge to childishly stick his tongue out at her. All of this bringing up far too many behaviors that he had reserved only for his memory, back in Montford. He couldn't behave like that here, not anymore. He listened and shook his head, "So things got pretty bad in Montford? I'm sorry to hear that, I'm glad you made it out alright though." He said, his voice betraying him for moment and dropping to a softer tone. 

He cleared his throat, "I wouldn't say happy, but I'm pretty pleased with what came of me, y'know? I feel like I'm finally getting some stuff done with my life." He muttered with a small shrug. 

"How've you been, other than everything else?" He prodded slowly, speaking casually.

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Decode || Reveary

[sophia-mcreary]

Sophie gave an indifferent shrug as she looked away again, using the moment to stop herself from saying anything more. Sure, now he was under the radar, now he wasn’t so worried, his words contradicted each other, at least according to the red haze that filled her head. Wouldn’t that have made now a good time to ring around? Tell her that he was safe. Sighing, she clung to the one topic that had nothing to do with the two of them.

"The Jones’ left Montford shortly after you did. Things…well," She gave a small, humorless smile, "They went downhill fast. They operate out of Abilene down in Kansas. We still go to them, but Aidan thought it would be fortuitous to consider another source as well." She gestured vaguely around them. "We already do a bit of business in Boston, and we’ve heard good things." She explained. 

The forced smile on Sophie’s face vanished as quickly as it had come when he turned the subject back around and she bit her tongue so hard she imagined that she could taste the blood. 

Finally, he seemed to take some pity on her and motioned for her to follow him. The sooner she got out of this place, the better. She’d always loved Boston, but now it was tainted and leaving a sour taste in her mouth. Sophie had never had friends, not real ones. Of course there was Liam, but they hadn’t had the most usual of beginnings. Colin had been the only non-Irish that had ever given a damn about her. And even though he rushed to assure her that that was true, his actions spoke otherwise.

Sophie trailed a safe distance behind him in case he stopped suddenly, her face a mask of indifference though she gave his words rapt attention. The swell of pride she felt at his notorious accomplishment was sudden and unexpected and she couldn’t help the now-unfamiliar smile that came to her face as she snorted.

"Colin, they know." She told him with an air of certainty. "And if they don’t now, they will. But it won’t matter. So long as you treat them well, deal with them when they fuck up and don’t run your business into the ground, they ought to stay loyal. You’re not quite stupid enough to hire hoods that’ll turn on ya at the first sign of trouble, and if ya do, shoot ‘em."

[colin-reeves]

Colin shrugged, turning to lean against makeshift rack with rows of booze waiting to be shipped out. He raised an doubtful eyebrow. "A few trustworthy people know. But the clients don't. I don't need a bullseye painted on the back of my head." He sighed and looked at her with worn eyes. 

"You think I don't know that?" He asked pointedly, "If it wasn't for what Liam taught me, I wouldn't have gotten here. There were plenty brawls on the road to where I am now." He muttered offhandedly, "But I like what I'm doing now, no one asks too many questions, I don't have any friends, it's just me. The solitude is nice, it gives me a chance to think." He explained, his hands sliding into his pockets. 

"Thanks for telling me about the Jones', I'll have to try to get into contact with them. Maybe we could get a business deal going..." He trailed off more for himself than for Sophie. That's how he trained himself to think. In strictly business terms. He very rarely allowed his emotions to get invested into the business, because that's when people got hurt. And since the business became his life, he didn't have time for anything else.

Only on the rare occasion would he allow himself to think back to Montford and that's when he'd write his letters to Sophie. And seeing her again, it brought everything to the surface. He pushed everything just under the surface once more. If Sophie could keep herself collected than so could he, it was just a business deal with an old friend right? He could try to lie to himself, but it wasn't that case. This felt more than just a business deal, and she was far from an old friend. 

After a moment he pursed his lips and shot her a playful grin, "So you've heard good things about us, huh?" He asked teasingly. Watching her face carefully for a reaction. It was it first real attempt to get that old Sophie he missed so much to come out. 

[sophia-mcreary]

Decode || Reveary

[colin-reeves]

sophia-mcreary:

It was like a dance. He took one step forward and she took one back, though there was nowhere for her to go and he was still on the other side of the room. Somehow she had it in her mind that being near him was a bad idea when whatever it was that was building inside of her finally came to the surface. Either that, or she was afraid that it would be too much. After everything that had happened the last few months, it would be his touch that had her crumbling away to ash. 

Through his apology, Sophie’s face remained impassive, the hard mask that she’d been forced to adopt after the loss of her father. Some days it felt like she was on the verge of a great abyss just waiting for that final breeze to push her over. Clutching her trembling hands behind her back, she could see now that Colin had it within his power to be that breeze. Hell, he’d always been that breeze.

There were so few laughs now and the endless tirade of cheek that she’d once displayed was almost nowhere to be seen these days. More often than not, any attempt on her part to sass someone fell flat and sounded halfhearted at best. If it wasn’t her mothers eyes that she felt on her, it was Liam’s, or Aidan’s, or Rhett’s. They worried about how quiet she’d become, she supposed, how she’d thrown herself into the Gang. Perhaps they worried about how well she was doing. And sometimes, Sophie thought the loss in her mother’s eyes wasn’t solely for her husband, but for her daughter as well. 

But Sophie hadn’t died, far from it in fact. She felt so much, too much, that if she wasn’t quiet, if she wasn’t focused on working, those feelings, that pain that was constantly threatening, would paralyze her. Then what good would she be? 

Her eyes followed the flask in his hand to his lips and she looked away, wondering exactly when he’d started drinking like that. Liquor for fun was one thing, liquor to pass the day was another. 

"It would have been nice to know that you were alive. A feckin’ postcard would have sufficed." She murmured, her tone acidic. Taking in a shaky breath she forced her face into a smile that more resembled a grimace.

"Look, you’re clearly doin’ well for yourself, and I’m just fine. Ya took me by surprise is all.” She shrugged nonchalantly. “This doesn’t have to be a big deal, Colin. I just came for Aidan. If you’re worried this’ll draw too much attention to ya, we’ll just go and that’ll be that.”

Colin's face became eerily still as her words lashed his chest, feeling like he was kicked in the chest. He knew that cutting her off completely would come back to bite him, at the time he thought it was best, but it didn't stop him from the letters he'd write but never send to the redhead. Colin nodded slowly as she continued to speak he looked up at her and tilted his head at the mention of her leaving instead of doing business. 

"You came all the way out here, and I've done a pretty good job staying under the radar these days so I'm not worried about it. I haveta ask though, why are you here instead of ordering through the Jones'?" He asked, with a small frown. Yet another one of his downfalls when he moved away, he failed to keep up with his adoptive family, under the impression that a clean break was just what everyone needed. 

"I know what I did wasn't right, I should have kept up with you, a phone call or something. And believe me I wanted too, I just... I didn't know how you would react and I didn't want to make things worse for you since Montford wasn't exactly in a state of peace when I left." He explained with a sigh. 

"I'm not expecting you to forgive me, ever really. But what I did wasn't right and all I can do is apologize." He said with a shrug. "With that said, you came here for a reason, so let me show you the operation..." He trailed off, motioning for him to follow her. 

"I came to Boston after doing a little traveling, the Irish here are pretty welcoming and after awhile I got an idea to start trying to bootleg again. Only no one wanted to listen to a little shrimp like me. I uh... I've been posing as the right hand of a boss that no one has seen before. And they buy it enough. I have a decent operation going. You name it, we can deliver. I have guys who run all the way to New York some days." He explained, continuing to rub the back of his head anxiously. 

[sophia-mcreary]

Decode || Reveary

[sophia-mcreary]

Sophie turned her head when the new arrival made himself known before glancing away, about to launch into what they were there for. It didn’t click in her mind for a moment, because he looked so…different. It couldn’t possibly be him. Her body seemed to sense him before her mind did and she took in a shuddering breath, realizing that she’d been holding it before turning her eyes towards him once more. What little color was in her cheeks vanished as she stared disbelievingly at him before even that became too much and she looked away again. 

"So." She said, her wavering voice betraying her. "You’re alive." She swallowed around the lump in her throat and closed her eyes, composing her face into one of impassivity before she faced him again.

It felt like something very heavy was weighing down on her chest and she realized she was surprised. She never thought anything could hurt as much as when she’d received her most recent scar, but apparently Colin still had his hooks in her. Just looking at him…what she saw made the ache in her chest double. He looked…well. Healthy, strong, and notably different. Not anything like the last time she’d seen him, near dead in his hospital bed. Being nearly cut in two could do that to a person, she thought morbidly. There wasn’t an ounce of baby fat left on him and he looked tired, wary in a way that reminded her of a hungry dog. Whatever he’d been doing the last four months, however he’d gotten here, he’d fought for it and wasn’t about to let it go.

"I got your note." She croaked, all the moisture from her mouth seemingly having dried up. "It was a good note." She nodded. "Very heartfelt." She told him dryly. 

Maybe it was the shock, she hadn’t noticed the trembling in her hands but there was something beneath her words, biding its time and waiting to rear its ugly head. 

God, don’t cry.

He’d promised to try and keep in touch. Of course, she knew the words held little promise even as she read them that first time and especially after the hundredth, but that didn’t stop her from racing for the phone any time it rang. And then that first month passed and no word came, and then the second. Surely, he would have at least sent her a letter. He would have given her that much. 

The answer was right in front of her now, and the resounding sting of it was brutal. 

[colin-reeves]

Colin licked his lips slowly, nodding as she spoke barely above a whisper. His heart ached as her voice reached his ears, he knew what he did was wrong, but all he wanted was to keep her safe. He wanted to get out of Montford, away from the town that had seen so much death, so much pain. He didn't want to leave Sophie there, but there was so much going on, in his head it made sense at the time. Colin new after the fact that he at least owned her an in-person goodbye. There was so much he wished he could say, but his throat dried up and his mouth refused to move. He barely managed to set down the small bottle he brought with him and stick his hands into his pockets. 

She was different, her eyes were tired, she had been through so much more than she was letting on externally, he knew that's how she did things. He wouldn't be surprised if Sophie was at the end of her rope some days. But she was strong, that much he knew without a doubt. He was about to open his mouth when he saw the scar, the obvious trail of broken skin from her jaw until it disappeared under her shirt. Colin's face twisted with pain. 

"I am.I'm sorry." He managed, it was far too late for that, but it's all that he could manage. "I'm so sorry, for everything." He murmured, a hand sliding out of his pocket to run through his now much longer hair. Sophie was a different person, he didn't know what happened to her, what caused her new stance, how she knowingly observed her surroundings, all of it was different but in the same essence, Sophie. 

He couldn't help that he took a step towards her, "Sophie I know you deserved so much more than a stupid note and I wanted to call I just... I figured you'd be better off without me calling you all the way from Boston. I'm so sorry." His eyes scanned her face and he frowned slightly, "I made a promise to you and I broke it, I wish I could make it up to you." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a flask, taking a drink from the container before slipping it back into his pocket. All the while he continued to keep his eyes on the red-head in front of him.All he wanted to do was hold her, tell her how sorry he was and that he didn't want to hurt her. But he knew that'd do more harm than good. 

[sophia-mcreary]

Decode || Reveary

The wind that rushed through the windows of the bulky pickup truck twisted through locks of red hair, sending them whipping into the air before falling back around the young woman’s face. 

"Would ya tie up your hair? I’m gonna go blind if it keeps hitting me in the eye." The formidable blonde man beside her finally whined. 

Sophie McReary sat with her back against the arm of her right hand man, Liam Foley, as they drove through the outskirts of Boston, her eyes intent on the words of the book she was reading before she glanced through the window, silently complying with his request.

In the bed of the truck three more men sat, laughing loudly every once in a while as they joked with each other, clearly at ease. This run wasn’t anything to be wary of, though they were always on their guard. This was just a small enterprise to help the Four Points recover more quickly from the war that was still too soon behind them. 

As the landscape turned to cityscape, Sophie closed her book, leaning her head back against Liam’s shoulder. A long scar travelled from the side of her neck and disappeared into the collar of her dress, a memento from a close call a few months back. 

"You think this’ll be worth it?" Liam asked after a moment, the truck slowing to a halt a half a block away from an unimpressive looking cafe which was their goal.

"So long as we’re smart and follow the side roads back, I don’t see why not. Anyways, if not, don’tcha miss gettin’ shot at?" She asked with a grin that didn’t reach her eyes. "Stay here you louts!" She called into the bed as she and Liam climbed out, receiving hoots and whistles in response.

"Buncha lunatics." She muttered, leading the way. Here in Boston, her red hair wasn’t uncommon, nor was the way she dressed, men’s boots, stockings, and a pale blue dress beneath a baggy coat. She’d missed Boston, though she wasn’t so sure about her companion.

When they said the magic word to gain access into the speakeasy, they were led through a false door in the back of a deep freeze which opened up into a much more lively environment. A girl resembling a Ragdoll took Sophie’s coat from her as they entered and she had Liam wait at the bar while she went to the bartender. 

"Knuckles sent me!" She called over the din. She didn’t have to wait long before she was escorted to another small, nearly unnoticeable door down a hallway off to the side, past a kitchen and a bathroom. 

"Wait here, you will be attended to shortly." The man spoke in a way that made it clear he didn’t trust her not to go doodling on the ways or running with scissors. She gave him a long, unblinking stare before he shifted uncomfortably and left. The corners of her lips twitched up in the ghost of a smile as she wandered slightly around the well stocked room. It seemed that if everything went well this trip, that they might have to make it a monthly plan. 

[colin-reeves]

Colin Reeves sat at his makeshift desk, thumbing through papers half-heartedly. The speakeasy and bootlegging somehow managed to entail even more work than he had anticipated, he had to admit it to the Jones', they made it look like child's play. But no, there was the right people he had to pay off, perfecting his own brew, finding people willing to work for someone who looked like he was barely old enough to shave, and then above all that, not getting caught. By now he had enough people that he knew wouldn't sell him out and word was starting to spread about his product. All the while, people assume he's just the right hand man of the 'boss.' He scoffed and shook his head at the thought. He knew he'd try to be overpowered in a second if they knew a little pipsqueak like him was actually running the show.

"Colin, those Irish folk are here." One of his men poked his head into the room. 

"Thanks, I'll see them in a sec." He said offhandedly, waving him away as he stood, brushing his hands off on his pants before gathering his papers and putting them into a folder that he tucked under his arm. Taking a few steps towards the crates, he hid them under a few bottles as he usually did before meeting with potential clients. 

Colin sighed and grabbed a small bottle in case the group wanted to test their product. He pushed through a small doorway that connected his two storage rooms. The first moment he saw the red hair he froze. Oh. He thought taking an even deeper breath as he took a step forward. Of course... Irish. He hadn't really looked into who was stopping by, that was below his pay grade. But of course if he had, he would of seen that it was the damn Four Points. 

Colin cleared his throat and waited for Sophie to turn around. 

"Hey Soph." He said slowly, hearing his own heart thud in his chest without abandon. He wasn't expecting to see her around these parts, not after so long he had thought that one day she might walk through the doors, he had been under the false pretense that she would do so one day, and even then he still didn't have the words for her. Colin knew he took the cowards way out, a letter was all he could afford for the woman that he had come to care for so much? The girl who practically had to be dragged away from his bedside only to sneak in through the window when he was bedridden? She deserved so much more than that. He couldn't put hating him past her, not after everything he had done to her. Colin expected just that, part of him almost wanted her to hate him, it would make everything so much easier anyway. 

[jackssonwhittemore]

[jackssonwhittemore]

[highsignded]

[allseriescaps]

[nikolisun]