Dah fires o' the bonfire were burning. Tha last few days it was dry sah none o' the wood was wet. Nothin' went up in steam, but smoke. Mark had it goin' good, tah. His smile were dat boyish one he was known fer, holding ontah his beer as he watched the flames crackle ahead intah short-lived fireflies in dah night. It were nice tah have everyone tahgether fer once.

Der was Ko, Mason, Quinn, Levi, Voo, Jenny, Mel and even Jimmy. Folks even said dat they mighta saw Gwen about. There was others comin' and goin' tah from der trailers. Grace hadn't got home from work yet and it was jist about time fer her tah show up. Folks was laughing and since Ko got that unbirthday party, it felt like dey all knew how tah laugh tahgether again.

His beer lifted up fer another swallow befer he continued his story, "And then Da looked at the guy and asked 'im iffin he was short changing him and tha guy got sah pale and scared dat dad knew he nevah run a con before. Guy was so scared and young dat Da jist had him dance in his underwear at tha fire tah learn his lesson about bein' caught fer bein' careless."

Mason was two beers in, silently listening to the story with a smile on his face and that third, barely touched beer in his hand. He was propped up in a chair that was a little too small for him, legs practically touching his chest. He wore a hoodie, mostly in case one of the ladies got too cold, jeans and some gym shoes. His face was slightly scruffy, one hand propping his face up, elbow to knee.

Keirra had a sour look on her face. A certain superhero had dared her not to be drunk today. What a dick... The flame light flickered off of her hair, giving it a sort of fire effect as she glanced over at Mark, listening to his story.

Then there was Voo, who had her bow over her back along with her quiver. She'd told anyone who asked that she had just been done practicing, but the truth was, she had a bad feeling about today. She looked perhaps more uncomfortable than the sober rogue.

Quinn roared with laughter and shook his head. Palms of his hands brought up to rub harsh at his eyes, which were leaking from the boisterous laughter. "Wait though...Did they actually let him run another job? Or was it one of those one and done things?" He inquired, Badsider pulled to his lips and drank from it. Might as well have been pop for all Quinn knew, he was four or five in, but beer wouldn't be causing him any trouble any time soon. Wrist was lifted and watch was checked carefully, he knew that his shift was coming up and he felt pretty confident that he could get a few more beers in before that time.

Quinn was standing behind a chair, one hand on Levi's shoulder and watching Mark for an answer. Quinn hadn't grown up a gypsy, so it was pretty hard for him to know what happened when without asking a lot of questions.

Levi's hand covered Quinn's on his shoulder and he was grinning at Mark's story. There were a million Pops Barlow stories that weren't so funny when they were happening, but in hindsight were hilarious. The old man had a way about him that elicited fear and respect in the younger generation and most of the older ones, too. There was a pride in Levi's eyes at the telling of the tale and gave Mark a nod to finish by answering Quinn's questions. Besides, Levi hadn't been around the Caravan at the time. He'd already been up at school.

Two beers in and ready for her third, Gwen sat quietly on the outskirts of the group where she was shadowed by the looming figures in front of her. Mark had allowed her back in camp, but the agreement was based on her behaving herself. So, she took her lumps and remained quiet and did her job. Blue eyes peered out from under the dark hoodie to watch and a small smile creased her lips at the telling of the story.

"Yeah, he ran jobs. Tha best kinda workers are dah ones dat think they owe you somethin'," Mark said to Quinn with a grin. His beer tipped back. It were also his third and he tried to ignore the sour looks dat Ko got on her face fer than evening. His father was that guy who hit yer ears sah bad dey bled. He was also tha guy that were santa during the holidays.

"Anyhow, dat's kinda how Da were," he said, looking at Quinn and offering a kinda offhand shrug aftaward, "He was a bit more teeth and claw din I am... but I'm more organized than he were. Da never really thought thin's out like meh." His Da weren't o slacker, tah be clear. He could win games o' chess and dat weren't coincidence. Whut got his father, really, weren't the planning, but the irritation. If he got too irritated it got to his head and all plans was thrown out the window. Mark were more level headed din dat.

"Shit man, I wish I could find a single word nice to say about my Dad..." He thought a moment and chewed at the inside of his cheek. "No No! Wait! He smoked amazing cigars. And he always had scotch in the unlocked cabinet in the study. Wasn't til after he was gone that I found out he kept the good scotch in his desk. Part of me wonders who he brought that out for." He smiled to himself and polished off the beer. Hand held up for someone to toss him another one. Eyes to Levi when Jimmy did, and he opened the bottle with his keys instead of his teeth. Nuzzle of a kiss to his mate's temple. See, he was learning and everything.

Quinn froze and blood went cold as his bottle was being lifted to lips and those steel eyes shot to Mark. Uneasy feelings settled over him and he thought, actually he was almost positive he wanted to vomit. This was what it was like, being a Dad, shit happened and you lost it. A certain muse wasn't around the fire and now Quinn knew why.

Quinn did have the most beautiful smile and perfect teeth. So, every time he opened up a bottle with his teeth, Levi cringed. He wasn't cringing tonight because Quinn was being a sweetheart and using a bottle opener. Levi pressed a kiss to Quinn's cheek and nuzzled his cheek against Quinn's. "Oh, Pops had his stash of alcohol. I think the man could drink a fish under the table and never get a hangover the next day."He chuckled and shook his head. "Could never figure out how he did it." He peered at Mark then, and to Ko and Voo with a wide smile. "He didn't leave his secret with any of you, did he?"

Gwen pulled a pack of cigarettes from the pocket in her hoodie. It was packed against her hand before she opened it up and pulled out a cigarette to light it up. She canted her head slightly to look over at her sister and then back to Mark and Voo who wasn't too far off. Family.

Voodoo looked up at Quinn when he suddenly got uneasy, those eyes like black coal, stuck to him and she let out a subtle breath. She was a quick draw with that bow, and didn't need much time to ready it. Still, she had a bad feeling about tonight, and it looked like Quinn did, too. Eyes fell shut as she tried to get something, anything from the sadist known as the Universe.

When she felt her sister's eyes on her, she dragged her own back to meet the only eyes in this world now that seemed to rival her own. A big breath was taken in, and she noted the look on Quinn's face. When Levi asked his question, and she let out a scoff. "Bro, bro, I was born with it.." she said, her nose crinkling in a wicked smile, but she couldn't stop her eyes from going back to Quinn.

"Ahhh... you know Da. Secret wus jist tha it were him. Everyone got a secret and half the secret bein' tha they can do it." Mark smiled and tipped back his beer for a swallow. It were jist then he felt his phone vibrate in his back pocket and he pulled it out, his eyebrows lowered and a ripple o' tension going through his jaw.

His blue eyes went up tah Quinn, nah more laughter bein' in them, and said, "Thin's gone down with Saila and Dave got her." It were then dat Mark stood up.

A single nod and he looked from Mark to Levi and then back. Then to Ko. Then to Gwen, and then to Mason, it wasn't a fast look either. These were the people who he considered to be family and he quickly chewed hard on his bottom lip and set the beer bottle by his feet. A second of him trying to reach out and get a better feel for what was going on. Quinn knew it was coming, he had been preparing himself for this, he thought he'd have a handle on this. He was sure he'd come to terms with it but at this point his kid was face to face with a man who wanted nothing more than to hurt him in the most finite way possible.

Swallowing thickly he squeezed at that shoulder, every muscle in his body was urging him to run to her, to get her out of the situation. Fingers may have been almost painful on Levi's shoulder before he looked down and quickly let go. Rubbing the spot now. Carefully watching Mark.

Elsewhere, Saila could feel the wolf's tension. Painfully aware of how his nerves twisted, the fear that sliced through his belly, the girl took a deep, steadying breath, assessing her situation. It was only a moment or two before she felt the probe, the question, the concern. She nodded to no one in particular. I'm okay, Big Bad. But I need you. Bring Levi if you can. There was more to the message, but it trailed off, her attention diverted. The teenager flexed her mind, then, opening it up to let him see what she saw. Come as soon as you can..

The smile was gone in an instant, the atmosphere went from casual to life or death in the length of time for Mark to relay what was on his phone's glowing screen. Quinn's grip on his shoulder became painful but only briefly and served to ground Levi. He wanted to jump up and run and find Saila, get her home safely and let Quinn do to Dave whatever he wanted to do. But it wasn't his call. He, too, glanced around at the others gathered and then looked to Mark, expectantly. What do you need me to do?

Gwen's brows creased as the tension filled the air. Her eyes darted to her sister as her mind played over scenes that were more terrifying and gruesome as the silent seconds ticked past them. What if it had been Ko, and not Saila? Or her? Or Voo or Grace? They may not have been best buds or chummy but they were family, and Ko was blood. Slowly she stood up and that knife she kept in her boot glinted in the firelight. "I'm gonna shank me a bitch," she grumbled.

When Mark stood, Keirra rose to her feet. Eyes trailed to Gwen, and she cracked her neck, hand finding that silver blade resting in it. "Couldn't have said it better myself..." hissed the rogue. It was true, Gwen was her blood, but Saila was also her sister. The hothead wanted to take off running then and there, but instead, she held steady. Beneath her hoodie, she'd fashioned a tool belt. There was an arsenal of 'tools' attached to it. A furrow of her brow, and she looked to Mark. "Should I disappear?" she asked, drawing her hood over her pink locks.

Stiff he watched, listened, learned and looked to Mark with a nod. "I'm taking Levi, I need something smaller than my truck, and faster." Eyes went now to Mason. "Bro, I need your car, I can't explain, Mark will explain," he said in a frantic tone and already had the forty five slipping from the holster on his right hip. The magazine was dropped into his palm and checked before slamming it back into place and unsnapping the case for spares.

Mason, too was up on his feet. The tall tower of a man didn't hold many ties here, but he'd offered his services to Mark, and the man had accepted. That was that. Mason the monster, the once great fighter would offer what might be his last fight to keep the family safe. When Quinn asked for the keys, he didn't hesitate. They were plucked from his pocket and thrown skillfully in his direction.

Mark smiled, briefly and said, "Sure," tah Quinn. It was the sort of smile that was hollow and not at all reassuring. Then he ducked over to his RV and when he reappeared he seemed to be wearing a light, zip up hoodie-type jacket on. He cleared his throat to those that were at camp, "All right, iffin yah naht required jist gah back tah yer homes and lock yer doors. We got company incoming." Dis applied tah Jimmy and Mel, and Jenny who were like a mother tah half dah camp. Dat left him with a sober pick pocket and Voo, who already got her quiver on her.

Mark reached back and did tha thing he never did. He pulled out his thirty five and he checked tah be sure it was loaded, jammin' tha cartridge back in with a click aftahwords. Yeah. Der was only four guns allowed on camp. Mark, Quinn, Levi and... well, he got the other one behind his back dat he was now offerin' up tah Ko.

Voodoo drew that bow, she was a good shot, and fair at sneaking. She dropped off that robe leaving her in black, her hair pulled up into a tight ponytail. An arrow was drawn and fitted against her bow as she stared down at the ground. Deep breaths were taken, and her eyes darted back up to Mark.

The blade was shoved into the sheath at her belt, and she took the gun. There was an almost sick smile on her face as she checked the safety and pointed it at the ground. "Now we're talking..." She'd been taught how to use firearms by Gerry.

Levi stood and took off at a sprint to the corral of vehicles. His pea shooter was in the glove box of the Civic. He pulled it free, checked the clip and the chamber and then darted towards Mason's car. He wasn't about to pussy foot about and talk about things. One of their own was in danger and he was pretty sure that the entire camp was tired of sitting around and waiting to see what the MacIntosh clan was going to do. "I'm here!" he called to Quinn as he got into Mason's car.

Gwen didn't have a gun so she stayed behind. Mark had given the order to get people into their RV's. She nodded and began corralling children to help the other adults get them to safe places.

The keys were snatched from the air and he was already at the sliding in and starting her up. Purr. No time to listen now. Sorry Mason. Eyes shot to Levi. "Buckle." It wasn't a request, because in a second, he was peeling out of the space and tearing off towards the market place, the car couldn't go as fast as many others, but, this was a short trip and she handled and started like a dream. Quinn pushed her til the speedometer shook and threatened to snap. Quinn shifted through the gears like he had been driving the car forever.

The belt buckle was in his hand and about to snap into place as the car lurched forward. The resounding click gave confirmation that wasn't needed as he was swayed and pulled, pushed by the gravitational pull from every curve, every push of the accelerator. Any other time and he'd be laughing, enjoying the adrenaline rush of riding lightning. But there was too much at stake and he could only wonder what the hell was going on and trying to keep images of things Dave could be doing to Saila out of his head. "Hurry," he murmured, knowing that it was unnecessary to urge Quinn on.

Der was a look tah Gwen and he smiled as she went about doin' tha thing which was needed. He kicked at the ground, shuffling the logs o tha fire in on demselves sah dat they was burning whut they had. Der were one pause, though.

"No, I thought I'd take the fucking scenic route." Eyes on the road and sarcasm dripping from every word as he tore to the nasty apartment building at the back of one of the alleys in the market. There was no question that this is where they were and he slammed the emergency brake and left the door open, Quinn didn't knock or wait, he started tearing doors off hinges. He really hoped that Levi was right behind him, Because this could easily turn into a bloodbath, and Quinn didn't want to be worrying where Levi was and if he was safe.

He watched the rear lights o' the car disappear outta camp and realized Quinn and Levi was gone, and he hadn't really thought about how kinda weird it were tah feel dat way, at that moment. His eyes went to Ko and he sucked in a breath, checking two or three times dat the saftey were off on tha gun he kept pointed on dah ground.

Then the headlights brightened dah horizon as two cars pulled up tah camp. Mark smiled tightly, thinkin' dat one seemed more familiar din the others.

The secondary car is a red Subaru with Mac strolling out of it. He was the shadow outline of a man, but still, he looked happy with himself, the way people do at a victory game because a cigar was already balanced between his lips. A cloud of fog-smoke left his lips. He sucked on it, stopping beside Ian and Grace, pointing that spark of a cigar at Mark from the ten yard distance that they had then, "I thought we had a talk about you and your's being scarce."

Mark spit on dah ground and called back tah him, "Well mehbe we all naht sah good o' hearin'."

A firm little nod and her hand moved around his back without much issue. Her fingers tapped away at the buttons, and she let out a soft grunt. She hated this, her eyes didn't leave Mac for a second after all this. "Yeah...we got this thing where we kinda tune out people that spit concentrated bullshit from their face holes..." she hissed and pocketed the phone without much movement being shown.

Hey they're here and they got Grace... let the boning begin?

Squinting in the firelight, Grace could make out Mason first and foremost. At once relieved -- damn near overjoyed, actually, Mason had always meant safety to her -- and completely fucking terrified to see him there among the assembled, the tiny dancer bit her lip. There was Mark, of course, and it was like a sharp knife twisted in her gut. She couldn't bring herself to regret having met him, but to bring down Josh on his family? To be so easily used as leverage? The girl might never forgive herself. There was Keirra, too, and some other shadowy figures she didn't recognize. Wide green eyes searched and searched, her heart rate escalating. Where was Quinn? Oh god, please let the wolf be nearby.

Mason's eyes were on Grace as he started formulating a plan. If Ko could get out one of her grenades, he might be able to get some jump on them and at least get Grace to safety. Still, his gun was lowered and he waited for any hint of a signal. Don't worry, kid?

Voodoo was gone it seemed. She'd slipped away from the fire, and who knew where she was at this point?

Saila took Levi's arm, cavalier. She didn't out David -- not yet -- letting it rest on the loyalty of the gypsies that Dave and Mark both had told her so much about. "I'm totally good, promise." The teen was practically buoyant, truth be told. She hadn't yet gotten to do anything fun, and she positively bounced with unspent energy. Following Quinn and Dave on Levi's arm, she folded herself up like a paperclip in the backseat next to the traitor. Mismatched eyes slid to him. Her expression was cheerful, light. But the cut of her eyes said something else altogether. You still owe me.

Ian slid out of the car, exhaling a cloud of smoke as he slammed the door shut behind him, leveling the gun on Grace just in case anybody thought they were kidding.

"Tsk," Mac said when he saw Ko and Mark's hands on their firearms. He stepped forward so that he could point backwards to Grace, "I mean, I could just blow her brains out. Couldn't I, sweetie?" He didn't look back or wait for Grace to respond Instead he stuck the cigar between his lips and motioned with both index and middle fingers to 'come here' and said, "Toss those arms this way and I promise she won't get killed."

There was a look to Mark then before he twisted back to Cole, "Toss this man a shovel, would you?"

Levi reached to give a half a hug to Saila's shoulders. At least he knew that she was safe and unharmed. There was a churning in his gut that Mac might have let Dave be used as the bait to get the muscle out of camp and he was wanting to get back there, post haste, to check on Mark, Keirra, Voo and the others. But he didn't utter a word of this to Quinn. Instead he turned in his seat and trained his Beretta 9 mil on Dave's forehead. "One move towards her and we'll call you Cyclops."

The rogue glared his way, and didn't wait for any signal from Mark. She knew what had to be done, she just had to do it. Fingers curled around her gun, and she hesitated a moment before looking to Grace and then tossing it Mac's way. Her arm felt suddenly empty, and she felt her bottom lip quiver ever so lightly. Way to be useful, Ko? her brain bullied, and she sucked in a deep breath.

Eyes on the rearview as his phone lit on the dash and he clicked his tongue on the roof of his mouth. "Hey fucker...Were you aware that they had one of ours?" He didn't wait for Dave to answer, he peeled out, if the kid slammed into the seat before him, well that was his damn problem wasn't it. Quinn drove like a friggin madman but it still took him a few minutes to get to the woods. Cutting the lights he drove until he was at the camps edge and then he cut the engine as well. Getting out he pulled the kid out too. The text was sent to Mark. We have Dave, sounds like a fair trade.

Dave was split open, slumped to one side and he nodded to Saila, he owed her, he knew it and he wouldn't forget it. He wanted to squeeze her hand and thank her, but the cool barrel on his forehead said that was probably a terrible idea. Eyes closed while they went. Levi couldn't shoot him yet, he had to see this play out, he had to see Josh. Shit, Josh would think he'd betrayed him for shits and giggles. But outting him, he'd lose everything, maybe the ultimate loss, who knew. It was better than Dave be all he lost. Dave and Rhydin. At least he'd walk away. These thoughts swirled as blood trickled down his cheek. A smile to Levi. "Did you kiss him before all this? Never take shit for granted, you don't know when one of you will make the ultimate sacrifice...they won't show restraint because you're good people." He wasn't being a prick. He was being completely honest.

Mark tossed his gun, like Ko, over tah Mac. Like her, it weren't somethin' dat he gave up easily or naht without some kinda sour look on his face. Din Mack said,

"Oh, king of the Barlows," he moved over to him, motioning with his 45 at his body, "How about off with that shirt?"

It was about that time that Cole came around with a shovel. Mark looked at him oddly, as if he hadn't heard him quite right. Mac repeated, "Shirt. Off." And then, at that point, he grabbed the bottom of his shirt and tugged it overhead, tossing it aside. Cole thrust the shovel to him.

Mac pointed with his cigar, "Dig." Then his eyes went to Grace. He spat on the ground before he spoke, "I gave you the kindness to get out of town before all this shit had to happen. What did you do? Nothing."

"Just shut your fucking pie hole," Levi grumbled and narrowed his eyes at Dave. It wasn't a long drive but the prick running his mouth was making that churning in his gut even worse. He was glad that Quinn ripped him from the car because he couldn't take hearing that it was possible that something could happen to either of them. He got out of the car, tucking his gun into his waistband before opening the door and holding out a hand for Saila to take.

The children were taken into Levi's RV where the privacy curtains were drawn. It was the furthest away from the center of camp and with the curtains in place, they wouldn't be able to see out and panic. And once they were settled in, Gwen left the RV quietly and snuck towards the camper that she'd been staying in.

Those eyes narrowed at Grace and Mac's interaction, and she squinted ever so lightly. "Mark..." The girl said softly, feigning emotion to look behind his back, it came off to the onlookers as something as a nuzzle to his arm. Her hand moved to meet his chest as she read the text and lit up ever so lightly. The phone was stuffed back into his pocket and she swallowed hard. Eyes flicked to Mac, "Big man smoking your fucking cigar... Must be real fucking nice to win through cheating you albino fucking shit stain..."

"You did not, Josh. You said exactly what you needed to to make damn sure I stayed here so you could use me like so much fucking leverage." There was nothing but fire in those green eyes gone starry with gold, the set of her mouth a hard one. "You're not like this, Josh. You're better than this. At least you feckin' used to be." The bitterness in her voice had her original accent bleeding back into it. Ian bumped her in the shoulder with the gun and she whirled on him, snarling. "Keep your goddamn hands off me." Watching Mark peel his shirt off, her expression was agonized. "Don't back down, Mark," she called. "I love you, but I'm not worth the whole camp. Don't do this."

His eyes glittering in the harsh half light and smoke of the fire, Ian's gaze never left Mark's face as he slapped Grace. "Shut up."

When the slap was issued to Grace's face, Mason visibly tensed up. Could've been any woman, really...but it didn't help that it was her. A step forward was taken, and then he realized he was damn near powerless right about now. They needed a wildcard...

Quinn was rifling in Saila's purse and grabbing the zipties. He wasn't nice when he tied the human's hands behind him. Squinting in the light he pressed a finger into the laceration on Dave's temple. "You look like shit. That will help. Congrats, you're the fucking bait now." And without warning the mechanics rag was jammed into Dave's mouth and a piece of duct tape was slammed over the rag and Quinn clapped a hand onto the kid's shoulder. Too bad, he'd have made a fine wolf. Quinn looked to Saila, apparently he had a plan all along, and it wasn't one that ended super favorably for Dave. "Levi you know the plan, they make a move on Grace, blow his fucking brains out." There was a cold air to his voice. One that Saila knew very well, but Levi hadn't seen it yet. Bad. Men. Deserve. To. Die. A nod and he shoved Dave towards Levi.

Voodoo had run off! Or had she...? Stepping somewhat into view, she took aim, swallowed hard, and let out a breath. Her finger twitched lightly, and soon, the arrow was flying free. It would, no doubt, sink into the knee of Cole. For he used to be an adventurer like her.

"The fuck you think you're going?" Levi picked up the gun long enough to bring it down on top of Dave's head and, using the training he got during the IFL, kicked at the man's left knee to cause it to buckle. Mac going down and then the swift sound of an arrow flying true were both bonus points on their side. Go team!

Gwen jumped back and away from Mac when the taser went off. She wasn't used to the sound, having only used it once now. She squawked and stumbled back until she ran into the car. Her inertia had her sitting down hard on the warm hood. "oof!"

That was her cue, the rogue moved forwards and let out a gentle grunt as she rolled on the ground and retrieved her gun. Alright everyone! Keirra is running this show now, and you're all her bitches! First rule of action... Booze for everyone! Second rule... No more noise complaints. Third rule... Okay, c'mon... Time to get serious.

Grace was safe-ish... Not enough. Mason was in action, building up that lovely momentum and then he'd be driving his shoulder gently into her abdomen. If she didn't squirm too terribly much, he'd be carrying her to safety like a sack of potatoes.

"We gotta move now," Saila mumbled to her adopted father, her fingers in all that white fur. Her voice was low. "Dave is in love with Mac. That's why he turned. I threatened Mac's life and then promised to spare him if he helped me." Saila liked to keep her promises.

Preservation instinct said run, but love had her riveted in place, reversing course, rushing forward. She was just about to sprint forward into the fray when suddenly she was... in the air! The scramble of her hands recognized the boxer immediately, and immediately she was conflicted. On the one hand, out of harm's way! Safety! Yes! and on the other, "but wait! Mark! We have to help Mark!" Grace hadn't noticed the way other members of the team had been taken out. Her eyes had been on the barrel of the gun trained on him, only.

Mac were still out fer dah count when Mark saw Dave being brought in, squirming against dah gag. His attention was still on Ian, waiting fer him tha soften, tah give in tah whut he were saying. Mark saw Mason run and catch Grace from his peripheral vision, but he stayed focused on Ian, who were takin' up control fer the time bein', "Time tah put dah gun down now... yeah...."

"Easy, kid..." Mason said giving her thigh a pat. "You're not gonna be any good to him out in the open... I'll go back for him..." Stashing her behind one of the campers, "Just take cover... if you have to shoot, don't miss..." Mason told her, checking her face. "You okay, kid?"

The rogue looked at the gun, looked at Cole, and then took a shot. Right in the other knee. Why? ...cause she fucking wanted to shoot someone.

Ian hadn't backed down yet, didn't want to take a chance on taking his eyes off Mark. "Cole! What the fuck, dude. Check on Ma---" The sound of the gun going off was unmistakable, punctuated as it was by Cole's howl of agony, the smell of blood suddenly misting the air around him like a red cloud. "Fuck, are you okay? Cole?" He chanced a glance sideways, only half a second away, to see about Cole. It was his knee, not a mortal wound. Breathing, his gaze was quickly centered back on Mark. "Call them off." he said, his voice deadly silent. "...Before this gets unnecessarily bloody. You know you're outnumbered. Call them off."

Grace nodded, once she was on the ground again. "Yeah," her voice came in breathless gasps. "i'm okay, I just--" the gun went off, and Grace's scream was shrill. Please god don't let it be Mark. Don't let it be Mark.

"Everyone jist... put yer guns down and ease up a little bit," Mark asserted, his hands, palms up, in dah air jist then, "Jist lower yet guns and dun get them cocked on anybody."

Mac had come to at this point. One hand grasped his head and he groaned and swore in ways that a sailor would have applauded. When his head quit swimming he saw that Dave was being held and Ian seemed to be calling the shots. He started to climb to his feet, "Fuck, Ian, just put Barlow down."

Dave hit his knees, which was fine, he was defeated and his head hung after the splitting blow. Through the bloody blond hair he watched Mac, just watched him. This is where they died. And he couldn't apologize, he couldn't explain, he couldn't even warn him. There was a long list of how Dave thought he'd go. Watching Mac motionless before him wasn't one of them.

There was a rush of white fur and as he ran, he growled, loudly, louder than should have been possible. Bounding, knowing there was a purple streak behind him. Blood in the air he looked to Mac on the ground and he leapt over the man and went for Cole. Not a knee, not a torso, not an arm, no, Quinn went straight for the throat. Quinn really didn't like guns trained on his people. He didn't like that he had sprinted past the beginnings of a self dug grave, and he especially didn't like that they had manhandled Grace the way they had. Quinn didn't stop to check who had been shot, the scent of blood was not one he knew, and they had all bled in front of him in one way or another, or at least he had a deep sense of their scent.

There was a clamp of jaws and Quinn jerked that white muzzle to one side throat torn from Cole?s neck. The blood sprayed everywhere. The wolf was bold, and at the command from Mac, Quinn padded over slowly and dropped the dripping hunk of flesh at his feet. Nudging it onto Mac's shoes.
The rogue had her gun pointed at Mac when the order was given, and she slowly lowered it. Eyes hardened against her features and she let out an uncomfortable grunt. Then Quinn was ripping out Cole's throat and there may have been a sadistic little smirk on her face. Damn she'd been hanging out with the wrong crowd's lately. "Guess he didn't get the memo..."

Mason wrapped his arms around Grace as she screamed and he looked out. "No, shh.. It's okay.. He's okay, Grace..." whispered Mason against her head. "Stay here," he said, pulling out his own gun and heading towards the crowd, staying pressed against the camper.

Levi kept his gun against Dave's temple. He wasn't going to drop his gun, regardless of what anyone said. Not so long as there was a gun pointed to Mark's chest. "Tell him to..." and there was a white blur running through that had everyone looking. A smile, proud and true, eyes shining as he watched Quinn in his purest, more feral form. Mine.

Even though the white wolf had become nearly commonplace to see around camp? That amount of blood wasn't something that Gwen had ever seen before. She heard the crunch of cartilage and then the spray of blood painted her from head to toe. She tried to get away but slipped on the car's hood and fell. "Gross," she muttered as she crawled under the car to get away from the gore.

The moment had come. Ian made a show of pulling back on the slide of the gun, the audible click of the bullet notching home. He flashed Mark a hazardous smile, took aim and....

....did an about-face, swinging the gun in a tight half arc to point it dead center on Mac's chest. "This is over." He said quietly, steadily, though there was a veritable storm of emotion in those deep green eyes. "They've -- no, we've ---won." He let that sink in a long moment. He swallowed once. "See, y'took all that time to check me out, look me over, put me through a million tests, and not once did it occur to you to look at my fuckin' ID. Y'know my name's Ian. Did it ever occur to you to ask the rest of it? Nah. It's Ian B. McKenna. Guess what the B stands for?"

B. The B stood for Barlow. Ian ... is Mark's cousin.

"You're outflanked, Josh. The wolf is loose. His crazy sister thing is loose. Cole's dead." He stared at the man he'd spent the last five months with, his expression awash in a sea of conflict. "....Please don't make me shoot you." he murmured, somewhere between a plea and a prayer. "Please."

"The fuck... you say...." Mac stared at Ian like he was about to slug him right then and there, regardless of the gun, regardless of everything, "What are you saying to me, kid?" And that was when he stepped right up to it, until Ian's muzzle touched his chest, "You tell me that again and this time you squeeze." Right now Cole's death couldn't, or wouldn't be processed. Or maybe he just didn't want to look like a blubbering chump during all of this. His hand were wired up tight on his gun as he looked at Ian. Boy had to knew he meant it.

Mark exhaled with relief, feelin' like he were underwater jist then. He thought fer a moment he might sink tah his knees but he didn't. Grace? He looked fer her and din he moved real quick over tah his gun, picking it up and knockin off tha dirt befer he called, "It's ovah, Mac."

Saila had followed Quinn into the breach, as always. There was zero hesitation in the way she streaked along side him towards the ill-fated Cole, the way she didn't so much as flinch when Cole's throat was torn free. Not even when the wolf dropped it basically on Mac's shoe. The wolf and the muse were indeed loose, Saila so awash in phosphorescent light that even her eyes seemed to glow. Come on, try something. Every bit of her seemed to beg. She and the wolf were similar in that respect. Bad. Men. Deserve. To Die.

But then Ian pulled his about face, and the teenager grinned. She'd known, of course, from the moment she'd shaken his hand at the funeral thing she'd followed Keirra to. It was a secret she'd kept for Mark's sake, for Ian's sake, from everyone. Even Quinn. I'm sorry, Quinn. I had to keep him safe.

As the tense moment built between Mac and Ian, Saila stepped back. Casually, she took one step, then another. A promise was a promise, after all, and unceremoniously, she ripped the tape from Dave's mouth.

Ian took a deep breath, and he too took a step closer to Mac. The gun was still between them, but it was almost impossible to see, mashed as it was between the chests of the MacIntosh leader and his teenaged second. "Walk away," he whispered, pleading. "walk away, and...." The kid swallowed roughly, his gaze straying for a long moment to his cousin. The boy took a deep breath, slid grey-green eyes back to Mac, deadly serious. "Walk away and I'll go with you."

As Ian made his big announcement, she seemed to grimace. Well if that didn't take all the wrong out of the fuckfest I don't know what will? Still, she kept her gun at the ready, looking around with a tense expression.

Dave screamed now and looked to Saila, no, her deal, their deal. This fucking kid. He knew it. He fucking knew it and he couldn't do a damn thing to stop him. Straining on his restraints and he was about to fucking pass out from screaming into the gag. Tears streamed his face, more from the strain than being upset. When the tape ripped he screamed. "No!" A struggle to get to his feet now and he tugged away from Levi, hands still tied behind his back. "You fucking traitor. You slept at his goddamn feet, you fucking told me to kill their second's fiance, and all the while...This one knew... And we are the bad guys? That the case Barlow? You'd kill your best friends lover to get us out?" He laughed and shook his head. "Some fucking family."

Quinn padded backwards now and looked from Ian to Mark to Ian to Mark and canted the white head to one side.

Eyes to Mark now. Well, you managed to lose your fucking wolf. There was little he could do as a wolf Quinn could have killed him, could have done a thousand things. But this was Quinn, and when his family was destroyed around him, he only knew how to do one thing. He ran, with a streak of white.

Quinn was gone.

Ian's voice was strained, his eyes never leaving Mac's face. "Actually, what I gave you to 'poison' Quinn with was rosemary. When I found out you'd gotten ahold of the real deal, I warned Mark. Ever noticed how close I am to my mom?" This was directed at Dave. "Quinn, I'm so, so, so fucking sorry." He said to the wolf pacing behind him. "I did everything I could to prevent them from causing you real harm." He paused, clearing his throat. "Mark, I love you. You know I do. I've never once betrayed you, but I can't... I don't... I need him not to die." He was saying his goodbyes, in case this went badly, but his eyes never left Josh's face.

He could feel Dave tug on his arm and he looked at him, an apology for him somewhere in his eyes. When he looked at Ian it was hard to split the conflict from his gaze. His lips parted to say something but then lights from half a dozen cars brightened the horizon. It was distracting enough that Mac rued and squinted towards them. Who the fuck?

?Joshua,? the gruff voice was low and came out of an older, bearded face which he recognized, immediately, as being his uncle. It caused him to sort of half smile, the hand holding his gun started to relax though the awkwardness of the surprise visit was stunning. The point of his gun?s nozzle lowered from pointing at Ian?s heart to his stomach.

?Hey.? His weight eased to one foot as he looked at his Uncle, managing a half smile that didn?t entirely hide the surprise he felt at his sudden appearance. He was trying not to look and sound like he was wondering why the fuck his uncle was showing up with the rest of the crew at a time like this. Ezra, Sonny and Michael were familiar silhouettes in the headlights of the RVs.

?Do you remember this?? His uncle said, stopping in front of MacIntosh, turning the gun over in his hand for a moment so that he could see it, ?It was the first gun you ever had. A replica of the M8173 army pistol. It only ran me a hundred bucks. I taught you how to be a man with this gun.? Mac kept his gun trained on Ian, but he was finding it harder and harder to focus on him with his Uncle?s appearance. It split his attention.

Josh smiled and put his hat back on, the brim of his fedora tipped down in a nod. He looked at the gun with fondness, the way a boy might look at a well-loved and forgotten teddy bear. Josh thought it was strange and out of place, having this reminder of his past brought to him at that moment. He didn?t get to think on the oddity of it for long before he said, ?It?s good to see you and all, but now?s not the time for a reunion. I?m in the middle of th??

His uncle raised the revolver and fired three times in rapid succession. The first, clearing a hole through Josh?s chest. The second making it wider. The third missed as Mac fell out of the line of fire, and it caught Ian?s shoulder. Mac only had time to reach for his chest before he dropped to his knees. There wasn?t even enough time for another breath, just time to grip his chest, stumbling back, gone before he could even catch his fall as he dropped backward onto Ian.

?Boy, I thought you had a fire in you,? he said, looking down at Josh?s body, the barrel of the gun still hot, ?when you pushed and had me step down I accepted it because of your fire, your ideas. You were going to lead us on to other, greater things. You were supposed to be the newer generation that saw the future.? His eyes rose from Josh?s unresponsive form to David as he spoke, ?Then I hear about you going after Rhy?Din and being a goddamn Nancy boy. Your father would have rolled over in his grave.? His eyes returned down to Josh?s body as he spoke as if he was there and could have heard him, ?That persistence, boy, was why I loved you. I taught you how to be a man with this gun.? He turned the old revolver in his hand to look at it better in the dim lighting, ?We spent all day firing it together. Now? I taught you about being a man with it twice.?

It was after a long pause that he motioned with the gun to the others, ?Time for us to go, boys.? Ezra, Michael, Sonny and all the rest of the gang stood shell shocked. They moved to gather up his body but his Uncle shot them a look of warning and said, ?We don?t know who that is. Let ?im rot.?

Ian's eyes went wide as the gun was raised. "Oh, fuck, no!" the cry was wild and desperate as the gunfire ricocheted.

Searing pain in his shoulder, and then Mac's weight on him. They went down in a heap together. The noise rang in his ears like it was right there beside him.

Eyes went to Saila and he grabbed her hand and RAN. Like he'd never run before. It was terrifying, hearing that noise and then again, and once more. Three shots fired, but identical so one gun, at least that's what he had heard, in the moment though, how could he be sure. The fear that pumped through him and he stopped and look at Saila. "Stay here... You'll see...Just watch..." He begged her before he ran towards the center of camp. Still covered in a mask of Cole. The scene he got to was shocking and he looked to Mark before looking back to Mac. What the hell had he done. There were about to be a whole army of men upon them. He searched for Levi. Quinn assumed it was Mark that did this and he shouted. "Get Mark out of here! Keirra! Fuck!"

Saila was on Quinn's heels at the sound of gunfire. Shit... the plan had been no guns and this was the fourth report so far. They reached the edge of the clearing and suddenly Quinn was saying.. something... about staying here? As if. She rolled her eyes and chased after him anyway, taking a quick scan of the scene as mismatched eyes swept left to right. "Wait... Quinn... Mark didn't... who the fuck are they? What the hell?"

Yeah...have the skinny short stack play bodyguard. No way that could go wrong. The bullets ripping through the air had made her flinch each time, and then she was frozen. Eyes wide, swallowing hard as she looked in that direction. The fuck man? So... yeah, that just happened. When Quinn's voice cut to her, she could almost feel it ripping violently into her ears to shatter the imaginary bells that were ringing inside of them. Looking down at her gun, and then up toward where the voice had come, those eyes kinda danced to all corners of the night as she stood there, completely useless, completely frozen.

The moment the older man put the gun to Mac's chest, Levi lunged for Mark, hoping to get him out of the way of any gunfire. And even if he missed his mark, he put himself between the gunfire and Mark to keep him safe. Quinn was there, quick as a flash and he met his eyes, briefly with a nod. We're safe.

Levi had no idea what Dave or Ian was going to do at this point, and he didn't care. He looked for Keirra, too. She was stunned but not hurt. None of their people were hurt. He sighed with relief, but kept himself between Mark and gun wielding uncle.

David was frozen, and staring at the ground where Ian and Josh lay, the air had been sucked away from him and he couldn't move. There was a mist of Josh's blood across his face and all over the hand and arm that was holding onto him. Dave hadn't let it go of him until he'd hit the ground. Nancy boy, of course. A thick swallow when the loud wailing in his ears didn't fade, he kept swallowing and looked to Ian. It was then that he moved. He'd move to pull Mac off of him, roll him onto his back and press a hand onto his chest. Tears didn't come, anger came, hard. A pounding on Josh's chest, that no longer rose and fell. Eyes went to Saila then and the pain there was palpable. They had a deal, and it wasn't her fault, but still it hit him and he just let those fists fall against the body of the only person he'd ever trusted not to leave. "Just fucking, go!" He screamed when his voice found him. This was screamed at the uncle, who knew damn well who David was. Maybe not the capacity, but he knew him.

Mark were in disbelief of whut he saw, enough that he stepped back and lowered his gun, lookin' at tha Uncle and wondering if they was about to have a shoot out. Dat didn't happen, though. The Uncle jist kinda seemed tah ignore him, ignore whut was goin' on and head back to the row of headlights which made it hard tah make out much o' anything which was ahead of him. Then Levi tackled him and they hit the ground, one hand pressin' tah the ground tah give himself balance and orientation again befer he looked ovah his shoulder tah Levi and said, "I'm okay."

Grace... Grace was screaming. She recognized Uncle Silas and knew why he'd come. But then he'd raised the gun and he was so close to Mark and she was screaming. Screaming and running towards the fray. Levi had Mark and Dave had Josh and oh my god oh my god oh my god. "Silas!" The girl screamed. "What the fuck! You were only supposed to call him off -- oh my God." She sank to her knees in the middle of all of them, sobbing.

There were some of the figures that lingered in the lights of the cars, wanting to go to see if Mac really was dead. If that had really happened. Ezra and Sonny had made a few steps but it was the older generation, having seized power again, that warned them off of it. They backed up uncertainly their expressions hard to make out against the glare, and climbed back into their vehicles and RVs like a black tide that was retreating. Mac's body rolled off of Ian when he was tugged to his back, his fedora wobbling awkwardly from the top of his head.

Dazed and wounded, for several seconds the kid couldn't even think. One of his hands was clasped tightly around Josh's shoulders, a thing he wasn't even aware of until Dave was pulling the body free. He sat up slowly, uncertainly, his whole left arm dripping blood. Shellshocked and wide eyed, he seemed a thousand miles away as he slowly, mechanically reached for the fedora.

Levi slowly lifted himself from Mark's prone form as the older generation of the MacIntosh clan began to fade away into the darkness. And when the first RV spit gravel and dust, he went to his knees and looked up for Quinn. But it was Dave's anguish that caught his attention. He blew out a breath and put his hands upon his thighs. So much had happened in such a very short amount of time and the lawyer needed a moment to think.

"Your cousin is shot," he said quietly to Mark before moving away from him and to stand beside Dave. He reached to touch his shoulder and then looked to Quinn. He truly didn't know how to help him but maybe Quinn could. Nancy boys have to stick together. "Shh," he murmured, but knew that agony of losing a loved one was going to be a lot louder in Dave's and Ian's hearts than his soft voice.

Hands went to his face, hands covered in blood, they were shaking and he looked down at them and then to Josh and his eyes went to that hat. It was almost comedy, that it's what cause the sting of his eyes. That of all the things that went on, this is what did it. The hat askew made it so that he could reach up and brush his hair away from his face. Thumb run over the scar on his eyebrow. There wasn't a sob, there wasn't a sharp intake of breath, instead, he just sat there tears streaming from his eyes. Apparently he knew how to cry, and apparently, he had trusted Josh not to leave him, because now that he had, he couldn't make his mind stop, he couldn't stop the tears and the pain that settled into the center of his chest was bigger than he was. Dave felt the hand on his shoulder but he couldn't tear his face away from Josh, although having that hand to somewhat ground him, meant more to him than even he knew.

He reached back, putting the safety on his gun and tucking it behind him. He didn't usually holster a gun that way but he needed it out of his hands. Levi was saying something and he looked up at him, blinking, "Is Ian okay?" He pushed off the ground, one hand hugging Levi's shoulder in a way to tell him thanks. Dave was looking so shattered he didn't know how... or what to do with that moment. He moved over to where Ian was, dropping on one knee, "It's over, they're...gone." And when he said gone, he was looking at Mac.

Ian's eyes were wide, and wet. There was no sound, though a single crystalline track cut through the blood and whatever else that was on his face. He took a slow breath, his fingers closing reflexively around the hat.

The boy pulled it close, held it to his chest for a long moment, and then he was reaching out again. "Dave," he said quietly, holding the hat out to him in fingers that, for the first time in months, were shaky. More tears spilled down his face as he gestured Josh. "...He needs it back."

There were a lot of things Keirra didn't understand. Like why some dude just drove right up and shot him. Mostly, she didn't understand Levi. Why the hell was he trying to comfort Dave? That guy lied to them. Tried to kill Levi's mate. Hell, they tried to kill all of them. So why the hell did he deserve comfort? Maybe it was the human thing to do. Appealing to the romantic side of Levi, making him want to offer up comfort. Keirra didn't feel very human all of a sudden, and Gerry had ultimately destroyed every romantic bone in her body. She wanted to just shoot the mother fucker and walk away, put him out of his misery. No longer appearing frozen in fear, the hellion just stared with cold eyes in that direction before letting her gun toting hand fall to the side of her. A hot breath left sticky lips and blew a loose coil from her eyes. She was aware that she should be happy that nobody was hurt, that she still had her family. Her tongue lapped at the dry roof of her mouth and forced down a swallow as she turned her back to them and took a few steps away from the crowd.

"Fer him?" Mark looked puzzled, but it only took a look at Ian and Dave tah realize tha heartlessness dat would be there in refusing it. Still... it seemed like, strange and difficult at best tah grasp tha arrangement. They weren't an army and they weren't heartless and even fer tha bones of an unknown he would grant a funeral. Beyond that, Grace's eyes got a way of askin' which made it hard tah say no. He bowed his head a bit, lookin' at Quinn but seeing that he already seemed tah be directing boys tah collect tha body fer it. He swallowed and din looked at her, "Tomorrow night we'll burn somethin' fer him. Put the body underground tahday."

"Guys," Levi spoke a bit more loudly and stood up. "Let us do this. We'll do it right by him. I promise you that." Big words but Levi would fight for it if he had to. Ian and Dave were both wounded and tossing Mac into a ditch would only pour lemon juice into that wound. "Trust us, we'll do right by him. And you."

On the verge of a breakdown he absolutely couldn't afford, Ian nodded mutely. Sometimes you just never say a goddamn thing, kid. His focus was on Dave as he slowly, carefully slipped his hand out of Josh's,and took Dave?s hand as he got to his feet. His shoulder bled and burned, and the fingers of his left hand wouldn't close all the way. He was aware of these things only distantly, like they were happening a million miles away.

Ian had a good rule. Keirra kept her mouth shut and just kinda followed Saila around like a puppy. She hated this, every single last bit of it. The fact that they were all joining hands and talking about funerals for someone that literally tried to kill Mark? Dave didn't deserve to be breathing. That's why she put the gun away, so that she didn't do anything stupid. What the hell was she becoming? Keirra wasn't a killer, but she for damn sure felt like she should be, she felt like an absolute monster in that moment. Cold, and unfeeling, and perhaps Saila should've touched her, might have taken the edge off of the emotions that were weighing on everyone else. Her jaw clenched, her eyes stared ahead, and she bit into her cheek as hard as she could.

Dave was a strong guy, much stronger than he looked and he pulled Ian up easily. Bending he pulled the contents of Mac's pockets, His wallet, lighter, smokes, the keys to his subaru. Shoving them all into the pockets of his coat before he looked to Quinn, "can I, use your truck?" Of course Quinn allowed it and he was in it and had driven it over within a minute. "Ride with him?" He said as he lifted Josh and held him for what was most likely the last time. It wasn't easy, but he carried him and slid him carefully into the bed of the truck.

Ian was there, of course, following Dave once he was on his feet, he climbed into the back of the truck and sat down next to the body, next to Josh, next to Jay. "I'm so fucking sorry," the boy whispered hoarsely, his good hand on Josh's shoulder. After a moment he pulled that stupid pale pink lighter from his own pocket and gently, carefully slipped it into Mac's.

Eyes shifted now to Levi and he swallowed thickly, "Can you drive?" He didn't know what do or who to ask and really he'd tried to kill Levi's fiance, so karma was kind of a bitch, but he didn't have anyone else to ask. So he hinged on Levi to say yes. The keys he'd been given were offered over to Levi now.

There was also the pocket knife he got from Johnny in his pockets. Mark's coat intended to cover up the dead slipped off to the ground. Two men from camp had showed up with bedsheets that they didn't mind letting go of to cover up the body, but paused when they saw Dave holding onto the form as steadfast as if Josh was just sleeping. They hesitated, not knowing what to do. Mark twisted, bare arms holding Grace as close to his chest as a shirt as he nodded. It was the sort of nod that said 'do whatever he wants' for Dave. He didn't know, exactly, if the Macs did the same as them. Most gypsies did a burning at some point. Not always the body, though.

Where was someone like Josh supposed to be buried? Overlooking a lake?

The goddamn Salty Dog. He thought as he smoked on a cigarette that did him no good. Lakes are goddamn boring.

There was something about the look on Keirra's face that made Saila pause, stooping to wrap her arms around the little rogue. "Hey," she said, and her breath caught in her throat. But this, at least, she was more familiar with, and her lashes fluttered once as she did what she could help.

Levi stepped back as Josh was lifted and, eventually, carried away. He nodded to Dave, more numb than anything else. He took the keys and looked to Quinn. "Where'd Steve go?" he was heading to the truck, not expecting Dave to climb into the cab with him. He waited for Quinn to point him in the right direction as he sank into the driver's seat and turned the engine over.

Finally beginning to believe that Mark was really okay, that it was really over, the girl sagged against him as the horror of what had happened really began to sank in. Horror, grief, mourning, and... anger. "They left him," she said suddenly, vehemently. "They shot him and left him like a goddamn dog. We're better than that, no matter what he did. We have to be."

Ian tilted his head as though he'd heard something. Looking down over the truck's bed, he slipped his hand into Josh's once more and touched something small and metal. Moving their joined fingers, he found the pocket knife underneath where it must have fallen out when Dave laid him down. A strangled sob died on his lips. "It's... it's not the ocean, Jay. I wish we could take you to the ocean." A pause. "Or a bar." The kid choked back another sob then. "...The fuckin' Salty Dog. Or maybe that alley behind it."

"We are," he said it as he held her, looking as the truck was being loaded up. Even in his most angry moments, he couldn't believe he would leave Levi or Grace behind. The Uncle had, really and truly, disowned his nephew... leader of the crew. Where would they go, what would they do? All Mark knew was that it wouldn't have tah deal with Rhy'Din and that maybe, later on down tha road, it would be something to contend with. Jist... naht tonight.

If you weren't a piece of shit it'd be the ocean. Sharks and whatever.

"To dig a grave down by the lake, don't know where to put him, somewhere they can visit I guess, I uh, I don't know about the whole visiting graves thing, and I don't know if ya'll do something special. So I just figured, put him somewhere nice. But not close enough to here that we have to see him." He leaned in and took Levi's face with both hands and kissed him hard, his face still covered in the dried blood of Cole.

Dave heard Ian as he was getting into the truck and he looked at Levi. "The ocean! We have to take him to the ocean!" The desperation was palpable and he looked at Ian's arm and then he looked at Quinn and then Levi. "I don't...We have to...It's gotta be!" He was frantic and there was the insanity in him that he had to do it. He stared at Levi and thought a moment. "To the docks...I've been there before! Please..." From no words, to full blown begging.

Saila was still holding Keirra in her arms, willing the girl back to herself. At Dave's sudden outburst, she lifted her head to see what was going on and... frowned. Mismatched eyes were staring hard at the truck bed, where there was Ian and Mac and... uh. Mac. Oh. Great.

When Saila's arms wrapped around her, the little zombie did little to repay the affection, her arms hung at her sides and she stared ahead. It was like the calm before the storm, anyone that looked at her would probably expect some sort of break down, but when it didn't come, all that was left was confusion. She gave a soft pat to Saila's back finally, after a moment when she snapped out of whatever she'd been thinking about, mostly about how they should've thrown Mac's body into some far away desert and let him become scavenger food. She wouldn't voice it, but Saila would know. Finally, the affection was a little bit too much for her, and she pushed backwards from her. It wasn't anything violent, she'd just had enough. Her lips were a thin line, tucked away between her teeth, bitten to the point of pain.

It kinda blew, sitting there looking at your own sorry body and the two people who wanted to connect with you the most and just couldn't. He sat in the bed of the truck next to where his body was and looked down at himself. He sucked on his cigarette and realized, then, that Saila was looking at him. Not his body, but him. Time to test that out. Hi.

Mark saw Keirra's coldness and tipped his head to it. He understood, being on tha fringe of why Mac was so important to everyone. His blue eyes dropped tah Grace, "Do you need to go with them, Love?"

"Ok, ok, calm down," he put his hands up and then looked to Quinn. Trust me. He was panting once the kiss was given and received. They'd both needed it to connect, to ground themselves and to settle raw and ravaged nerves. "I'll be back, soon," he promised and then looked back to the pair in the back of the truck. He didn't want to take Quinn back to Rio and that's just where the portal he'd found led to. "Love you, baby."

Mark was asking Grace if she needed to go and Levi waited for her response. He wasn't going to go to Quinn's estate, but a smaller spot just off the coast. A little spit of sand where Mac could rest in peace.

Just when Grace thought she couldn't possibly have loved Mark more, he went and said... something like that. Fresh tears sprang in her eyes and she nodded. "I... I think so, yeah." Those wide, luminescent eyes said a good bit more than she could at the moment. When he put her down, she ran blindly for the truck.

Saila met the specter's eyes coolly and gave it a subtle nod. Hi. When Keirra pulled away, she looked down again, frowning, but... this seemed like a thing she needed to deal with. "I'll. Uh.. I'll be right ... back." Long legged strides took her to the truck. She looked from one person to the next, her gaze settling on the truck bed. "Where... where did you decide to take him?" No, Saila wasn't planning on going, too. She just needed to know.

As the drive went on Dave continued to remain silent, something was nagging at the corner of his consciousness and he didn't entirely understand what it was. There was something amiss, for sure, and yet, he didn't dwell on the feeling. Instead he went to counting birch trees as they sped by the window. He still had Grace under his arm, unless she'd moved, but he wasn't paying much attention to that, instead he was chain smoking and fucking with Quinn's radio. Looking for something 90's and bad.

The truck continued on with Levi behind the wheel. The drive to the docks never felt so long, the bumps in the road harsh enough that it sometimes seemed as if Mac's body had tried to roll to one side to get more comfortable in the truck. There was a lingering warmth in his form but the rushing air of the drive was taking it away. Soon it would just be where Ian's hand persistently held onto his that it would still seem lukewarm there. Everything else was growing cold.

The smell of the ocean came before the sight of it. A heavy, briny scent that came with hot summers and the tie being fulling in. The only windows that were outlined in white, orange and yellow were the bars and taverns of the dockside area. Nothing else this hour would be there.

Levi parked at a place that seemed remote enough that none of the sailors or patrons would bother them. Through the cracked window he called, "We're here." He said it knowing that it was unnecessary. That everyone could smell the ocean and see it just as well. Seemed that in these strange moments that verbal reminders of what was happening was necessary.

Grace had tried to help Ian with the injury to his arm, but the kid had shrugged her off, scowling. Mindful of both Mark's concerns and Quinn's instructions, Grace tried a second time, eliciting a sharp "Later." from the boy and nothing further. Freezing in the rush of wind and feeling no great compulsion to sit out there in the truck bed with the broken kid and the cooling body, Grace threw a distressed gaze over the both of them and then crawled back inside.

In the backseat she found a button down shirt. Maybe it was Quinn's, or Levi's, or maybe even Saila's, but whoever it belonged to, the girl put it on. She hadn't exactly had a jacket on her when she was escorted away from work today, and maybe it was just her imagination but she felt positively chilled to the bone. Stuffing her small hands into the too long sleeves, the girl had curled herself up between Levi and Dave once more, slumped against Dave underneath his arm.

Ian looked up only when the truck came to a stop. In the intervening time, he'd lit two cigarettes out of habit. He'd tried to smoke the first one, honestly, and found that he couldn't. The first smoke belong to Mac. A tremor sliding ominously down his spine, he'd set that lit cigarette between two of Josh's fingers, retrieving the knife that had spilled from his pocket on one of the turns.

There was no issue of smoking coming from Dave, and by the time they got there, the tears had stopped and he was pretty cold and numb to what was going on. He was stroking Grace's hair idly when they stopped and he looked first to Levi and then to Ian. That's where his eyes froze. Poor fucker. From the looks of it, the kid didn't know loss and for that, Dave pitied him.

The cigarette propped in Mac's hand was something of denial and he cleared his throat and without standing on ceremony, he got out of the truck and rounded it to drop the tail. He wasn't a strong man, no stronger than he looked at least, but something about tonight meant that he had to do what he had to do. Picking the butt from between Josh's fingers before it started to burn and he flicked it into the water. Irony, keeping him from burning, when they were about to set him ablaze.

Eyes on Ian. "You wanna help with this part?" He wondered instead if he wanted to play more pretend with the corpse, maybe they could smoke a bowl, or listen to music, the idea made him want to vomit and he tried to understand that everyone grieved in their own way. But this sick little traitor really thought he loved Mac, and that, was perhaps the most laughable, at least to Dave.

He set his jaw and pulled carefully at his dead lover, carefully fixing his hair again and making sure his hat was on properly before looking out at the water.

We're here. Mac was standing in the bed of the truck and slammed his hand on the roof. He expected that there would be a noise like a dinner bell, a metal ringing slap to get everyone focused. Nothing came, though. He swore, grabbing the tip of his fedora to gaze down at his body and then back to the ocean. At least the tide is about to go out. This shit is fucking stupid. I shouldn't be dead.

He had the sense that he had known he was dead for a long time, as if a year had passed and he was detached from the ongoings. There was also the feeling that this was happening now and that he desperately didn't want it to be going on. That somehow it could all be reversed and undone. How the fuck had this happened? He didn't remember lighting a cigarette and he knew, even when he smoked it, that it didn't feel like anything. He turned to see his vessel being drawn up in Dave's arms for the ocean. The cigarette disappeared from his hand and he hadn't noticed that at first, either. Instead he frowned at the sight of his body, climbing down from the bed of the truck with one jump. There was so much left I had to do.

Ian's tears had dried in unrelenting wind. His hair was a tangled mess, his shirt bloodsoaked from the shoulder down. His eyes had seemingly gone vacant, flat. He had that thousand yard battle-weary stare going, his body stone still and mostly non-responsive.

The corner of his lower lip was caught in his teeth as he maneuvered himself to the edge of the truck bed with a grimace -- the arm wasn't as numb as he'd like it to be -- and slid to a standing. He nodded, mechanically, letting Dave fuss with making Mac look more presentable. The other man had been surprisingly generous in giving him this time to say goodbye, so he didn't protest it now. Swallowing once, his eyes narrowed as he glanced off to his left, but then his focus returned to Dave, to Josh's body between them.

Grace slid out of the car after Dave, and without a word she crawled up onto the truck bed. For her it really was a matter of crawling --she had to kind of hoist herself up on her hands and then wriggle herself the rest of the way onto it --but once she was there she was gathering up the scattered bottles of Revival Bourbon in her arms. She hadn't heard everything Saila said, but this part seemed important.

David held the leader of men like a child, as if he was carrying him to bed. Arm slid under the backs of his knees and the other supported his back. Looking around it was pretty clear where this would be best. Eyes to the bottles and he nodded to Grace. His voice was thick from unuse and the earlier tears. "Open them, all of them." It wasn't a request, but it was softer than a command, he turned and walked to the end of the dock and looked down at the body he cradled. "How's here man?" As if Mac was going to answer him. If it was another time he'd have taken the time to laugh at himself.

Hooking a pallet with his foot he dragged it to the edge and laid the body on it. On one side. So they could allow it to fall into the water when the burning had done. Considering he'd lost the only thing that mattered to him, he was doing pretty well it seemed. More arranging. More muttering and talking, apologies, I love yous, shit he couldn't say before that day. All whispered now for ear that dave assumed could no longer hear.

There's a slide of red in the bed of the truck, the only sign that he'd been there. Mac sat on the end of the tail gate, annoyed at first and then forcibly detached from what was going on. Nothing was changing it. If he was dreaming, it was a shitty ass dream he wasn't waking up from. He looked past where his feet hung off the tailgate. Goddamn it Ian. You ruined everything for me you little piece of shit.

He'd been a damn fool and Ian must have informed on him to Grace, sending into motion the events which lead to this... bullshit. This wasn't fucking right. How hard had he busted his ass to get all that together? To get a working crew of people that weren't fucking idiots and all for what? His kingdom for a horse!? This is a fucking joke.

He waited and knelt beside the body and he peered down at him and leaned in a kissed the bourbon from chilled lips before he pulled a book of matches from his own pocket and struck one and lit the book before he carefully set it on the ground in the pool of the bourbon, before he'd even dropped it the fumes were lit and he wanted to look away as the body was engulfed, but he couldn't and as the body roared he pushed the Pallet off the dock, the side that Mac was on was perched above the water. Dave left his foot there on the other side. If the heat bothered him, he wasn't showing it. He didn't want to move his leg yet, when he did, it would drop Mac into the water.

Eyes back to Grace and then to Ian. "If ya got words, now is time to speak them. I won't drop him till you've said your part." Was there peace in this? No, none, and Dave knew better than to think that there would be any, any time soon at least. Fact was, he didn't even know if this man, the only one who had the power to break him, had even loved him in the first place. In a jealous moment he wondered if he'd ever spoken the words to Ian.

No one was even going to see if there were fucking dead chicken voodoo shit? No? Mac knew, deep down, that he didn't really want it. The desperate part of him wanted it. The part that was having to watch this now and wanted to tell Dave not to light that goddamn match. But he was left scratching the back of his head, the unseen specter, wondering why the fuck he even had to watch this? Hear this? With a long draw he moved closer to where they were, his arms crossed over his chest. He wanted to be less passionate about the moment than he was. He wished he was floating fifteen thousand miles overhead.

Instead he was right there, standing beside Dave with Ian close at his side with Grace.

This was the send off. No Sonny. No damn Cole for sure, either way. No Ezra and... for all he had done this was going to be it?

Ian stood at Dave's side. Silent and unmoving, his slate green eyes were blood shot and a little unfocused as he stared down at the burning body. The smoke filled his nostrils, got caught in his clothes, his hair, saturating every part of him. He let it, his gaze never wavering, his breath shallow in his chest.

His left arm dangling, useless, at his side.

He'd already poured his heart out on the ride over here, his words lost between the corpse and the wind, every tear he had available spilled. The teenager hadn't cried this much over his own goddamn father, and he'd been responsible there, too. His voice hoarse from disuse, the kid's eyes never left the flames. He had one final thing to say, his accent thick the way it was when he hadn't been talking to other people in awhile. "Everything that was, still is. I wish I'd had more time."

God, that fucking smell. Grace trembled, her little body threatening to collapse on her. It was the scent of death, of destruction. Her mind painted itself in images of devastation, images from the past. The burning trailer, the blown out windows, the glass in her hair. Drying blood and ...gasoline? Not gasoline, bourbon. Not a trailer with her best friend's wife, her ex boyfriend on a pallet. Death was death was death. Frowning, she felt new tears threatening to spill over. "Goddammit, Josh," she said in a broken whisper, shaking her head. "I wish you'd never heard of Rhydin. I never wished you any harm. I ...you fuckin' saved me, you asshole, more'n you'll ever know. And then you went and.. just. Fuck." Drawing a shaky sigh, she swallowed hard. "I loved you. I hope you find peace."

There was a nod to both of them and he watched as the body was little more than bones at this point and he picked up his foot and watched as the pallet dropped into the water and broke up some, it would bob, on fire for a moment before the water lapped all the flames to smoldering smoke and he watched as wave after wave took what little of Josh was left. And he rubbed his hands on the thighs of his jeans and whistled sharply. A hand lifted and a finger twirled in the air as if to say wrap it up. He wasn't about to let them get caught burning a body on the docks in the middle of the night. Dave didn't know this was common place here, where he came from this is how you ended up in jail.

"Let's go!" He said and got back into the truck and waited for the others. Every piece of him wanted to break down and fall apart, but he couldn't afford that Dave had literally nothing now. No where to go, nothing to do, he had whatever money was in his wallet and what was left in Josh's. A man who he didn't really know anymore apparently and he watched Ian a moment. He was a child. Which said things about Josh that made him sort of uncomfortable. What was he, fifteen, sixteen? The thought turned his stomach and he tried to not think about that.

Ian, the fuck you say it is. I shouldn't be the only one burning. Dave should have put some bullets in your head and left you at the campsite to goddamn ROT. ROT. He screamed the last part, which did nothing but cause him to break into pieces and then reassemble. Why couldn't he just be angry? Why couldn't they hear him? Why did he scatter into pieces when he yelled only to reassemble?

At least it's being done right. He said it for himself as much as anyone else. As if observing the funeral of a different man, he slipped off his hat, held it to his chest and frowned. Dave was beside him and he didn't know what to say. He remembered the first time they kissed and all the fucking... awkward stumbling moments that came when you were discovering something for the first time with someone. The joy of google answering any fucking question there was. How it was discovering everything with another person. All his personal firsts and fears wrapped into that one person who had always had the power to crush him and, miraculously, never did. It all seemed to amplify to him how much of a selfish asshole he was and that all there was was something said he had yet to counter which had always been so. Even if he was a fuck up about it, there was still... Dave, fuck, I love you. But he couldn't fucking hear that shit now anyway.

There was only one moment that they would have caught him. When he took a perch on the tailgate of the truck, one knee bent ith the other leg dangling, smoking another meaningless cigarette. It was like a trick of the light, of the eyes, of the booze, to see him there. The tip of his 45 nudging up the brim of his fedora up with that cutting 'fuck you' smile-laugh he had. It was only there for as long as a blink was.

Ian had long ago learned not to flinch, no matter what happened, no matter what got said. He didn't flinch now. Couldn't have if he'd wanted to. But there was a subtle furrowing of his brows, a final dragging of his eyes away from the body as the flames were squelched, off to his side. It probably looked like he was looking at Dave, and who knows? Maybe he was. But just for a moment there, he'd have sworn he heard his name.

His gaze went back to the dark spot in the water where Josh had disappeared. Just like that, it was over, the flames extinguished, the body gone. For a few wild seconds he gave real, irrational thought to diving in after him, for... whatever that would accomplish. Only the ongoing ache in his shoulder prevented it.

He waited until all the rest of them had retreated to the truck, and for a moment, he was alone. In that final private moment, he stuffed his hand into his pocket, pulled his fisted hand out over the water, let his fingers open.

That single titanium ring caught the light, flashed for just a second in the moonlight, and sank. You can have it.

He turned then, walked back to the truck on slow, automatic steps. Ian assumed Levi wouldn't leave him here, if only because of Mark.

Grace didn't need to be told twice. She watched the body slip into the water, squeezed her eyes closed for a second or two of silent prayer and then turned. She didn't stop until she'd curled herself up, tiny as possible, in the center seat of the truck. There was probably room for her and Ian both, there, slight as they both were, but she doubted Ian would sit in the cab with them right now. Her gaze went out the windows, watching him on the dock.

Dave waited and watched, another private moment between Mac and Ian. Slowly it was becoming clear to him that Ian wasn't just an exploration of something, he was the newer, more capable, younger, hell, more attractive, maybe Dave had been traded in. Mac had traded up, Maybe he was the side thing, hell, they lived together, hell, Dave had never so much as woken up next to Josh, was he mourning someone who wasn't even his? The though swirled in his head and he sucked on his tongue a moment before reaching into his pocket for Mac's smokes. Tapping one free he lit it and looked out the window and catching the kid in the rear view. Suddenly he started to hate him.

He put the filter of his cigarette to his lips and drew in a breath as he watched it happen. All of it, like a movie about someone else that wasn't him.

So that's how it goes.

An empire went back to the older generation. Dave was too displaced to even take his place in the ranks with the boys in camp and was.. what, a Barlow? Ian had always been a fucking rat and was there. Grace defected long ago. How the fuck was it that these were the people putting him to rest? That the only one who remained close to him was Dave? His lover, his mistake and his defector. Fuck.

Why was he still there? He stayed on the tailgate of the truck as Levi pulled away.