jamesthorn | Thornton Sibling Gathering

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Thornton Sibling Gathering

They meet at James' house on Friday night after James gets off his shift, and he barely has time to change out of his suit before he hears a knock on his front door and June's voice calling out for him. He puts away his workout bag and finishes changing his clothes then heads downstairs to greet his baby sister. She's come with the food, nearly one of everything from the menu at Quill, enough food to satisfy all their cravings for greasy food tonight, and he's looking at the bags and boxes with a smile but he's isn't sure tonight is one of celebration or what.

Demetri just said on the phone that they needed to talk, that the information James and Daniel wanted him to investigate had turned up, and James knows Demetri. Whatever he found, it isn't good otherwise all this sibling pow-wow business wouldn't have been necessary. All of his fears about Father being up to no good with that over-the-top dinner party for Amelie and Daniel were slowly coming to fruition.

He pulls out the plates and silverware and places them on the table, giving June a hug around the shoulders as he passes. June has been busy with her semester at St. Bernadette's, which in James' book is a good thing compared to her excessive rich-girl-party routine she had going last year, but he would be even happier to have his little sister around where he can keep watch on her at all times.

June takes a sip of the frozen coffee and gives James a pointed eyebrow. "So what's this all about James?" she asks just as the door swings open again and Demetri comes rushing through it already slipping out of his suit jacket, tossing it on James' couch as he comes into the kitch. He looks tired. Compared to James' job at the station, Demetri's work for the mayor kept him in nothing but headaches. It showed too.

Maybe it's a good thing Daniel is the last to arrive. It's his choice of girlfriend that probably started all this.

James takes a cheese fry from the container and eats it, looking at both Demetri and June. "I think Father is out to prove how much he loves us. Like always. Let's just wait for Daniel," he says, checking his watch. "He's late."

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Daniel hustled to James house. His brothers summons had seemed urgent but a client was being a deep pain in his ass about a commission and he'd had to hold the guys hand.

He didn't bother knocking, just opened the door and called out. "Hi! Sorry I'm late. This asshat can't decide on a frame and oh my god are those cheese fries?!" He said as he approached the kitchen. June gave him a look but he just grinned at her and started filling a plate.

"So what's the feast in aid of?"

When Daniel finally arrives, James has just finished wrapping up a detailed wrap-up of the dinner party June and Demetri so luckily missed out on. He glances up in greeting sliding over the open container of fries to his little brother.

"I believe Demetri has something to tell us," James says sighing. "About everyone's favorite person."

Demetri is nursing a bottle of beer when James looks at him, and they share an unspoken look between them. They are the eldest, and Demetri is his brother but he's also James' closest friend and confidante. He can read Demetri like a book. None of them are going to like this news.

With a sigh, Demetri places down his bottle. "I do wish I called you here under more pleasant circumstances. I've been looking into Father's financials. Like you two asked---"

June cuts in whipping her head between all three of them. "Like you asked?!!" Her voices rises incredulous. "I know Father's a bastard but you three are investigating him now? And didn't tell me?!" She shows her anger by swatting Daniel on the arm.

"Ow!" Daniel cried, ducking out of reach of further blows. "June! Christ!" He glared at his sister and rubbed his arm. "We heard some rumours and we asked Demetri to just have a little look for us."

June looked mad as hell but Demetri just looked uncomfortable. "And that face says they're true. Jesus..."

"They are." Demetri said, not looking at anyone as he twisted his beer bottle round and round. "He's been moving money for months out of the off-shores into the realtors for the last three months."

"Calm down, June. We're telling you now when there's something to know," James says, rubbing June on the back. He doesn't like secrets to between the four of them either, but there was no reason to inform June there was anything going on until they were absolutely sure. He looks back at Demetri nodding. "Go ahead Demetri."

Demetri gives June a sympathetic smile. "It took some digging. I'm happy to inform everyone that even though it looks shady, there's nothing improper with the money Father's been moving around. It's all on the up-and-up. For what it's worth too, you two's trust funds are sitting untouched---" Demetri points at the both of them. "Twenty five million a piece. Just like me and James here so perhaps Father doesn't hate any of us yet. All of the family's business holdings are doing...wonderfully actually."

He sighs after that, looking at all of them, before continuing. "But Father is preparing to purchase some real estate. He's moved millions into these private accounts. I went to the accountant, and I managed to get him to show me the plans they are drawing up." Demetri gets up from his seat and goes to pull out a folder from his bag and places it on the counter in the middle of all of them. "That's just a sampling of the research Father's been doing. Like hardcore, James. He's looking into the history of the town, old deeds, when land was purchase. I'm talking about back to the very beginning of the founding of Siren Cove."

James picks up the folder and opens it looking at a bunch of map renderings that he doesn't quite know what to make of yet. He looks up at Demetri and his brother nods back at him. "Father is going after all of the Coombs property. Coombs Estate, that shop they own downtown. Everything. He wants it all," he says then looks apologetically at Daniel. "Sorry, little brother. I don't think your girlfriend passed the smell test."

Edited 2015-04-03 21:18 (UTC)

Daniel frowned and took the folder out of James's hands. There was everything in there. All the contracts, the deeds, maps of the areas of green land the Coombs owned...everything.

June shifted in her seat. "I don't get why. It doesn't make any sense. The land isn't important. And the businesses are still small in comparison to the holdings Father has. Where's the gain?"

Demetri sighed and shared a look Daniel couldn't place with James. They'd always had a better understanding of Fathers motives than June or Daniel. They'd had to watch the formation of the empire and were both bred to deal with it, in their separate ways. Demetri followed the path he'd had laid out for him and made it his own. Father was always proud of his politician son, even though he'd prefer Demetri to be far more useful to him than care about the community the way he actually did. Even when James joined the force, Father managed to spin it so that James was 'aspiring to police chief...maybe even something at state level.'. That was horseshit of course, but it saved face for the family and that was all Father cared about. It's one of the reasons Daniel didn't rock the boat, legally speaking. James didn't deserve to be put in a position where he had to use his name for anything Daniel or June did.

"It's my fault." Daniel said, tossing the folder onto the counter, not wanting to look at it anymore. "I...I fell in love with Amelie." He said quietly, admitting that for the first time to any of his siblings. "This is to punish her and her family and me for making Father look bad."

Demetri pulls the bottle up to his lips and nods, shrugging a little. "It is Daniel's fault. And that's just great. For all of us," he says the slight annoyance evident in his tone. James is trying to be understanding about Amelie, but he isn't sure Demetri is giving Daniel the same courtesy. "It's not like Father won't try to make us all miserable---"

"Okay. Look we're not judging here. What's done is done," James says even though Demetri just shakes his head. He just sighs, running a hand over his hair. He knew Daniel dating a Coombs sister wasn't the most idle situation, but his father is greatly trying to complicate matters in a way that James isn't sure any of them are prepared to deal with now. "The question is I suppose is----is it worth all of this? Our father is about to tear down her family."

Laughing incredulously, Daniel glared at his brothers. "You two are asking me if it's worth it? Really?" He said, voice slow and quiet. "My relationship with Amelie is out in the open. We're not hiding." He eyed Demetri. "How is that piece of ass that the Quinn woman lets you see at her house? Is he worth it?" Daniel turned on James. "And you? This thing with Davin. You do know he's a witch, right? What would Father say about that?"

Daniel got up out of his chair and stalked over to the fridge to get another beer and calm himself the fuck down. "If Father is going after the Coombs land, then Amelie is just an excuse. He's always wanted break them but he hasn't dared until now. There must be more to it."

"Of course, I know Davin is a witch. We aren't talking about me. We're talking about you," James says, jaw clinching tighter, trying not to let Daniel's lashing out get him angry. He's supposed to be the cooler head, but he can't help feel a little threatened at anyone questioning him over Davin. Even though Davin is a witch, but it's just....so far it isn't a big deal. Davin never even mentions magic to James.

It doesn't feel like he's in the same situation with Davin as Daniel is with Amelie...Davin is not a Coombs.

Demetri doesn't say anything else. He is pouting about the dig Daniel took about his secret rendezvous at Heart of Gold. They all know about Demetri's sexual preferences, and unlike James, Demetri works for the mayor, hell he may be mayor or more someday. Demetri isn't like them. He's a politician, and he's given up a great deal of his personal life to be the perfect Thornton son for William. They all should be grateful. He's done what he's done, so none of them have to do it.

"We're not going to fight about this. I'm not telling you to leave her. But are you sure she's as on your side as you think she is?" James asks frankly thinking his brother could use a reality check. "If Father pulls this off, you think her and her sisters are just going to sit on their hands?"

"Look at what happened at the museum the other night. Hell all of last year. It's not like it used to be. Police have more than enough work already," James says, and Demetri does pipe in with agreement on that point.

"James is right. Sometimes this town just doesn't feel big enough, and I've got a mayor up for reelection in a few months and a large portion of his voting base that don't think he's doing enough to control these recent magical situations. You know I love you, Daniel, but on this...it's just....difficult," Demetri says holding up his hands.

Edited 2015-04-04 15:55 (UTC)

"You think Father is going to make an exception to his 'I hate all witches' philosophy because Davin has a penis and a different last name to Amelie?" Daniel shot back, but he locked down the rest of what he wanted to say and just clenched his jaw. James wasn't likely to be swayed and he'd most likely just dig his heels in if Daniel made a big deal out of it.

"I know how she feels about me and she dislikes her mother as much as everyone else does." But even he had to admit they had a point. He had no guarantee that if things went completely sideways with Father and he did actually end up ruining the Coombs, Amelie wouldn't side with her family. Of course she would. And he wouldn't blame her.

June shifted and shook her head. "Maybe it's better just to call it quits, Danny." She said and that hurt. June was almost always on his side, even when it pissed of their older siblings. The fact that she was siding with James and Demetri made something in Daniel ache.

"Do you actually think calling things off between Amelie and me would make a tiny bit of difference now?" He asked. "Father's already made up his mind. He's going to do this and the best we can hope for is damage limitation."

James doesn't give Daniel's continued accusations any other response. William has already made his feelings about Davin perfectly clear, and that's without even knowing his boyfriend is a witch. Whether William approves of Davin or not isn't James' concern, and he's made his feelings about it to his father perfectly clear. James isn't going to let William dictate his life or any of their lives. He does believe Daniel is in too deep with Amelie and by circumstance her family, but he isn't telling his brother to leave her. It's possible it is because if he tells Daniel to end things with Amelie, he'd be obligated to do the same with Davin, and he doesn't want to do that. Witch or not, he likes Davin, and he wants to be with him. There's a small fear inside of him that isn't sure how long all of these differing opinions will work, but until then, he's happy.

"How exactly do we do that, Daniel? If Father makes a move on this, we either look like we are with him or against him. He goes after their property and what? You're going to be photographed grabbing coffee with her at Quill?" Demetri asks, shaking his head. "I know Father is an asshole, but he knows the family's best asset is its reputation. We can't show people we're all fighting amongst ourselves, can we?"

Edited 2015-04-05 13:39 (UTC)

"Maybe that's exactly what we should be doing." Daniel shot back. "Maybe that way we won't all be tarred with the same goddamn brush as him."

He was about to continue when a random memory of his mother flitted through his mind. His memories were of toddling towards a warm woman with outstretched arms, splashing in a bath tub with June, a woman's smile as she blew raspberries on his stomach. He'd been too young to remember all that much about her but sometimes he'd smell something or hear a laugh that sounded like hers and his heart would squeeze. This time the memory was of his mother rocking him to sleep after a nightmare. He'd been old enough to remember his dreams apparently and she was shushing him, telling him monsters weren't real.

That was the last memory of a caring parent he had. They had a series of nanny's and tutors and a parade of 'help' around the house but their father was absent and the estate never felt like home again. And now their father was going to try and take someone else's home and start a war in the name of spite.

He cleared his throat. "If you all want to go along with him, that's fine, but I'm not going to. I'll stay quiet in public if that's what you guys want, but I won't be with you. I don't care how it looks." It hurt to say it but he'd been thinking about this a long time. Daniel was fed up of being only known as his father's son. He didn't want to be a Thornton if this is what it meant.

"Tarred with the same brush? There is an exhibit downtown with the entire family's history on display for the public. We are far beyond that, little brother," Demetri says shaking his head. "They hate us. We hate them. It is what people expect, and to be frank, it's good for business."

They've very rarely had to concern themselves with this. Yes, the Coombs have never been people any of them have associated with but the rivalry was more of an idea that anything tangible. James isn't sure how he feels about that changing. But the way Demetri's talking he thinks his brother would have no problems reigniting things between the families and he's never heard talk this way.

"Let's just take this one day at a time, okay? Together," James says looking all three of his siblings. "Maybe we don't all agree, but Father's greatest victory would be tearing us apart. That can't happen. Can we all agree on that much at least?"

Daniel kept his mouth shut and frowned. He really didn't want to argue with his siblings over this, but he was being torn in two directions. Half of him wanted to just pretend this wasn't happening, just go on with Amelie like nothing was happening.

June sighs heavily. "This is all fascinating and he loves her and it's very Romeo and Juliet et cetera, et cetera, but what are we actually going to do?" She said, pushing her fries at Daniel in a peace offering. He takes them and grumps back to his chair.

"I don't know." Daniel said, sullenly. "Demetri seems to know everything. He must have a plan."

Demetri shuts the folder on the counter and shrugs. "I was only told to report what I found. I didn't come up with any plans to stop Father. At this point, I saw the deal they are working on...it's pretty solid. Unless we kill him, I don't think we have much in the way to stop him from attacking the Coombs," he says. "All I can see is just waiting for the fire to be lit."

Edited 2015-04-07 12:27 (UTC)

"And there's nothing we can do between us to get in the way?" Daniel said, disbelieving. "We just sit and wait?" He shook his head. "I'm not prepared to do that. I have to tell Amelie. They should be able to defend themselves."

June made a frustrated noise. "You tell them and it'll be war. And they'll strike first."

Daniel shook his head. "Violet wouldn't dare. Not directly anyway." He admitted.

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Thornton Sibling Gathering

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