Without A Trace

Twenty.

The next morning I quietly tiptoe up the stairs to Ivy and Michaels room. I swing the door open, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY IVY!!" I scream.

Ivy rolls over rubbing her eyes, "Cora its six in the fuckin morning."

"Exactly now get your sorry asses up. The day has just begun," Thomas says peeking in the doorway with a smile. I look over at him and share a smile before leaving the room with him.

Ivy groans covering back up and snuggling close next to Michael. Pippin comes running in and jumps up on the bed, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAMA!" She says squealing very excitedly.

Ivy smiles sitting up rubbing her eyes, "Thank you baby," she says grabbing her daughter and giving her a hug.

"I want to give you your gift before everyone goes fuckin bonkers downstairs," Michael says reaching over into his nightstand and pulling out a beautifully wrapped gift, handing it to his wife.

"Michael," she smiles looking at it, "did you wrap this?"

"No mama, Aunti Cora did. But just to help," Pipin says smiling.

"Oh okay," Ivy giggles before pulling the bow off and opening the lid. She gasps looking at the item inside, "Michael," she says looking over at him before back at the box.

He sits there smiling at his wife before leaning over and kissing the side of her head, "Go on lovey, it's not going to do much good sitting in the box."

Ivy pulls out a beautiful rose gold pheonix necklace, running her fingers over the diamond wings.

"Its so you always remember that fire inside you and just how truly powerful you really are," He says taking the necklace and clasping it around his wifes neck. He leans around and gives her a deep and passionate kiss, moving his hand up her neck to the back of her head.

She returns the kiss before pulling away smiling at him, "I love you Michael."

"I love you too Ivy Shelby," He says kissing her wedding ring. "Come on, lets get downstairs before the whole fuckin circus gets up here."

Downstairs Aurthur and John walk up to Ivy each giving her a hug, "Happy Birthday sister," Aurthur says with a smile on his face before picking up Pippin and putting her on his shoulders.

"Whats the plan for today?" Ivy says looking around the room as we all grow quiet. Thomas and I walk over to her and sit her down before I take her hand and rest mine on top of it. Aurthur leaves the room with Pippin.

"We have the most special birthday gift for you. To irradicate all your years of pain Ivy," I say meeting her gaze. "Thomas and I have been working for months for this gift and its paid off finally," I say before Thomas slides their old house key from their home in London towards her.

Ivy narrows her eyes looking at it before looking back at us, "I don't understand.."

"We found the man that killed your mother Ivy," Thomas says resting his hand on my shoulder. "He's currently being held captive in your old house in London."

Ivy sits there staring at Thomas and me, "Y-you found him?"

"Aye," Thomas says kneeling down looking into her eyes and taking her hand. "We know how badly you ache from your mothers death. We know you've been waiting to find him. So we did the hard part....you get to do the easy part," Thomas says with a soft smile stroking the top of her hand.

Ivy sits there with tears flowing down her face before reaching over and hugging her brother in law, "Thank you," She whispers to him before giving him another squeeze and letting go.

"You're the boss today Ivy, just give the word," Thomas says before taking a seat next to me.

Ivy looks around the room and wipes her face, "Get dressed the lot of you. We're going to fuckin London."

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Stepping off the train Ivy takes a long puff of her cigarette before eyeing all the coppers around.

"Theres a truce today. You can do anything you want to him, and nothing will come of it. Nobody saw or heard anything," Thomas says walking next to her.

Walking up to the house Thomas opens the door with Michael and Ivy filing in behind him and then the rest of us. Sitting in the middle of the room tied to a chair is a horribly beaten man.

Ivy takes her jacket off and tosses it on the fireplace mantle, burning her gaze into the man in the middle of the room.

"Whats your fuckin name," Ivy says walking up to the man, who just sits there silently looking at her.

Michael punches the side of his head, "My fuckin wife asked you a question."

The man spits the blood out thats pooling in his mouth before looking at her. A wicked smile grows across his face, "You look like your mother."

Ivy clenches her jaw before lifting her foot and detaching the heel, pushing a knife blade out of it before slashing his face. "Your fuckin name. Dont make me repeat myself," she says coldly.

"Joseph McCroy," he says wincing in pain.

"You killed my fuckin mother right in front of my eyes. Leaving me to be orphaned. I was fucking nothing because of you," Ivy says slashing the other side of his face.

"But I rose from the fuckin ashes because of you. I found my family. And I fuckin became somebody. But you took the life of an innocent woman, and for what?" Ivy aks kneeling down.

Joseph chuckles, "You're getting blood on your fancy white suit there love."

Ivy sticks the blade of her knife into his mouth and slices the inside of his cheek, "I dont pay for the suits. My suits are on the house, or the house burns down," She says grabbing his hair and yanking his head up. "Now you will answer my fuckin question,"

Michael sits in the corner smoking his cigarette, staring at his wife lustfully.

"I killed your mother because if I couldn't have her, nobody could," he says spitting the blood out of his mouth.

Ivy nods to herself, twirling the knife in her hand before looking over at him again, "And I'm going to kill you, in her honor," she says before taking the knife and slitting his throat.

Ivy stands there breathing heavily as Thomas and I usher everyone out of the house. Michael walks up to his wife and kisses her neck softly.

"I ever tell you how fuckin sexy you are when you're mad?" He asks before running his hands to the front of her trousers, unbuttoning them. "Funny thing about this house love, the bed is still here," he says planting a kiss on her lips.

"Michael I'm covered in blood-" she says before he plants another kiss on her lips, pushing his hand into her trousers causing her to gasp slightly.

"And I'm incredibly turned on Ivy," he says with his eyes dark with lust. "I just want to fuck my wife," he says placing another kiss on her lips.