Without A Trace

Sixty-Five.

Its been quite a few hours since the end of the meeting with Alfie. The girls and I returned to our house to finalize and finish signing business deals and to change into something a little more comfortable to lounge around in.

John swirls his drink in his glass while sitting at the bar, checking the time. His attention gets turned to the doors as they open, as Pippin makes her way through the door followed by the girls and myself.

"Here come the fuckin cavalry. Late as usual," John says as he sighs taking a drink out of his glass.

"You'll watch your mouth to my mom Uncle John," Pippin says as she climbs the barstool to sit next to him.

John and Aurthur raise their eyebrows over at Pippin. "Pippin Louise Shelby, who do you think you're talkin to speakin that way?" Aurthur asks with a smile trying not to laugh.

Michael looks up from his glass with a small grin before sticking his hands in his pockets and walking down the bar to his daughter.

"Pippin," he says looking down at her. He takes his hand and runs his fingers through her brown locks and moves them out of her face.

She lowers her head shyly, "Yes daddy?"

"You go apologize to your Uncle John. You don't speak to him that way miss. I'm glad you're stickin up for your mom, but not the time and place alright?" He says placing a kiss on the top of her head.

She gets back down off her stool and walks over to John before wrapping her arms around his legs to hug him and rests her head in his lap, "I'm sorry for being mean to you Uncle John," she sighs to him.

"Its alright," he says rubbing her back, "You keep that smart mouth for when we need it yeah?" He lifts her chin with his first finger and flashes a smile to her. She nods her head before turning away from him and running back to her stool once more.

"I've never heard her talk like that," Ivy says narrowing her eyes to her daughter as Harry walks over and pours each of us a drink.

"Awe its alright Miss Ivy," he says setting the glass down in front of her before wiping his hands on the cloth attatched to his apron. "Its just the Shelby in her coming out," he says before walking away back behind the bar.

"Thats what I'm afraid of," Ivy says before bringing the glass to her lips and taking a drink out of it. The savors the burning sensation of the alcohol as it goes down her throat as she leans back and rests against the back of the booth.

"I think its great," Anna says while taking her cigarettes out and offering each of us one before pulling one out herself and putting the pack away. "Means she'll be able to stand up for herself and she wont take shit from anyone," she says while putting the cigarette into her mouth and lighting it.

"I know and it's just something I'm going to have to get used to. She will learn the business eventually, its just a hard pill to swallow," Ivy says as she lights her cigarette.

Michael sits at the bar watching Pippin run around and collect tips from the patrons within it. She walks behind the bar and takes a drink from Henry and delivers it to someone at a near table and the man kindly gives Pip $100. She turns to her dad with wide eyes and a big smile. He exhales the smoke from his mouth before quickly inhaling it again and turning his head to meet his daughters eyes. He smiles in return and watches her run off into the back office to play.

Some hours later Thomas makes his appearance. Aurthur John and I are well into our drinking as Anna is watching drunk Ivy like a hawk so she can make sure shes not going to do anything indecent while customers are around.

"There you are," I say before staggering over to Thomas and plopping down into the seat next to him. He bites the inside of his cheek while turning his head to look at me with an unamused look on his face.