Unexpected Outcomes

Several weeks later

City of London stronghold

"Bout bloody time" Mac sighed tiredly  as he uncrossed his arms and pushed himself from the crate he'd been sat on "don't know what takes you so long to get ready"

You slowly closed the battered, beaten wooden door to the house you shared with some of the other Rooks and began to step down the botched steps towards Mac. It's was a basic house in desperate need of renovation, tiles missing from the roof and planks nailed to a couple of the windows but it was enough to grant you shelter from the cold winters nights and being nestled deep within the Rooks stronghold it meant you were safe... No Blighters ever dared to come near and them that did were soon seen to.

"You can't rush a lady Mac" you smiled pulling your coat a little tighter protecting yourself as best you could from the biting cold

"I wasn't referring to no lady.... I was referring to you " he said with a playful laugh to his voice as you scuffed up next to him

You cast him a mischievously stern look, the first suggestions of a smile beginning to creep across your face.

"Come on" he growled lightly  as you both began to walk away from your home and through the strong hold "there's been mention of some Blighters hanging closeby, looking for some trouble in Grosvenor Square..... Reckon we should head over, give em exactly what they're looking for .... What do you say?" He asked with an expectant smile, his eyes glinting excitedly from under his heavy brow

"Lead the way" you smiled with a nod offering your arm forward.  Mac nodded agreeably, happy with your response

"Well it'd be rude not to, I reckon" he laughed gently as he took the lead. Catching a quiet laugh in your nose you watched him step away, eventually following his lead and the both of you strode towards the perimeter of the stronghold and the nearby road.

You were just approaching the last building when  you heard your name being called loudly through the still winters air from behind you. Scuffing to a noisy halt you both turned to see Jacob emerging from one of the nearby buildings, he skipped quickly down the wooden steps and over to where you now stood

"Ah good morning Jacob" Mac smiled, greeting him.

"Good morning Rooks, I trust you're both well?.....actually, I'm glad I caught you before you disappeared for the day" He smiled as he turned slightly to look at you, " where you off?" He asked, you halted momentarily, your mind going completely blank as you found yourself lost within his warm pooling hazel eyes and his wide cheeky smile.

Mac glanced down at you, he frowned slightly at your awkwardness around Jacob

"We're off down Grosvenor Jacob sir, we 'erd there was a gang of Blighters been involving themselves in things they shouldn't down there, preying on thems that can't defend themselves....... We was going to tell em... ....You know........"he paused before smiling widely "to move along" his large smile looked oddly out of place upon his misshapen, malformed features, The years of brawling clearly having taken their toll.

Jacob chuckled lightly and gave a slight satisfied nod, pleased that his rooks seemingly took so much pride within their compass.

"Excellent" he smiled enthusiastically "but I need you to do something for me first though.... You could just possibly save my arse from a roasting from my nearest....I need for you to collect Evie from the Whitechapel stronghold... Said I'd do it myself but it bloody clean slipped my mind and I'm meeting with Mr Dawin in the next twenty minutes......... Can you go straight away?......You know what she's bloody like, she'll be wanting my guts for garters if she's kept waiting"