BITTER - Michael Gray.

SEVENTEEN.

♛

The only sound in the hallway was Michael's shoes as they hit the floor. His gun was almost slipping out of his hands they were so clammy. All he had to do was distract Father Hughes, Liv would then run in and get Charlie and the world would all be okay again.

His mind flashed back to when he was a kid in church. The first time he saw him. He could see Father Hughes's face. That sleazy smile grinning over at him. Looking at him like a piece of meat. Bile rose in his throat at the thought, quickly shaking the thought out of his brain.

A door was swinging open. Michael could faintly hear the priest's voice. Charles's whimpers were also detectable. Michael dreaded to think what was happening. He turned around to see Olivia. She was hid in a doorway armed with a gun.

"Go, Michael now." She mouthed to him and shoved him on.

Walking through the open door, Father Hughes came out of a separate room. The sight alone riled Michael up, he would've put a bullet in his head straight away but his body was frozen solid.

"What do you think you're doing boy?" The priest's spoke in his strong Irish accent.

Michael panicked at shoved the gun right in his eye. It was now Olivia's cue to run, which she did indeed. She passed the men without being detected and into the room where Charlie was snacking on some bread. He started to cry as he heard the shouting outside.

"Oh baby, I've never been so happy to hear you cry." Liv beamed as she scooped him up into her arms. He stopped crying immediately as he felt the warmth and love radiate off Olivia, snuggling into her back and playing with her mother's necklace that was sat on her chest.

"Please don't shoot. Please don't shoot." Father Hughes begged as Michael pushed the gun harder into his face. "Please don't. Please."

Instead of Michael pulling the trigger, Father Hughes smacked the gun out of his hand. Pinning him against the wall, the priest started mercilessly beating poor Michael.

"You fucking rat." He seethed and pushed the boy to the ground.

Charles whimpered against Olivia's skin as Michael's groans echoed around the room.

"Do you know who you're messing with?" Father Hughes kicked Michael repeatedly in the side as he groaned. He picked him up and threw him on the table, choking him.

"Come on Michael please." Liv whispered into Charlie's hair as she bounced him up and down.

"I'm gonna take the fucking life from ya." The priest continued to strangle Michael with his bare hands.

A tear fell from Liv's eye and landed in Charlie's hair. She couldn't handle Michael getting killed, she'd be trapped with Charlie and would probably end up dead too. Charles pawed at her face as he wiped away the tear.

"You're a gypsy bastard." Father Hughes shouted.

A scream rang out through the building as the familiarly sickening sound of skin being slashed was heard. Olivia wasn't a religious, but she prayed to every God in the sky that it wasn't Michael that had been cut. The slashing sound called out again, along with the sound of a body hitting the floor. The only thing protecting her and Charlie from the chaos outside was a heavy wooden door she was crouched behind despite it being wide open.

"Get up!" An unidentifiable voice shouted.

"No, this bastard's mine. Go call Finn." Michael shouted. His hands were covered in blood, a mixture of Father Hughes's and his own.

Olivia was still unaware as to who was winning. Her head was buried into Charlie's shoulder as she sobbed slowly. There was something inside her, a strange feeling. She didn't want any harm to come to Michael. Sure, they'd said some harsh words to each other but the vulnerability she saw from him today made her feel some way. She cared for him.

Michael was blinded by rage. Father Hughes was lying on the floor, pinned down by Michael. This was what he'd wanted for so long, he'd dreamt about this moment. He pressed the blade of the knife harder down on the man's neck as blood sprayed across his face.

Father Hughes was dead.

Michael stood up and observed the sight below him. The man he'd detested was dead. And it was all his own doing. His hands and face were smeared in blood. Some of it was his own from being persistently kicked and punched, but most of it was from the throat slitting. It felt like the weight of the world had been lifted from his shoulders. He no longer lived in fear that the man would return to his old ways with Michael because he wasn't breathing anymore.

Michael sat crouched down with his back against the wall. Rubbing his hands over his face he just spread the mess. His body was shaking and shivering but he'd never been happier.

Olivia sat quietly as she clutched Charlie to her body. If Father Hughes was alive he'd have killed her now by sure. Charles played with the spoon in his hand before throwing it down on the floor. The noise echoed around. Olivia panicked, any sign of life meant that the priest would come after her.

"Shit. Charlie." She leant forward to grab the spoon.

"It's alright." Michael's unmistakably thick accent broke the painful silence.

Olivia put Charlie down and left the room. It was a sore sight. The body of Father Hughes lay on the wooden floor, the blood staining it.

"Michael?" She called out.

"I'm here." He whispered.

She turned around and gasped at the sight. He was covered in blood. Olivia quickly rushed over to him as he sat against the wall, slightly dazed.

"Michael." She brushed some hair that had fallen into his face out of the way.

"He's dead." Michael spoke with his eyes wide.

"Come on. Let's clean you up."

♛

a/n: so i've got a problem. this story is fast approaching the end of series 3. series 4 episode 1 expires tonight bbc iplayer and isn't yet on netflix. i'm probably gonna have to go illegal and watch it on some virus riddled website. x