Raptor

A day later, Frost picked up a newspaper in Manaus. A large-scale powercut had hit the town the evening before and deprived them of television and internet, which meant they hadn't heard the news before. But there it was, in the international section...

MF Hey Katie, look at this...

KF Look at what?

MF This piece on Belfast... My Portuguese isn't perfect, but if I understand this well...

KF ... Then the Resurrection Stadium was destroyed yesterday... Oh my god...

The two stare at each other for almost a minute, before Mark breaks the silence...

MF Let's pack our stuff... It's time to go home...

Raptor

That was easier said than done though. Having built a new life in Brazil, the Frosts couldn't just leave on an hour's notice. It took them six days to take care of a few things, including handing over control of América Football Club, the new Amazonas state champions, to one of their local assistants. In those six days, the political scene in Ireland changed once more...

Knowing the regular army had been beaten, that loyalist structures were intact, and that opinion in the former south was rapidly turning in favour of handing over part of former Northern Ireland to unionists, for the first time, the IRA was willing to make concessions. Not many, and they certainly would make sure they wouldn't be interpreted as anything close to surrender, but it was enough to have the LLM restore their ceasefire and return to the negotiating table.

The latter organisation knew full well they were in their strongest military position ever, and that any return to full scale warfare would weaken them, and with it, their bargaining position. While they knew their opponents' weaknesses, that worked the other way around as well. Because of it, all sides had a basic willingness to strike a quick deal. What they needed, though, was a ready made plan, drawn up by a neutral party and containing almost everything the parties wanted. All they needed to do then was make some minor changes. The United States had proposed a few things to settle the conflict, but loyalists dismissed them as too pro-Irish. In turn, republicans refused to endorse a United Nations plan, which they felt saw them give up too much. In particular, they objected to the notion of foreign peacekeepers on Irish soil.

Ultimately, the answer came from within Ulster itself. The Alliance Party, swept away as no longer needed during the 2006 elections, suddenly found itself back in the spotlight. All they had done really was to adapt plans drawn up in the past few years by the SDLP, the UUP, the US, the UN, and many others. They had taken the best, most workable parts out of each one, and submitted it in their name, a neutral party, yet one closer to both sides than any of the others.

In the space of five days after the restoration of the LLM ceasefire, agreement on the future of Ireland appeared to have been made. It was signed in the early hours of 11 May 2012, at a time when the Frost family were high above the Atlantic, on their way back home...

retired_eeyore827

now comes the hijacking of the plane, then how the hijackers go to take it elsewhere, and the planes engines fail, and just as it is about to crash into a nuclear power station, the frost family escape on a magic carpet

BarryLFC

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Jingle Balls:
now comes the hijacking of the plane, then how the hijackers go to take it elsewhere, and the planes engines fail, and just as it is about to crash into a nuclear power station, the frost family escape on a magic carpet

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

SPOILERS

shannon2007

Rap should write Dream Team, he couldnt do any worse.

retired_mellnet

Meanwhile...

Standing in what remained of his Belfast Celtic office, Stevie concentrated on little white ball. Swinging the club back slightly, he gently putted the golf ball across the carpet. The ball rolled peacefully until falling off down into the rubble of where the rest of his office use to be.

"Hole in fvcking one!" Stevie mumbled dejectedly. This investment wasn't one of his best. But with the Raptor Group become scared of the club's prospects and rather reluctant to pump more money into the club, a certain amount of the club was rumored to be on the selling block. A chance to bring more investment into the club, and reduce the Raptor Group's liabilities. The only problem was finding someone who thought this club was still a worthwhile investment.

If Stevie could get the money, he would definitely snap up those shares, increasing his meager ownership in the club. In Stevie's mind with the prospects of peace at hand the club was a great investment. A dollar invested at this time would surely grow tenfold in the next ten years, as long as now more bombs rattled the people of Belfast. But like usual Stevie had money problems.

His investment of a large part of his liquid assests into Quincy Construction, was a major move for Stevie. But it left the cupboards bare. It was a shrewd investment, but it wasn't yet the cash generating machine Stevie invisioned. But that would come. With millions of Irish American's already promising money to help rebuild the Emerald Isle, whatever was destroyed by bombs, would have to be rebuilt by hand. Hopefully it would be done by Quincy Construction's hands.

And then there was the WAR. Stevie's activities during the war were also a source of his current cash flow problems. But Stevie had performed admirably during the war. He made almost all the right moves, except one and that led to the destruction of their base.

It was a mental oversight that led to the destruction of Resurrection Stadium, but it was his mistake. While the attack could never have succeeded from outside, Stevie overlooked one person, and that proved tragic. But it wasn't a time to hold grudges. It was to time to rebuild, and luckily Stevie was in perfect position to help Belfast do just that.

Just as he reached for another golf ball, Stevie heard a semi-familiar voice say his name from behind him, "Stevie O'Mao?"

retired_mellnet

Stevie spun around quickly to see a young girl standing in front of him. "Yes the one and the only, who's asking!" he said while slowly moving over to his jacket, and more importantly his pistol, a few feet from himself.

"Do I know you? You look familiar!" Stevie said, smiling at the girl, trying to figure out where he had seen this girl before.

"You should," came the reply.

It took Stevie more than a second, but then he remembered, Maragret O'Hara. This couldn't be, he thought, his mouth agape.

"That's right, DAD!"

Stevie thought about putting the pistol down, but then realized that if this girl was really his daughter, it would be much safer to keep his finger on the trigger, "How is your mother?"

"Dead. Don't worry it wasn't during the war, as if you cared. She died of a broken heart. Well, that and cancer."

"Oh, sorry. If I would have know, I would have..."

"Save your sentimental words for someone less intelligent. Remember I am half O'Mao. I'll lay a wager that you are wondering what I am doing here. Probably scared that I've come for money, no you can keep that. I've no where else to go, and living with the devil with a roof over your head, than living with alone without one. Plus Mom said I should meet you first, before deciding to hate you. But then she was bitten by the posionous O'Mao charm..."

For once in his life, Stevie was at a loss for words.

retired_eeyore827

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by HD:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Jingle Balls:
now comes the hijacking of the plane, then how the hijackers go to take it elsewhere, and the planes engines fail, and just as it is about to crash into a nuclear power station, the frost family escape on a magic carpet

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

SPOILERS <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

sorry

Raptor

Stevie would've prefered to be elsewhere really, but he knew he had to be in Belfast now. A reliable source had told him the Frosts were on their way home, and O'Mao knew the third thing Frost would do when he arrived back in Belfast, would be to drop by the stadium. First, he'd check out on his home, then, seeing with his own eyes how little was left of it, he'd bring Katie and the kids to what family they had left. And then, Stevie was certain, the Dutchman would come to the Falls Road. He'd probably bring Patrick with him, but Stevie didn't mind. He was armed, after all. Then again, who wasn't? Peace agreement or not, it'd be a long time before guns were removed from the Irish scene.

And how right O'Mao was... The Frosts, after landing at Shannon Airport, they didn't appear to be recognised. Logical really, they flew back home on a Brazilian airline, and the customs officer was so old he probably wasn't into football, or politics, to recognise either Mark or Katie. Besides, they entered the country on their new IDs.

From Ireland's main international airport, it was still a long drive to Belfast, where their rented car arrived at half ten in the morning. The family went straight to their Upper Springfield home, and did find it severely damaged...

MF Holy shìt... this will take more than a paint job to sort it out...

KF I didn't expect anything less... Uncle Liam warned us about this on the phone the other day.

PO'K It's been abandoned for over a year apparently, and no one bothered to look after it. No one even squatted it.

MF Well there wasn't much to squat, by the looks of it. Let's go inside, have a look.

Inside, the place looks even worse. West Belfast had been hit by heavy mortar bombs during a five-week siege on that part of the city in the spring of 2011, and the scars were still there for the Frosts too see. It particulary made a lasting impression on their oldest son, Kevin, now nine years old. With tears in his eyes, he turns to his mother...

Kevin Mummy, who did this to our house?

Katie and Mark look at each other, not sure how to react. How do you explain the evil of war to a child?

MF A lot of people had a very bad fight Kevin, and many people's houses were destroyed. That's why we were going on holidays. But now they say the fight is over. Mummy and daddy and uncle Patrick are going to rebuild our home.

Kevin They destroyed my room too... I want to destroy their house too!

Again, Kevin's parents stare at each other. Realising all too well this is why the troubles never end. Generation after generation grows up hating the other side, and seeking revenge for something, somewhere, somehow. Getting down on her knees, placing her arms on her son's shoulders, Katie whispers in a soft voice...

KF We're not going to destroy any more houses... A lot of people are very sad already. Do you want more people to be sad Kevin?

Kevin I want our house back mummy...

At that point, the young kid starts to cry, and the adults comfort him. They know they can't stay here right now, and have to find another place to stay. Then, two of their neighbours, apparently still living in the remains of their own houses, come outside...

MF Kevin? Will you take your sister and uncle Patrick back to the car? mummy and daddy are just going to talk to our neighbours, and then we'll all go to uncle Liam and aunt Mary, and stay there until we can move back in our own house.

Five minutes later, the thoroughly stunned neighbours are still recovering from the shock of seeing the Frosts alive and well. In the few minutes they talk, Mark and Katie find out the reason why Upper Springfield looks like a ghost town: it basically is. Over three-quarters of the population was killed or became refugees. As one of the worst hit parts of town, plans had already been drawn up to rebuild the community though, and they would get underway as soon as the peace agreement was signed. Which was just under 10 hours ago. Like the removal of guns from the Irish scene, the rebuilding of Belfast too would take many years though.

As O'Mao thought they would, the Frosts go over to Liam and Mary O'Kelly, one of the few blood relatives of Katie to survive the war. A deeply republican family, the O'Kelly clan suffered major losses in the conflict. Perhaps it was no coincidence Liam and his wife Mary, probably the most moderate of the family, are among the few survivors. The pair only learnt of the Frosts' survival a year-and-a-half after their escape to Colombia. Only the very closest direct family were informed of the fact Mark, Katie, and the rest of them got very lucky. With a price on the head of all of them, the fewer the number of people in on it, the better.

The Frosts had a lot of Irish news to catch up on, and they came to the right place. But Mark was eager to check out on the state of the reason he came to Ireland in the first place all those years ago... Belfast Celtic Football Club...

retired_kellywinkler42

Finally up to date :eek: Are you still in control of Hibs (if so get your act together!!) or have you done the dirty and for the sake of a story gone and started managing Hearts?

Loving the story but I felt wee Jase dying was pretty bad taste, the things you do for cliffhangers