After starting Usque Ad Mortem, I'm kind of obsessed with Aislinn. I decided it was imperative to explain how she and Connor met, and this is what I came up with. Just some harmless fluff! Hope you enjoy!

"I'm fuckin' bored." Connor sighed from atop his horse.

"What did ye want ta do?" Murph asked, rolling himself a cigarette and lighting it with expert skill.

"I don't know, but if I don't leave this fuckin' farm soon, I'll go insane." He said.

The boys couldn't deny that the lack of action in their lives was beginning to get to them. When they first left Boston, they ended up on this farm with their Da, but at nights they would go out and drink, true Irishman style. After a few months, even that got dull.

The MacManus twins had gone from being cold, hardened killers surrounded by Mafiosos and shrouded in drama to slinking silently over the moors and watching sheep from a top horses for hours on end, occasionally helping them give birth or shearing them in the summer. The deadening pace of this life had become too routine. Even Noah had noticed his boys had gotten that mischievous gleam in their eyes in the recent months. They longed for something, anything to save them from the dullness.

"Let's go out." Connor rolled himself his own cigarette and lit it, soon letting out plumes of smoke in time with his brother.

The lack of interest in their own lives for the past few years was not helping Murphy's thoughts from wandering to Rebecca. He couldn't help but end up there, even after all of these years. "Aye." He muttered in response.

That night, the boys found themselves in the center of Kenmare at a pub called Madra Dubh.

"The black dog?" Murphy muttered. "They couldn't come up with a better fuckin' name?" He shook his head, brushing his long hair back from his face.

Connor rolled his eyes at his twin and entered the building anyway.

Connor found a seat at the bar while Murphy burst in the door, showing off and spotting a friend by the pool tables. A few minutes passed before Murphy sat beside his brother at the bar. They seemed busy, it being a Friday night, and Connor still hadn't been able to order.

"Oy, over 'ere!" Connor yelled at the guy behind the bar. He kind of shrugged Connor off and seconds later this luscious brunette girl with long, lean legs, clearly visible in her short skirt, and full sleeves of tattoos, came in the door and walked back behind the bar.

"Tá brón orainn tá mé déanach, Seamus." She said, quickly discarding her things behind the bar and grabbing a black apron, tying it around her waistline.

"Sábháil é! Faigh a bheith ag obair!" The large man behind the bar yelled, trying to keep up with drink orders.

As soon as he saw her, Connor knew he had to talk to her, learn her name, get to know her.

"An féidir liom cabhrú leat?" She asked him.

"Two whiskeys." He smirked. "And yer phone number."

"Easy tiger. I just got 'ere. Let's just start with the whiskey."

"What about a name?"

"Aislinn." She smirked, pulling out two glasses and pouring two generous glasses of whiskey.

"Connor." He smiled, taking a sip from the glass she handed him.

Murphy recognized the look on his brother's face. As soon as he grabbed his glass, he rolled his eyes and walked off to play pool with the guys he spoke with earlier.

"That was me brudder, Murphy." He explained, leaning forward on his elbows.

Another guy called to Aislinn from the opposite end of the bar and she excused herself. Connor couldn't help but watch her make her way across the bar. He hummed quietly to himself, shaking his head and taking another sip from his glass.

They hung around most of the night, Connor trying to make casual conversation with Aislinn and Murphy winning bets left and right with his new friends.

"I'm about to get off." Aislinn announced.

"Did ye 'ave plans, then?" Connor asked, a little let down.

"Actually, I was wonderin' if yew boys liked violence?"

"Violence?" Murphy looked boyishly excited. "We love violence, don't we, Conn?"

"Aye, what did ye 'ave in mind?"

"I could show ye." She smiled, taking off her apron and grabbing her tips from the night. "Let's go."

The boys followed her to a seemingly abandoned warehouse a few blocks away. When they entered, they realized exactly what they had walked into: an underground bare-knuckle boxing ring.

They had walked in mid-fight. A broad, burly man was punching at air as a thinner, scrawnier man weaved in and out of his punches. He was wearing him out quickly. Quick enough for him to lunge at him around the middle and knock him clean to the ground. A few well placed hits and the fight was over.

"Where do I sign up?" Connor exclaimed.

"Conn, don't cha think maybe -" Murphy began.

Connor cut him off by saying "This is it, Murph! Don't ye see? This is the excitement I've been waitin' for!"

"Are ye serious?" Aislinn asked. "Most people train fer months fer these fights."

"Oh, I 'ave been, lass. Believe me."

"Alright, but don't say I didn't warn ye." She sighed and took him to the guys in charge. They kind of laughed him off but said they could fit him in because, unfortunately, one of the guys who was supposed to fight again had suffered one too many kicks to the head and had to be rushed to the hospital. "Circumstance of the profession." He explained.

Connor was going to fight last. He didn't warm up, didn't really do anything but stare at Murphy.

His brother had found a place in the shadows on the far side of the ring, watching closely as one-by-one, fighters stepped into the ring and each round, one was claimed a victor and one ended up with near fatal injuries. The entire time he couldn't help but wonder what they were doing there. Aislinn hadn't exactly explained why she was here, why she brought them there. He also wondered what demons his twin was fighting that could make him want to fist fight strangers in the middle of this darkened warehouse.

Connor's round came sooner rather than later. They announced the fight like any other, another muscular, burly, bald man stepped into the ring, shirtless. His expression was blank, just as Connor's was when he saw who he was about to fight. When they called his name, he shrugged his shirt off and walked up, looking dumbfounded and awestruck. Words came in small spurts to his ears and he almost missed the first bell.

His opponent took the opportunity and struck Connor quickly, two or three times in the stomach. Connor doubled over and the man was able to bring his knee swiftly into Connor's nose, spraying blood across the mat. From a spectator's perspective, Connor was done for. The lighter twin wasn't going to give in that easily, however. He hooked his arm around the man's shoulder and pulled him forward, linking his arms around the guys upper body and using brute strength and determination, he was able to flip the man over, flat on his back against the mat. Connor ended up on his knees over his opponent, using all of his body weight to hold the man to the floor as he brought his knee up into his chin. The second time the man tried to flip over onto Connor but he couldn't get over on him. The light twin took his fist to the man's face swift and hard and finally the man pounded on the ground signaling the end of the fight. The gentleman that announced the fight lifted Connor's hand to the crowd and there were minimal applause before he walked off to claim his prize money.

Connor was surprised to see his twin waiting for him at the collection desk holding an envelope. "Bet on ye ta win." He merely shrugged. Connor received a similar envelope from the woman at the counter. "Think ye broke yer nose?" Murph asked.

"Feels like it." He murmured. "I'll be right back." He muttered, walking off.

Aislinn ran up and hugged Connor. "That was amazin'! How do ye feel?" She examined his face. "That's definitely broken." She said. "We need to set it."

"Get on with it then."

"I didn't mean me! I meant we should get ye ta a doctor!"

"No need." He shrugged. "Easier ta do it before it swells much more."

"I've only seen this done once." She stuttered.

"I trust ye." Connor pleaded. Aislinn took a deep breath and pinched Connor's nose at the bridge, yanking once to the left and then quickly to the right. It made a loud snapping noise and Connor winced, tears coming to his eyes. "Fuckin' 'ell!"

"Sorry!" She exclaimed.

Murphy came back with a beer in one hand and a wet rag in the other. He handed both to his brother. "'Ere."

"Thanks, brudder." Connor drank heavily from the beer and Aislinn grabbed the rag and started dabbing at the blood on Connor's face.

"Jesus! Ye set 'is nose?" Murphy asked after he got a better look at his twin.

"Lord's name!" Connor muttered. "I asked 'er to."

"Part of the package." Aislinn blushed.

"She wanted me to look m'best when I take 'er out tomorrow night." Connor smirked.

"What was that?" She asked.

Murphy only shook his head and walked off a few feet.

"Ye 'eard me. I'd like ta take ye out, show ye a proper good time. One where I don't shed any blood ta 'ave ta impress ye."

"I work tomorrow."

"Then Sunday?"

"I 'ave church."

"So do I. After, I mean."

"Are ye ever gonna stop?"

"Never." He beamed mischievously.

"Monday. I'm off on Monday."

"Okay then. I'll see ye Monday."

"We should git goin'." Murphy announced.

"I have ta stay." Aislinn said.

"Well then, Monday."

"Monday." She smiled.

Translations:

Tá brón orainn tá mé déanach – Sorry I'm late

Sábháil é! Faigh a bheith ag obair! – Save it! Get to work!

An féidir liom cabhrú leat? – Can I help you?