It's back! Well, at least, the Sequel is finally here! I was worried for a minute there that nobody wanted it, but I got a couple of fans asking. So, the least I can do is post the first chapter. Hopefully that's good enough for now. Stay tuned and don't forget to REVIEW! Otherwise I don't know how it'll end!
DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything Boondock Saints... Blah blah, Copyright Laws, Blah.
Two years, two whole years. That's 730 days, give or take a few depending on the exact date that it happened. Nidra Kellena, the sole surviving child of the Calhoun family, had waited for nearly a year and a half. But nothing had come. No calls, no letters, not even a postcard of some sort. She'd thought for sure that the boys – that Murphy – would send her something, some tiny, incognito, untraceable hint to let her know that he was okay. But she never got anything. Nidra knew that she could only take so much, her heart could only ache for so long before it inevitably went numb. And it finally had.
She was twenty-eight now, and had been living a normal, unfulfilling life for some time. Often the brunette thought back to that day in the car on her way to what they'd called "initiation." She recalled how she'd felt sorry for the people who were blindly living normal, uneventful lives, and how she'd finally found the love and respect that she'd been yearning for her entire life. And less than a month later it had been swept away from her, just like that.
The small streets of Dublin proved to be exactly what Nidra had thought they would be. She smiled meekly at the woman behind the counter in the bakery, handing her the money she owed and taking the small white bag before shuffling past the other customers and stepping outside. Without even bothering to look where she was going Nidra started down the sidewalk, making sure the bag was folded neatly to secure the cheese Danish inside and tucked it away inside her satchel as she glanced both ways before stepping into the street and scurrying across to the other sidewalk.
A few minutes later she pushed open the door to a bookstore, a ding ringing over her head as she walked in and closed the door behind her. "Hey Nora."
The red-head behind the counter looked up from her magazine, lips smacking as she chewed her gum and smiled. "Hey der, boss-lady."
"I told you," Nidra chuckled, pulling the white bag from her purse and setting it on the counter, "I'm not your boss."
"Not yet." Nora winked, taking the bag and setting her magazine down. "Ye spoil me, ya know?"
Nidra nodded as she headed towards the back of the store. "Yeah, I do." That said, she veered right at the middle bookshelf, heading to the far right wall and up the black iron spiral staircase to the second floor, where she hollered over the banister. "Aidan been in yet, today?"
"Nah," Nora's voice hinted that she was rolling her eyes, "not seen 'im since da two o'ya moved 'ere, six months ago." She was being sarcastic, but it pretty much felt like he'd never been around.
"If this were my place, I'd have fired him and promoted you."
"Yeah?" Nora laughed. "Yer da one datin' 'im."
Nidra nodded to that, heading through the shelves on the second floor and hitting the other spiral staircase, hidden all the way in the far corner of the somewhat crowded store. She went up to the third floor, down the hall past the bathroom before taking a left and unlocking the office door. Once inside she sat at the desk and started the computer.
After situating the office and tidying up a bit, Nidra headed back down to the first floor where she met Nora behind the counter. "How's the Danish?"
"Delicious, as per usual. Don' s'pose ye'd marry me?"
Laughing, Nidra patted the younger female on the back. "You don't have to marry me to get me to bring in Cheese Danishes for you. Just keep up the great work and I'll keep bringing you breakfast a couple times a week." The door to the store opened, another ding rang out, and the two women looked up to see the owner walk in.
"Mornin' lassies. Beautiful day, i'n it?" The tall, pale-skinned brunette leaned across the counter and planted a kiss on Nidra's cheek.
"You're late."
"Aw, c'mon babe, I had a late night wi' me boys. Couldn' leave 'em ta fend fer themselves, now could I?"
"Yeah," Nidra glanced at Nora as the red-head chuckled, "gotta watch your backs on them mean streets o' Dublin."
"Hey!" Aidan gently took her wrist and tugged her around the counter, wrapping his arms around her waist and leaning into her. "Don' be fooled by da historic beauty o' Dublin. Dem streets is some o' tha meanest in tha world." He pressed his lips gently to hers, and Nidra returned it less enthusiastically.
Her mind flashed back to Boston, and she pushed Aidan back slightly, forcing the memories to the back of her mind. "You were supposed to be here for inventory. I'm not marrying you so that I can run your store, Aidan." Although she sounded stern, she was smiling, and she gave him another small kiss before releasing herself from his grasp and walking back around the counter. "You get started, I'll be up to help in a little."
Aidan nodded, winking at her before he headed upstairs.
"Doesn' seem right, ya know?" Nora's voice was quiet, and she spoke only after Aidan was out of ear-shot. Nidra looked over at her, brow furrowing. "Tha two o' ya tagether."
"Nora…" Nidra let out an uneasy chort. "What're you talking about?"
She shrugged, shaking her head. "Don' get me wrong, I love havin' ya as me boss. Best thing Aidan's ever done was ta bring ya here. Jus'… It seems, sometimes, like ye belong wit' someone else."
"Don't be ridiculous," Nidra rolled her eyes. "If I didn't belong with Aidan, I wouldn't be here."
"S'pose yer right." And immediately Nora changed the subject. "We still on fer drinks, later?"
Nidra nodded as she was playfully elbowed in the ribs by her friend. "Yes, meet up at O'Connor's at nine. You're lucky I do the scheduling so we have the same day off tomorrow!"
The pub was crowded, as per usual on a Friday. The music – Drunkin' Lullabies by Flogging Molly – was blasting, and the mixed conversations of different guests fought to be heard above the amps. Nidra had to stand on her tip-toes as she tried to find Nora. Finally she saw her friend, seated at the bar, and she smiled as she pushed her way through the crowd to get to her.
"Hey!"
"Ya made it!" Nora held two fingers up to the bartender before turning to her friend. "I was startin' ta t'ink ya flaked on me!"
"I told you I'd be here." Nidra nodded her thanks as the older man behind the counter set a shot glass full of yellowish liquid in front of her. "You should really have more faith in me!" The two cheersed, tapping their glasses on the bar before downing their shots.
"So, what were ya t'inkin' fer tha holidays?"
"What do you mean?" Nidra leaned in close to her friend so as to hear her better.
"I mean, is Aidan takin' ya somewhere for Saint Paddy's day?"
Nidra laughed, shaking her head. "We're in Ireland, where the hell else would we go for that?!"
Nora shrugged, laughing along. "I jus' know ya like ta travel, is all. Though' maybe ya'd convince that ol' prick ta take ya somewheres nice, instead of just Dublin."
"Dublin is nice." Nidra furrowed her brow. "I wanna see the world and all that jazz, but I'd prefer to just stay in one spot, for now. I moved around my whole life," her past she hadn't exactly shared with anyone since the MacManus brothers, "I always told myself that when I became an adult I'd pick one place and stay. So, I have. Dublin it is."
"'Scuse me." Nidra turned to her right as a rather good-looking man set a shot glass down in front of her. She eyed the liquid and the smell alone told her it was vodka. "I have an extra shot, and t'aught maybe ye'd help me get rid o' it?"
Smiling, Nidra shook her head. "I'm flattered and all, but I'm not a vodka drinker. My friend Nora, here," she took a step back to reveal a very attractive Nora, "however loves herself some Russian liquor."
Nora nodded, smiling wide as the man scooted over to her, sliding the shot. They cheersed, and Nidra glanced around the pub as the man introduced himself. She then hurried to the bathroom, only to return to a very excited looking Nora.
"T'anks, lass." Nora held up a napkin, a telephone number written across it.
"God knows ya need it!" Nidra chuckled as the two ordered a couple of beers.
"Ohhhh!" Nidra and Nora had been at the pub a good two or three hours, getting free drinks from random men, and Nora's napkin collection had grown quite a bit. The two women had just turned down three shots of vodka in a row, and Nora made a comment about the "gobshites" that continued to try and get them drinks they weren't really fans of.
A shot glass was slid across the bar by the bartender, stopping in front of Nidra, who looked over at the man as he poured her some Jameson. Nidra furrowed her brow as he put the bottle away and went to turn to another customer.
"Excuse me!" She leaned across the bar. "I'm sorry, but, I didn't order this!"
The man nodded, smiling. "I know, a gentleman bought it fer ya." Before she could ask who, the bartender walked away.
Nora looked at Nidra as she eyed the shot glass. "Ye gonna drink i', or should I help ya out?"
Nidra shook her head, feeling like she'd already drank far too much. "It's Jameson."
"Um," Nora nodded, laughing, "Yeah! Ya had i' before?"
"Yeah, just not in a long time." Ever since she and Murphy had broken up, she meant. "Sorta, just… Um, it used to be the thing that I drank with… This guy, that I knew."
Nora's brow raised in curiosity. "A fella? A fella before Aidan?"
Nidra nodded, fingers inching towards the shot. She shook her head, feeling stupid as she let out a nervous chuckle before she grabbed the glass, tapped it on the bar, and threw it back. She closed her eyes as the warm liquid slid down her throat, and she remembered that first time she'd drank with Murphy, Connor, and Romeo. Slamming the glass down on the counter, Nidra opened her eyes and shook her head.
"I'm done, Nora. I'm already pretty drunk, so I think I'm gonna head home."
"Awe, no!" Nora pouted out her bottom lip, looking around the bar. "Wha' am I s'posed ta do wit' all these gents?"
As she stood from her seat and smiled, Nidra glanced around the pub as well. She opened her mouth to respond, but her gaze fell on a man walking towards the back of the pub where the restrooms were. He had black hair, and his skin was dark, Hispanic. She blinked a few times, thinking she was just too drunk.
"I, um…" Her gaze scanned the crowd, and she saw a man in the left corner, who looked somewhat like Connor. He was in "deep conversation" with some scantily dressed woman at a booth.
"Nidra?" Nora's voice drifted through her ears, and Nidra blinked continuously, rubbing at her eyes. "Ya okay?"
"I'm fine." Nidra nodded, leaving a rather generous tip on the bar for the bartender before turning her back to it. "I'm-" Straight across from her on the other side of the bar, she caught the icy gaze of a man who looked all too familiar. Her gaze locked with his, and she didn't blink for the longest moment.
"Nidra!" The brunette jumped and looked over at her friend. "Seriously, yer scaring me. Wha's wrong?"
The only excuse that made any sense at the time, "I'm drunk!" Nidra chuckled nervously, feeling like something was caught in her throat. She could barely breathe. "I'm going home! I'll call you tomorrow, okay?" She didn't wait for her friend to respond; instead she turned and hurried for the door. Once outside, Nidra stumbled to the side, holding herself up on the brick of the building she'd just exited. She was taking deep, exasperated gasps. She had to be hallucinating, right? She nodded, standing up straight and placing her hands behind her head. 'You drank too much, and now you're hallucinating! Not unusual in the least, duh!'
"Nidra?"
She paused. "Oh God, I can even hear his voice. Of course I can. Why would I not be able to? First I'm seeing things, and now I'm hearing things!"
"Nidra." It was definitely Murphy's voice, there was no mistaking that.
"Go away. You're not real. You can't be." A hand was placed on her shoulder, and Nidra's eyes widened. She turned on her heel, swatting the hand away and shaking her head. "No." She couldn't even look at him, she was too afraid. "No. I'm drunk, really, super, drunk." She saw him reach for her again, and Nidra took a couple more steps backwards. "Stop. I don't want… I don't want to see you. Just go away…"
After a few seconds of uncomfortable silence, she glanced up, and she caught sight of Murphy's face. The sadness across his features felt like a dagger in her heart, and she covered her face with her hands. "Go away!" She listened intently, but he wasn't leaving. Without another second of hesitation, she turned, dropping her hands and literally taking off into a sprint. The cool March air tickled at her skin as she crossed the street and ducked into an alley that she normally cut through to get home. She stopped, catching her breath and listening to see if he was following. Nothing but the sounds of crickets chirping in the night, and her own breathing.
That's it for now! Let me know if you liked it and want me to continue! Thanks all! ^.^
