Sarah MacManus was an accident. She wasn't planned for or expected; just the result of the last night before Noah MacManus left home. Despite this, she was not unwanted. Annabelle MacManus knew that Sarah would be the last child she would ever have, but she couldn't ask for a better daughter. Her three-year-old twin boys (Connor and Murphy) stared at Sarah with wide eyes when she was brought back from the hospital.
"This is your baby sister," Annabelle said, sitting down with the tiny bundle. "You boys are her big brothers; that means you have to take care of her."
"Yes, Momma," the boys nodded fervently.
Sarah looked so much different than her brothers. The boys had Annabelle's blue eyes and Sarah inherited her father's chocolate brown. Connor's hair was light brown and grew all over the place and Murphy's hair was darker, growing in a much tamer manner than his twin's. Sarah had hair that grew in massive curls all over the place, a mix of all kinds of brown.
At six years of age, the boys had proved it was their job to take care of their baby sister. Sarah was three years old and tottering about but she never once fell. Connor and Murphy were always there to catch her.
The three of them were inseparable. On her first day of school, only six years old, Sarah tried to follow her brothers into their school and threw a huge temper tantrum when she found out she couldn't go to the same school with them. So everyday, Connor and Murphy walked Sarah to her school in the morning. They picked her up and walked her home every day and jumped the fence between their schools to play with her during recess.
Then the boys graduated to middle school. Sarah was only nine years old when her brothers left to go to a school three blocks away. They still walked her to school and picked her up afterwards, but she was alone during recess for the first time. It took the other students a year before the realized what this meant.
At ten years old, Sarah came home crying, her lip split and a bruise on her shoulder. Connor and Murphy skipped the next day of school and scared off any bullies who dared to harm their baby sister. Sarah's school life that year and the year after were bleak at best. She wanted nothing more than to turn twelve and go to middle school with her brothers. But that's when they went to high school and left her alone again.
It was three years of loneliness, something a young girl shouldn't have to go through. She wasn't bullied this time around though. On her first day of school, one of her old bullies from elementary decided to bring back old habits. He didn't get very far.
Sarah was in detention for a week. Ma was disappointed. Connor and Murphy were proud and took her to a movie.
Connor and Murphy weren't originally planning to graduate from high school. They knew that their lives were destined elsewhere and any job they would need wouldn't need a high school diploma. The only reason they even bothered staying was so Sarah's first year wouldn't be her last.
They grew a reputation for themselves in high school. The MacManus siblings. You mess with one; the other two will be on you in a blink of an eye. Boys learned not to mess with Sarah, even if she was one of the prettier girls. They learned even quicker not to insult her brothers where she could hear. Sure, the twins protected Sarah as only older brothers can; but Sarah was just as protective of them.
As soon as Sarah graduated, Connor and Murphy packed up their bags and the three of them moved to America. Ma was not happy at all, but she knew that her children needed to be somewhere new and fresh; and she knew they wouldn't go without each other.
They quickly made a name for themselves in Boston's Irish community. In only a few short years, they were the MacManus siblings once again. It was well known among friends and neighbors that the three of them were a package deal. The meat-packaging plant hired them right off, needed a few more workers, especially workers with a sense of humor. When the boss tried to move Sarah to the offices, claiming her pretty face would help the company, all three of them made it very clear that Sarah was not going anywhere.
They met Rocco their first week. It wasn't the greatest of meetings, considering. The three were just getting into familiar terms with the bartender at McGinty's when he walked in. He sidled right up next to Sarah, put on what he assumed to be a charming smile, and began to talk.
"You must be new here cause I never forget a pretty face like that," he smirked. "The name's Rocco, David Della Rocco. I don't wanna be bragging or nothing but I'm pretty big with the Italians in charge of this area. Work for Poppa Joe himself, if you know what I'm saying."
Connor and Murphy, on the other end of the bar, were stifling laughter and trying to drink their beer with straight faces. Sarah glared at them and smiled at Rocco, flipping back her mass of curly hair.
"Well, Rocco," she started, "as it turns out, I am new. Not new enough to fall for that load of shit you just threw on me."
"Come on," Rocco leaned a bit closer. "Think of all the places I could get you, I mean, I'm pretty big with Poppa Joe. I could getcha anything you want."
"Can you get outta my face?" Sarah snapped. "Why not find some other chick around the streets. Do something for them, eh?"
"Oh, but I like you," Rocco said gently. He put a hand on her wrist, fingers digging tightly.
"Let go," Sarah said softly, leaning a bit closer.
"Only if you come with me."
"Fuck you."
His grip on her wrist tightened and he began to drag her to the door, "Poppa Joe asked for a girl with a fuck-you attitude and I got him one. Now you're coming with me or there'll be trouble."
Sarah threw a demanding look at her brothers. How dare they sit there and laugh when she needed their help! They nodded, set their beer glasses on the table, and walked behind Rocco, one hand on each shoulder.
"Where do you think you're going?" Connor asked.
"None of your fucking business," Rocco snapped.
"Actually, it's very much our business," Murphy tightened his grip, "because you're dragging off our little sister; and we can't stand that, now can we, Connor?"
"Nope," Connor agreed.
"These are your brothers?" Rocco looked at Sarah. "Calling in backup?"
"Not really," Sarah shrugged. "I just need someone to hold you."
Rocco looked like he was about to say some other scathing remark, but he never got the chance. Sarah slammed her knee into his gut and he doubled over in pain. Connor and Murphy took a hold of his hair and pulled him back up straight.
"So who's Poppa Joe?" Sarah asked. "Since you're so buddy-buddy with him, I'm sure you can spare a bit of information for the new girl in town."
"Everyone knows who Poppa Joe is," Rocco grunted. "He's the head of the Yakavetta family. Mob boss of Boston. Been working for him since high school."
"What does he want with me?"
"Needs a pretty girl to get on the inside," Rocco said. "That was my job, okay? Just find him a fucking girl who can turn heads and kill men."
"And you were gonna take our sister?" Murphy said.
"Look, can we take this outside guys?" Rocco glanced around the bar. "We're getting strange looks from everyone."
Connor and Murphy dragged him outside and Sarah went back to the bar. She picked up both beers left behind by Connor and Murphy, downed them both, and waved to Doc the bartender as she followed her brothers outside.
Despite their heated first meeting, Rocco soon put himself right into their lives. In just a few months, the four of them were thick as thieves. They were always up for a night at the bar, always welcomed by Doc no matter what time of day. Rocco kept them informed about what was happening in the realm of the mafia. It was a good, easy friendship. It was something that none of the MacManus's ever had growing up.
Before any of them knew it, six years had passed since they first arrived in Boston.
If you've read Snapshots, then a lot of this might sound familiar (maybe with a few discrepancies, my bad). This is the promised story that is all about Sarah MacManus and the time spent during the movies.
It will follow the format of the movies fairly strictly (hopefully, it's a bit tricky at some parts) and I hope you enjoy :)
