Author's Note: This chapter was written entirely by the amazing Neverland123 once again, the ideas just don't stop coming! I will be writing the next chapter myself, so apologies in advance if it is shitty in comparison! Enjoy!

Chapter Two: Fights, Cake and Bad News.

"Well, top of de mornin' to ye both," Connor looked up from the kitchen table as his brother and sister-in-law walked in. Murphy had just pulled a sweater on and Teagan was finishing up tying her robe. "Heard ye got a bit hot this morning, Tee?" He teased.

"Oh ha ha ha," She muttered, flicking him on the back of the head. It didn't make much of an impact through the thick hair Connor had grown to match Murphy. She walked over to the stove in the corner of the small kitchen, where Caden had was standing with the skillet. She took it from him and placed it on the stove, giving him a kiss on the cheek before she glanced at the clock, "Oh Christ, is dat de time?" She turned to Murphy, "Can ya get him changed while I cook dis up? We can eat dem on da way ta church. Conn, you want some?"

"If ya'd be so kind, lass." As Caden walked past him Connor reached out and gave him a high five, "And happy birthday ta me favorite nephew."

Teagan went to work cooking up a batch of pancakes for her and the boys. Their house was small but cozy; especially considering it housed four people with technically only two bedrooms. Though compared to the loft she used to share with the boys in Boston it was downright beautiful. If one was tired of the cramped little house, then there were fields and fields of luscious green hills to roam around on horseback. The land had belonged to an elderly relative on Noah's mothers' side of the family who was looking for farm hands to tend the sheep. They had just fled to Ireland and needed to lay low so the small isolated cottage seemed like the perfect fit, at least until the press died down. They hadn't exactly planned on staying but after a year they had grown used to hard farm life, after two they had started thinking of the place as home, and after three they had forgotten any half-baked plans of leaving. And just as the fourth year rolled around and they had actually gotten used to the peace and quiet of the country Teagan had found out she was going to have a baby, who they welcomed into the world their fifth year.

That was about the time the cottage got built a little bigger. When they had first arrived it was just a large room with a fireplace, a bed, and a lean-to that was technically a kitchen. The bathroom contained only a toilet but the barn had been wired with two shower heads that pumped in from a well. Teagan, Noah and the boys had been in a constant state of movement until the Yakavetta trial and only after they'd made it to Ireland and walked through the doors of the cottage did they finally relax.

And by relax she meant that she walked over to the one bed against the wall, fell forward and fell promptly asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. During the 3 months they'd spent with Noah it couldn't have been hidden for long that the boys had both been dating Teagan at the same time, and only just as Noah showed up (and shot at all of them) had she and Murphy committed to each other exclusively and he had asked her to be his wife. The old man was still taken by surprise at just how much both the boys cared for her, as they both walked over to the bed and began removing her shoes and jacket. The boys disrobed themselves before Murphy lifted up Teagan gently enough for Connor to pull the covers back. Murphy took the side of the bed pressed against the wall before turning on his side and wrapping his arms around Teagan, who soon found herself in the middle of a MacManus sandwich as Connor climbed in as well, arranging himself protectively yet at a respectful sleeping distance from the couple.

Planning on staying in the cottage a while, more beds were brought in and Teagan began arranging furniture and adding small touches to make the place feel more at home. Noah and Connor sent the couple on a trip to the seaside for a little honeymoon and when they returned they came home to find an extra room had been built onto the cottage for them.

"Knowing you two a week isn't enough to work out all that pent up lovey dovey shite all newlyweds have, so Da and I built you a wedding present. Enjoy the room!" Connor had clapped the both of them on the back, grinning as they took in the room.

And enjoy it they did. Several times that evening.

Teagan snapped out of her thoughts, smiling a little at the memories and pulled out a Tupperware bowl, and began piling it with pancakes as soon as they were finished. She would make normal sized ones for her and the brothers while she made an effort to make Caden's tiny and baby sized for easy finger grips. She heard Murphy come back in, sporting a now Sunday dressed son on his shoulder. He lifted him off and placed him on the table where he sat Indian style and reached for a pancake. Murphy stopped his son from eating it, called Teagan over and she quickly came and grasped Caden and Connor's hands while Murphy kept hold of Caden's and took Connor's, bowing their heads Murphy recited grace, "For dis we are about ta receive may da Lord make us truly grateful, amen."

After murmuring her amen Teagan rushed back and flipped the last pancake before it burned. She placed it into the Tupperware bowl before running back to the bedroom to get dressed. Living on a sheep farm meant that keeping up-to-date on fashion of any kind was a thing of the past, not that Teagan had been much of a fashionista to begin with. Back when she worked at her father's bar in Boston she would wear a skirt along with her required uniform shirt, but other than that she had mostly worn jeans. Out here where they lived the people were hard workers who toiled the land, where the men were rough and the women had to be rougher.

The one dress she even owned at the moment was second hand, a gift handed down from Ma MacManus. She had brought over some clothes when they'd first arrived in Ireland and wanted to catch up with her sons, slap the hell out of her resurrected husband, and give her new daughter-in-law-to-be a great big kiss. The dresses had fit her almost perfectly which confused her since Ma MacManus wasn't exactly a spring chicken. Her mother-in-law had seen the question on her face and merely laughed, "You carry two babes at da same time and have dem suck ye dry once they're out an' see how great ya look afterward."

By God Teagan loved that woman.

"Alright, in the car," Teagan began shuffling the boys out the front door, "We're meeting ye parents dere and den it's back here for a proper birthday tea and presents."

OOOOOOOO

Noah sat straight up in the pew of the small church, looking straight ahead but not really listening to the sermon his brother-in-law Sibeal was preaching to his flock. His family always sat in the very back of the church in order to take in the quaint surroundings as well as keep attention off themselves. In this church they were surrounded by people who looked out for them and made sure to draw away anyone who did not have any interest other than leaving him and his family alone. After all, it wasn't just him and the boys to consider anymore.

He allowed himself to glance down at his grandson, who took his place between him and his estranged wife Annabel. After their return to Ireland she had been slowly welcoming him back into her life after his 25 year hiatus in jail for being a hit man. While he did live with his sons he occasionally spent the night away either with friends or Annabel. This morning however he had awoken with a heavy feeling at the pit of his stomach that crept with him the entire morning and stayed with him even after seeing Teagan and the boys hop out the car and his grandson came running to him. A smile broke his normally hard face as he caught the tyke and lifted him up for him and Annabel to give him a birthday kiss.

"Happy birthday me cheeky angel," Annabel laughed as Caden tried to avoid her pinching his cheeks, "And how old are ya today?"

"Three!" Caden held up his fingers, always proud to show off how good he was getting with his numbers.

"Aye you're certainly getting ta be a big lad!" Noah used both hands to lift the boy up higher, "Look at how yer growin', ya can almost touch da ceiling."

Connor, Murphy and Teagan caught up and the family went inside the church. After they had sat down Noah fumbled with something in his pocket but didn't take it out until the service was over. Another great advantage to staying in the back row was that there was no hurry to get up and leave afterward. Other patrons often went up and spoke to Sibeal so they would often patiently wait and chat with each other before going to say hello.

"Caden, I have a little someting for ya before we go back home," Murphy and Connor looked knowingly over as their father pulled out a small rosary. They had had very similar ones but had opted to bury them along with most of their past after they'd agreed to start a new life here. They had all had a hand in carving and designing it. "Yer old enough te know dat God is always watchin' over ya and protectin' ya, and dat as long as ya obey da basic laws of God and always keep Him and love close to yer heart, den you will forever walk with Him."

Taking the rosary carefully from his grandfather, Caden ran his tiny fingers over it. He was only three and obviously didn't quite know the significance of what he had just been given but he had the good sense to know that by the image of the cross that this was important. "What do I do with it, Poppa?"

"I'll leave dat to yer ma and da to explain all da prayers, but in da end ye can do or use it any way ye feel helps ye be closer to God," He began to sit up and Caden hopped off the pew as well, "Let's go see yer uncle Sibeal so he can bless it."

Murphy watched as his father took his son up the aisle of the church and approached their uncle. Sibeal greeted them quickly, looking almost as if he were in a hurry to get out of the church which puzzled Murphy since he was usually so involved with anyone from the flock who came up to see him, especially just after a service. He saw his son hand Sibeal the rosary he, Connor and their father had spent the last couple of weeks carving. They let Noah do the honors of giving it to him and explaining the basic reasoning of such a gift for a Catholic child. Noah had missed out on his own sons' entire lives up until they were twenty-seven: birthdays, communions, school graduations. When Caden was born it had brought about this new meaning to all of their lives but the boys knew that it also gave Noah a second chance to be there and actually help raise his small family.

He watched as Sibeal blessed the rosary, handed it back to Caden and gave the boy a pat on the head before talking quickly to Noah. He reached out to touch Teagan's knee, stopping the conversation she was having with his mother to indicate they could get going. Caden was now sporting Noah's newsboy cap and skipping down the aisle to meet them, "Can I go play?" He asked, referring to the small playground right next to church used for the Sunday school.

"Just for a few minutes, then we've got te go," Teagan said. Caden nodded and ran out the front door.

Noah walked up and joined them, "Sibeal says he's got a small emergency he's got te take care of. He may be a bit late joining us later."

Murphy frowned but understood. Being a priest was not a nine to five job and Sibeal was expected to be on call if a member of the congregation had a crisis of faith or had to have last rights performed. He just hoped that he wouldn't be caught up too late. They'd opted for a family only party since Caden was so young, and since his birthday fell on a Sunday they knew other families they'd made friends with would be doing family Sunday stuff together.

"Well, good thing he's not in charge o' bringing drinks then," Annabel joked, "That cake's probably not doing too well in the car though so we should get goin'—"

The front doors of the church opened and a teenage girl named Sarah peeked her head in, "Teagan, you should come quick. Caden and Sean are fighting outside."

Teagan jogged out that church so quickly you'd have thought she was a whore that was fleeing the grace of God. The playground next the church was old, consisting of two swings, a slide, a sandbox and a spinning wheel. Her son and another boy his age, Sean McCourt, were next to the sand box pulling at each other's hair and slapping as hard as they could at each other. Sean's mother appeared as well and reached the boys just after Teagan grabbed Caden by the ear and whispered harshly, "Caden Rocco Paul MacManus, birthday or not if ya don't stop this instant I will smack that bottom of yers in front of God and everyone. Ya hear me?!"

The effect was instantaneous. Caden let go first before Susan McCourt grabbed her son away from them and gave them the dirtiest look she could before walking away, cooing at her boy as she did. After glaring at the other young mother, Teagan made her son walk, holding him by the hand as she led him away and back to her family who were watching with interest and concern, "We do NOT fight at CHURCH! Don't know what the bloody hell ye were thinking but that is the LAST time that will ever happen, ye understand!" Teagan didn't want to say what she did next but she needed to make sure Caden learned. "We should cancel yer birthday this year."

"No, no, no! Ma, I'm sorry!"

"Ya'd better be," She waited a moment to make sure her threat scared the hell out him, "Next Sunday yer going to apologize to Sean and I will watch. Dat's the deal."

Caden looked down as they got closer to Murphy, muttering, "Yes, Ma."

She got into the back seat with her son while Connor and Murphy took the front. On the drive home she cleaned up Caden a bit, noticing he winced and tried to duck away whenever she tried to wipe away some dirt from his lip, "It hurts!" He complained.

"Well that's what happens when ye fight, ye get hurt and it takes a long time to go away," Teagan scoffed, though relieved that he wasn't bleeding or anything. She considered herself lucky that three-year-olds can't really hit that hard.

"So why were ye and Sean fightin'?" Murphy turned to ask.

"Oh yeah, I'm dying to hear this," the corner of Connor's eyes were wrinkling and they could tell he was trying not to laugh. Teagan controlled the urge to roll her eyes at the male pride her husband and brother-in-law were trying to hide less they show Caden that they condoned fighting.

"Sean's mean," Caden shrugged.

"Not good enough, young man. What did he say?" Teagan asked.

But Caden remained quiet, pulling Noah's cap over his eyes when he got tired of his mother staring at him. Teagan reached over and gently pulled the cap back up but Caden just tucked his head into his chest and crossed his arms, lowering his head into them and started muttering. "What's dat?"

He lifted his head a wee bit before saying it just loud enough for them to hear, "I tried ta go play in the sandbox but Sean said I wasn't allowed. I tried ta get in anyway but he pushed me out, I asked why and he said it was because Mammy was ugly and he didn't like me. So I pushed him out da sandbox and dat's when Mammy came."

Teagan stiffened a bit while Murphy turned in his seat, "Why would Sean say that?"

"He said his ma said that Ma was ugly, so he could say it to and that it has te be true," Caden said before adding with a tone finality, "But she's not! Ma's de prettiest Ma ever!"

Things started to make sense right then and there. They had been attending Sibeal's services ever since fleeing to Ireland, and very soon afterward that was where Teagan and Murphy got married. During that time they met Susan and her then fiancé Mark McCourt and right away Murphy had not liked the way Mark looked at Teagan. It didn't get much better as the years went by and both parties married and started their own families, prompting Susan to grow a steady resentment toward Teagan despite never returning any of Mark's flirtations. Teagan wrapped and arm around Caden, kissed his head and pulled him close, "Well thank ya for fightin' for me honor luv, but from now on just tell yer da or I when someone says things like that te ya. Alright?"

Caden nodded and the tension in the air disappeared almost immediately.

The rest of the day consisted of Annabel and Noah showing up with a small cake and some presents. While Annabel and Teagan heated the cake up and prepared some dinner the boys took Caden for a ride on the horses while they checked on the sheep. Teagan's father Doc was even able to call just as they got back and talked with Caden on the phone for a bit. If it was thing Teagan regretted leaving behind in Boston it was her father. While Smecker was able to control the investigation just enough that they were never identified properly by name or DNA, that didn't mean that someone from around the neighborhood couldn't have connected who they were from the sketches on the news and to Doc. She asked if he would come with them but he said Boston had been his home for decades now and that if anyone had figured out his connection to them other than their first bar fight with the Russians then they were not acting on it. She had only seen him in person twice the last eight years: when he was able to fly out to give her away at her wedding and then when Caden was born.

They sang Happy Birthday, took pictures as Caden tore open the wrappings for his new toys, and then after cake a proper meal of lamb stew and bread. At dusk it had just begun to rain and Annabel bid her family goodbye after Noah said he would be staying. When the sugar crash finally started sinking in it was Murphy who volunteered to put Caden to bed. After getting the boy in his pajamas, Murphy hung the new rosary on the wall next to the bed and tucked him in, listening as Caden said his prayers. They had been teaching him the family prayer as of late and though Caden had trouble with the Latin end he could almost recite the rest perfectly. Caden was pretty fluent in Gaelic and French, and had recently been starting Spanish.

"Da, have you ever gotten into a fight before?" Caden asked in Spanish, knowing his mother was not as fluent in that language and he wouldn't get in trouble if she heard him ask.

Murphy hesitated for a moment before answering, "I have. So has Uncle Connor and even though she won't admit it yer ma has as well."

Caden's eyes widened and bit before giggling and switching back to English, "What was da fight about?"

"Before yer ma and I got married, Uncle Connor and I used to go down ta yer Grandpa's bar where she worked. Some bad men came inta da bar one night and threatened ta make everyone leave except Ma and Grandpa. We knew if we left they would hurt 'em so we tried ta be nice and invite them have drinks with us. But dey started getting real physical and den suddenly a fight broke out in da bar." As he told the story Caden rested both hands behind his head, listening intently as his father recounted how one of the bad men had grabbed his mother and she actually bit him until he let go before smashing a bottle over his head, "Yer ma only fought after da bad men started it. She never went looking fer a fight and we tried ta be nice ta the men ta keep the fight from happening. Dat's what I want ya te do if what happened with Sean today starts again."

"Yes, Daddy," Caden nodded sleepily and Murphy pulled the covers up to his chin. He playfully cuffed his son with a fake punch which made him giggle again.

"Me and Uncle Connor will have ta teach ya to fight properly anyhow," he leaned over a whispered in Gaelic, "But we may have ta keep that from yer ma for a while. Alright?"

Caden nodded eagerly, "Can ye teach me tomorrow?"

"Only if ya go to sleep right now," he kissed his son's head and got up, "G'night, Caden. See ye in the mornin', I love ya." He kept the door open a few inches for some of the living room light to creep in.

"I love ya too daddy."

Murphy's heart swelled like it did every time his son said those four words to him, and he smiled softly, and walked back to where his wife, brother and father were finishing eating dinner. He sat down to his plate where he began to spoon the last of his thick spew onto some bread. A comfortable silence fell over them as it often did on nights like this with Connor rolling up a cigarette and preparing to try and talk Teagan into joining them for one. She had stopped smoking during her pregnancy and only once in a while snuck in a fag or two, usually after Caden had gone to bed. She insisted that they smoke outside if they absolutely had to.

The sound of a car pulling up and the flash of headlight through the small window had them all looking over in confusion.

"The fuck is tha' this time o' night?" Connor got up and went out the door.

Teagan and Murphy walked outside as well, only to recognize the church car Sibeal used. "Well its 'bout fuckin' time he showed up. Just in time for Caden ta be asleep," Teagan muttered.

Sibeal opened the car door and came running at them as fast the old man could, stumbling through the rain in a way that showed desperation. Teagan felt the anger toward him dissipate and was quickly replaced with worry. This was not a man afraid of the wrath of family for missing a child's birthday celebration; this was man who seemed afraid for his family.

Once under the cover of the front porch, he removed his hat and hesitated a moment before finally speaking.

"Something's happened."