It took Da more than a minute to realize Ma was standing in the doorway of his apartment, watching him with the baby. Glancing over as an acknowledgement, he changed Eamon's diaper, finishing with a noisy kiss to his belly which made him squeal with laughter.

"Ye're were always brilliant with children, Pat." She stepped closer, her smile focused on the still giggling baby. "I can still hear the boys' giggles in me head."

"They'd just fuckin' egg each other on, too. But do ye remember which one was easiest ta get started?"

"Murph, o' course. First ta laugh and the first ta fuckin' cry."

Da smiled at the memories. They were the ones that had played over and over in his head those first few months in prison. They were the memories that got him through the nights. "Aye, and ye had ta fuckin' work ta get Conn ta do either."

"Ye always cheated too, Pat. Ye'd use Murph ta get Conn ta giggle too."

"Now that's not cheatin'. It's using me fuckin' resources. Just like I'd use Conn ta get Murph ta stop cryin'. It went both fuckin' ways, m'dear."

"Still does." Ma's voice was soft and she brushed her fingertips over the baby's cheeks. "He's sleepy. We should get him ta bed."

"Ye can have the honors, Annie. I better get down ta help the boys."

"Katie's here, too. I think she wanted ta talk ta ye."

He nodded in response, watching her cradle Eamon against her shoulder, rocking back and forth gently. It was a familiar image and one that still had the power to make him long for those days again. If only things were that fucking simple. Turning to go, he paused as she spoke his name, her voice hesitant.

"Pat?"

His eyes found her face and he saw the uncertainty crease her forehead as she was silent for a long moment. "Ma?"

The teasing name brought a small smile on her lips. "I'm sorry I didn't give ye warnin' about Bill."

He gave her a nod but knew that he had no right to a warning. He'd lost his right to know the details of her life years ago. "Does 'e make ye happy?"

Her eyes wandered away from him, and her hand stroked down the sleeping baby's back. "It was only a date, Pat."

"When is he meetin' the boys?"

The corners of her mouth quirked up then. "He didn't make me that happy."

Her words were teasing, but it still stung. To know she was moving on. She'd held off for over twenty years for him to come back to her. Held off from signing the divorce papers she'd had drawn up only a few years after he'd left, held off from moving on, from replacing him. And while Da didn't know what he'd ever done to deserve her, he knew she deserved better than this. She long since earned her freedom.

"I think we need ta be finalizin' things between us, Annabelle." It came out a little harsher than he'd meant them to but the words were gone and she raised her eyes back to him.

"Finalizin' things?"

"We can file the papers. And ye've got more than enough evidence for the church ta accept the divorce."

"Let's not be rushin' things, Pat."

"Rushin' things? Annabelle, ye should've freed yerself from this over twenty years ago. Makin' the reasonable choice now would hardly be fuckin' rushin' things." He stopped as he caught the look of pain in her eyes, but it disappeared before he was sure if he'd seen it and she turned away from him. Her movements were practiced and gentle as she laid Eamon into the old crib, covering him with the blanket.

"Let's just hold off now. Let Murph marry 'is Katie before we bring bad news like this on the lot o' 'em."

Da rubbed his hand over the stubble on his chin as he waited for her to turn around, but she stayed where she was, her fingers stroking the baby's hair. "That could be nearly a fuckin' year, Annie. Ye sure ye want ta wait that long?"

"I waited twenty-four years for ye ta come back ta me, Pat. I think ye can wait another year ta be rid o' me." Her voice was level and he caught her smiling down at the baby as Eamon moved in his sleep.

The discussion was over, he knew, by the way she refused to turn back to him or to say anything else. Knowing it was best, Da moved his way to the door, glancing back only as he reached it before proceeding down the stairs.

He should've assured her he didn't want to be rid of her. But she deserved the freedom to make her own decisions. And maybe without their marriage to hide behind, she'd find the life she really wanted. And he didn't dare to hope that that life would be with him.

It was the time of day that had become one of Connor's favorites. The bar was closed, the last of the patrons had long since stumbled out into the night and that left him with another one of his family members to unwind, to clean and to talk. It was Murphy tonight, as Desmond and Aidan had taken the earlier shifts, opening the bar and leaving after the prime time rush.

And as he paused to watch his brother stack the last few chairs, he realized they really hadn't had a chance to talk lately. Too much had come up, drawing their attention away, and splitting their shifts so that they only exchanged hurried words in between filling drinks and serving patrons. Wiping down the last stretch of the counter with the rag, he tossed it into the sink.

"So, ye never said how it went."

Murphy glanced up for a second, giving him a puzzled look before he grabbed the broom behind the counter. "Huh?"

He sighed, gathering the glasses from the drying rack and stacking them onto the shelf above the bar. "Yer proposal. Ta Katie."

"Oh." There was a flash of a grin, but Murphy kept sweeping. "She said yes."

"Ye've got ta be fuckin' kiddin' me. She agreed ta marry ye?"

"I took 'er ta the cabin, but it didn't feel right. So I led her ta the lookout point and proposed there."

"Isn't that where Aidan took his first girlfriend ta-"

Murphy laughed. "Aye, so it's always be a place o' romance amongst us McManuses. Don't ye be tellin' Katie that though."

"So ye want her ta think she was the first ta be wooed by the lights o' the town, huh?"

"Shut it, Conn. She was the first ta be fuckin' wooed with good intentions. And at least I proposed ta her first." His laughter rang out as Connor aimed a sponge at him.

"Aye, and ye just took her ta the clubhouse o' all places. Such a fuckin' romantic, Murph."

"She didn't seem ta mind too much."

"It's hard ta fuckin' imagine that we both managed ta catch two girls who're able ta put up with our shite."

Murphy grinned, handing the broom over to Connor to sweep behind the counter. He took a seat at the bar. "Works a bit fuckin' better than if were one girl ta share the load. Speakin' o' that, how is Sara doin'? Didn't get ta talk ta her tonight."

"Fine, but I think she's gettin' bored with the column. Keeps hintin' ta her editor that she wants some real stories and less o' the Dear Abby shite."

"But she makes such a good 'Dear Abby'. And she never caught on that it was me."

Choking on his laughter, Connor glanced up at his twin and shared a long grin with him. "I'd fuckin' forgot ye'd done that. What were ye that time? The bog hunter lookin' for advice?"

"Fuck, no. I was the fat, bald and lonely bastard who was lookin' for me one true love." He fluttered his eyelashes but the look was ruined when he couldn't stop laughing. "Remember, she told me that I'd find me a woman someday. She didn't have the heart ta tell me ta give up."

"I wonder if that's the one that had 'er up all night."

"Aw, fuck. I hope I didn't cause her trouble with it." Murphy leaned his elbow on the counter, taking longer than normal to catch the look in his brother's eyes. Connor knew he'd been found out when the hand smacked him upside the head. "Ye fuckin' git. Don't make me guilty o'er yer girl."

"It's her job, Murph." Connor managed that much straight faced, but he started to lose it as he continued. "She takes it very, very seriously." The last words tumbled out in laughter and he moved out of Murphy's swinging range.

They settled back into the comfortable silence, each finishing up the minor tasks left. Checking the levels of the bottles and tabs for inventory, he caught Murphy's eye. "Start on the register?"

"That's yer territory, Conn." His brother's voice was weary, which only made Connor more decisive.

"The more ye do it, the better ye'll do at it. Go start countin'." He gave him a smile to make it sound more like a request then a demand, but he knew his brother would listen. While he wouldn't listen to just anybody, Murphy tended to follow his direction without argument. And if Murphy argued, he knew to double think what he was asking. It worked out to be their own balance and check system for running the bar.

When the last of the duties were done, Connor took a seat on the outside of the bar and began to double check Murphy's count of the bills and Murphy moved onto the coins. Aidan had started it first, managing to annoy Connor until he could explain that it was only for accuracy. And so far, it had worked to keep any major cash register errors from messing up their books.

He'd been quick to jump on his brother the first time they'd had such an error on the books. Murphy had been far enough off to cause some alarm and it was only after that Connor realized he'd probably done more damage than good by overreacting. It was suggested then, by Desmond, that Murphy get some proper training in the business side of the bar before he be held accountable for what he didn't naturally know. In short, Desmond was working to protect Murphy in the same way he'd done their whole lives.

It'd taken no time at all to fall back into their old childhood relationships and dynamics after they'd started working together. He and Murphy would always be the closest, but when they were with their cousins, they didn't feel the need to buddy up. Being the two more responsible of the sets of brothers, he and Aidan had an understanding on a different level, in a way he couldn't quite have with Murphy. And it was the same for Murphy with Desmond, who was a few years younger. It was only with their cousins that they agreed to be on separate teams, and it was with them that they would side against each other.

"How am I doin' so far?" Murphy low voice caught his attention again and he grinned at the raised eyebrow.

"So far, ye're on target. But don't be screwin' up with the smaller coins. They count fer everythin'."

"Bullshit."

Connor just shook his head and went back to counting. He finished ahead of his twin and eyed the stacked coin piles. "Donal stopped by earlier."

"What for?" Murphy didn't look up, but paused in his counting to speak.

"Carrie came back home, this time with a fuckin' black eye and bruised knuckles. He said she refuses ta talk ta him 'bout it."

"Think she was fightin' whoever she was with?"

"Aye, either that or defendin' herself. Donal was pretty worked up about it again."

"Why'd he come here, Conn?" His brother finally glanced up, the coins all in piles on his left. Pausing slightly, Connor began bringing the piles toward him as a distraction. He hadn't gotten the chance to explain anything to Murphy about what he'd told Donal.

"Well, it might 'ave somethin' ta do with the fact that he thinks we'll help him."

"And why does he think that, Conn?" The sigh that pushed the words out told Connor that his brother already knew, so he was silent for a moment.

"Because I told 'im we would."

"Why would ye fuckin' do that?"

"He was in a bad way, Murph. A boy that age shouldn't have ta cry over more than a broken heart or a lost ball game."

"Christ, Conn, ye've become a fuckin' sap. We're bartenders. What the fuck can we do the garda couldn't?"

Connor raised his eyes then, seeing the annoyance there and knowing that again, Murphy was asking unnecessary questions. And as a good brother, he'd continue to remind him. "We're not just bartenders, Murph."

"We are now. Don't ye fuckin' forget that."

"I'm not suggestin' that we become fuckin' super saints or some shite like that. But we might just be able ta figure out what's goin' on with the girl. Talk some sense inta her or somethin'."

"Are ye fuckin' bored, Conn? Is that what this is about?"

"That's not fuckin' it, Murph. But ye know we can't just stand aside and let that little girl be hurt. We gave up our ways, but I didn't give up me fuckin' morals." He clenched his teeth and knew the look in his eyes was similar as what he saw in Murphy's. They were at a threshold again, only this time they didn't have the words in a dream to guide their way.

It was another long moment as they continued to stare each other down, and finally Murphy nodded without breaking eye contact. He was agreeing without conceding. "Alright, we'll check inta it. But ye start wearin' fuckin' tights and a cape and I'm out o' it."

"Deal." Connor held out his hand. They shook hands and he finished counting the coins before raising his eyes back to Murphy. "Ye pass. Next time, ye get ta try the books."

"When pigs fuckin' fly."

"I was cravin' me some bacon with wings."

Murphy rolled his eyes at the comment and grabbed his coat from behind the bar. "Ye ready ta lock up?"

"Sure. Ye headin' ta Katie's?"

"Yep, she's gonna let me stay over whether she knows it or not."

Laughing, Connor slipped his coat on and followed his brother to the door. "I hate ta repeat meself, Murph. But I'm not protectin' ye from her." He ducked another half-hearted swing from Murphy before locking the door. "Night."

"Good night, ye ass. Give a kiss ta me nephew fer me."

"Aye, that I'll do. See ye tomorrow." Giving a wave to Murphy, he climbed into his car and started it, putting it to gear only to follow him out of the lot. The town would be quiet by now, and it was more than past time for him to be home and holding a sleeping Sara.

The bar was still empty when Katie arrived there the next day and she wondered for a moment where everybody was. School had let out early for teacher development and she hadn't wanted to stick around for the discussions she wasn't really involved in. Mr. Daly still didn't see her as a member of the faculty, and she knew that as of yet she wouldn't be welcome in their meetings.

So she came to find entertainment or at the very least, Murphy. She'd been surprised to find his arm curled tight around her when she'd woken up that morning. He must have snuck in during the night, and it didn't seem fair to wake him so early. Checking her watch, Katie grinned as she realized Murphy might still be sleeping. It wasn't quite noon and the bar wouldn't open until two.

But it was surprising to find nobody there yet.

The sound of crates scraping the floor came from the backroom and she grinned. So she wasn't alone. The idiot just forgot to unlock the front door as well.

"Da?" The movements stopped as she spoke but nobody answered. "Desmond?"

There was still no answer and as she moved slowly toward the back, she wondered if she somehow imagined the sounds. But the soft scraping of boots against the floor made her doubts fade. Someone was back there and they were intent on ignoring her.

The only one who would do that was Aidan. The ass hadn't given her a chance since day one, and while he was never outwardly rude or mean, he never tried to make her feel welcome in his presence. And now he was ignoring her in the backroom like a fucking schoolboy.

"Dammit, Aidan. Grow up." She muttered and pushed open the door. The dark shadows made her squint to try to see anything and it only took her a moment to figure out it wasn't Aidan McManus hiding in the backroom.

The cold metal of the gun pressed to her temple cleared all thoughts of anger from her mind. But the whispered words that followed struck fear into her heart.

"Feeling a little de ja vu, Katie?"

A/N: Please don't kill me. :) I promise more soon...