"But where were you when I was scared
A broken promise left me here
A post-it note is what I've got
It says: 'I'm sorry', but I know you're not"
~Here I Am - Marion Raven~
Murphy watched as the sun slowly sank into the horizon, dying rays of light caressing the city buildings one last time before they disappeared. They had spent all day waiting for a phone call, and it didn't look like that call would be coming any time soon.
"Connor, this is ridiculous." Murphy watched as his brother sitting despondently in front of the television.
Murphy only received a grunt in response.
He sighed. "Connor, ye can't keep doin' this. Ye can't just block out the world cuz it changes."
"What the fuck are ye talkin' about Murphy?" Connor's hand rested on the remote, flicking the channel aggressively with his response.
"Ye knew that she was no good fer ye."
The channel changed from news to a concert, the reply hostile. "Fuck off Murphy."
"An' ye knew that she was right."
"Shut up Murphy." Connor slammed his finger against the remote, and the channel changed again, now a cooking show. They both knew that the first girl mentioned was different from the second girl.
"Ye know that she's goin' ta win in the end."
"Shut the fuck up Murphy!" Now the screen showed a black and white movie.
"So why are ye doin' this? What the fuck is going through yer mind Connor?"
"I don't even fucking know!" He shouted, glaring at his twin. They stood there, like a tableau, neither speaking for a long while. Connor took in a few deep breaths, and Murphy waited for him to calm down. "I don't know." Connor said again, shaking his head, switching the television off and dropping the remote onto the table.
"Ye can't still be hung up Arlene, are ye?" The question was more sympathetic than anything else, and Connor didn't reply for a moment, sitting back down on the couch.
"I dunno. Arlene… meant a lot ta me."
"Ye know that Laura's right about her though."
"I don't want ta talk about fuckin' Laura." That was instantaneous, leaving Murphy confused.
"I thought ye two made nice Conn. What the fuck is going on?"
"We did…" He looked over at his twin, seeming somewhat confused as well. "We did, but that doesn't mean I like her very much right now."
Murphy growled in his frustration. "How the fuck does that work?"
Before Connor could reply, the phone rang.
"Who the fuck would tha' be?" Connor looked over, and Murphy moved to pick it up, but the call disconnected half-way through a ring.
"Weird…" Murphy could feel a sinking feeling in his stomach. He left the cell phone on the counter, wishing that he knew what was making him feel so anxious. He walked back into the living room, but turned back around before he had gotten more than a few steps into the room. Acting on a hunch, he picked up the phone, and dialled Laura's number.
"Pick up, pick up, pick up…" The phone kept ringing. "Pick up yer fuckin' phone Laura!" He grasped onto the counter, knuckles turning white. With a click, the answering machine picked up, and Murphy forcefully hung up.
"Is she not answerin'?" Connor asked from the doorway.
"No. An' I have this feelin'-"
"I know. Me too."
Murphy paced the kitchen. "We should go find her."
"We should wait fer her." Connor replied. Murphy looked at him incredulously. "Look, ye know how she is. She doesn't want anyone interferin' in her life. If she needs us, she'll come ta us. It's jus' one missed phone call Murph, how bad can it be? I've already fucked things up enough with her, I don't want ta be makin' it worse."
~^|*|^~/\~^|*|^~
Dutifully, Murphy waited for Laura to call before he would call her again, all the while becoming more and more anxious, snapping at Connor, pacing the apartment, slamming doors and generally being difficult to live with. Connor took this in stride, knowing what Murphy was going through.
"She'll call." He spoke up after Murphy nearly broke one of the cabinet doors.
"How the fuck do ye know that?!" Murphy spat from the kitchen.
"It's Laura. She'll call." Connor replied calmly, changing the channel on the television.
"Nah, somethin's not right here Conn." Murphy shook his head, anger leaving him. "It's been three days. She should've called by now."
Connor paused from what he was doing. "Would it make ye happier if we went ta her apartment?"
"Aye." Grabbing the cell phone and keys, Murphy quickly walked to the door. With a sigh, Connor shut off the tv and joined his twin at the door.
"I'm tellin' ye that this is a waste o'time." He opened the door. "She's perfectly fine."
"Are ye tellin' me that yer not fuckin' worried about her?" Murphy asked incredulously.
They walked out onto the street. "'S not tha' I'm not worried, it's jus' tha' I think tha' Laura can handle herself. She doesn't like us interfering."
"It's not interfering if she actually needs the help." Murphy muttered.
Connor shrugged. "Look, if she asks, this was yer idea. I don't want her ta be more pissed with me."
Murphy shoved him. "Yer afraid of Laura?"
"No, I just-"
"Yer afraid of Laura!" He laughed.
"Fuck off Murphy." Connor grumbled, and Murphy kept laughing.
About a half hour later, the twins stood at the base of Laura's apartment complex. Without a word, they climbed the stairs to the third floor, leaving the stairwell and knocking loudly on the wooden door that had three brass numbers – 324. After a few moments of waiting, the door opened a crack, revealing Laura's face.
"Laura, sorry ta be droppin' in like this-" Murphy spoke, and was quickly interrupted.
"You two can't be here right now." She whispered, looking up and down the hall anxiously. The twins could see the door chain was in place, and they exchanged a look.
"An' what d'ye mean by that Laura?" Connor asked.
She faltered. "Er, well, I've… I'm redecorating, and there's a lot of mess. Can't really let people in here. I, uh, forgot to call, right?"
Murphy nodded while Connor raised an eyebrow. She wouldn't look them in the face. After looking around furtively for a few moments, Laura came to a decision.
"Give me a second, I'll talk to you in the hall."
The door closed, and after a bit of scuffling on the other side, it reopened, Laura came out and quickly closed it behind her. The twins could briefly see chaos in the room behind her, but they weren't able to get a clear view.
Laura moved hair behind her ear, looking up at them nervously. She cleared her throat. "Uh, so, yeah, I was really busy that night, Sue called me, and I couldn't get time to call you."
Connor didn't speak, he simply affixed Laura with a look while she squirmed. Murphy raised an eyebrow at her excuse as well. Finally, Connor spoke.
"Well, if yer redecoratin', mind if we come in ta take a look?"
"No! Uh, no, no, you can't. It's not done yet. Can't see it till it's done, ha ha." Laura grabbed the door handle behind her back.
"Alright, alright. Jus' askin'. No need ta get so defensive about it." Connor replied evenly.
"Uh, but, yeah, I've got to get back to this, so, uh, I'll… call you guys later?" She pressed herself back into the door, avoiding eye contact.
"Fair enough." Murphy said, not sounding very convinced. Just as Laura turned to open the door, Connor spoke. "Laura… if anythin's botherin' ye, ye know ye can come ta us right?"
"Y-yeah."
He nodded. "Alright, jus' wanted ta make sure ye know. S'no trouble, jus' call us up, an' we'll come."
"O-okay. Bye." She hastily slipped into her apartment, closing the door behind her. In the silence, Murphy spoke first.
"Do ye believe her?"
"No. D'ye?"
"Not a bit."
~^|*|^~/\~^|*|^~
About a week after they went to visit her, the twins received a call from Laura. After a little bit of coaxing, they were able to get her to come out with them to McGuinty's.
Connor watched over her while she was there. At first, she seemed terrified, like a feral animal, unsure whether to stay or go. As Murphy joked with her, and they both told her stories of their past pranks, she began to loosen up, no longer hunched over her drink. Soon she was laughing with them, telling her own stories and jokes, the same as she had always been.
At around two in the morning, last call was heard, and everyone left in the bar groaned, slowly making their way to the door to make their way into the night. The closer the three of them came to the twin's apartment, the more nervous Laura appeared.
"D'ye want ta stay over Laura?" Murphy asked. He too was not oblivious to Laura's unease.
"N-no, I'll be fine." She gave him a weak smile. "It's not that far, and I've got more cleaning to do."
"Yer gonna do cleaning at half two in the bloody mornin'? That ain't healthy. We've got a spare room Laura, it wouldn't be a problem." Connor anticipated her argument before she even got a chance to use it.
She shook her head. "I don't want to impose. Look, I'll call you tomorrow, I promise."
Neither looked too convinced. "Are ye actually goin' ta call this time?" Murphy asked.
"Yes Murphy, I will actually call you." She rolled her eyes. "You two are more overprotective than mother hens!"
Murphy chuckled slightly, but Connor stayed serious. "If anythin' happens, an' I mean anythin' at all, ye call us, y'understand?"
She nodded. "I'll call. I promise."
"Alright. Talk ta ye tomorrow." He nodded at her before she disappeared down the street. He looked over at Murphy. "I've got a-"
"Bad feelin'? Aye, me too." The two of them watched as Laura turned down the alleyway, neither able to express exactly what it was that worried them. After a few moments, they both went inside.
~^|*|^~/\~^|*|^~
In the middle of the night, their cell phone rang.
With a curse, the twins awoke, and looked at each other. The phone rang again.
"Hello?" It was Connor who picked up, switching on the light in the kitchen. Murphy stood in the doorway, blinking away sleep.
"Hey Connor." Her voice sounded hoarse, weary, and pained.
"Laura? What's wrong?" Connor gestured for his twin to move over as he pressed the speaker phone button.
"Aye, who d'we have ta beat Laura?" Murphy added.
"S'n-not important. Look, I, er, I need a place to crash for the night, and I hate to be asking-"
"Laura!" Murphy protested, but she kept going.
"-but I really don't have any other options." She paused, sighing heavily. "My… I, er, don't feel safe at my apartment right now. I'm coming over. I'll be there in … fifteen I think."
"We'll come and get you." Connor vowed, holding off a curse that was on the tip of his tongue.
She spoke instantly, stronger than anything she had said before. "No."
"Laura, it's the middle o' the fuckin' night girl! It's not safe-"
"Yeah, well neither's standing at a payphone in South Boston in the middle of the night, so fucking stay put and wait." She spat viciously. Continuing with a softer tone, she said, "I'll be there soon." Again, she hung up without waiting for their reply.
The twins looked at each other, shellshocked.
"Fuck!" Murphy was first to recover.
"What the fuck does that girl think she's doin'?!" Connor was at a loss for words.
"Calm down Conn." Murphy took the phone from his hand and switched it off. "She's got a fuckin' point – how're we gonna find her if she's not at her fuckin' apartment? She said she didn't feel safe. She obviously has a reason – takes a lot to spook Laura."
After a moment of terse silence, Connor relented. "Aye, that's true. So, what? We just… wait?" He leant in the doorway as his brother moved to the living room to sit in the recliner usually reserved for Da.
"Looks like it." Murphy leant backwards. "I hate fuckin' waiting."
"I know."
The minutes ticked by slowly for the twins. There was little to do but watch as the clock moved at an impossibly sluggish pace, neither having much to say. They waited for a sound, any sound, senses straining to their limits.
A car alarm went off on the street, causing them to jump.
"Fuck!" Connor stood up and started pacing the kitchen while Murphy chuckled lowly for a few moments. Then returned the anxious feeling of waiting, the doom settling further around them while their minds churned out all sorts of possibilities of what was happening right now.
Fifteen minutes passed. Then twenty. To twenty five. Thirty. Forty five minutes and Connor reached for his coat, but a sound in the hall stops him. Footsteps, sluggish but determined footsteps echoing from the stairs. A tentative knock on the door, made loud by the silence.
Connor opened it, and saw a diminutive figure standing in the darkness, covered in a giant grey sweatshirt, wearing ragged blue jeans, with a ruddy stain on them.
"Laura?" Murphy asked the figure, not sure of who it is.
"M-may… I come in?" They're relieved to hear her muffled voice coming out from under the hood. She didn't look up.
"Of course ye can." Connor held open the door for her as she stumbles inside, clearly exhausted. Murphy led her to a chair while Connor took a look in the hallway to see if anyone is watching. Closing and locking the door, he moved to stand by Laura in the kitchen.
"What fuckin' happened ta ye?" Murphy asked her, but she still wouldn't look at them.
"N-nothing. S'my issue anyway. I, er, I just can't stay there right now. I'll… I'll be gone in the morning, I promise, don't want to impose."
"Impose? What the fuck are ye on about?" Connor touched her shoulder, and she flinched away as if burnt.
"I, er, just… don't want you two to feel obligated or nothing." She mumbled into the ground. Connor exchanged a glance with Murphy over her head.
"Alright Laura. First thing's first. Take off yer hood." Murphy tried to persuade her, but it did no good.
"N-no. You'll… you'll be upset."
"C'mon Laura, ye know us. We're yer friends. Just… take off yer hood. There's no need ta hide from us." He knelt down beside her, but she resolutely turned away.
"No. I… I just want to go to bed. I'll be gone by morning."
"Laura, there'll be none o' that, ye hear? Yer not imposin', we fuckin' asked ye ta stay only a few hours back, all we're worried about is yer safety." Connor stepped in forcefully, glaring down at her. She moved as far away from him as she could manage in the chair, and he sighed. "Listen, Laura, ye remember what I said ta ye when we first met?"
"Uh huh." She nodded gently.
"Well then?" He coaxed, earning a small smile. "We're not gonna hurt ye. Take off yer hood love. Please?"
Tentatively, she removed the hood, revealing the damage done to her face. Her lip was split, her left eye was nearly completely swollen shut, she had cuts on her forehead and neck, and dried blood was everywhere, including in her hair. The twins took in a sharp breath, and Murphy turned away in rage, punching the wall by the refrigerator.
"Fuck Laura! Who did this ta ye?" Connor was the quickest to regain his composure.
"N-no one." She muttered, biting at her finger.
Connor tenderly took her finger away from her mouth. "Ye did it ta yerself?" His question was incredulous.
"No, but, it's… it's my fight." She insisted stubbornly.
"The fuck it is!" Murphy moved back into her view.
"It is!" She looked up at him, almost glaring. "They were the ones who did this to me, so I'll make them pay! You can't just…"
"Can't what? Try to help ye?! Because yer long overdue on tryin' ta stop that one Laura." Murphy could barely contain his rage. "Fuckin' hell! When I find those bastards who did this ta ye-"
"No!" She jumped up, standing in front of him. "It's not your fight Murphy! You… you didn't know. Either of you." She turned away, holding her sweater to her protectively. Again, the twins exchanged a look.
"What d'ye mean, 'didn't know'? Didn't know what?" Murphy asked.
Laura sat down heavily on the chair. "I… It's just… Never mind." She looked down at the floor.
Connor knelt down in front of her and raised her chin. "Laura. What happened?"
"I – I don't want to talk about it." She shook her head.
"We can't help ye if ye don't tell us what happened Laura." His voice was relaxing, and Laura felt the tension and worry leaving her body.
"There… there were some men. They didn't want me to be around you. I don't know why, they never said."
Murphy looked like he was about to jump in, but Connor held up a hand, stalling him while he kept talking to Laura in the same tone. "Some men? What did they look like? How many?"
"I – I don't know. A lot. They always wore black all the time. They were following me, knew where I worked, where I lived, everything. Then… then things just kept getting worse and worse. I wanted to tell you guys, I really did… but I figured you … I wanted to deal with it myself."
"Ye didn't want ta seem weak?" Connor asked, and she nodded, looking at the floor ashamed. "Laura… yer not weak for admitting that ye need help!" He rubbed her arm comfortingly. "Laura, how long has this been going on for?"
"A – a while." She grudgingly admitted.
"Laura…" He gave her a stern look.
"Since after I argued with you about Ar-Arlene, right after you two broke up."
Connor was silent, and Murphy took this opportunity to speak. "Laura, it's been a month since then! This shite has been happening for a month, and ye didn't tell us?!"
She shrank back in the chair. Connor interjected. "Calm down Murphy, it's not her fault." Turning to Laura, he said, "Ye look exhausted. D'ye want ta talk about this later?"
"Y-yes please." She replied quietly.
"Alright." Connor stood up. "The guest room is free, ye know where it is right?"
Laura nodded. "Uh huh."
"Good. Go get yerself some rest. We'll talk more tomorrow." Laura stood and left the room.
The twins exchanged a look. "Fuck." Whispered Murphy when he was sure she was out of earshot.
"We're going to have to find out…" Connor sighed. "We can't just go back to bed now."
"I'm not gonna be able ta fuckin' sleep." Murphy bitterly agreed.
"Should tell her to use the shower."
"Aye." Murphy didn't move, so Connor walked after Laura.
He knocked on the door to the guest room, she was sitting in the middle of the floor. He cleared his throat, making her look up.
"Er, thought you might want a shower."
"Oh. Yeah, thanks." She smiled slightly, pulling at her sweater. She winced as she tried to move it over her head.
"Ye alright? Lemme help ye." He walked over and carefully took the material off, leaving her in a thin t-shirt. She shivered from the sudden change in temperature, and Connor could see bruises on her arms.
"Yer not going ta be leaving tomorrow either Laura." He said, predicting her next argument.
She looked up at him surprised, but didn't say anything.
"Yer hurt. Ye can stay here until … until you feel better. Until you want ta leave. We'll not force ye out." When she slowly nodded, he felt a weight disappear from his mind. "Good. I'll get ye a towel for the bathroom."
"Thanks." She whispered.
~^|*|^~/\~^|*|^~
Even after Laura had gone to bed, the MacManus twins were still awake, sitting in the kitchen.
"What the fuck do we do about this now?" Murphy asked.
"Ye didn't see the bruises on her body. Whoever did this ta her knew what they were doin." Connor admitted bitterly.
Murphy shook his head. "Who the fuck'd want ta do this ta Laura of all people?"
"If I was ta guess, I'd say Arlene. She hated Laura. But I don't know where she'd get so many men ta help her with somethin' like this."
"Aye, and hasn't yer ex been outta the picture for a while?"
Connor nodded. "Which is why this doesn't make any sense."
Murphy glanced at the clock. "We're gonna need Da's help with this one. And maybe even Smecker. But it's late and-" He was cut off by cries from the guest room.
"Laura." Connor had already left the room. Opening the door to the guest bedroom, he looked around, feeling relieved that the only person in there was Laura. "Laura, relax, please. It's okay." He gently rubbed his thumb across her forehead, feeling the cold sweat as she thrashed around in the bed. "Shush now Laura, calm."
Murphy stood at the door, watching the two of them.
Gradually, Laura calmed down, her eyes fluttering open. "C-Conn?"
"Aye?"
He was taken aback when she flung her arms around him. "Christ, I thought it was a dream." She sobbed into his chest. Murphy gave him a half-hearted smile as he left the room.
"S'alright now Laura. Yer safe. Saints'll protect ye, I promise." He whispered while he pet her hair, making her relax.
"Thank you Connor…" She yawned as he lay her back down on her bed.
"Go ta sleep. Ye need it." He smiled and didn't leave her side until he was sure she had fallen asleep. He carefully closed the door behind him, and walked back into the room he shared with Murphy. "We hafta fuckin' find these bastards, and make 'em pay."
~^|*|^~/\~^|*|^~
The twins didn't get much more sleep that night. Between the guilt they felt over leaving Laura on her own, the worries about her health, and the anger that they felt towards the men who had done this to her, they both had far too much to think about to allow themselves the luxury of sleep. It wasn't surprisingly that when the sun rose in the morning, the two of them were sitting out in the kitchen, balefully looking down into their partially full coffee mugs.
After a long silence, Connor was the first to speak. "We need a fuckin' plan."
"Search her apartment." Murphy suggested, taking a mouthful of the cold coffee.
"She's not goin' ta like us meddling." His twin warned.
"Aye. But there's nothin' she can do about that now. She came ta us, and now we're committed."
"Need ta see if there's a connection between her and those bastards too." Connor pointed out, getting up to fill his mug.
"Aye." Murphy scratched his head. "Can't leave her alone though."
Connor shook his head. "Definitely not. Even if she thinks she's good enough ta be out on her own, and even if she thinks she wants ta, she doesn't."
"Aye."
They lapsed into silence again as the clock marked a staccato rhythm in the background. Connor spoke up softly. "We're gonna need ta see how badly they injured her."
"Fuck, yer right. Never would've thought o' that Conn." The look Murphy gave him clearly indicated that it should be Connor looking over Laura, and not him.
"Hold on a minute there Murph, why me?" Connor's voice held a panicked note in it.
Murphy shrugged. "She trusts ye more than me. After all, ye were the one who helped her the most when she first met us."
"Fuck ye Murphy! Ye can't always be usin' that as yer excuse!" Connor glared sourly at his twin's cheeky grin.
"I'll keep usin' it as long as it's true. Now, I'm off ta check her apartment." Murphy got up from the table.
"Not yet."
"Why not?" He stopped at the door.
Connor took a swig of coffee. "They might not be cleared out yet."
"All the more reason-"
"No Murph." Connor cut off his brother's angry retort. "They were sent by someone. We need ta find out who. It'll be easier if we know who we're lookin' for."
Murphy sat back down with a sigh. "So now what?"
"Now we wait." Connor grabbed his coffee mug and head out to the living room to watch tv. Murphy followed him.
"I hate fuckin' waiting!"
~^|*|^~/\~^|*|^~
Laura woke up in terror. Looking around the unfamiliar room, she thought for a minute that they had moved her from her apartment, taken her somewhere else. However, as her eyes adjusted, she quickly found that the unfamiliar room was actually the guest bedroom at the MacManus' apartment, and she relaxed, falling back into the bed. She savoured the feeling of the soft mattress and warm blankets around her, knowing that, for now at least, she was safe.
It was comfortable, and she was slowly being lulled back to sleep. She didn't hurt as much as she did yesterday, and she could see a bit better too. Everything was wonderful. Though she'd love to stay in bed all day, or at least for a little while longer, she had a feeling that the twins were up to something, and the sooner she found out about it, the better off everyone would be. Sitting up, she looked over at her sweater from the night before. That, and her t-shirt and jeans were all that she had to wear. Standing up, she tied her hair back, and went to the door, making a note that she'd have to find more clothes. After a moment's hesitation, she opened the door and walked out.
Connor sat out on the couch in the living room, flipping through the few channels that he and his brother managed to get with their antennae, never stopping, just flipping. His mind wandered over the conversation from last night – why hadn't either of them gone to check on her? Why hadn't they worried more? Because it was Laura. And she always came around, hated people meddling, always wanted to do things herself. Because I was far too tied up with my self loathing, self pity, to even realize that someone else was in trouble, and Murph was too busy indulging me.
A creak heralded Laura's arrival, making Connor withdraw from his thoughts. He looked over to see her lurking in the shadows of the doorway, wearing the same clothes from last night. He could feel a strange emotion coming over him, but hastily ignored it. Connor swallowed, and then sent her a shaky smile, gesturing for her to come sit by him. She hesitantly moved into the room, wary eyes taking in every inch.
"Where's… where's Murph?" She sat down beside him, relaxing into the couch very slowly, either from pain or fear, Connor couldn't tell which.
"He's gone out." Connor replied vaguely.
"Without you?"
He shrugged. "Just because we're twins doesn't mean we do everythin' together Laura." He sent a critical eye over her. "Now, what actually happened ta ye? I'm gonna hafta see the extent of the damage"
Laura shook her head violently, her dark hair moving free of it's restraint. "I'm fine Connor. Just a few bruises, nothing serious. How many times do I hafta say it?"
"Until I believe it, which is pretty near never." He crossed his arms, an inflexible glower on his face. "Laura, ye came in here last night, fuckin' covered in blood, ye had cuts, bruises, and who the hell knows what the fuck all else. Ye can't be tellin' me, not even twenty-four hours later, that yer fuckin' fine!" He fumed, and was suddenly aware of how far away Laura was pushing herself from him. Taking a look at her terrified expression, Connor sighed. "Look, Laura, I'm not tryin' ta scare ye. I just want ta make sure yer fine. Let me see what they did ta ye."
"You won't like it." She whispered, eyes bright with tears. He was pleased to see that the swelling around her eye had gone down a bit, making it easier to see both of her eyes.
"I didn't like seein' ye with yer black eye either." He gently placed a hand at the side of her face. "I just need ta know that ye'll be alright." Connor smiled kindly at her, and he could see her expression flicker as she tried to figure out a way to avoid this.
"Fine. But I don't like this." She closed her eyes as she pulled up her shirt to rest just below her bust, refusing to move it any higher. "This is all."
He could tell she was lying simply from looking at the bruises all over her abdomen. They didn't look too bad, but there were something that disappeared below her jeans, and others that were visible from the neckline of her shirt. He decided for her dignity's sake that he wouldn't look unless there was just cause – and she was out cold. There were cuts on her arms, and a particularly nasty looking bruise on her ribs on the right side.
He hissed at the damage, but noted everything. "Is there… any damage on yer back?" Connor raised his eyes to look at her face, and she nodded, keeping her eyes firmly shut – as if she was afraid of his reaction. He kept his face and tone impassive. "Alright Laura, turn around, let me see."
Dutifully, she did so, revealing many equivalent marks on her back, and one gouge near her spine on her left side. Connor reached out and gently traced it with a hand, making her shiver.
"What was that from?"
Laura awkwardly cleared her throat. "One of them had a knife." Was her only means of explanation
Connor pulled his hand away, a disgusted expression on his face. "Fuck. We really let ye down, didn't we?"
She turned to face him, but didn't say anything. He already knew. Again he felt guilt for his responsibility in this. He was strongly reminded of the sermon he heard over a year ago, before any of this had even happened…
"This poor soul cried out
time and time again for help but no
person answered her calls…"
Connor shook his head, the echoing voice from the church ringing in his head as a reminder – the indifference of good men. Laura was immersed in the television, a news program he had left on. The headline story was talking about the Saints of South Boston. Connor watched Laura for her reaction, and was somewhat surprised when he didn't see one.
"How come ye didn't come here on yer bike?" He asked after a moment of silence.
She didn't seem to want to answer. "It's… busted."
"Busted?"
"Um, yup." She didn't give any further answer, so Connor let it go. The show flipped to commercials, and a catchy jingle rang out through the quiet of the apartment. Frustrated at the lack of communication between them, he tried to find something to talk about. Connor vaguely remembered that she had a pet when she had moved into the apartment, a little kitten. Probably a cat by now. It was as good a topic as any to start with.
"Will yer cat be alright?"
"H-he's dead Conn." Laura wouldn't look away from the tv screen, her voice sounding somewhat raw.
Returning to the kitchen, she took in the scene, ignoring her disgust for the moment, memorizing it so she could draw her anger from it later. The floor was nearly saturated with red blood, a spray across the walls which marked the struggle. From the fan overtop of the light hung thin pieces of wire, and attached to each of these were the mangled and cut up pieces of Raja. There were seven wires in total, one for each of the legs, one of the tail and two for the head. On the floor directly below the fan was the rest of his body, cut into many pieces, the grey fur matted with drying blood… She shuddered at the recollection, holding back tears.
"O-oh. Shite, sorry." He felt more awkward than before. The two of them lapsed into silence again, with Connor watching her to see what had changed, and Laura ignoring the man sitting beside her.
They stayed like that for a while until a thought occurred to Connor. "When did ye last eat?" He asked quietly. She snapped out of her daze.
"Uh… Don't recall." She blinked, tilting her head to the side as she thought. It was only then that he noticed how unhealthy she really looked. "Days really blurred together. I think, er, yesterday afternoon. Yeah, that sounds right."
He shook his head again, and softly pushed her towards the guest room, masking his emotions. "D'ye have any clothes ta wear?
She shook her head. "Not with me, no."
"Oh." He paused. "Er, d'ye want ta borrow a shirt or somethin'? I know it'll be too large, but it's better than nothin'."
"Uh, sure?" She followed him into the room he shared with Murphy. Grabbing a t-shirt, he threw it at her which she caught haphazardly. "Thanks." She smiled softly at him.
He smiled back. "I'll go order a pizza."
She smiled thankfully, and disappeared away behind a door as Connor went back into the kitchen.
The phone rang before he managed to dial the pizza place, and he picked up. "Hello?"
"Fuck Conn, ye've gotta see this. Yer not gonna believe how trashed this place is!"
Connor sighed. "We let her down Murph. She can't even remember when she last ate, and she's got cuts and bruises everywhere."
"We let her down big time." His twin agreed. "There's blood, and … ye've gotta see it. I can't explain it. But ye shouldn't have made me wait. If those bastards were here this morning, I would've-"
"No Murph. We'll find the source, and take it out. As Da always says, divide and conquer."
"Fine. But ye wouldn't say that if ye saw what I've seen. They will pay. And I hope yer fuckin' right about this one Conn. It better be worth it." Murphy growled, hanging up.
Connor hung up the phone, putting it back down on the counter as he speculated what could make his twin so angry. He heard the soft padding footsteps behind him, and turned to see Laura standing at the edge of the kitchen, wearing his black t-shirt that draped off of her. "Was that Murphy?"
"Aye. He'll be back for lunch I think."
"Oh." Laura looked over at the cell phone. "Why don't you guys have two?"
"Huh?"
"Two cell phones, one for each of you. It'd make more sense."
Connor shrugged. "We share well."
Laura chuckled. "Well, if Murph doesn't hurry, you're going to hafta share the scraps of the pizza with him."
Connor laughed, and picked up the phone. "Feelin' hungry?"
"Yeah, a trifle." She smiled shyly.
"S'good ta hear. Lemme call the place, and we'll get ye some food."
~^|*|^~/\~^|*|^~
Murphy arrived shortly after the pizza had, a grave expression on his face. He brightened considerably when he saw that Laura was awake, watching tv. Connor was sitting at the table in the kitchen, keeping an eye on her and slowly eating a slice of rapidly cooling pizza. Without catching her attention, Murphy walked over to Connor. "How was it?" Connor asked quietly, sending a nervous look toward the oblivious Laura.
"Brutal." Murphy replied honestly, seeming a bit more calm than he was on the phone. "The entire apartment's trashed, except for the kitchen, and her bedroom."
"Why those two rooms?" Connor turned to watch his brother pull a beer from the fridge.
"I have no fuckin' idea." Murphy shook his head, popping the lid.
Connor wasn't able to ask Murphy anything further because Laura walked into the kitchen with an empty glass in her hand.
"Hey Murph." She smiled at him, moving past him to get to the fridge. "Where were you?"
"Out." He cleared his throat. "Laura, those guys… do they know where ye're stayin' now?"
She froze, nearly dropping the glass. "I – I don't think I was followed. I made sure of it."
Murphy nodded. "Alright. Just wanted to make sure."
"O-okay… Um, I'm … going to go back to my show now." They could almost see her shaking, and she left with her glass still empty.
Once Connor was sure she was out of ear-shot, he turned to his twin, fury clear on his face. "What the fuck did ye do that for Murphy?!" He yelled in hushed tones.
"Look at her!" Murphy ordered, and Connor turned to see Laura curling up in a ball on the couch. "She's fuckin' petrified. We have ta find these fuckin' bastards. Now Conn."
Connor cursed. "What the fuck did they do ta her?"
"I don't know for sure." Murphy rubbed at his eyes wearily. "Look, go take a look at her fuckin' apartment. I don't know who these guys were, but I think they were only tryin' ta intimidate her. Why, I don't know. They went too fuckin' far."
"Aye. Did you see Smecker?"
"Nah, not yet. I was goin' ta do that next." Murphy picked up a piece of pizza while his brother laced his boots.
"Well, we can't fuckin' leave her by herself. I mean, look at her." Connor gestured to Laura, who had grabbed a pillow and was holding it to herself tightly. Murphy's expression softened.
"I'll keep her company. Are ye gonna talk with Smecker, or should I?"
"I was thinkin' that we should both go talk to him. Bring him here, or somethin'." Connor shifted his weight while he looked about for one of their black duffle bags. "I was just gonna swing by her apartment and grab some extra clothes and shit for her."
"Good idea. I'll call Smecker. Oh, and take this." Murphy threw a cell phone at Connor.
"What?" He barely managed to catch it.
"Figured that if one of us was here, the other should have a phone ta keep in contact." Murphy shrugged.
Connor laughed. "Laura just suggested that we should have two."
"Been here for less than a day and she's already ahead us Conn." He chuckled, taking his beer with him while he went, hearing the door close behind Connor. Murphy sat down on the couch beside Laura, making her look up for an instant. "Whatcha watchin'?"
"Dunno." She replied.
"Well, let's see what's on then, huh?" He asked cheerfully, reaching for the remote on the coffee table. He started flipping through the channels.
"Murph?" Her voice was quiet.
Keeping his cheerful facade, he replied. "Aye?"
"Where's Conn?" She played with a string on the pillow.
Murphy paused. "Out."
"I see." She didn't look up. "And where did you go, earlier?"
Again, a pause. "Out."
She sighed, looking up at him. "What the fuck are you two doing keeping things from me?" Her anger sounded more weary than outraged.
"There are some things Laura, that yer not supposed ta know. That ye really shouldn't know about." Murphy looked her dead in the eye. "Those men who attacked ye, they would be part o' that."
~^|*|^~/\~^|*|^~
Connor quietly left the apartment, taking the duffle bag with him. He allowed his mind to wander while he walked to her apartment, trying to piece together what Murphy had given him. And what Laura had said.
She said she didn't want to impose… what the hell did she mean by that? It's not like this is the first time she's come to us for help. It's not like this is the first time we've gone out of our way for her. What the fuck's changed?
He shook his head. Every question he asked was only leading him to more that he couldn't answer. When he reached her apartment, he hoped that things would make sense.
Connor took the stairs up to her floor two at a time, glad that most people in the building were either at work, or fast asleep at this time of day. Her building was nice – a lot nicer than where the twins stayed. They had picked it out for her because they figured that it would be safe, no mafia presence in the area, fairly quiet neighbourhood. Looks can be deceiving, apparently.
The door to her apartment was ajar, probably from when Murphy went in earlier. Even from the doorway, you could tell that the place had been completely torn apart. Papers were strewn across the floor, there was stuffing from couches, chairs, and pillows thrown about, the mirrors were cracked or completely smashed. A chair was upended beside a bookcase that lay on the floor, and the books lay on the ground, one of which having a kitchen knife stabbed through it. There were stains on the wall, and it looked like someone had tried to rip the wallpaper off of it. Vulgar words and phrases were written across nearly every available surface, and there was a bucket with water and a sponge over in the corner where Laura likely had been trying to remove them.
Connor walked further into the apartment, pieces of glass cracking underneath his booted feet. The rest of the apartment looked pretty much the same, general chaos, expect for the kitchen. When Connor looked in, he saw wires attached to the fan, and the remains of a bloody smear on the floor. Mouth set in a line, he walked further into the room, and saw dried blood on the floor, and a knife set on the counter, edge browned with the dried liquid.
Continuing through the apartment, he saw the armoire in the hall, with a completely shattered mirror attached to it. The mirror in the bathroom was broken as well, but the rest of the room was relatively untouched. Turning around, he went into the final room, the one he had been avoiding – her bedroom. However, there appeared to be no damage done to this room. He put the duffle bag down by her closet, and focussed on his task. Going through Laura's drawers and closet, he grabbed some of the remaining clothes, stuffing them into the bag. Many looked like someone had come and ripped them, rending a large portion of Laura's wardrobe completely unusable.
Finally done, he zipped up the bag and threw it over his shoulder. He doubted that there would be much more any of them would be doing at this apartment. Murphy was right – those men had to be brought to justice, and soon. With one last look around the apartment, he left, closing the door behind him. Hopefully he'd never have to see something like this happen to a friend ever again.
~^|*|^~/\~^|*|^~
When he got back to their apartment, Murphy was waiting for him in the kitchen, and Laura didn't seem to have moved from the couch. She had chosen to now curl up near one end of the couch, as far away from the kitchen as possible, and had her head down on the pillow, either sleeping or watching tv still.
"And?" Murphy asked.
"We should've fuckin' taken them out this morning." Connor spat, and Murphy nodded.
"Aye, we should've." He sighed, looking over at Laura. "So, what now? Smecker's not gonna be around for a couple o' hours, he's got some crime ta deal with."
Connor sat down heavily in one of the kitchen chairs. "Fuck Murphy, I feel like such a fuckin' asshole."
Murphy blinked at the non-sequitur but let his brother continue.
"I was so consumed at bein' angry with her that I didn't even listen when she was in trouble."
"Hey, it wasn't just ye-"
"And ye shouldn't have let me go on with that!" Connor glared at his twin, who quickly shut up. "What if that shite happens again, and something even more serious comes up?"
Murphy shrugged. "Then don't let it happen again. It's all up ta ye." He left the room to go check on Laura, letting Connor sit alone with his thoughts.