"Oy, wake up. We're meetin' Smecker in an hour for lunch."
Gwen's eyes snapped open as her blanket was jerked unceremoniously off her body, just in time to see Murphy disappear onto the other side of the couch. Scowling, she sat up and rubbed at her eyes with the heels of her hand. "Thanks for the gentle wake up call," she greeted sarcastically, leaning against the back of the couch to give Murphy an annoyed look.
"Well it's almost eleven thirty. I thought ya'd never fuckin' wake up," he answered, sitting back down at the table and picking up his beer and cigarette, which had been perched on the edge of the ash tray.
"Is it really?" Gwen asked, surprised she had slept so late considering her lengthy nap the night before.
"Aye, yer s'posed ta meet Smecker for lunch."
"Mrrrrh," Gwen answered, standing up and scratching her stomach before moving to her suitcase to pull out clothes for the day. "I'm gonna go shower." And with that, she headed off to the bathroom, Murphy's eyes on her back the whole way. It made her wonder if he wanted to talk about last night or if perhaps he was just wondering if that's what she wanted. She didn't want to discuss last night, though, and she'd push memories of the conversation to the back of her mind for now.
After a quick shower and blow drying her hair, Gwen put on her aqua t-shirt and comfortable jeans before doing her make up- just some blush, eyeliner, and a bit of eye shadow. She was ready in about half an hour and left the bathroom to go put on her jewelry and tennis shoes. Murphy was in the exact same position he had been in when she left: sitting at the kitchen table, beer in one hand and a smoke in the other, with the day's newspaper spread out before him.
Shaking her head somewhat, Gwen kneeled down and opened her smaller suitcase, opening up a small box and pulling out a pair of dark turquoise and silver earrings to put on. She then put on a pair of socks, followed by her grey sketchers, and stood up, hands on her hips, to look at Murphy. "I'm ready."
He glanced up at her, chewing on this thumbnail before taking one last drag off the cigarette and putting it out in the ashtray, draining his beer and tossing it in the trash. "Well let's go, then."
Gwen grabbed her purse, checking that her wallet and cell were inside, before following Murphy out the door, pulling on her expensive, black Kenneth Cole pea coat (a Christmas gift from her mother). He shut and locked the door behind them, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his own felt, much cheaper pea coat as he led the way out of the building with Gwen trudging silently behind him.
"So what's he like?" she asked, once they had reached the street. It was cloudy today, and cold, and judging from the angry grey clouds blocking out the sky, there was a good chance of rain. Hugging her jacket tighter around her to block out the whipping wind, Gwen hurried her pace so that she was strolling alongside him rather than slightly behind.
"Who?"
"Smecker." Gwen brushed the hair away from her eyes, tucking it behind her ear to try and keep it from being blown about by the wind.
She saw Murphy give a shrug before he answered. "He's a good man, very sharp," he explained, crossing the street. "A bit strange, though."
"Strange is good," Gwen said with a nod. "I've read he's one of the best there is. He can figure out almost any crime just from looking at the scene."
"Oh, he's good," Murphy agreed, smiling at her. "The first time Connor and I met him was after a brush with a couple o' Russian mother fuckers. He had the whole fuckin' thing figure out before we even made it to the fuckin' police station."
Gwen noted a hint of amusement in Murphy's words, and she smiled back. "I think I remember that. Self defense, right?" Tucking her hair behind her ear didn't seem to be an adequate solution against the wind, and Gwen was beginning to think she'd have to pull it up.
"Aye," Murphy answered, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it; Gwen was surprised he hadn't pulled one out sooner. "There had been a bar fight the night before; guess they wanted revenge."
"Revenge is overrated," Gwen replied, hop-skipping along beside him in an attempt to generate more body heat and work out a few extra nerves; she didn't know why, but she was very nervous about the meeting with Smecker.
"Perhaps, Angel." Murphy stopped in front of a small sandwich shop and glanced around, flicking his cigarette to the ground and grinding it under his boot. "Here it is," he explained when Gwen gave him a quizzical look. "I'm supposed to wait outside for you."
"What?" Gwen almost yelped, the one word question coming across a lot more panicked than she intended. When Murphy lifted his eyebrows inquiringly, she hastily elaborated, "It's just… I mean, I thought you were coming with. I thought everyone was going to be there…"
"Nah, it's too dangerous for us to meet with Smecker. If we were spotted meeting, it'd be fucking over."
"Oh, so… it'll just be me then…"
"Aye, that'd be the point," Murphy agreed with a short nod as he tossed his cigarette to the concrete and ground the butt beneath his boot.
"Oh…" Gwen hesitated, glancing inside the small diner uneasily.
"You goin' in, Angel?" Murphy asked with a laugh, grabbing the handle and opening the door for her. She shot him a scowl before stepping inside the cozy little café. Her coat was shrugged off almost immediately, and Gwen took a moment to look around.
He was sitting in a corner with a coffee and the morning's paper. How she recognized him, Gwen wasn't sure; yeah she had seen him on the news, but that didn't seem to be it; he recognized her about the same time she did him, and with a polite smile, he folded the paper and set it on the table in front of him.
"You must be Gwen," he greeted, offering her the chair across from him as he put out the cigarette he had been smoking.
"Yes, and you must be Agent Paul Smecker," she responded with a similar expression, lowering herself into the seat and draping her coat across the back of the chair.
"Just Paul will be fine," he answered, shifting his posture. "You want something?" he asked, waving over a waitress.
"Oh, um, no thank you," Gwen answered, not really in the mood to eat; now that she was here, she was eager to hear what Smecker would have to say. Maybe he would know something.
"Another coffee," Smecker, told the waitress, "And one for the lady here. You do drink coffee, don't you?" The question was directed at Gwen, and she gave a quick nod followed by a thankful smile before the waitress bustled off. "Now, about what's been going on…" Smecker began, idly smoothing out the paper setting on the table. Gwen stiffened eagerly, sliding forward to perch on the edge of her seat. "Why don't you tell me the story, starting at the beginning."
The request was somewhat deflating; she didn't want to regurgitate the story yet again. Gwen wanted new facts, answers, maybe a reassurance that within a few days she'd be going back home! A quiet sigh escaped her lips and she rubbed at her forehead, leaning back against her chair.
"I know you're tired of telling this story, but humor me."
Gwen glanced back at Smecker to find him lounging in his chair with a haphazard grin. Nodding somewhat, she settled herself into her own chair, thinking back to the beginning. She started with the first night, describing how she had been kidnapped and what all they had said. Smecker was keen on minute details- setting, where people had been sitting, what exactly they said. It was difficult for Gwen, and she found herself saying "I don't remember" more than anything else. Within twenty minutes she was frustrated and downing coffee like it was a drug.
"And you have no idea who this Sophia is?"
"No," Gwen answered dully for what felt like the millionth time; if she knew who Sophia was, she'd have done something about it by now! Why did everyone feel the need to ask her every other day? "All I know is that she was supposed to deliver something to Marco Andretti. And that she's been trying to unite the Andretti's with the Yakavetta's. But that's all." Gwen took another sip of coffee and rubbed tiredly at her forehead. Her mind felt like a wrung out sponge after having picked it over for every last detail about the Italian mafia. Even still, she found herself wondering who Sophia was- what did she have to offer the Italians that would get her in on the inside?
"I know you wanted answers," Smecker began, drawing Gwen's attention again. "Unfortunately I don't have any. I'll look into this Sophia thing, though. In the mean time, you'll want to be careful. I suggest you continue living with the MacManuses for the time being."
As Smecker stood up and began pulling on his coat, Gwen tried her best not to look disappointed. This wasn't how she envisioned the meeting at all; Smecker was supposed to know the answers to all her questions. He was supposed to tell her she'd be able to return to normal life next week; that she'd be able to call her mother and say she would be going to her brother's birthday party. Then again, Gwen had always been a bit idealistic.
"I'm sorry to cut this short, but I'm expected back at the office. We're working on the case from last night. It was nice meeting you."
"It was nice meeting you too, Agent Smecker," Gwen answered, standing up as well. He smiled and nodded at her before throwing a few bills on the table to pay for coffee; Gwen was so wrapped up in her own musings she didn't even think to protest. The tinkling of the bell signaled Smecker had left the café, but Gwen didn't follow, at least not immediately. Instead, she sank back down in her chair and thought.
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"'Bout time ya fuckin' show up," Murphy said in lieu of a greeting as his brother finally arrived outside the diner. Gwen had disappeared inside about twenty minutes earlier, and after making sure she spotted Smecker, Murphy had taken up residence against the side of the building.
"I'm here early, thank you very fuckin' much," Connor answered, glancing from Murphy to the glass window of the diner. "She inside?"
"Aye," Murphy answered, joining his brother's gaze and watched as Gwen and Smecker talked. "We got here about twenty minutes ago."
"What do you think they're talking about?"
"Dunno." Murphy shrugged, blowing a stream of smoke out and flicking the ash off the end of his cigarette. "Do ya think he'll know anything?"
"If he doesn't now he'll figure somethin' out." Connor fell silent for a moment as he drew out a cigarette and a lighter, his gaze dropping to the cement thoughtfully. Minutes slipped by in silence after the couple of clicks it took to light the cigarette and the only noise in the air was the noise of the city. "It's fucking weird, man, y'know?" he said suddenly around a mouthful of smoke, glancing back up at Murphy who shot him an inquiring sort of look. "Just this whole thing," he explained, gesturing vaguely. "Gwen, and this Sophia person. It's just fuckin' weird. Things are usually much simpler."
Before Murphy could answer the door to the diner opened and Smecker stepped out. Both MacManus brothers stiffened somewhat, but the Agent didn't even so much as blink in their direction. The only exchange between the three men was the slightest of nods given by Smecker before he took off down the street. Connor and Murphy waited awhile before turning to look inside the diner.
"What the fuck is she doin'?" Murphy asked, watching as she sat back down.
"Dunno, maybe he told her somethin' important," Connor suggested, also watching.
"Should we go in and ask?"
The boys exchanged a quick look before both darted for the door. Connor got there first, but Murphy hauled him away, shoving him in the opposite direction before managing to get inside. Connor was right behind him, and they both hurried over to where Gwen was seated, each throwing himself into an empty chair.
"So?" Connor asked.
"Did he know anything?" Murphy added.
"No," she answered quietly, not bothering to look up from her coffee. "He said he'd look into it though."
Again, the twins exchanged glances, obviously hoping the other one would know what to say. It seemed both were at a loss for words, however, and rather than saying anything, they just remained silent for a few moments.
"If he's lookin' in ta it, Angel, he'll figure somethin' out," Murphy attempted, managing to get a small nod out of Gwen but little else. He turned to his brother for assistance, and Connor shrugged.
"Let's get out of here," he said, standing up. Murphy did the same, and eventually Gwen climbed to her feet as well, taking her jacket from the back of her chair and slipping it on.
"Where are we going?" she asked uncertainly as they led the way out of the diner.
"First we're goin' t'show you around this part o'town so ya don't get fuckin' lost if ya ever go out by yourself."
"Then, we're gonna show you one of our favorite places not far from here," Murphy added as he caught on to Connor's train of thought; the grinning look exchanged between the brothers did not go unnoticed by Gwen. In fact, she pursed her lips because of it, now suddenly suspicious.
"I'll have you know that I won't find a strip club nearly as entertaining as you would," she teased, feigning seriousness excellently save for the slight smile.
"I'm offended you would even suggest such a thing!" Connor exclaimed, sounding shocked.
"Aye, we're Saints, Angel, remember?" Murphy added, beaming.
"Right," Gwen sarcastically responded, ignoring exactly what all being a "Saint" implied for these particular brothers. "Then where are you taking me?"
Connor didn't answer her; instead he threw his cigarette against the pavement and ground it under his boot before heading off down the street. Murphy, however, leaned towards her and whispered conspiratorially, "You'll see." And with a mischievous smirk, he followed his brother, tossing his own cigarette onto the asphalt of the street. Gwen remained still only for a second, watching them swagger down the sidewalk at the same pace, their strides almost identical.
Shaking her head somewhat, she jogged to catch up, content with remaining just a few steps behind them as they led the way forward, and for a brief moment she couldn't help but wonder where they were going to end up.
-------------------------------------------
The tour around the Irish side of Boston was amusing, to say the least. Gwen almost wished she had had a camera to document it all, between Murphy and Connor's good-natured bickering and the narrow escapes from annoyed looking pedestrians. The brothers together had a personality all of their own, and yet Gwen didn't feel left out; oh no, the boys made sure of that. From arguing over who got to buy her coffee later in the afternoon to fighting for the chance to put their arm around her shoulders, Gwen had felt as if she was in the middle of everything. And to be quite honest, it was the most comfortable, most contented, most relaxed she had been in a very long time. There was something natural about being with Connor and Murphy, something that made her forget the sinister reality to why she was spending time with them.
"Why do I have a feeling you don't get to spend much time around girls?" Gwen laughed as Connor looped his arm with hers only to be matched on her other side by Murphy.
"And how do ya figure that one, Angel?" Murphy asked.
"Because you're acting like it," Gwen answered with a smile. "You're spilling over with unused chivalry. Maybe you should spend less time drinking and more time girl-hunting. Two attractive gentlemen such as yourselves shouldn't have much trouble. Besides, you're Irish."
"Ya hear that, Connor? We're good attractive," Murphy said over her head to his brother, seeming to puff up with pride.
"Yes we are!" Connor agreed emphatically, looking smug.
"Allow me to pop your over-inflated egos before they suffocate me," Gwen put in dryly.
"You said it, not us," Murphy pointed out.
"Very true," Gwen admitted with a slight shrug that was inhibited slightly by their arms. "So do we get to stop by this oh-so-secret place you two have been dropping hints about all afternoon?" she asked, nudging them both with her elbows.
"Aye, we're heading there now," Connor explained, releasing her arm and heading forward to take the lead. Murphy remained linked to her, and Gwen found that she was perfectly fine with it.
"We got to move back to this area of town a couple months ago. We figured it'd be safer to live around friends who wouldn't turn us in after seein' the evening news report," he explained to her as Connor approached the end of the street. "This place like home t'us."
"And what is this place?" Gwen asked quietly, leaning in conspiratorially. Murphy just grinned and fell silent.
In a matter of seconds they rounded the corner and she found a sign that explained it all:
McGinty's Irish Pub
"A bar, why am I not surprised?" Gwen asked, shaking her head.
"Disappointed, Angel?" Murphy asked as he released her arm.
"No, just not surprised."
"Ladies first," Connor said with a smile, beckoning her through the door. "That means you too, Murph," he added once Gwen had stepped inside.
"Oh, fuck you," Murphy said, shoving his brother out of the way and walking in; Connor followed, grinning.
McGinty's was almost like every other pub or bar Gwen had visited. Cozy, dimly lit, full of smoke, the works. And yet there was a homier atmosphere inside, like everyone knew everyone and only friends came to drink here. She instantly decided she liked the place.
"I feel like an alcoholic being in a bar at four o'clock," she said over her shoulder as Connor and Murphy moved towards her, pausing once they reached either side. Hmph, like a couple of body guards, she thought with wry amusement.
"Nah, it's the Irish way," Connor explained with a wink, strolling off towards the bar.
"C'mon, Angel, we'll be wanting to introduce you to a good friend." Murphy led Gwen up to the bar where Connor had already jumped into a conversation with the man behind it- an old, friendly looking person with large glasses. He had just finished scolding Connor for not having dropped by in a while- something about dropping off the face of the "f-f-f-f-fuckin' earth"- when they arrived.
"Doc, we'd like ya ta meet our new roommate, Gwen Harper," Connor said, introducing the two of them.
"P-p-pleasure t-t-ta meet ya, lass," he said, beaming as he finished drying out the inside of a glass.
"Same to you," she replied, grinning.
"Gwen here works at a pub, too," Murphy said, resting a hand on her shoulder. "A place called the Taproom."
"Aye, an' you should see the outfit she wears," Connor added with a wink. Gwen was offended.
"Hey! It's not THAT bad," she pointed out, crossing her arms across her chest. "Besides, you get great tips for it." Although trying to be matter-of-fact and oh-so-reasonable, the identical expressions of "Oh really?" written across the MacManus brother's faces made Gwen backtrack. "I didn't mean it like that! It's just… a statement of fact. Besides, it's an Irish Pub. It's like a costume."
"I don't see Doc wearin' a short skirt," Murphy pointed out, leaning over the counter as though to check.
"Aye, and thank God for it," Connor laughed. Gwen couldn't think of anything to defend herself with, so she remained sulkily silent, arms crossed and a fuming expression on her face.
"Hey Doc, why don't you round up a couple o'drinks before we head back. We can't stay long."
"I d-d-don't know how ya ended up with these b-b-b-b-boys - FUCK! ASS!"
Gwen jumped, eyes widening somewhat at the sudden outburst.
"But I hope they're treatin' ya right," Doc finished, as if nothing had happened. Gwen quickly schooled her astonished expression into a mere smile.
"They've been very well behaved actually," she said, smiling as Doc poured three pints of Guinness and slid them across the bar.
"Ya here that, Conn?" Murphy whispered loudly, elbowing his brother in the side. "We're good lookin' and well behaved."
"What a couple o'desirable bachelors we are, Murph!" Connor agreed.
"D-d-d-d-desirable my fuckin' ass," Doc interjected.
"Now why d'ya have to go sidin' against us, Doc? Don't we keep this bar open with all our generous donations?" Connor asked, looking wounded.
"Just finish yer drinks and get the fuck outta here," Doc said, and Gwen could easily detect the jest underneath the words. Nevertheless, the three of them downed the rest of the Guinness, bid their goodbyes to Doc, and headed out the door. Evening was falling over Boston, and Gwen turned her thoughts to her meeting with Smecker that morning.
They were only about a block away from McGinty's when she saw him; a tall, broad-shouldered man hazily familiar, leaning against a lamppost across the street reading the paper. He glanced up almost at the exact same time she spotted him, their eyes meeting instantly. It felt as though an ice cube had been dropped down the back of her shirt as he stared at her, squinting almost as though he wasn't entirely sure if he was seeing correctly.
"Gwen, are ya alright?"
Blinking, Gwen turned to look at Connor and found that both the boys were several paces in front of her; she must have stopped moving without realizing it. She turned her eyes back across the street and saw that the man was gone. There was sinking sensation in the pit of her stomach, and she turned to find both Connor and Murphy backtracking their steps to come stand next to her. All the laughter and amusement was gone from both of their faces as they stared at her.
"What's the matter, Angel?" Murphy asked, frowning.
"I saw someone," Gwen answered vaguely, turning her head to scan the area across the street.
"Christ, Gwennie, yer gonna hafta give us more t'go on than that," Connor said, resting a hand on either of her shoulders.
"Let's just get back to the apartment," she said at length, tearing her eyes away from opposite sidewalk when she couldn't find him.
Rather than push the subject, both of them just nodded and started walking again. Gwen did too, her footsteps feeling much heavier than they had a moment or two ago. The nervous knot that had formed in her stomach wasn't going away, and she noticed that Connor and Murphy stuck much closer to her than they had all afternoon, their arms occasionally brushing against hers. The nagging had started up again, that constant uneasy gnawing, and as they hurried back towards the apartment, Gwen just couldn't shake that ominous feeling that something was about to happen, and whatever it was, it wasn't good.
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((AN- Wow, long time since an update, I know. Terribly sorry! School stuff has been keeping me ridiculously busy- homework is the devil in case you didn't know- and on top of that, I despised this chapter. Every time I started in to edit it, I didn't get further than about a page. I think I am horrible at writing for Smecker, and the meeting went through serious revisions over and over again. I'm still not happy with it, but I'm tired of dealing with it and I'm determined to give you an update before my Spring Break is up. Besides, how poetic is it for me to updateon St. Patty's?! Lol. Hopefully I'll update again sooner rather than later. Hope you enjoy the chappie, even though I don't, and thank you SO much for all your fabulous reviews! They make me smile! Happy St. Patrick's Day!))
