A/N: This chapter Niamh finds out why Cheryl has fallen out with Brendan and why Lynsey has lost her job. Also gets suspicious of Silas. Thanks for the review, the follow and the favourite. Sorry this has taken long but good news my college course is over meaning I have more time for this. Yay.

Niamh stared at him for a minute opened mouthed. She then winced as her black eye twinged angrily.
"How come Cheryl has fallen out with you?" asked Niamh. Brendan looked down at the floor glumly. Niamh could tell it was something serious.
"She found out I was gay, in a completely wrong way" said Brendan she gasped and clapped her hand to her mouth, she knew this was a lot more serious. She knew his feelings towards his sexuality he hated it. She used to think Seamus was partly to blame for Brendan's attitude towards being gay but after the week and a bit she had just had she changed her opinion completely and decided that it was all Seamus's fault that Brendan hated the fact he was gay.
"Oh dad, tell me from the beginning how she found out" said Niamh she knew she was probably pushing it but she was worried about him and he obviously needed someone to talk to.
"I was arguing with Pete and he started shouting about me being..." said Brendan she understood and nodded. He wasn't going to say the word gay out loud.
"I know, carry on" said Niamh encouragingly.
"She overheard that and came out to see if it was true, then I had to admit it, she went ballistic at me and told me that it was unfair that I kept it from her and told everyone else except her" said Brendan.
"She shouldn't be angry at you, she must know how hard it is to come out" said Niamh, she heard the door open and shut down stairs. Niamh and Brendan jumped up and went down.

It was Pete; he wheeled himself to the downstairs bar Niamh and Brendan followed him.
"Leave now" said Brendan
"No way to talk to a customer" said Pete Niamh shook her head at him; he was looking at her face.
"You heard him" said Niamh coldly. He frowned at her.
"I came to talk to Brendan about what Cheryl overheard" said Pete. He eyed her cautiously and she wondered why then she realised he didn't that she knew about Brendan being gay.
"She knows" said Brendan shortly. She could see he was feeling tense he was at his full height and was stiff.
"Another person that you told above Cheryl" said Pete slyly. She shook her head at him. "Found out myself actually years ago, I walked in the room at the wrong time, stop pretending to know everything about it" said Niamh.

Brendan looked at her and she looked at him, he smiled at her sneakily and then went straight back to his stiff position. She went and stood next to him.
"Maybe if you didn't keep it secret in the first place then Cheryl wouldn't have fallen out with you" said Pete.
"It's none of your business anyway" said Niamh.
"You're just like your dad" said Pete. She smiled at this and nodded.
"Yes, I am problem with that" said Niamh, the nearly healed scratch on her face itched and she went to scratch it but Brendan grabbed her hand.
"I know you still beat yourself up over that night Brendan and it's not your fault" said Pete.
"You changed your tune you were blaming him before I left but come back a day early and everything feels like I have walked in to a weird alternate reality" said Niamh. Brendan laughed and looked at her. It felt weird to her but it was better than staying in Belfast playing happy families with Seamus.

"I do anything to protect my family" said Brendan sharply.
"Yeah, like mugging Cheryl that time and stealing from the club" said Pete. Niamh did a double take. She looked from Brendan to Pete. Then remembered Eileen mentioned it to her because Eileen was over when it happened. She had been over to get money for Declan's treatment for his balance problems he had been having. She had a bad feeling he had something to do with it but at the same time the money was needed the school Declan was at was starting to make accusations because of the bruises which Eileen and Niamh were the brunt of.
"How did you find out about that?" asked Brendan.
"So you're not denying it" said Pete. She was now turning her head every time one of them spoke like she was watching a tennis match.
"I mugged Cheryl thinking she was Rhys, I took the money for Declan's treatment and I do…" said Brendan before he could finish Cheryl lunged at him screaming insults. Niamh pulled her off and pulled her back.
"I defended you against the man I loved and then he died a month later, we ended on bad terms" cried Cheryl. She stormed out crying. Niamh stood there dumbstruck.

XOXOXOXOXOX

Niamh was in the flat sat on the sofa, Cheryl was in her room crying and Brendan was in his room being all quiet. Lynsey came in to the flat and looked at her face.
"Your back early what's happened?" asked Lynsey she went and sat down next to her. Lynsey put her hand on Niamh's face examining her face.
"I fell over" said Niamh. Lynsey looked at her and nodded but Niamh could tell that she knew she was lying. Lynsey looked really tired "I heard you lost your job what happened"
"Silas Blissett attacked me and I wanted to prove it but didn't go round it the right way, he had a heart attack and I kept the oxygen away from him so he would admit it to me, someone came in and I got suspended, I have a hearing soon" said Lynsey. Niamh hugged her and held her close. She had been gone for a week and a bit and everything had kicked off.
"I am here for you" said Niamh. She carried on hugging her. Silas seemed the silent killer type. He always gave her creeps. She believed Lynsey she had no reason to lie and she had known her all her life. Niamh made a mental note to watch her back and keep her family close to her when around them.

XOXOXOX

Niamh was laid in bed thinking about the day she had just had. She was missing her boys already but was glad she came back early because now Cheryl, Lynsey and Brendan needed her more than anything.

Next chapter: Niamh gets angry at noisy neighbours, finds out about Ste's new boyfriend and sticks up for Lynsey.