A:N: Alright, as this is the last and finally chapter I give my thanks to all those who have read and reviewed throughout the story. I appreciate the reviews from: jimmie345,Topaz In My Eyes, Nyah1, IrishBoysareHott, cleopatra32003, Jade Opal, babyhilts, Threnody Shepherd, IrishSaints, wolfchick11, azzi, smite the mighty, icydragon14, penscratch and I Fancy Hugh Dancy. Enjoy and tell me what you think but I have a good hand that some readers are gonna be pissed off.

Chapter Twenty-five

Settling Accounts

"Bless me father for I have sinned," I began quietly tears filling my eyes. "It's been days since my last confession."

"What have you come to repent for, my son?"

I began to choke back my tears and tilted my head back to rest against the wall. "The death..the death of the woman I loved.."

I heard him gasp quietly but he stopped himself and continued. "My son, did you kill her?"

"No," I began. "But I can't help but feel like I had a hand in it.."

I stood by looking out the window. Five hours had passed. Something was wrong. I had been waiting here for those two for way too long. Something had to have gone wrong. I began to pace. I was worried about them. How couldn't I be? The stupid wankers had probably gotten into it with someone new now. Seemed like every time we took care of something they'd get into some more trouble. Nothing compared to this. Of that I was certain.

Finally the door opened. I moved quickly to get to them only to find one of them actually there.

"Where the fuck have you been?" I questioned him looking behind him. "Where the fuck's Tasha?"

Murphy shrugged at me. "Not a fuckin' clue. I went to Doc's and every place to look I could think of," He slammed his fist into the frame. "Goddammit, where the fuck is she!"

"Relax," I shouted back at him. "Call her phone. Maybe Davy came into town and she's hangin' out with her."

"Why didn't you call her then?"

"I'm not the one fuckin' her!" I growled at him. "Besides I thought she was with you most of the day. Just call her dammit."

Murphy ran over to the phone. At least I hadn't gotten my point across. I shook my head though. Da was right about her. Even though we both cared for her deeply, she didn't belong with us. No one did. The only love we were meant to receive was from one-night stands and whores. It wasn't in our power now to actually love anyone.

As our enemies had done in the bloody past they'd use her, over and over again until we were dead. I knew this. We needed to get her out of Boston at least. She could go back to New York and stay with Davy, at least she'd be safe. No that wouldn't work either. They had been drawn to New York last time as well.

My thoughts began to drown me when I noticed Murphy's face. His eyes wide in horror. I moved over to the phone grabbing it from him. I didn't care if it was Tasha I needed to hear what the hell had terrified him.

I could hear the sounds of screams, and punches being thrown. I knew those screams. Natasha.

"I know you know who this is so I won't bring up names," A voice began and the screams continued as he gave instruction on where to go and when.

He hung up and I looked to Murphy. My eyes narrowed, despite the fact I did care for her, she was going to get us or worst herself killed,

"That does it," I threw the phone and pointed at Murphy. "You! Goddammit you should of gotten rid of her earlier!" He began to protest but I screamed over him. "Our lives are gonna get her killed! They'll just keep fuckin' with us by using her over and over again! We'll go after her but you need to get her the fuck out of here dammit! Send her home!"

"Her home is-" Murphy began to put his two cents in.

"I don't give a shit how much you care for her," I grumbled at him. I had to watch them, she was remarkable but her feelings were only for Murph. "Don't fuckin' think you're the only one who loves her!" Murph's eyes grew wide at me. "If you actually loved her so much you'd send her away. Back home! So at least she could have a chance for a normal fuckin' life! Since she's gotten involved with us how many times has she nearly been killed? How many times has she fuckin' killed someone?"

"I tried to get her out of here dammit!" He screamed back at me. "You think I want this fuckin' life for her!"

"Fuckin' bullshit! You obviously haven't tried hard enough!" I told him with a growl. I kicked the table after a moment of silence passed. Mad at myself for letting him know what the hell I thought but then again he needed to know. I pointed at him. "We go, we get her and you tell her to get the fuck out of her and put her in the nearest cab! Got it!"

I knew that Murphy understood, he had too. Keeping Tasha around now was too dangerous. He nodded after a moment of thought. He moved quickly to grab our guns and he tossed me mine.

"What do we tell Da?'

"Nothing," I grumbled hiding my weapons. "He was against this from the beginning. We'll tell him after we get back."

He nodded.

It took us no time to get to the packing plant. We didn't walk in the normal way though. Taking to the roofs and back alleys. Looking for every one of those wanked scumbags. Murphy went around his own way and I took mine. I moved so I could look inside a window. I could see seven guys at the table at the edge of the room. I could see Natasha. She was collapsed on the floor in the middle of the room.

"Smart bastards." I muttered to myself. Keeping her in the middle so no matter where we came from we'd have to aim over her. Something seemed wrong about the way she was positioned. She looked so badly misshapen, her neck in an odd position and there was so much blood. I could only pray Murphy wouldn't do anything stupid.

Quietly I moved in closer. I could see a guard outside the door I was heading towards. I got as close to him and the door as I could kill him then move to shoot the others. I heard guns begin to go off.

Dammit Murphy!

The man I was aiming for began to move, I brought my gun up. Striking him in the shoulder and the head. Blood spewed from the wounds and I didn't even take notice as it splattered onto my body. I ran as hard as I could shooting towards the group of men, Murphy had mad short work of them though. All of them were already dead.

I turned and looked up towards the rafters as gunshots still were going off. "Up top!"

Bullets flied, striking them and us. My shoulder was raked with the pain of where I bullet had hit me made me scream. I did all I could to ignore it. I needed to kill these bastards. I just needed to. Whatever they had done to Natasha, just the sight of her like that had created an evil in me. I wasn't killing these men for the greater good, no these men I was killing for me.

I looked to Murphy briefly. He had been shot in the leg twice and he knelt about twenty feet from Natasha. I was then as I looked to Natasha I known something was truly wrong. She hadn't moved an inch. Not an inch from where she was at and her eyes..oh God no.

It only took several seconds to finish off the rest of them. Murphy was already next to her before I had made it to her.

"Tasha?" He began as he crawled beside her. His eyes full of pain from his injuries. I ran beside them. I could only collapse to my knees. Oh god no. "Tasha?" Murphy moved resting his head on her chest. His eyes shut tightly and he screamed her name in vain he looked at me. "Conner!"

I shook my head running my hands through my hair. "God, fuck no.."

"Conner!" I moved myself closer to them. He looked at me his eyes wide in horror. "Conner," He grieved and I looked to her. He held her in his arms, blood covered her body, and her eyes were open and staring blankly. "Oh God! Christ no!"

"My son," the father began again. "What do you plan to do now?"

My tears streamed down my face and I gritted my teeth.

My mind raced at all the things that I wished could have been. Instead of it being Murphy holding her in his arms every night, it was me, it was me holding her, keeping her warm in the dark of nights. Kissing her forehead, praying that this would never end. I could never of told her what I wanted though. No, my brother was her love not me but I could do one thing for her.

I looked to the father. "What I've been sent to do."

I stepped out of the confessional and looked to Murphy who knelt in the front row. I walked to him, a single tear streamed down his face. He looked up at me. Only two days had passed since Natasha had been murdered. His heart would take far longer to heal than mine. I never had her love, well not the kind of love I had wanted, and that was Murphy's.

She had loved him enough to die for him.

"Ready?" I questioned him.

He bowed his head once more to the statue of Christ before he stood and we began to walk out towards the street. To continue our work as long as we lived.

And Shepherds we shall be For thee, my Lord, for thee.

Power hath descended forth from Thy hand Our feet may swiftly carry out Thy commands.

So we shall flow a river forth to Thee And teeming with souls shall it ever be.

In Nomeni Patri Et Fili Spiritus Sancti.

Fin