Hi, everyone! So…here is the final chapter of this story, sad to say. Its been a total blast writing this and reading your reviews over the months! You guys are the best! I also may post a playlist of songs that I think match the story perfectly.

Without further ado, here is the final act of "I See a Darkness"…

Dani's POV:

Tiny and fragile Maureen Katherine MacManus. I had chosen to name her after the legendary screen actress Maureen O'Hara, with her nickname Mary-Kate standing as the shortened version. It wasn't exactly the easiest of labors, especially since we had to confront the fact that she was born eight weeks prior to her due date.

A risky C-section had to take place in order to get the baby out of my womb safely. Needless to say, Connor was scared to death when the doctors explained to him what happened in the procedure of one, but I did my best to calm him down, assuring him in between breaths that the doctors knew what they were doing and would do their best to make me feel as little pain as possible. My husband held my hand and whispered that he loved me as I sank into the silent oblivion and was unable to sense his fingers around mine.

The scariest part of that hospital stay wasn't the labor and surgery itself, but the news that the doctors had informed me and the boys about when I was lucid enough to understand them. Since I had given birth to Izzy and Dee close enough to their respective due date without complications, there was very little I had known in the way of premature babies.

"Why can't you bring her in here yet?" I asked my main doctor, a man about in his mid-30s with thinning brown hair and stern eyes. "It's already been hours since I've woken up."

"Mrs. MacManus, I'm afraid the baby is too weak to be physically outside the womb. The last couple months of pregnancy are very vital for him or her to form properly." I listened intently to his words, trying to keep the worry and growing anger from making me lash out. "I'm also sorry to inform you that there seems to be a highly unlikely chance that your baby may survive long. I'd say past three days, give or take. We're keeping her in an incubator for now so her temperature will remain stable…"

All I heard was a ringing in my ears as he continued to talk, or rather drone on, about the baby's condition. My eyes stared at the drably painted wall of my room. I felt a strong warm hand grasp onto mine, gripping onto it with silent support and subtle defense from what the doctor was telling me.

Looking down at my captured hand, I saw the black letters of the word Aequitas across the index finger and found myself briefly staring at the face of my brother Murphy, standing guard over me while Connor had gone to call and inform my Uncle Paul about me having the baby early.

At last, the muffled words of the doctor faded away as he left the room with barely a passing glance. I heard Murphy huff out a breath of quiet rage, his jaw clenched in that way I recognized when he wanted to kill someone. His hard blue eyes melted from ice to liquid as he turned to me and pulled his rosary out of his shirt, motioning for me to do the same with mine. We both grasped one another's hands tightly, murmuring a prayer to God for Mary-Kate.

She had to live… She had to survive the nature of her first twenty-four hours of life. Then, I began to suspect, what if it was my fault? If I hadn't let my out-of-control emotions get the better of me, my body wouldn't have made me go into labor so soon.

If my little baby died, that blood would stain my hands, another addition to the variety of lives I had taken in the past.

"Connor should be back here soon. Do ya want me to getcha somethin'?" His unique voice asked me gently. I chose to answer his question with another one, however.

"Murphy, what if she doesn't make it? If…if she doesn't, I'll never forgive myself…because I know it'll be my fault. If…if I hadn't gotten so upset about you leaving that…"

"Hey, hey. Dani." Murphy's voice became gruffer and more rough than usual with his temper, his hands tightening around mine in emphasis. I could already feel the throbbing of the veins in my wrists. "Don't ya dare fuckin' think like that! Ya understand me?" He seethed at me with toned down fury, only evident in his facial features than in the way he held his body, sitting beside my bed. "I'm not tryin' to scare ya, lil' sister, but ya need to get where I'm comin' from on this. I'm not much with words, so I'm gonna make this shit quick. Gettin' those letters from ya about the girls kept me from goin' crazy, an' they made me the happiest I'd ever been in years. An' this lil' lass ya got here, she's gonna grow up healthy an' loved by everyone in our family. An' I know I'm gettin' mushy here, but I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to ya or the girls. An' this lil' Mary-Kate means as much to me as a proud uncle an' big brother as you, Izzy an' Dee do."

His hands loosened around mine as tears ran down my face for about the millionth time in my whole life span. I had never truly realized how Murphy viewed me and the girls as his family. In a way, I was bound to him as much as I was bound with Connor. While Murphy and I didn't see each other in a romantic sense, I knew he loved me as a part of his family with as much protective intentions as his brother, who was also my husband, did...

"C'mere." He pulled me into a comforting hug. "I'm not mad at ya fer any of it. Includin' the secret about the girls. Ya were scared an' just tryin' to protect us. Yer a damn good mother an' a hell of a wife to me brother."

I smiled faintly at his praise, wiping the pathetic tears away. Crying wasn't going to make the baby recover anytime soon. All I could do was hope and pray, even if it seemed to be a waste of time.

.

.

Connor was expected to be back to my room soon. Anxious to get the blood going in my legs again, I swung them over the side of my bed, using my arms for support. What I truly wanted was to see my baby at the NICU center down the hallway. My toes skimmed the cold tile of the white hospital floor as I heard my door open.

There stood my husband, the one person I needed to see in that moment. I had never seen him look to so exhausted and worried than when he saw me right then, attempting to free myself from the confines of my bed, slightly disoriented and drained of energy. The whites of his vivid eyes held a speck of pink to them, as if he'd been crying himself.

No words were desired for us to communicate what the other needed. He took three quick steps to me and gently helped me to my feet, his arm about my waist and the other using his hand to hold mine for support. My head spun for a second before clearing up and allowing me to gain my balance.

"I wanna see her. They won't bring her in here, Connor. They keep telling me she might not live, but I don't wanna believe them." My blood boiled with internal rage at the implication that they believed our baby didn't have the strength to survive.

Connor pulled me closer to hold me tightly to him, as if to shield us both from my words. "Murph told me about the talk he had with ya. Danielle, ya gotta promise me that ya don't blame yerself fer what's happenin' now. Love, ya did nothin' wrong. Ya had every fuckin' right to be pissed with me an' me brother."

"Baby, I don't wanna talk about that right now. I just need to see Mary-Kate. Please, before I go crazy." I reached up with the hand he wasn't holding and gently ran my fingers down the back of his neck.

He opened his mouth to respond to my desperate order when we both looked up to the sound of the door opening again. A black-haired nurse entered, clothed in a blue uniform and gloves covering her hands. She was pushing what seemed like a little cart on wheels with a machine attached to it and numerous cords and wires entangled together in a frenzy. They all appeared to be connected to the clear box with small holes dotting its surface. A little bundle of red flesh lay within the box as my heart hammered inside my chest, the tears burning my eyes and blurring my vision.

"Mr. an' Mrs. MacManus, I was able to talk to Dr. O'Leary and he agreed that you should see the baby. The only condition is that she can't be touched. Her skin is far too thin. One little poke could leave a bruise. Her heartbeat sounds to be normal for now, but there's no guarantee that it'll be stable for long." She folded her hands together, her eyes downcast to the ground, as if she was ashamed to be giving this unfortunate news to us. "I'll leave you alone with her, if you'll excuse me."

She left the room in a thankfully fast manner, sensing that I was about to break down at the sight before me. An agonized moan escaped my mouth as Connor kissed the top of my head in a comforting method. I found myself pushing away from him, loosening his protective embrace and took the steps to the box containing our child. My palms were placed upon the top of the box, feeling the hard surface that shielded my little angel from the harsh environment.

"Baby girl…baby girl. Mommy's here. Mommy and Daddy are here." I chanted to her. My voice was only a choked whisper, as if the air inhaled into my throat was threatening to suffocate me instead. Connor came up behind me and took ahold of my hand again, Veritas gracing my peripheral vision as his fingers curled around my own, his other hand placed on the hard plastic of the box alongside mine.

"We're gonna make ya okay, lil' one. Yer gonna grow healthier by the day an' yer gonna meet yer amazin' big sisters." Connor's voice gave a gentle depth to him, absent of anger or characteristic playfulness. "This lovely creature watchin' ya is yer ma. She wants to name ya Maureen Katherine, somethin' classic an' beautiful, just like you. An' I'm yer da. I want ya to know that yer the best thing that ever happened to me. You, yer sisters an' yer Ma, ya keep me an' yer Uncle Murph from goin' off the deep end."

The sound of his voice murmuring to our daughter made everything seem calmer and almost serene. His strong fingers squeezed mine in reassurance before he continued crooning to her.

"Please, darlin'. Can ya hear me in there?" He questioned her softly, my heart slowing down with the silence of the room around us.

Mary-Kate began twitching her impossibly small fingers up, then her hands curled up into involuntary fists. She lay on her side, her little head covered with a hat to keep her from getting chilled and a white blanket covering her pudgy legs. Other than that, she was connected to wires from every angle.

But what changed the moment was that she was responding to our voices and knew that we were her parents. And the one thing that restored my faith that she would make it was the white rosary hanging at the front of her box, the blue beaded string dangling down to hold the crucifix symbolizing that God was watching over us now, intent on protecting this irreplaceable baby that would forever be ours, mine and Connor's.

From the way my husband enfolded me into his arms at the sight of Mary-Kate managing to wriggle around, I knew Satan would repent for his evil before he allowed anything to happen to her…

.

.

The weeks went by and Mary-Kate grew stronger with each health report from the pediatric doctors, graduating from the incubator to being held on my bosom and eventually into the arms of her father and uncle, taking turns of course. Eventually, I was discharged as a patient from the hospital, but I kept seeing the baby a couple times a day as the nights wore on. With usually Connor, Murphy or the girls as company.

Isabella and Delilah instantly adored their new baby sister, arguing over who would get to play with her first when she was able to come home for good.

And speaking of home, there was still the subject of the boys having to leave Ireland and back to the States for who knew how long. All we were told was that this would be the final mission for the Saints so they could settle down permanently with their family and raise the children. And as the wife of Connor MacManus, I had to share the Saints with the world, knowing I couldn't have him to myself forever. And, I knew I would wait for him to come back to me, no matter how long it took.

If it took a month, a year, or even a decade for them to come back, there would be no other man I would want by my side other than the one I had married, the one who vowed before everyone he knew from his childhood to cherish and guard me and our daughters with his life.

And the dreaded day came not long after Mary-Kate was finally strong enough to be out of the hospital and could function as normal as possible. The girls and I came to see Connor and Murphy off at the coast where the barge ship was loading up.

"I'll write to ya as soon as I can, Danielle. We can't use the phones in case anyone's trackin' us." He held my face in between his hands since my arms were holding Mary-Kate, whose blue eyes were staring straight up at her father and her mouth brightening into a smile.

"Will you promise me not to take any unnecessary risks? Be careful and do whatever you have to do to protect each other. And do it with a clear conscience." I held our baby closer to me as I heard the girls tearfully saying goodbye to Murphy.

"I promise ya, darlin'. I'll always come back to ya, one way or another." He reached out slowly to take Mary-Kate into his arms for this spare moment we had. "An' you, lil' one. I'll be thinkin' about ya an' yer sisters every minute I'm gone."

Our infant daughter cooed up at him and tried to reach with her hand and touch the scruff around his mouth with her miniature fingers. He leaned down and kissed the top of her fragile head. The horn of the ship alerted us that it was the instant of our separation. Connor carefully handed the baby back to me at the departure bugle sounding through the air.

Connor's hands were placed tenderly on my cheeks again. "Farewell, me love. An' stay safe."

His blue eyes held mine in this lone moment where we had to use little words to understand one another. "Tar ar ais chugam, mo saighdiúir cróga." I whispered back.

He smiled brightly at the fact that I had been learning to speak native Gaelic with a lot of effort and with hope to surprise him. Needless to say, he wasn't disappointed.

My husband leaned down to give me one last passionate kiss on the lips before Murphy's voice forced us to pull away. "Conn, we gotta go now!"

My brother-in-law was standing by the boarding deck, awaiting Connor to join him.

"Goodbye, Danielle. I love ya an' I always did from the mornin' ya first woke up in mine an' Murph's apartment." His hands rubbed my shoulders in a soothing manner as I tried to keep the tears from falling.

"Daddy, wait! Me and Dee wanna say the prayer for you before you go." Isabella quickly joined my side with Delilah not far behind.

"Alright, sweetheart. See if ya can say it fer me. Ya can do it." He kneeled down closer to their eye level.

Both little girls spoke in unison with helpful glances occasionally cast at one another.

"And shepherds we…shall be. For thee, my Lord, for thee. Power hath…descended forth from thy…hand. That our feet may swiftly carry out thy…command. So we shall…flow a river forth to…thee. And teeming with souls shall it ever be. In nomine Patris… et Filii et… Spiritus Sancti."

"Oh, you brilliant lasses! Yer Da loves ya so much!" He joyfully picked up both twins in his arms and held them close.

"We love you too, Daddy. We'll miss you." Delilah sighed out and laid her head on his shoulder as Izzy kissed his cheek.

"I'll miss ya too-" He was interrupted by the ship's horn blowing again. The huge boat was leaving any second and he was about to miss it.

Before he could say anything more, he had no choice but to turn away from us.

"I love all o' ya, more than anything!" He practically ran to the boarding deck and stepped onto the boat, joining Murphy at last.

Those were the last words I heard him say that day…

The tears flowed down my cheeks as I held our baby Mary-Kate in my arms and the little girls held onto me, burying their faces into my stomach as they tried not to cry.

None of us had any idea when they would be back, but as I watched the ship disappear into the horizon, I could only have faith that everything would work out for the better.

The girls, all three of them, would grow to be strong and confident women, not taking crap from anyone while keeping their decency. When they were old enough, they would know about how I had met their father and uncle, and understand why they had to be away for a majority of their lives.

They were good men doing what society considered a bad thing: killing people. But, they only killed the evil ones. They were vigilantes. Just walking the line between hero and villain. In my eyes, they were true men of honor, protecting the good people from meeting undesirable demises at the hands of corruption.

Only one more question sat inhabited in my mind as I no longer saw the ship upon the sea. Would Isabella, Delilah and Mary-Kate lead similar lives to Connor and Murphy when they came of age, when God gave them their special Calling?

Would they be capable of killing and/or defending other people when that fateful time came when they became young women?

Only God had the answers to those questions and we could all only find out in the years to approach.

THE END.

Okay, first off, what Dani says to Connor is Gaelic for "Come back safely, my brave soldier." And the title for this chapter comes from the song by Julie Fowlis about a young maiden who awaits her true love's return from a long journey by the sea. I hope you all enjoyed it!