"No," she said, blandly, "I refuse to believe - such - such . . . "

"Truth?" Connor asked, suggestively.

"What was pre-ordained?" Murphy had to add his two-cents.

"No, no, and no again. Ye couldn't have, could ye?"

"We did, and will again," they succinctly, confirmed.

Marie had gone through one pack of cigarettes, chain-smoking as she never had before. But, even the nicotine could not quell her incessant cogitations. She was working on her second pack. Marie sighed, then drank some of her beer. It tasted bitter in her mouth, yet she savoured the bitterness. She almost felt betrayed - almost.

"But, Da," she referred to their Father, "where is he?"

"He's been taken, Marie. And, we need your help," Murphy begged with his sapphire orbs.

"I can't believe I've read about ye in the papers, and never knew it was you two. I forever agreed with what what ye were doin' - forever,"

They nodded. Both never expected her to argue with them, not over something so important. The brothers did not need to hear her words of actually agreeing, she was too proud to for that. Long ago, they noticed, she must have replaced the word always with forever, because after all, always was not forever; forever was for eternity. And, they knew she would forever stand by their sides, even if she had to ride all the way to Hades to get there.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This chapter is short, because the next chapter is a bit dramatic and enlightening. I would like to know what YOU the REAdERS think that Marie should end up with: Murphy or Connor.
Cheers!