I'm back! Whew, that was a long dry spell, sorry. It's been crazy busy lately!

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It was slow in the pub tonight for some reason, who knew...maybe this rain was too heavy for even the locals to want to come out. I cracked open the door and watched the large raindrops splash into the deep puddles on the street and sighed, Murphy and Connor hadn't been around the last couple of days but I guessed they were just too busy with the farm. Tonight they at least had an excuse to stay home that I could already see.

Sighing, I pulled the door closed and returned to the table I had been wiping down. I glanced around the room, there were only three people here tonight and the only one whose name I knew was Seamus Murray, the town grocer, and he wasn't much of a talker. He preferred to sit quietly and sip his whiskey alone and the other two were too drunk to even consider a conversation with, passed out in a booth.

I tossed my rag over my shoulder to free my hands to pick up the glasses from the drunk men's table and took them into the back, dropping them in the sink and scoffing when the dirty water splashed onto my front.

"Good thing I had an apron on..." I muttered, "Great, I'm so bored I'm talking to myself."

I heard the jingle of the bell at the door and I prayed silently that it was someone interesting as I pushed out of the swinging door to the back that led out behind the bar.

Two men had entered the pub and were bent half over, shaking the rain from their hair..but when they stood up and faced me, my breath caught in my throat. My God...these two were BEAUTIFUL!

One of them had short, choppy, blondish hair, or I assumed it would be when dry, and lovely blue eyes. His skin was Irish pale and he had a scruffy chin that looked freshly trimmed and when he slipped off the black peacoat he was wearing I was blessed with a tight black t-shirt that hugged all his muscled torso goodness. His smile when he caught my eye made my stomach flip...gorgeous.

The other one had short, layered dark hair and even paler skin and almost the same kind of scruff perhaps a little less complete, like it just refused to grow in some spots. He slipped off his coat and my eyes were fed by another finely tuned torso and when he turned to hang it up, unlike his companion who kept his on his arm, my eyes dropped to the backside of his jeans and I was not at all disappointed in what they outlined. When he turned back around he gave me a crooked smile and that's when I looked at his eyes...and it suddenly clicked.

"MURPHY?! CONNOR?!" I squeaked, my eyes went wide and I felt myself blushing when I realized just who I had been so lustfully purveying.

"Aye, it's us," Connor assured me with a less than chipper tone. I cleared my throat as they took their familiar seats at the bar.

There was no way...could it be possible for whiskers and long hair to conceal this much straight up sexiness? I stood there in awe, my mouth opening and closing wordlessly like a stupid fish and just looked at them. Murphy clasped his hands together and laid his chin on the back of his hand and I gulped when a muscle in his arm flexed from the change in position. Connor leaned onto the bar, resting his forehead on his folded forearms and my eyes scanned his broad shoulders. Whew knew she'd been running with the best looking men in town without even knowing it!?

"What the hell did you two do to yourselves?" I asked suddenly.

"Just cleaned up a bit," Murphy commented mirthlessly, his tone was flat and I suddenly felt like something wasn't right with them. They both seemed...like they were...angry.

"Why in the world have you two been hiding behind those whiskers?" I asked in amazement.

They exchanged a look that I didn't understand but then Connor smiled what I recognized immediate as his bullshit story smile.

"Competition," he said smoothly, "Our Da was betting on who would give in and clean up first...of course we're both too damn stubborn..."

"Well it's about time! Goodness, you two are pretty to look at!" I blurted out without thinking, I blushed and turned to get their glasses of usual beer.

"We won't be havin' any tonight, lass," Connor's voice stopped me before I turned on the tap.

"We actually just came in to say goodbye," Murphy's voice was low, tired sounding.

"Goodbye? Where are you going off to?" I asked, interested. "Vacation?"

"Don't matter where," Murphy's reply was a little bit sharper than I thought necessary but I felt concern instead of anger and I leaned over the counter to place a hand on his forearm.

"Hey now," I said soothingly, "Are you boys alright? You seem...on edge."

"Murph's just pissed her didn't get the window seat on the flight," Connor teased, "Seriously, though...we have to get moving."

Murphy sniffed but pushed away from the bar and looked around the room while Connor gave me a sad little smile.

"C'mere and give me a hug, lass," he said cheerfully, but his eyes were lacking that sparkle they usually held. I came around the bar feeling utterly confused by all this and wrapped my arms tightly around Connor's body. He put his around me as well and squeezed me firmly, swaying slightly.

"Connor...I..." I was scared, but I couldn't exactly figure out why.

"Be seeing you, Aby," Connor whispered, brushing my shaggy bangs from my eyes, "Hope you're still around when we come back."

And with that, and a small kiss to my forehead, Connor grabbed his coat from the bar and slipped it on as he left the pub and disappeared into the rain.

I wiped away a tear as I watched him mount up on his horse and take off at a canter down the muddy street through the window. Then I felt the warmth of two arms slipping around me from behind and I was gently pulled back.

"Murphy," I whispered, without even looking I knew it was him. His breath was warm on my neck and it passed through my mind that friends didn't hold each other like this, but I pushed it down as he turned me slowly around to face him. He looked at me with those beautiful blue eyes, that I could see so much better now that he was cleaned up, and his jaw was tight like he was angry.

"Aby, I don't know how long we'll be gone," he said slowly.

"Why won't you tell me where you're going?" I asked sadly, I felt tears threatening to spill.

"I can't," Murphy muttered, hanging his head slightly, "But...if you wait here for us, we'll know where to find you."

I knew I wasn't going to get anything out of him, he was always the tight lipped one of the two.

"I'll be here," I replied with a sniff.

"Aby?" Murphy's voice sounded...unsure.

"Yes?"

"Can I kiss ya?"

My eyes went wide for a moment, my brain trying to prove that I had indeed heard correctly and Murphy MacManus had just asked my permission to kiss me. I nodded and blinked rapidly.

Kissing Murphy was something beyond all daydreams, his lips were softer than my mind could think up, his hands stronger than I'd imagined, and when his tongue swept across my bottom lip my mind blew a fuse. He pulled back slowly, his eyes closed, and then he released me quickly.

"I've been wantin' to do that since the first time I saw ya," he said softy, so only I could hear, "Shoulda done it a lot sooner."

"I would have made you shave first," I laughed sadly.

"Fair enough," Murphy smiled, but there wasn't much happiness in it. "Please be here when we get back. I'm really gonna miss ya, Aby."

I guess he'd said all he could allow his male ego to say because he stepped around me and grabbed his coat, leaving in exactly the same manner Connor had. But this time, I stood in the rain watching until I couldn't see him anymore...wondering so many things about the MacManus brothers and wondering how long it would be until I saw them again.

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Well, sorry it's short but it was a transition chapter! Still, reviews rock my face off!