I felt them moving around and disentangling themselves from me before I felt the sun on my face in the morning. I groaned and buried my face in the pillow that reeked of them. Have I mentioned that I'm not a morning person? I could hear them rolling Rocco off of the couch and felt a twinge of pity for my downstairs neighbor. I smelled coffee and thought about getting up, but fell back asleep again. Next thing I knew, Murphy's hand was on my shoulder, shaking me gently, "Wake up, girl. We're going."

I shot up in bed, "Right now?"

Murphy grinned at me. "Not going going. Just off to church."

I clapped a hand over my chest. "Fuck, Murphy, don't do that to me."

"Sorry, lass," Connor said from the doorway. "Come do up your deadbolt."

"Aye," I said, wiping my eyes, untangling my legs from the blankets and moving to the door.

"Morning, Roc," I said stumbling out into my living room.

"Oh, Christ," he exclaimed averting his eyes. "You're killing me, kid!"

I was confused for a second until a draft hit my bare legs and I realized that I had wandered out with no pants, again. "Oh, fuck it. I'm still too asleep to be modest," I said crossing the room to the door.

The twins smiled as they followed me.

"We'll probably be out all day," Connor said as he gathered me to him with both arms, kissing my cheek.

"Right," I said, kissing him back as he opened the door.

"We'll stay in touch," Murphy said, kissing my neck as he filed past, his hand at the small of my back. "Let ye know what's goin on."

"Sure," I sighed, squeezing him tightly.

Connor and Murphy stood in the hall, lighting up, looking left and right, as Rocco came past. "Thanks, again," he said, waving his stump at me. I smiled, nodding. "Think about it," he said, his eyes serious.

I met them, nodding more slowly. "Have. Thanks, though."

He nodded back and hugged me. I hugged him back and did him the favor of not reacting when his hand slid a little too low and lingered a little too long to be called friendly. He backed up. "Damn," he said, absently, heading out the door as I felt color come up my face.

"I go in at four. Call me," I said to the three of them as I stood in the half-closed door.

They all nodded and headed down the hall. I watched them go, but turned back in and closed the door before they got to the elevator. I set both deadbolts and my chain and clicked on the TV for sound as I set about cleaning the wreck that was my apartment.

I barely even glanced up when the newscaster started talking about the multiple murder and subsequent shootout in a suburb east of town. A large number of victims dead at the scene, evidence of the assailants injured. Federal agents cooperating with local authorities. I'm not sure when I started crying, but the steady stream of salt water dripping from my face onto my kitchen counter was a big clue.

I had never been a religious person, but I offered up a simple prayer. Nothing fancy. Please keep my boys safe as they do Your will. Give me strength to deal with this the way they needed me to. And God forgive us all for our sins.

With nothing else to say, I crossed myself and headed for my shower.