Disclaimer- not mine, etc, etc

AN- Soooooo... this is it! Thank you guys for reading and reviewing and sticking with me throughout this. I appreciate it, you have no idea. I'm actually sad that this is finally coming to a close. **tears** Anyways, enjoy this last chapter and don't forget to review pretty please!

Ericka POV

Ireland was a lot greener and cloudier than I had imagined it. I sat on the porch of the MacManus's house, breathing in the salty, chilly air of the morning, still woozy from jetlag. I had made it into the country in the dead of night, Da picking me from the airport and driving me back to the house.

I smiled to myself, noting that sunrises over the Irish countryside were much more beautiful than the ones in Boston. This feels like home.

I felt a ceramic cup being pushed into my hands. I looked up and was greeted by a bright and lively woman who had the faintest trace of red hair. "Thank you, ma'am." I said, realizing with a jolt I didn't know her name.

"Call me Ma, none of that ma'am business." Said the women. "From what I hear you're all but married to my boys."

Whoa, whoa. Did she just- wait, what?

"I, um, I'm not with both of them." I tried to clarify, terrified she thought there was some weird thing going on between all three of us. Disturbing.

She snorted at me. "If you're with one, you're with both of them. Sorry to tell ya, lass. It's polyandry, 'cept you're only sleeping with one of 'em."

My mouth was a wide round 'o' of shock. Ma raised her eyebrows at me. "You'll hear much worse coming outta my mouth, I can promise you that. Now drink that coffee before it gets cold." I obeyed immediately, sipping the hot liquid. Ma sat down with her own coffee, looking out into the hills serenely.

"So tell me about yourself, Ericka."

"Um….there isn't much to tell really." I shrugged a shoulder.

"I doubt that. My Connor never chased after boring girls." She grinned at me suddenly; I was reminded instantaneously of Murphy when he was up to no good.

I laughed nervously. "I used to work as a nurse. I speak German." I searched around for another fact I could give her without having to delve deep into some long back story. "I can't cook."

"Me either. The trick is acting like ya know exactly what you're doing and praying to God that whatever you're making turns out halfway decent. Most of the time, men don't notice the difference. " I smiled a little, not really sure what reaction was appropriate. I was never good at meeting the parents because, well, I never actually met the parents of any guy I dated. I looked back out at the countryside, squinting against the sun. Ma's eyes were on me, I could feel them. She was sizing me up, making sure I was indeed fit for her son. It made me a little uncomfortable. I didn't know what to say to the woman; it was a little daunting to be doing the 'meet the parents' thing without Connor right next to me, like I had imagined.

"I hope you aren't normally this wound up. You'll have a hard time fitting into this family," I looked back over at Ma. "No need to be nervous, dear."

"I'm not nervous…" I mumbled, bringing my arms closer to me, grip tightening on my coffee cup. She shook her head at me, laughing. "And you're a shitty liar too. Jesus, what the hell was my boy thinking, picking up the meekest girl he could find."

And before I could process my thoughts, I was spitting venom at the woman. "How dare you insinuate that I'm some meek and mild, delicate little flower! You hardly know me!"

Ma was positively roaring with laughter at this point, apparently delighted she got the desired reaction. I stared at her blankly, not seeing what was so funny in the situation. "Yes, yes, real funny, Ma." I said through clenched teeth.

"Ah, I've got to tell the boys to get ya a sense of humor." She said, wiping her eyes. "Just messin' with ya, I was scared shitless the first time I met Noah's family."

Oh. I feel like a real ass now. "I, uh, I'm sorry. It's just the jet lag and uh-"

"No! Don't be sorry at all. It's a real treat for me; S'not often somebody gets all intimidated by me. Everybody knows my antics by now."

"I'm not intimidated-"

"Oh yes you are, sweetie. Don't lie to me, you'll never get away with it." She said, standing up. "Now c'mon in the house, I'll show you the boys when they were young and still somewhat innocent.." I followed her into the tiny two story house, the floorboards creaking as we walked. She went over to a bookshelf and pulled out a thin leather bound book and handed it to me. "Go sit down, I've to go make a phone call really fast. Somehow it's become my job to get Noah's brother out of bed every morning for the last ten years." She shook her head. "The things I do, I swear…."I grinned as the old women walked out of the room. It was pretty obvious Murphy took after his mother.

I flipped through the book, smiling at the slightly faded Polaroid's. One of the first pictures was of Connor and Murphy, maybe five or six years old, peeking out from a fort they had built from pillows and couch cushions. There was one of them around the age of thirteen, both sporting wicked black eyes and devilish grins. It was interesting to see my boys before I had met them; it gave me a real sense of just how close they were to each other. There was hardly a photo where both of them weren't in it. I kept flipping through the pages, smiling faces jumping out at me. There was one of Connor, passed out on a porch swing with a hound dog laying right on top of him. Right next to it was one of Murphy, looking deeply engrossed in whatever it he was drawing, totally oblivious to the camera. The last page had a single photo; the twins standing shoulder to shoulder on the docks of some pier, wearing their pea coats and looking as excited as could be.

"That was the last picture I got of them before they went over to America. "Said Ma, sitting down next to me."They worked their fucking asses off to get there, never asked for a single penny from me or from any body else. Gave 'em those coats as a going away gift." I heard the pride in her voice. "I didn't have much money but I made sure that they at least had those."

I smiled fondly, recalling how many times I had borrowed one of their coats when I was in hurry They were warmer then hell. "Damn good gift on your part, they still wear them."

She beamed at me, looking back at the picture. "They never stood a chance you know. Corrupted the second they came out, those two were. Ten hours of labor, ah, I tell ya, it was hell."

"Say, Ma. Who was born first?"

She gave me a funny look. "Why do ya ask?"

"Well they sort of fight about who is the oldest." I smirk. "I'd like to hold it over their heads, it'd drive 'em nuts if I taunted them."

Ma's face lit up. "They still fucking fight over it? Twenty seven years! You'd think they have given up by now!" She looked around conspiratorially, as if the boys were in the next room listening. "Alright, I'll tell you which one is older. But you've got to promise you'll keep your trap shut. Someone's got to carry on the family secret."

"I promise, Ma." I said solemnly.

"The the oldest one," she paused dramatically. I leaned forward, on the edge of my seat. This was the moment of truth…..

"Ma! Ma! Where are you!" A voice interrupted her. I swore under my breath. Damnit!

"Murphy? Is that you?" called out Ma, eyes as wide as dinner plates.

Footsteps came through the kitchen, shuffled and arrhythmic. A man with a beard and a black coat came around the corner, duffel bag slung over his shoulder. If it weren't for the tattoo on his hand, I wouldn't have known it was Murphy. "Seven fucking years since I've seen you, my God!" Ma jumped up and ran at him, nearly tackling him to the floor. "Hullo, Ma." He mumbled, hugging the woman carefully, like she was made of glass. She took step back from him, and looked him over. "Lord's name, Murphy. You're nothing but skin and bones." He chuckled. "Turns out me and Conn can't fend for ourselves, eh? Speaking of, where in the fuck-" he glanced up and caught me out of the corner of his eye.

"Ericka!" he stepped away from his mother and roughly pulled me into a hug. "Thank God, Conn's been going nuts without you." He let go and took a hold of my shoulders. "You don't know what it's been like, with him fucking whining and moping and shit. Dear God." He grinned and ruffled my hair. "Oh, and it's good to see you."

"Haha. You sound very sincere there, Murph." I said rolling my eyes. He punched me lightly in the arm before walking to the back of the house. "Conn! Get in here!" his voice echoed off the walls of the house.

Ma gave me another appraising look. "Why in God's name is he so damn thin? I thought you took better care of them?" I shrugged. "What can I say? Rocco did all the cooking."

"Who the fuck is Rocco?" she asked exasperated. "Don't tell me my boy is gay!" She had a look of faux outrage on her face; probably because she knew as well as any of us that Murphy was the very opposite of gay.

"What's all the yelling for?" I heard a voice I knew all too well. Connor popped his head around the corner. The look on his face changed from exasperated to happy in a split second. "Ma!" he walked over to her and gave her a hug and kiss on the cheek, holding her in the same manner Murphy had. "Jesus Christ, both of ya are thinner than a fucking rail." She gave him a slightly sour look before patting his arm. "Oh well, it's great ta have ya both home."

"It's good to be home." He looked around the living room, looking a little shocked. "Good God. It all looks the same as when we left."

"Well, your Ma is resistant to change." She shrugged a shoulder. Murphy came up behind Connor and whacked him in the back of his head.

"What the fuck?"

"Look who's gay now!"

"The hell are you talking about?" Connor asked, look genuinely confused. I held in a laugh, savoring the moment. Connor? Confused? Never thought I would see the day.

"While you're busy appraising the decor, your woman is just standing there." He furrowed his brow, looking in the direction Murph was pointing at. Dawning comprehension appeared across his face.

"Hey stranger." I grinned at him. He grinned right back, crossing the gap between us in three long steps. That had to be the best damn hug I had ever received. Ever. "I fucking missed you, Conn."

"I chaill tú ró, aingeal." I heard him mumble in my hair, squeezing tightly. I didn't understand Gaelic, but I understood it to mean, "I missed you too, angel."A few moments passed before he broke away suddenly. "I got you something." He said, looking anxiously at me.

"Uh….. you did?" I said dumbly. He dug around in his coat pocket, pulling out a small black box. "Oh you've got to be kidding me." I said aloud. I heard both Ma and Murphy laughing at me. I felt a cold chill pass through me. Since birth, girls are taught to covet and dream of the day when the perfect man swoops down from the heavens and proposes to them. I hadn't even thought of a getting a ring or even the actual wedding- which God forbid the day I had to plan for that, I had no idea on what the hell to do for one of those damn horse and pony shows.

The small black box was my nemesis.

Connor rubbed the back of his neck, holding the box tightly in his left hand. "I know it's clichéd and all that, but please? Let me do it right?" His eyes were wide, pleading. I nodded at him, legs shaky. He dropped to one knee and opened the small box to me. "Ericka Elizabeth Engel. Will you marry me?" As corny and cheese-tastic and obviously borrowed from a movie as it was, I felt….giddy. Fucking weird. "Yes! Yes, of course I'll marry you!" I shouted. He jumped up from the floor and hugged me again, planting tiny little kisses all over my face.

There was a loud and suggestive cough from the other side of the room. Murphy stood with his hand over his mouth, unable to fully contain himself as he quaked with laughter. Ma looked like she wanted to clock him in the face. "Now's the part where you give her the ring, ya jackass!" His face lit up. "Oh yeah…" he pulled the ring out of the box and pushed it gently onto my finger, looking anxious once again. The ring was silver; three diamonds were embedded in the band and there were trinity knots etched into it.

"D'ya like it? It's not much, I mean…. I could get you something else if you wanted."

"Are you insane? No! I love it!" I smiled up at him, basking in the moment.

I heard Murphy say something that sounded mysteriously like 'told you so' and 'where's the whiskey?' The front door opened and Da walked in, finally making his appearance. He looked around, evidently unaware of what was going on.

Ma raised her hands in the air. "Noah! It's a bloody fucking miracle! They're getting married!" Da looked over at us and gave the first grin I had ever seen from the man, walking over to Ma and wrapping an arm around her shoulder. "Looks like ya done something right there, love." He said, the love he felt for her evident, grin never fading from his face. "Ya've done something right indeed."