A/N: Quick update. I'm currently on a very short vacation in Chicago, so I won't have anything else up until after Sunday. I do have a chapter in the works, but I still need to do a little more editing before I post it. Sorry for the wait time, I was doing so good at updating every other day. Hopefully I get back to that soon!
Sara peeked into her bedroom again where Katie still slept soundly. It had taken a good five minutes but she convinced Katie just to take the left side of her queen-size bed. It wasn't as if they hadn't shared a bed before in the past.
It was nearly ten o'clock in the morning and over two hours since Sara had called in a personal day to the magazine office where she worked. Katie needed a day to take her mind off of things and she was going to make sure and give it to her. There had to be something they could do in a city like Boston. That is, if Katie ever decided to wake up.
Flipping on the television, she surfed through the channels, stopping when she finally reached something interesting. A quiet laugh behind her made her glance back. Katie stood half awake behind her, arms crossed over her chest. She nodded at the television.
"I can't believe you still watch The Golden Girls."
"If I remember correctly, I got you into it as well." Sara smirked at her and received an eye roll in exchange.
"Kind of hard not to when it was on our dorm room TV 24/7."
"Gee, you're not exaggerating or anything. There's coffee if you want some."
"God, I think I love you." Katie poured herself a mug and sipped with her eyes closed. Sara studied her for a moment, glad to see she'd gotten some of the color back in her face.
Opening her eyes, Katie grinned. "I missed my morning coffee over the last few days."
Sara laughed at her. "We can hook you up on IV."
Nodding, Katie came over and sat down carefully on the couch, trying hard not to spill the full cup. "Thanks for letting me stay here."
"I should smack you for thinking you need to thank me. We're friends, Katie. Me casa es su casa."
"Say it in French and I'll know what you mean."
"I don't know French. I know Spanish. We've been over this before." Sara laughed as Katie turned fully to glare at her.
"I know." She grinned then. "So what's the plan for the day? Don't you have to work?"
"Work's for the birds."
"I thought the saying was that the early bird gets the worm."
Sara shook her head and turned to face Katie, resting her elbow on the couch. "Ah, but we both know there's only one cure for a Katie bad day."
Together they smiled. "Shopping."
Katie stared at Sara for another second, before turning back to the television with a smaller smile. "God, I missed you."
"Huh uh. We are not starting that." Sara nodded toward the bathroom. "Go shower so we can get going. Those sales won't last forever."
"Did I ever tell you that you were my favorite college roommate?"
"And what a great honor that is, Kat. Especially since I was your only college roommate. Shower. Now."
Katie grinned into her coffee mug and left the room. Sara watched her leave and shook her head. She couldn't tell for sure how Katie was doing. It'd only taken a month into being her roommate for her to realize that Katie hid her feelings. She also tended to hide from them. Sara could tell that she'd become even worse about it since then, which is why it was no surprise to her when Connor told her about Katie alternating between crying and yelling.
She would bet on anything that Katie never dealt with the kidnapping or anything else that'd happened in the last few weeks. And unfortunately, the McManuses didn't have the experience with her to realize she was bottling everything up.
And Sara knew for a fact that Katie hadn't come to terms with Brett's death. She'd pushed everyone away, including Sara and Peter. Katie had put the blame solidly on the Mafia and she'd reacted with anger because that had always come easier to her. And now she was paying for it. Two years later and she had yet to mourn the loss of her brother.
Damn, they had a lot of work to do today. Sara knew it was up to her to get Katie back before she lost herself again in her emotions. Shopping would only be the beginning to make her open up. Good thing I have a few more vacation days.
The next episode had started on the television when Sara's cell phone rang. Connor's name was on the caller ID. She answered it with a grin.
"Hello there."
"Hey. How are ye this mornin'?"
"Fine. Your brother has more patience than I thought he would."
"What?" Connor laughed through the phone.
"I was expecting to be woken up by a call."
Connor chuckled again. "He started fuckin' buggin' me ta call awhile ago. I thought maybe ye two would want ta sleep in."
"We're both up now. He doesn't realize Katie has her phone, does he?"
"No, and I think I'll hold that bit of information ta myself for now." Connor's voice became muffled. Sara heard him shushing Murphy in the background. "I'll tell ye later, idiot. I'm on the fuckin' phone here."
"So much for that secret." Sara smiled.
"Maybe. We'll see what I can do. What are ye planning for today?"
"Shopping therapy."
She heard the smile in his voice. "Is this a typical therapy session for ye, Dr. Sara?"
"With Katie, yes. She'd do the same for me."
"Would ye want ta meet for supper tonight?"
Sara grinned. "Are you asking me out, Connor?"
"Are you saying yes, Sara?"
"I'm saying maybe." She shot a glance behind her, making sure Katie was still in the bathroom. "Let's see how Katie's dealing later."
"How is she right now?"
Sara heard muffled thumps before she could answer and just smiled when she heard Murphy's voice.
"Is Katie okay?"
"She's fine, Murphy. She's been almost cheerful this morning."
"Good. Tell her hi for me. And Sara, do me a favor?"
"Yes?"
"Take care of her for me." His tone was light but she knew he was worried.
Sara smiled at the phone. "I will. You take care of your brother for me. And tell me if anything else happens. I have a feeling Connor's been holding back and sugar-coating things for me."
"Aye, that I'll do. Between you and me, Sara, we'll keep'em under control." Murphy started laughing and Sara heard another few thumbs followed by a muffled 'ow!'. Connor came back on the phone.
"Sorry 'bout me dumbass brother."
"But I'm starting to like your brother, Conn."
"Christ, ye've teamed up with him, haven't ye?"
Laughing, she nodded even though she knew he couldn't see her. "Don't worry, Connor. We'll take care of you."
"That's what I'm fuckin' worried about. Perhaps I should have a bit of a conversation with Katie meself."
"Be my guest." Sara glanced behind her again. "She's not as devious as I am."
"But yer forgettin' Sara, that I am."
"And that's why I like you so much."
He laughed softly. "Now that's good ta know. Just call me if ye want ta do supper. You two have fun shoppin'."
"We will. Bye, Connor." Sara hung up the phone, fully aware of the goofy grin on her face. She jumped as Katie came into sight, laughing softly.
"Man, you're a goner."
"What?" Sara crossed her legs and raised an eyebrow at her.
"Big goofy smile, blushing cheeks. There's no hope left."
"As if you have any room to talk."
"What do you know?" Katie perched on the couch arm.
"I have a source who tells me all."
"You can hardly claim Connor as a source. And who says he's reliable?"
Sara laughed at her. "He has been so far."
Katie threw a pillow at her before sinking on the couch next to her. "I'm ready to leave when you are."
"Honey, I was ready yesterday."
"And yet, somehow, you're never on time for anything."
Sara hit her back with the pillow and stood up from the couch. "And that one was an oldie but a goodie from Katie's collection of complaints from 1995 and 1996." She grabbed her keys and grinned. "You know, Katie. I think somehow I missed you too."
"Okay, so let's mark down everything that's happened of any relevance with the Mafia." Da leaned forward in his chair and looked at Connor, who nodded.
"Murph, grab a pen and some paper."
"What makes me the fuckin' secretary?"
"Ye've got such pretty fuckin' handwritin'." Connor laughed as he dodged Murphy's hand.
"Boys, we've got ta concentrate here." Da sighed. Both Murphy and Connor calmed down. Connor sat down on the couch and Murphy grabbed a pen and the notepad from the counter.
"Ready."
"Okay, how far back are we goin', Da?"
"Well, Smecker said they started communicatin' two months ago. Let's start there." Da clasped his hands together. "We were still in New York City then."
"Da, did we actually keep any fuckin' track of our jobs?" Murphy frowned as he started writing.
"Well, no. We'll have ta guess."
"Would our jobs be very important though?" Connor glanced at both of them. "Wouldn't the other things that have happened be more likely to tell us something?"
"But we'll write it all down." Da nodded at Murphy, who sighed.
"Did anything unusual happen in New York? I'm drawin' a fuckin' blank here."
"Okay, so it won't be in order." Connor pointed out. "Let's just start listin' and we'll put it in order later."
"Would finding Katie then count as unusual?"
Da scratched his beard and looked at Murphy. "Well, we've never found hostages before." Connor noticed that Murphy frowned at the word 'hostages' but kept silent about it.
"Write it down then." He nodded at his brother. "Three days later, someone followed her here. They had already connected her to us at that point. And they left the messages for us."
"Have we decided what they mean?" Da looked between the two of them. Nobody spoke up. "Saints Beware was pretty fuckin' generic. Beware of what?"
"We thought it was just a basic threat."
Connor nodded as Murphy spoke but pointed his finger at him. "But what if they were warnin' us ta beware of Katie. Of involvin' ourselves with her. Based on what came after, that might make sense."
"Which means maybe they didn't want ta battle with us at that point." Da nodded in agreement. "And the second message makes sense there, too. It points directly ta the lass."
"And makes us want ta make sure she doesn't end up like Rocco." Murphy added.
The three of them were silent for a moment as they thought about this. Connor glanced at Murphy and found his brother meeting his gaze. They nodded together. The mobsters had wanted to deal with Katie alone, without the protection of the Saints. And they had simply brought her closer to them.
"I guess they fuckin' up there."
"Aye, I'd say so." Connor smiled slightly.
"And when we didn't back away, they called in the Russians. Why not handle it themselves?" Da said.
"Why not? The fuckin' Russians hate us more than anybody. More backup for them?" Murphy frowned as Connor shook his head at him.
"But they'd be afraid that the Russians would take over. They're known for it."
"Perhaps they're not giving' the Russians as much leeway as we're thinkin'."
"Meaning?"
Da looked at Connor to answer. "Meaning the Russians might be the weak spot. The latest comin' in and the least trusted. It's not unknown for the Italian families ta work together. Even the Fertittas and the Yakavettas."
"But what do we do with that information?" Murphy sighed, setting the pen down to run his hand over his head. Da leaned back and shrugged.
"We'll take it ta Smecker. The man knows more about this than we do."
Da pulled out a cigar and lit it, taking a few puffs. Connor put his feet up on the coffee table, linking his hands behind his head.
"Ye know what would make this a lot easier?"
"What?"
"If we knew what Katie knows that's so fuckin' important."
Murphy shook his head slowly. "She doesn't even fuckin' know."
"Aye, but maybe that should be our project. Ta figure out."
"No. She's got more than fuckin' enough right now ta worry about. We're not gonna add this ta the pile."
Connor smiled. "We could always just write her a fuckin' note." He lost his smile as Murphy just stared back at him. His brother got up and walked from the room. "Murph! I'm was just fuckin' jokin' with ye."
Da just shook his head at him with Connor glanced over. "Ye should know better than ta mess with yer brother like that."
"Aye, and he should know better than ta take me seriously." Connor pressed his lips together before sighing heavily. "Christ. Things were so much fuckin' easier just a few days ago."
"Just give it another couple of days, m'boy."
"At the fuckin' rate we're going, we could be in the middle of a fuckin' mob war in another couple'a days."
Sara watched Katie's smile start to fade as the afternoon went on.Shopping used to take her mind off of things. More than once after she'd heard from Brett, a trip to the mall was the perfect way to bring her mood back up. No matter how low hearing from her older brother made her feel.
Katie's brother Brett had always been a sore point for Sara. She wouldn't admit to her friend, but she'd never liked Katie's older brother. By the time that Sara met him, Brett was already knee deep in the mob and sinking fast. He'd long since left the responsibility of the keeping the family house up to Peter and Katie. Brett was the reason that Katie nearly quit school and moved home their junior year.
When he'd come to visit Katie up at school, he'd fall into the older brother routine with ease. In those moments, Sara liked him. She liked how his presence seemed to relax Katie, make her less serious and more like a college student. But then he would leave again and through the bits and pieces that Katie told her, she found that Brett was back to being mobster #1, the peon of the Fertitta's family. The very family who had killed his parents.
Sara knew that Brett had cared quite a bit about both Peter and Katie, but she also knew that he would never have given up the life he'd fallen into with the mob. He had gone in for revenge but never ended up getting it. Instead, he had died in the middle of a police raid because he raised a gun to a cop. The Brett that he had become was not the Brett that Katie liked to remember.
Peter, on the other hand, was the anti-thesis of Brett. He was the one who did everything in his power to make sure Katie could stay in school. And he was the one who saw Brett's downward spiral for what it was. Sara knew that he had kept the real events of their brother's death from Katie, and while she didn't agree with him, she understood why. They had thought it had worked until two months after the funeral and only five days after their college graduation, Katie moved to New York City.
That's when I thought I'd lost her. Sara watched Katie browse slowly through the racks of clothing in the clearance area. After both she and Peter had tried to talk Katie out of it, she gave up and decided to give her friend space. Space turned into months and except for the occasional contact with Peter, Sara's connection with Katie had been broken.
"You know, I think I'm ready to give up." Katie's voice floated over and pulled Sara back to her. Sara smiled at the mild pout on Katie's face, knowing she didn't even realize she was doing it.
"I think we've got enough for awhile." Sara nodded down at the half dozen bags they each carried. She smiled at Katie and felt better when she received a small one back.
"Let's go home, drink cocktails and gossip."
"You read my mind." Katie grinned fully and followed Sara out of the store. They jumped on the subway and managed to get back to Sara's apartment in the nicer part of South Boston in a relatively short period of time.
They collapsed with their bags on the couch, each sitting lopsided and leaning against the back of it. Sara played with the remote control in her hand but didn't turn the television on. She had a feeling they were going to need to approach the subject soon.
"Connor called earlier. He said we could go to supper with them if we wanted to."
Katie stayed quiet for a moment before she looked up at Sara. "Did you want to?"
"It's up to you."
"Sara, I just…"
"It's fine, Kat."
Katie smiled. "It's so odd to hear you call me that."
"Does it bother you?" Sara frowned at her. Katie shook her head quickly.
"No, no it doesn't bother me. It makes me remember how simple things used to be."
"Katie, you've never been simple." Sara teased.
Katie didn't respond, instead staring off at the front door. "Do you know how much I just want to bury my head in the sand? Pretend all this hasn't happened?"
"Pretend you never met Murphy?"
She raised her eyes to Sara then and paused only slightly before shaking her head slowly. "And there's the fly in the ointment."
"What are you going to do?"
"I don't know."
Sara sighed and shifted on the couch. "Well, what are your options?"
"Leave. Stay. Hide. Fight." Katie's voice had taken on a monotone quality to it that worried Sara.
"Would leaving solve anything?"
"Yeah, it'd make sure no one else gets screwed over in this fucked up mess."
Sara stared at her. "And what makes you think Murphy would let you just go? Or that Connor would either?"
Keeping her eyes on the pillow in front of her, Katie leaned back. "You could keep them from looking for me."
"Fuck that. I'd help them look. Consider that option out."
"Whatever."
"Katie." Sara put her hand on Katie's arm. She kept her eyes on the pillow. "Please."
Katie pushed her hand up and stood up, throwing the pillow back on the couch. "What other fucking option do I have, Rosie?"
"Stay. Either hide or fight, but stay."
"Stay for what?" Katie was calm but her words became shaky as she kept going. "There is no future with Murphy if he dies because of me. They could all die because of me. Is that really what you want? Do you want to die because of me? Fuck that! If these mobsters want me, they can come find me alone." Turning, Katie walked quickly to the balcony and stepped outside, slamming the door behind her.
Sara stood up slowly, keeping her eyes on the balcony. Her blinds hid most of the view, but she could see where Katie was through the lines between them. Her hand shook slowly as she pulled her cell phone out of her purse. For once, Sara had no idea what to say to Katie. This was not something she could make better on her own.
Hitting Connor's number on speed dial, she bit her lip as it rang.
"You were almost too late to join us for dinner." She could tell he was smiling. Fuck, she hated taking that away from him. "Hello?"
"Hey. If you want to do supper, we might just need to order in from here."
"Sara, what's wrong?"
She was surprised at the tears that came at that moment, making her voice thick as she answered. "Maybe you and Murph better come over."
"Hey, what happened?" The fear was clear in his voice. She shook her head and forced herself to swallow hard.
"We're both fine. I don't know why I'm crying. I just...I can't get through to her." She covered her mouth, trying to hide the sobs. His silence told her he heard anyway.
"Shh, Sara. It'll be okay. We'll be there as soon as we can be." He was trying to sound confident and soothing, she could tell, but it wasn't working. She needed him there in person for that to work.
"Thanks, Connor. And don't let Murphy panic. My tears don't really mean anything."
He sighed. "Sara, your tears mean everything. We'll be there soon."
She pushed the end button and held the phone to her chest. The tears were falling freely now but she continued to stare at the unmoving outline of Katie. She'd just found her. She couldn't lose her again.
Twenty minutes later, her doorbell rang and Sara ran to open it. Murphy moved in first, putting his hand on her shoulder and looking around quickly.
"She's on the balcony." Sara nodded towards the door. Murphy gave her a small smile and rubbed his hand over the back of his head. He glanced at Connor.
"Conn, gimme yer jacket."
"Okay." Connor slid it off with a slight frown and handed to Murphy. Sara watched Murphy pause just slightly before walking to the balcony and stepping out onto it. She felt Connor's arms slid around her and she turned in his arms.
"Sorry for scaring you."
"Ye didn't scare me. Ye worried me."
"Sorry anyhow." She laid her head on his chest, listening to the sound of his heart beating. If Katie's fears came true, Sara would lose him. A shiver went down her spine at the thought and she tried to pull herself closer to him
"Hey, what's wrong?" He leaned his head down and rested his chin against her temple. Sara closed her eyes. She couldn't allow herself to think that. To agree with Katie. To give into the fear.
"I'm scared, Connor. Plain and simple."
"I am too. But we'll be fine."
"That's another thing I like about you." She found herself smiling into his shirt. "Your eternal, baseless optimism."
He leaned down and kissed her. "Then let me say it again. We'll be fine."
Katie leaned against the cold metal railing, trying to ignore the fact that she was freezing. She didn't care. Couldn't care. There were bigger things to worry about. And going inside meant she'd have to face Sara. And that wasn't something she was ready for yet.
The door slid open behind her but she ignored it. She was surprised though that Sara had anything left to say to her. Especially after she'd acted like that.
A heavy coat settled across her shoulders and she pulled it around her without thinking. It smelled familiar. But before she could place it, she heard him behind her.
"Ye've got ta be freezin', Katie." Murphy's sigh behind her made her turn quickly.
He just glanced at her briefly before turning back to study the skyline view. When he made no move to touch her, Katie was relieved and somehow disappointed. She could continue to pretend that she could live without him, if only he didn't touch her.
"I'm fine, Murph." She joined him in staring at the city below. The sound of car horns and loud motors on the streets below filled the silence.
After a moment, she felt him move beside her. She was surprised when he held a white envelope out to her. Taking it, she frowned at him.
"What this?"
"Yer paycheck. Doc gave it ta me last night ta get to ye."
"Last night?" She opened the envelope and was surprised to find it had cash in it instead of a check.
"Yeah, the three of us and Smecker went ta McGinty's for a pint after ye left."
"Murph, I can't believe you're just giving me this money. Aren't you afraid that I'll just use it to leave town?" She felt angry again and didn't know why. Was he encouraging her to leave?
"Christ, Katie. It's yer fuckin' money. Ye've got every right ta do with it as ye choose." He leaned against the railing, away from her. She noticed he still hadn't touched her. Sighing lightly, she slipped the money into the coat pocket and put her hands in either side.
"So ye're still wantin' ta leave." He said it as a statement, giving her no room to answer. Pushing away from the railing in frustration, she turned to look at him. He faced her with his arms crossing, his face shadowed in the moonlight.
"Don't you understand, Murph? If they're gonna find me, I'm not going to make it easy for them to find you guys too."
"Katie, they've fuckin' found us already. And they've got their sights set on us too. You leaving won't fuckin' change that."
"How can you be so fucking sure? Look at where all of my fucking choices have led so far."
"They led ye ta me, Katie." His voice was quiet but she could hear the emotion building in his words. Finally, some fucking reaction. Murphy being rational wasn't something she could stand much longer.She continued to stare up at him.
"Yeah, and they may lead you, your brother and your da to the grave. Is that what you fucking want, Murphy? Because I'm not taking that chance."
He grabbed her arm gently as she tried to push past her, forcing her to face him. Sighing, he rubbed his hands over his face. "This isn't fuckin' workin', Katie."
She froze and stared up at him. "What's not working?"
"This. This arguing. Come with me. I think I know where we can find the answer." He took her hand in his and pulled her through the balcony door before she could respond. A surprised Connor and Sara looked up from the couch but Katie barely got to glance at them as Murphy pulled her out the door.
Once they were outside, she tried to take her hand back from him. "Fuck, Murphy. What are you doing?"
He kept walking and only glanced down at her for a second. "Trust me here, Katie. This is what ye need."
"Where are we going?"
"Please. Trust me." He squeezed her hand lightly and she continued to let him pull her along.
They walked the next few blocks in silence and when he stopped, Katie wasn't sure why. He smiled slightly down at her and pointed across the street. Her eyes fell on the church. She realized this must be their church and looked up at him confused.
"Why are we here?"
He let go of her hand and rubbed his hand through his hair. "This…this is where I go when I need ta find peace."
Katie stared up at the church for a moment, taking in the tall steeple and the moonlight reflecting on the stained glass windows. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Murphy bring his thumb to his mouth to start chewing on it. Smiling slightly, she turned to him. "Thank you. Think anyone is here?" Please say no. Please say no. She was touched by the idea of it, but didn't know if this was really the answer for her.
"Of course." He grinned and pulled her by the hand through the front door. Once they were inside, he helped her take off the coat. "I'll hold this for ye."
Katie looked around for a moment, unsure of what to do next. He laughed softly and pointed at the confessionals. "Go in. He'll be in, in a moment."
Nodding slowly, she gave him a small smile and walked to the confessional. The wood door on the right hand side opened soundlessly and she stepped into the darkness. What the hell? I'll give it a try.
Murphy knelt at his normal spot and nodded at the Father as he went by. He was nervous and tried not stare as he watched the priest step into the confessional and close the door softly behind him.
Bowing his head, Murphy realized his right side was cold. It was so odd being here without Connor by his side. But he knew he had a lot to pray about. And a lot to think about. Connor would be there with him next time.
She forced herself not to jump as the panel slide open, revealing a thick screen between her and the middle of the confessional. Raising her eyes, she saw the profile of the priest.
"Good evening, my child."
"Umm…good evening, Father." Katie sighed and turned to fully look through the screen. "I'm gonna just admit it now. I'm not Catholic."
"Then why are you here to confess?"
"I'm not really. I…well, my friend felt this was the best place to get answers. He brought me here." She shifted on the bench, lifting her knee to her chest and wrapping her arm around it. "He says this is where he finds peace."
"This is a good place to find peace. Why did he feel you needed answers?"
"Well, I've found myself in a complicated situation. I can either leave those I love to keep them safe or stay and hope for the best."
She heard the priest sigh and was surprised to see him turn and look at her. "As a Priest, I am bound to keep confidentiality. You can tell me anything. And with that in mind, I'm going to do something I normally wouldn't do. You're here with Murphy McManus, aren't you?"
Katie nodded. "Yes, Father. He's the friend who brought me."
"And this complicated situation. Would this have anything to do with what he and his family are involved in?"
"Somewhat. I'm afraid I've made my own mess of things though."
"How have you done that, my dear?"
"My family has been affected by the Mafia. They killed my parents years ago, and then my older brother just two years ago. And I thought I wanted revenge."
"It is God's position to bring justice to those who have wronged you, not yours."
"What about the Saints?"
The Priest nodded slightly. "They believe that God has called upon them to do his work. They are simply the conduit through which God strikes at those whose sins are so great."
"But what about those who they don't reach?"
"All men will be judged one day. Even those who escape the wrath of the Saints."
"And what about the Saints, Father? Three different mob families are working together to find them."
"God has a plan for them."
"So they'll be okay? He'll keep them alive?"
"Whatever happens is God's will. Remember that. And God has a plan for you too."
"But how do I know what his plan is? Everything I know tells me that me staying will just endanger them more."
"Your head knows all of the potential outcomes, my child. But your heart knows the only real solution."
Katie nodded slightly. "What if my heart is wrong?"
The Priest leaned forward and she saw his gentle smile through the screen. "My dear, your heart can never be mistaken. God speaks through the heart. Listen to him and you'll never go wrong."
She bit her lip and stared through the screen for a moment before sitting up all the way. "Thank you, Father. You've been a big help."
"I'm glad. Come back anytime, my child."
Smiling, Katie opened the door and saw Murphy's dark hair toward the back of the pews. She watched him for a moment, realizing she had never seen him pray before. The McManuses never hid their faith, but at the same time, she realized they never preached it either. It was simply a part of them so ingrained they assumed everyone else was the same. Which is why he just assumed I was Catholic. She grinned as he looked up and caught her watching him.
He kept his eyes on hers as he stood and she felt the intensity of his stare. He's terrified. She watched him approached and realized that this had been his last hope. A lump caught in her throat but she offered him a smile as he got close enough.
"How'd it go?"
"Good." She took a deep breath and then smiled more. Stepping forward, she kissed him gently and felt his arms go around her. "You're the sweetest guy I've ever met, Murph."
He looked down into her eyes for a moment, as if he was trying to read her mind. "Did it work?"
"It seems that everyone agrees with you. And I can't exactly argue with the opinion of a priest."
"Thank God." He breathed, closing his eyes for a moment. She smiled up at him, running her fingers across his chin.
"Yeah, I guess he had something to do with it too."
Murphy grinned at her but didn't respond to that. "Let's go."
He took her hand and led her out of the church, stopping once he got outside. "Katie, I just want you to know. I didn't bring ye here ta convince ye. I brought ye here to find peace, no matter what ye decided."
She nodded. "I know that, Murph. I made the decision on my own. The Father said what happens is God's will. And I think that God's will right now is for me to stay with you."
Murphy stared at her for a moment before he leaned her back against the brick wall of the church, his mouth capturing hers instantly. His kisses were harder, rushed and exactly what Katie wanted. She put one hand on his shoulder and slipped the other just below the neckline of the back of his shirt. His arms pulled her even closer and his tongue worked its way into her mouth. Her heart was racing but she pulled away as one of his hands slipped beneath her shirt and began working its way up.
"Murph." She laughed softly and looked up into his eyes. "We're in front of a church."
His grin made her love him even more. "Christ, I forgot." He trailed his hand back down out of her shirt and settled it on her waist instead. Kissing her again softly, he smiled against her lips. "We could go back to the apartment. We have a couple hours before Connor'll get worried."
"I wouldn't want to rush us." She felt the rumble of his laughter as she smiled and kissed him again. Running her thumb along the whiskers on his chin, she shook her head. "Seriously, though. I've never felt quite this way before, so I don't want to just go home and 'do it.' It needs to be special."
Murphy stared at her for a second before nodding. He leaned his forehead against hers with a smile. "Yer right. I want ta do this the right way." Running his fingers gently down her face, he hooked her chin up toward him and kissed her slowly, lingering.
She melted against him, pulling away from his lips and laying her head on his chest. "God, I love you, Murphy." She felt him freeze slightly and then his arms tightened around her.
"Ye don't know how much I've been wantin' ta hear ye say that."
She lifted her head and looked up at him, confused. "I thought you did hear me."
Shrugging, he brushed stray hairs away from her eyes. "The things in my head from that night are fuckin' confused, mixed together. I didn't know what was real and what I dreamed. I took a fuckin' chance." He kissed her temple. "I love you, too."
Katie took his face in her hands and pulled him down so she could kiss his forehead. "I'm sorry for leaving."
He smiled down at her. "Ye just did what yer head and yer heart told ye to." Pressing his lips together, he tilted his head to the side. "What do they say now?"
"Honestly?"
"Of course."
"My head says that I'm still putting all of you in unnecessary danger."
"And yer heart?"
She kissed him lightly. "To never let you out of my sight again."
He pulled her to him again. "Please, please. Listen ta yer heart, Katie."
"I'm trying."
"I told ye we had plenty of time." Murphy's laughing voice was soft but in hearing it, Connor pulled away from where he stood between Sara's legs as she sat on the counter. Her arms stayed around him and they both looked toward the front door, finding both Katie and Murphy grinning at them. Connor felt himself flush a little and knew Sara had to be embarrassed too. Christ, it's not like we're fuckin' not fully clothed here.
Connor smiled back and nodded slightly. "Uh, ye're back. Already."
"We can go get a drink or something…come back later…" Katie bit her lip to hide another smile. Connor watched her exchange a glance with his brother. Something's changed.
Shaking his head, he grinned back up at Sara. She sighed and trailed her arms down his shoulders. He stepped away and held his hand out to her to help her jump back down off of the counter.
"Nope. We were just...well…" He laughed when Murphy just shook his head at him.
"Give it up, Conn. There is no way of fuckin' hidin' it." Murphy took Katie's hand in his own, leading her to sit next to him on the couch.
"So, where did you two rush out of here to?" Sara smiled at both of them before giving Connor a confused look. He just shrugged back. He knew Murphy had had something planned when they came over. But he had no idea what. Whatever it was must have worked.
"Well, Murph took me to find peace." Katie grinned at him and he just laughed softly.
"I took her to the church. I thought an outside perspective might help."
"Ye took her ta fuckin' confession? Christ, Murph, she's not even Catholic." Connor chuckled as Murphy turned to stare at Katie. She shrugged and laughed quietly.
"Why didn't ye tell me?" Murphy shook his head and brought their joined hands onto his knee.
"It was such a sweet idea. I didn't want to ruin it for you." She leaned her head against him.
"Jesus woman, we've barely begun anything and ye're already lying ta me."
"I didn't lie, Murph." She grinned as he just laughed. Pointing a finger at him, she leaned close and kissed him. "You simply assumed."
"Wait!" Sara held up a hand and glanced between the two of them. "So what does this all mean?"
"That I belong here. And I was an idiot to think I could leave." Katie smiled at her and reached out her hand when Sara's eyes began to fill with tears.
"Good. Took a priest to talk sense into you."
"Took a priest to make sense to me." Katie said back.
Connor leaned forward and nodded toward the door when he caught Murphy's eye. "We'd better get back. Da'll be wonderin' where we are." He took Sara's hand and leaned down to kiss her. She put her arms around his neck.
"Thanks."
"No, thank you." He smiled back and kissed her again. Stepping away he nodded at Murphy and Katie. "Let's go, guys."
Murphy kept his hold on Katie's hand and Connor couldn't help but smile. But as they reached the door, she stopped and shook her head.
"You two go home. I want to stay here."
Murphy turned to her, frowning. Connor could see the tension was back in his shoulders. "Why?"
Katie leaned up and kissed him again, softly. "I think Sara and I need to catch up. I'll be back home tomorrow night."
There was a slight pause before Murphy nodded. He hugged her quickly and then gave Sara a smile.
"Thanks, Sara." With that he turned and opened the door. Connor nodded at the both of them.
"Night girls." He closed the door slowly behind him, managing to hear Katie laugh softly.
"So what was this about cocktails and gossip?"
Closing the door, he turned and saw Murphy watching him with a raised eyebrow.
"How did ye know she wasn't Catholic?"
Connor grinned and clapped his brother on the back. "Open yer fuckin' eyes Murph. Not everybody is fuckin' Catholic. But I'm sure you can get her ta become one of us."
Murphy just smiled back at Connor with silence as his only answer. They slipped outside into the cold for the long walk home.