A/N: Titled 'Chapter 48'. Isn't that creative:) Short but sweet. More being served soon!

It'd been only ten minutes since Murphy had left her at the bar for his latest round to talk to everybody but Katie felt herself starting to drag more and more. The noise of the bar around her surrounded her and for once, she wanted nothing more than to get away from it. And to lie down. The cot in the back room was looking more and more welcoming as time crawled on.

"Christ, Katie." His hand warmed her back and she opened her eyes again to find him leaning close. "Ye look half past tired. Why didn't ye just tell me you were ready ta go?"

"You looked so happy. I couldn't make you leave yet."

"I am happy. I'm home. Back in fuckin' Ireland, finally. But that doesn't end at midnight."

She smiled slowly, nodded to the clock over Ma's head behind the bar. "That's good since it's now 12:15."

"And an hour later than I should've kept ye waitin' on me." Murphy pressed a kiss to her temple and slid an arm around her, supporting her as she slid off of the stool. He took the glass of diet coke from her hand and narrowed his eyes at it before raising an eyebrow at her. "Do I need ta test this one too?"

"Murph."

"Ye already had one tonight. Who says ye won't try it again?" He just laughed as she glared at him.

"I wasn't alone in getting it. Your cousin snuck that screwdriver over for me."

"Desmond just felt sorry for ye. He knows from experience that a bar isn't as fun without the fuckin' alcohol." Guiding her toward the door, he tugged on Connor's shirt from behind. Connor glanced around, grinning when he saw them.

"Joinin' the party?"

"Headin' home. Ye comin' with us?"

Nodding, Connor downed the rest of his beer. "Just let me grab Sara. I think Aunt Lucy's still talkin' ta her." He ran his palm over Katie's head as he moved past them and she just laughed, leaning her face against Murphy's shirt.

Sleep was beginning to overwhelm her as Murphy said his goodbyes and she managed to only smile and nod in the few responses she felt required to give. The faces of all of their friends, family and neighbors had begun to blur together early on in the night and she wondered just how long it would take her to get the important ones straight.

The cold night air did little to wake her up. The old car's engine rumbled to life after a few false starts, and the last thing Katie remembered was the feeling of Murphy reaching over her to buckle her seatbelt.

Sara lay quietly in the twin bed on the far side of the room and listened to Connor try to fumble around in the dark. As soon as they'd walked in the door, he'd taken one look at her and guided her up to the room they'd be staying in. She glanced around the room and in seeing double of nearly every piece of furniture; she assumed this was the twins' old bedroom.

After Murphy had gotten the still sleeping Katie settled in the guest bedroom, both McManus brothers disappeared back down the stairs. And she'd waited for him to come back, forcing herself to stay awake. Over a half hour had passed before she heard the door open again. The soft sound of his breathing caressed her ears and she found that she was smiling despite her annoyance.

"It's past curfew, Connor Nolan!" She saw the outline of him jump as she spoke and hear the quiet roll of his laughter.

"I thought ye would be long since asleep."

"I never slept well the first night of camp either."

He chuckled again softly. "Ye stay on the boy's side often?"

"Is that an invitation?"

"Sure. Get in yer rowboat and come on over." The rustle of sheets being pulled back followed his words and she grinned. The carpet was threadbare beneath her feet but his bed was soft as she slid in beside him. His arm was warm around her body and she nestled against him, sighing.

"Know any good campfire songs?"

"'fraid I don't." He brushed his lips over her temple, his fingers making a circle beneath the fabric of her night shirt. "Wanna make out?"

"Sure." She turned quickly in his arms and felt his leg hook around her, bringing her even closer as his lips met hers. He tasted like Guinness and smoke, and most of all, like Connor. The rough pads of his fingers found the sensitive skin of her hips and she laughed breathlessly against his mouth.

"What?" He whispered softly, kissing her again.

"We'll never be able to come back to camp if they find out."

His laughter vibrated through her and she saw his eyes sparkle in the dark. "I always loved a rebel."

"My dad's gonna be so mad." She grinned as he laughed again and felt the delightful pull deep inside her as he pulled her up on top of him. His hands were quick to slip the night shirt off of her and she lost herself in his kiss again.

Murphy slipped into the double bed smoothly, working hard to keep it from moving too much. Her form was stretched out peacefully and she showed no sign of waking as he lay on his side to face her. However, he couldn't resist brushing the hair off of her face and her eyes blinked open at the touch.

"Murph?"

"Shh. Go back ta sleep, a chumann." The Gaelic endearment slipped out without him even thinking about it and he grinned as he realized it was so natural to speak the old language in their house. He was home.

She gave a long sigh and shifted closer to him, her eyes opening up again. "What's that mean?"

"Old shoe." He chuckled and caught her hand as she hit in the chest. Running his fingers over her knuckles, he kissed her lightly. "It means sweetheart."

Her lips met hers for another kiss and as he shifted to lie on his back, her head moved to rest on his chest. Murphy traced his finger down her spine and smiled again as she batted his hand away. He settled for resting his hand on the small of her back and felt her relax against him.

"Welcome home." Her voice was soft, sounding nearly half asleep. He felt the tightness in his chest as he fought the surprising emotions at her simple words.

"It's yer welcome home too, if ye want it ta be."

"You've kind of become my home, Murph."

"Then welcome home, Katie." He brushed his hand down her hair. "I love ye."

"I love you, too." The words were barely a whisper and by the slow breathing that followed, he knew she'd fallen asleep again. Closing his eyes, Murphy smiled as he welcomed his dreams. After all, they were in Ireland. Nothing could touch them now.

The house was quiet as Da opened the door for her and his hand touched the small of her back to guide her inside. Ma fought against the nearly overwhelming emotions that came with that simple gesture and she silently reminded herself that she had to be strong. He'd been gone for way too long to start things up again. That chapter of her life was over. Pat's the fuckin' father o' me children, and me friend. Nothin' more.

Slipping off her coat, she hung it over the kitchen table chair and offered a smile at him. "It's a bit too quiet in this house."

"They must all be sleepin' already. Even yer Murph was startin' ta drag. And ye know what that means."

"Now don't be blamin' him on me. He's yer Murph as much as he's mine. He got that energy from your side o' the family. Remember Sibeal at that age?" Ma poked him in the chest and he took her hand in response, a quiet smile on his face.

"Aye, that I could never forget. Ye used ta beg me ta get him drunk or ta get 'im gone. Somethin' ta shut 'im up after ye'd been up all night with the twins."

"And ta nobody's surprise, ye picked drunk half the time."

"Damn right. A bit more fun than makin' him leave. More o' a fuckin' sport." Da laced his fingers through hers, his eyes on their hands. "I've missed quite a fuckin' lot, haven't I, Annabelle?"

Her heart skipped a beat as his eyes raised to meet hers and she barely managed to force herself to keep his gaze. "Ye're back now. And ye'll be missin' no more."

His eyes searched her face for a long moment before he dipped his head slightly in a nod. "Not a second more." His words were soft and he kissed her temple with a sigh before giving her a gentle shove toward the bedroom. "G'night, m'belle."

Ma stood a moment longer, watching as he pulled the blanket from the back of the couch and sat down slowly. Even though the years had been kind to him, her heart still ached as she saw the signs that he had aged. That he was older. And it just served as yet another reminder that he'd been gone for so long. His eyes rose to meet hers and he smiled fully now.

"Go ta bed. Ye look half asleep."

"Night, Pat." Smiling back, she turned away and found it was still hard to take a deep breath. He was in her house. Their house. He was home. And while the nerves in her stomach jumped at the possibilities of what that could mean, her mind continued to focus on only one thing. He'd taken her heart with him when he'd left that day more than twenty five years before. He'd taken her heart and she'd never really gotten it back. And she knew now that couldn't afford to give him anything more.

The daylight had seeped in through the windows, waking Sara in the early morning hours. Morning seemed different here. Slower. Even the sun seemed to rise hesitantly, as if it were afraid to arrive without warning. The rays crept across the floor changing from the deep pinks and oranges to the light yellow as she watched.

It was different in the city. Everything moved faster and it seemed that in a space of less than a minute, the sun had popped out over the top of the neighboring building without a warning, purposely catching those still sleeping of guard. As if it was a game to wake unsuspecting citizens with a slap of sunlight.

The room was fully lit by the time she felt Connor begin to stir behind her and she smiled as she felt his clumsy kiss at the back of her neck. "Mornin'"

"Good morning." Grinning, she turned to face him. The sleepy look in his eyes drew her to him and she had to force herself not to get lost in him again as she kissed him. Running her thumb over the new stubble growth around his chin, she smiled again. "You know what I want to do?"

"What?" His eyes were half closed again and his arms pulled her closer to him.

"Let's go outside. I don't want to see my first Irish morning pass through a window."

An eyebrow raised and he smiled slowly. "Are ye sure ye shouldn't be with Murph instead o' me? The two o' ye have a lot more in common."

"Connor." She tapped her fingers lightly against his ribs and felt him move away in response. She'd found his ticklish spot again, without even trying. "Connor."

"What?"

"Come for a walk with me."

"No." He pulled her in even closer, resting his chin on her shoulder and faked snoring sounds. Sara's arms went around him instantly and she fought laughter as she tried to pull back to look at him.

"Please?"

"Sleep. Yer Irish mornin'll be there tomorrow, m'dear."

"Connor." She sighed it this time, and his only response was to bury his face further into her shoulder. Rolling her eyes, she pushed away from him and slipped out of the bed as his arms opened. "Fine. Than I'll go alone."

The room was silent as she opened up her suitcase. Pulling a pair of jeans, she found a bra and a long sleeved t-shirt to wear. It was only as she sat down on the opposite bed to put her shoes on that she realized he was now fully awake, and watching her.

"What?"

Connor sighed lightly and smiled as he pulled the covers off of him. "Gimme a minute."

"I can go alone. You can sleep in."

"Not a good idea."

"Afraid I'll get lost?" She teased and he just gave her a laughing look.

"Nope. I'm afraid ye'll find yerself a highlander and never come home."

"Aren't highlanders Scottish?"

He laughed softly, buttoning his own jeans as he shot her a grin. "Aye, but with yer sense o' direction, ye'll likely ta end up in Scotland." Pulling an old sweater out of the closet, he looked at it closely before shrugging and putting it on.

After he'd gotten his boots on, Connor took her hand and pulled toward the door. "Let's go see ye a good Irish mornin', Sara."

He'd led her directly into the wooded area that surrounded the south end of town and started behind the McManus's house. His voice was soft as he told her of the games he and Murphy would play in those woods with their cousins long before they'd left for the States. She could hear the smile in his voice without actually looking at his face and she realized that for the first time she was really getting to see that part of him. Was getting to see the pure side of Connor. The side still untouched by blood and vengeance.

The sun was settled much higher in the sky as they headed back to the house and she found herself growing more nervous with each step. Her mind was racing and her heart was thumping as she stopped near the woods edge and raised her eyes to his. Searching his face for a second, Sara dropped his hand and pulled away from him, away from his touch. Away so she could think.

She paced nervously across the leaves and sticks and she felt Connor's eyes following her every step.

"What the fuck is goin' on, Sar?" His voice was soft and she smiled slightly as she noticed that he had picked up on Katie's nickname for her.

"Nothing, I…" The nerves spun in her belly and she forced a deep breath as she faced him. "I just am figuring some things out here."

"Like what?"

"Coming here, seeing you here. Walking with you here. Made me realize something." She took what she hoped would be a calming breath. "This is the real you."

"Aye, what else would it be?" He furrowed his eyebrows as he stepped closer.

Sara wondered how she could explain without going into details. She still hadn't told Connor about her past, about why she was skittish. And it wasn't something she wanted to get into now. So she just shrugged. "I was afraid the man I loved somehow wasn't the real you."

"Like Greg." It was barely a whisper but as her eyes darted to his, he held her gaze. She nodded, shocked.

"How do you know about that?"

"I've know. Since before New York. Katie-"

"Told you. Fuck, should've known." Raising her hand to her forehead, Sara let out a sigh and put out her other hand to stop him as he moved forward. "It doesn't matter. I'm glad you know."

"I'm not Greg, Sara."

"I know that." She choked out a half laugh; the emotions rising in her chest brought a lump to her throat. "I know that."

"What's wrong?" Connor stepped forward again and his simple touch to her shoulder nearly made her lose the courage she was working so hard to build. It suddenly seemed to clear to her. Now she just needed to find the words to say it to him.

"I love you, Connor."

His eyes narrowed and he put his other hand on her other shoulder, turning her to face him. "I love ye too, Sara. Now what the fuck's goin' on here?"

"No, no. I mean. I really love you. More than I've loved anyone. I want to spend the rest of my life with you." The words seemed to stumble out and she wished that she'd been born with a smoother tongue. With a quicker wit. Speaking had never been her best talent.

But the smile on his face was quick and his hands squeezed her shoulders lightly as his lips found hers. The kiss was sweet, almost unbearably sweet and Sara fought against the temptation to just savor the moment. To leave the rest for later. This was enough, right? She knew the answer to that even before the question had been swept away as Connor deepened the kiss. It was more than enough. And at the same time, it wasn't quite enough. Yet.

As his arms pulled her into a tight hug, she pressed her face into his shoulder and took another deep breath. "Connor?"

"Humm?" His chin moved down to touch her shoulder, moving his ear close to her mouth.

"Connor? Will you marry me?"

The words seemed to float between them for a moment before they seemed to impact and Sara found herself staring into his deep blue eyes as his hands cupped her face.

"What'd ye say?"

"I said." She swallowed hard, feeling the tears trip and fall down her cheeks and she offered him a weak smile. "I said, will you marry me?"

His lips spread slowly into a smile as his eyes jumped over her face to study her for a long moment. A kiss brushed against her cheek as she felt herself being swung in the air. His laughter echoed from the trees and she found herself joining in despite the growing dizziness. The branches above them continued to spin as he set her down but the spark from his kiss grounded her as he pulled her to him.

A few long moments passed before she broke the kiss and grinned up at him. "So, are you going to answer me?"

"Ye've done this all backwards, m'love. Ye're supposed ta be answerin' the question."

Laughing softly, she shook her head, her eyes still studying his. There was a sparkle there as she grinned. "Than ask the question, Mr. McManus."

His expression grew more serious as he cupped her face with his palm, running his thumb down her cheek. After giving her another soft kiss, she felt him pull away from her. And Sara's heart skipped a beat as he lowered himself down to one knee.

Taking her hand in his, Connor's gaze was on the ground before his eyes found hers again. And she was surprised to see there was more than a sparkle glistening in his eyes. "I've loved ye Sara. Longer than ye've known. Longer than I've even known." He swallowed hard but his gaze never moved. "Ye've been the answer ta me prayers and the woman o' me dreams. Sara, will ye marry me?"

"Yes." She spoke the word so softly that she wasn't sure if it'd come out. But by the smile on his face as he stood back up and put his arms around her, she knew he'd gotten the message. Her heart slowed as she rested her cheek against his chest and she tightened her arms around him. There was little question in her mind anymore. This was where she belonged. It was where they belonged.