Later that morning, after the breakfast dishes had been done, the boys offered to take Julie out for a walk. She made them fill up black bags with dirty clothes to be cleaned. Grudgingly, the twins carried the bags down the street for the laundromat. Murphy hobbled a little behind them, grumbling curses all the way. Julie borrowed some change from Conner while the clothes were washing so she could make a phone call.
There was a payphone two buildings down from the laundromat. Without her asking, the brothers followed her to the booth. She called her two jobs and vaguely explained that she had left her house and was staying with friends. Both of her bosses knew how badly she had been treated at home, she could practically hear them smiling in relief, both promising to hold her job until she was on her feet again. With a sigh of relief, she stepped away from the phone. Conner and Murphy were leaning back against the brick wall, sunglasses hiding their eyes as they surveyed the street.
Julie smiled at them. "Well, I still have jobs when I get better."
"That's good to hear," Conner smiled back, flicking his cigarette on the ground almost in unison with his brother.
"Come on," she urged. "The clothes should be almost done."
"Go ahead without us," Murphy said darkly.
Julie cocked her head a little, smirking. "Is this a ploy to get out of helping with the folding?"
"No, Julie," Conner replied. "Murph's right. Go back to the laundromat."
Confused, she turned around. From where they were standing, she could see straight down an alley. Two large men were standing, towering over a smaller man who was kneeling on the ground. One of the bigger men reached out and slapped the small man hard enough to knock him over. Julie took an outraged step forward, but a hand on either shoulder stopped her.
"Do as we said," Murphy ordered, stepping out in front of her.
"Fuck you," she bit back, shrugging away from his hand. The tone of his voice had pissed her off whole-heartedly. "You guys aren't my father."
"No, we love ye more than he does," Conner remarked, pulling her backwards gently by the shoulder.
She looked up at him, stunned into silence for a moment. Grinding her teeth, she replied "Fine, but if you get yourselves hurt, I'll kill you."
Stomping back down the street for the laundromat, she didn't look behind her. When she got there, she was near to tears, folding the clothes neatly and shoving them into the empty bags. It was half an hour later when the brothers came waltzing back into the laundromat. Julie glared at them, still stuffing the bags.
"See, Julie," Conner smiled. "We're safe and sound."
She didn't respond, didn't even make eye contact.
"Ah, don't be like that, Julie," Murphy protested.
She put the last of the clothes into the bags and tied them all closed. Without watching, she threw one at each of the men and hoisted one over her shoulder. She could hear them shuffling behind her as she made her way back to the apartment. There was nothing but silence among them, even as they entered the main room and Julie dumped their clean clothes all over their dirty beds.
"Here, enjoy," she said cooly, walking toward the bedroom.
"Wait, Julie," Murphy called, grabbing on to her wrist.
It wasn't hard enough to hurt, but she still twisted her arm, trying to pull away. "Let me go, Murphy."
He did, looking very apologetic. "I'm sorry."
"We didn't mean to upset ye, Julie," Conner remarked, stepping closer. "But what we do isn't very pretty. I, for one, didn't want ta see ye get covered in blood. Not again."
"Me either," Murphy added, staring almost intensely at her.
Julie looked back and forth between the two of them, letting out a gentle sigh. "You're right. Your business is none of mine. Just don't try ordering me around like that again. I am so over being ordered around."
The boys smiled, nodding, and she smiled back. "Alright then, fellas. How about I make some lunch?"
"Nah, ye took care of breakfast," Conner chuckled. "Lunch is on me an' Murph."
"Aye," Murphy smirked. "But we'll have to be goin' out ta get it."
"Back in a bit," Conner said, tapping Murphy on the shoulder to have him follow.
Both men stepped over to her, planting kisses on her forehead before heading out the door.
---
Julie was sitting on the couch waiting for the twins to return when the phone rang. It startled her so much, she nearly fell to the floor. She wasn't sure if she should answer it. The last time the phone rang, the brothers had to leave to kill people. That was one point against picking up the receiver. But it kept ringing, as if the person on the other end was completely undaunted by the wait.
She lost her nerve and answered it, bringing it up to her ear. After a breath, she said simply "Hello?"
"Hello," a rumbling female voice said from the other end, thick with a familiar accent. "Who the hell is this?"
"Julie," she answered dumbly, taken aback by the other woman's blunt speech.
"Ah, so this is the Julie me dear old MacManus had been goin' on about," the woman laughed, close to a cackle. "Well, lass, how're those worthless boys a mine treatin' ye?"
Julie stumbled over her words, stuttering a bit, which drew more laughter over the phone. "Well speak up, girl. Yer not dumb, tha's fer sure. Or have I scared the shit outta ye from all the way over here in Ireland?"
"I'd go for the latter," Julie mumbled into the phone, causing another uproar of laughter.
"At least yer honest," the woman chuckled. "Tha's something me boys must be enjoyin'. Now, where are those ungrateful little pissants?"
"I sent them out for lunch," Julie giggled, picking up on the woman's disguised good-humor.
Another peal of chuckling. "Sending the boys on errands, are ye? A girl after me own heart."
Julie laughed as well, holding the receiver closer to her ear because of the static from an ocean away. "Well, I try to keep them on their toes."
"I'll bet ye do," the woman chuckled. "Those boys of mine tend to roughhouse a bit. Surely they've been takin' care not to hurt ye any more then ye 'ave been."
"They've been more than kind, ma'am," Julie assured.
"Call me Ma," the woman protested. "Everyone else in this bloody place does. Besides, me dear old husband told me he warned those boys to be treatin' ye like a sister. They haven't been makin' unwanted passes 'ave they?"
The tone in her voice made Julie laugh out loud. "I'd be lying if I said they were completely gentlemanly."
"Well, I know me boys. They won't make ye do somethin' ye ain't willin' ta do," the woman assured. "But I know they can be a handful with their flirtin'."
Julie heard the door to the apartment begin to open. An idea struck her when she saw the brothers walking in, carrying bags of groceries. She said rather loudly "I don't know, Ma. They did both propose to me over breakfast this morning."
Both men's eyes widened, nearly dropping the bags. Conner found his voice first. "Who's that on the phone?"
"It's your Ma," Julie smiled, holding out the receiver to the boys. "I think she wants a word with the both of you."
They both scrambled over, leaning their heads together so they could both hear their mother. Julie laughed hard as she started unloading the bags. The boys were trying to convince their mother that their half-hearted proposals were all in good fun. Ma's voice was so loud through the receiver, Julie could hear it in the kitchen.