Murphy had been wrong. An hour later, the two waitresses had not showed back up at the table. It took an hour and a half before the girls came around. They each took a brother, sliding onto their laps and giving them suggestive smiles. Julie was caught in the middle still. She got jabbed in the side by a high-heeled foot, and the girl who she had insulted earlier gave a half-hearted apology.

The boys seemed thoroughly entertained by the new-comers, leaving Julie alone to watch the rest of the pub. Everyone seemed in good spirits, maybe even a few people well-pleased with themselves and their company. She noticed another small group of people walking in, followed by a familiar-looking man wearing a jean jacket who took a seat at a table near the bar. Julie sipped at her second or third beer. She wasn't sure which only because there were several bottles on the table and she didn't know which had been hers.

The bottle in her hand was nearly empty and she really wanted another one. The waitresses that had taken over the latest shift were closer to the front where the newer people had come in. Julie didn't want to shout for any of them, so she decided she was going to go up to the bar herself. She turned to one side only to find Murphy whispering into one barmaid's ear. Turning the other way, she saw Conner lighting a cigarette only to have the other barmaid pluck it from his lips to take a drag.

Julie rolled her eyes and looked under the table. The floor was one of the filthiest she'd ever seen, which left only one choice. With a groan of frustration, she slid her knees onto the bench and got to her feet, stepping up onto the table.

"Where ye think yer goin'," she heard Conner chuckle once she was standing up there.

She looked down smiling at him. "Gonna go get me another beer."

Murphy laughed and tilted his head to try looking up her skirt, but the barmaid tugged his face back to hers. Julie chuckled and hopped onto the floor on the other side of the table, finally free from between the two boys and their new "friends." She stretched her legs a little, both a bit sore from having sat for such a long time without really moving. The trek to the bar was short-lived, but welcomed, even though she could feel the eyes of the brothers upon her back like a comforting touch. The bartender was helping another customer, so she stood patiently waiting for him.

She heard a bit of shuffling behind her at one of the tables, then a woman's voice grunting in frustration. "Let me go."

Julie turned around and saw the man in the jean jacket grasping a waitress's wrist. The woman was struggling to get away, but the man was not giving up. "Come on, baby. You know you want some of this."

"Hardly," the woman practically spat.

The man's face turned red with anger, and he tugged on her arm harder, making her wince. "Well, I want you. And I always get what I want."

He tried pulling her onto his lap. Julie watched appalled, eyes darting to the people closest to the scene who were ignoring it. Outraged by their lack of interest in someone else's distress, Julie took it upon herself to step over.

"Excuse me," she said cautiously to the man. "But I think she said to let her go."

"Who asked you," the man grunted, looking up at Julie, still tugging on the girl. Her eyes looked up to Julie, almost pleading.

"Let her go," Julie tried again, voice harsher this time.

"Why," the man asked, giving a cruel grin as he stood up, never releasing the girl. "You want some of me. I have plenty to go around."

Julie looked him up and down, smirking. "I highly doubt that."

Without warning, he backhanded her, hard enough to send her spinning half a turn. She stumbled a bit, but never hit the ground. She had been hit much worse before, and this hardly even phased her. In fact, it pissed her off more than anything. So far removed from the pain and humiliation of a daily beating, the idea that someone thought they had a right to hurt her or anyone else made her blood boil. Without thought, she spun back around, bringing her empty beer bottle down hard across the man's face.

Julie had been hit by a beer bottle or two before, and she knew they didn't break in real life like the movies always showed. So she was surprised as hell when the glass shattered against the man's face, embedding shards into his skin. He fell to one knee on the floor and Julie came up behind him, grabbing a fistful of hair and pressing the jagged end of the broken bottle neck against his throat.

"You'll think twice about touching another woman again, won't you," she whispered harshly, tugging his head back for emphasis.

His eyes were fearful as he looked up at her and gave a slight nod. Julie sneered and threw his head forward so that he landed on his hands in the shattered glass.

"Now get the fuck out of here," she spat, kicking him hard in the ass to get him started.

He scrambled on his hands and knees for the door, not daring to look back. Julie heard footsteps coming up quickly behind her. She spun, still brandishing the bottle neck like a weapon. Conner and Murphy stopped short of reaching her, their hands in the air defensively.

"Whoa there, Julie," Conner said soothingly, not stepping any closer.

Julie realized she had been breathing heavily. She took a deep breath and lowered the make-shift weapon to her side. Looking around, she noticed that everyone was staring at her, some looking concerned, others with approving smirks on their faces. She began to blush when the assaulted waitress came up and gently took the broken bottle neck from her hand.

"Thank you," the woman said quietly, brushing her fingers against Julie's shoulder before rushing off to a back room behind the bar. Another waitress came up and started to sweep up the glass shards on the ground.

Julie looked up at the two brothers, everything silent for a few moments. Then, Murphy started to smirk. "I can't believe ye just fuckin' did that."

She started to chuckled, and it broke the ice. Murphy came up, wrapping his arms around her, then turning with her, presenting her to the rest of the pub while shouting "I fuckin' love this girl."

Julie gave a yelp when she felt someone come up behind her and lift her off the ground. Looking down, she saw Conner hoisting her onto his shoulder with his own playful shout. "Ah, fuck ye, Murph. There's no way ye love 'er as much as I do."

Conner started turning her around while the whole pub cheered for her. Julie laughed wildly, trying to keep her balance on Conner's shoulder. Then Murphy came up, holding his arms up to her. She hopped down off Conner into Murphy's embrace.

"That was beautiful, Julie," he whispered against her cheek, smiling and hugging her.

Conner grabbed her away from his brother, hugging her from behind and laughing against the side of her throat. "Ye did good, Julie. Real good."

She giggled, Conner's lips tickling her skin. "Alright, boys, the show's over. You can go back to your girls now."

Murphy looked back over his shoulder, and Julie could see that their table was empty. "I think the girls've gone."

Julie started to apologize, but Conner gave a chuckle. "Who can blame 'em? I mean, tryin' to compete with Julie here isn't all that easy."

"Oh come on," Julie laughed, pushing Conner away playfully. "I still need to get that beer."

"Ah, no," Murphy smiled, shaking his head. "I think ye've graduated to the harder stuff, now."

Conner grabbed three shot glasses while Murphy ordered a bottle of whiskey, both leading Julie back to the table.