Warning:brief description of sexual content and domestic violence, the stories rating gets cranked up to M next chapter.

Maureen sat at the table, back curved in a slump, with a bottle of whiskey before her and a cigarette balanced loosely on her fingertips when Fiona let herself into the kitchen.

"He looks well, doesn't he?"

"Aye, he does at that." Fiona sank down into the seat across from her friend, side aching a little as her ribs protested the climb up the flight of stairs. Every breath too deep and extended twitch of muscle sends a dull pain tripping through her body.

Maureen's brow furrowed in concern, noticing Fiona wince. "How's the pain, Fi?"

"Better now it's heeling."

"You should have that looked at. Make sure nothings been broken."

"I've had broken ribs before," Fiona said recalling the sound of painted metal crumpling and the blare of a car horn, the taste of blood in her mouth, and pain firing along every synapse until her vision blacked. "Don't worry," she said as Maureen's mouth twisted downwards around a breath of smoke. "Filip will notice the minute he gets me out of my pants."

"He was a medic for five months."

"And he boxed for years before that. He's busted plenty of ribs."

"He never busted yours though." Maureen's eyes glinted, shrewd. Don't say it, Mo. "How much does he know exactly? About what happened after Jimmy excommunicated him."

"Not much. Just the bare bones of it." Fiona held up her wrist, the bruises exposed to the sunlight streaming pathetically through the kitchen window. "He's seen these and managed not to fly completely off the handle. But he knows nothing about Jimmy going after Kerri with a belt. Unless my girl has started talking, which seems unlikely. She can barley string two blood words together in front of her own Da, Mo. Much less speak directly to him. And that's my fault..." Fiona's voice broke; she swallowed her regret. "My fault for keeping Jimmy around."

"You couldn't have goon to Filip in Charming even if you had kicked Jimmy out." Maureen sighed. "After everything went down, you didn't have much of a choice."

"No," Fiona agreed, reaching for the whiskey. She spiked her tea again, more generous this time. She tried not to think about the catalyst that had pushed an ocean between her and her husband. Dragging up the past never solved for the present; unearthing the old bones of stories and secrets from their long dug graves never unearthed any solutions.

But the ghosts of the past had been disturbed, and they rattled through Fiona's soul and howled until she thought her bones might split.

"I can't tell him about Jimmy beating Kerri," Fiona said thinking back to nine years ago and the spark that sent Filip off on a hunt for blood and vengeance. "Not yet. Not after last time."

"Oh, Fi," Maureen sighed, expression pained. "Filip couldn't have done anything less once he knew."

"If Kerri tells him...then so be it. But I'll lie if it keeps him from doing something rash."

"So what'll you tell him when he asks about the bruise?"

"Jimmy knew Filip had had me. Took his temper out on me." Fiona touched her neck, recalling the sensation of Jimmy's hands around her throat, squeezing, her desperate gasps for air. "It's not a complete lie."

Fiona stood beneath the hot spray for a good half hour scrubbing her skin raw. She turned her nose into her shoulder, sniffed, and satisfied that she could no longer smell Filip's scent on her skin she shut the water off and stepped out of the shower.

She ran the towel over her body, wiped the water from her skin and, reaching that intimate area at the crux of her thighs, paused. The memory of Filip moving inside of her, thrusts sure and deep once they found their footing against the door of that disgusting public loo, causing her private bits to tingle and respond against her fingers.

Her legs wrapped around his waist as they hit their stride.

"Is that -"

"It's good," she gasped, "It's really...Oh, Jesus," she moaned.

It would have been sweet even without the orgasm that left her adrift; free from fear and worry for the first time in months.

Fiona felt the first stirrings of desire again, white hot and desperate lust, the kind that left a woman wet and smelling of sex. She moved her hand away, focused on drying her hair, rubbing lotion into her legs. She examined her neck in the mirror but could find no telling mark.

Satisfied, Fiona pulled her robe tightly closed around her and left the sanctuary of the loo for the bedroom.

She did not expect Jimmy to be waiting for her, the plain cotton of her panties dangling in his hand.

He made a show of sniffing the crotch. "How's Filip love?"

"Filip who?"

He slapped her across the face so fast Fiona had no time to brace herself. She hit the carpet hard, blinking away stars. Then Jimmy was on top of her with his fingers around her throat.

Hours later, after Fiona stumbled from the ruins of the van, after tucking her daughter into Kell's second bedroom, she curled up on one of the sofas in the den. She put on the telly for some background sound because she hated how the silence felt in her ears. The news flickered to life; she watched an overly attractive female anchor standing in front of yellow police tap. The car, spotted with bullet holes and quickly abandoned once they realized the front tire had a hole, filled the background. It was odd, watching her life playing out on a television screen.

She must have dropped off to sleep at some point because when she woke the blanket hanging over the back of the sofa was tucked in around her, and Filip slept in an armchair nearby.

Fiona kissed her husband awake, sliding into his lap afterwards. Filip's arms wrapped around her, nails racking along her back in a friendly scratch that made Fiona want to purr. Ignoring her ribs, she pushed back against his hand.

"Where's Kerri?"

"Asleep upstairs," Fiona said, pillowing her head on his shoulder, making herself comfortable. "Once the adrenaline wore off she couldn't keep her eyes open. Where you followed?"

"No. Casey gave me a bit of trouble."

"Good. He's a glorified guard dog; that's what he's there for - to keep trouble makers out." She reached up, traced a scar with her fingertip. The muscles in his face lifted; she felt his smile.

"I'm not here to cause him any trouble," Filip said. His hand slid up under the tail of her shirt, palm warm against the skin at the small of her back. "You on the other hand..."

Fiona laughed.

And than Filip was kissing her, tongue parting her lips. Desire curled, warm and delicious, in her belly. "So what are you waiting for?" She demanded in a whisper against his lips. "Cause me some trouble."