Chapter Six: Doctors Orders

After a small argument over whether or not Branna would fit into a pair of their spare boots, Branna had demanded to be taken home. Murphy scowled at the decision, citing that it wasn't safe to go back there. But after she had reluctantly tried on the boots, and found that they were two sizes too big, he and Connor had grabbed their coats.

At the apartment, he watched at Branna went around methodically collecting her things. She grabbed her cigarettes, and slid her Browning into the holster before wriggling her arms into it. She'd stalked over to exposed sink and grabbed an elastic before knotting her hair up. Everything was going smoothly until he saw her slip into a pair of flat-soled leather boots that stopped midway up her calf.

"What, ye think we're goin' dancin'?" he mocked, gesturing at her footwear.

She'd stood up from pulling the boot up. With a sigh and a roll of her eyes, she'd unzipped the leg part and showed him the inside of the leather on the outer part of her leg. There was a built in sheath where the handle of a short blade peeked out. His raised his eyebrows.

"I don't know when I'm coming back here. I want all the weapons I can carry." was all she said.

She'd returned to pulling up her boots and continued to walk around her apartment. Kneeling, she pulled out a small red duffle bag. Tossing it on the table, she moved over to where her bed was cornered up across from the shower curtain. Lifting the covers, she reached under the bed, searching with her hands. She smiled. She'd obviously found what she was looking for, pulling out a fair sized green lock box. Reaching into her night table she produced a key and brought both the key and the box to the table as well. Opening the box she proceeded to pull out another handgun, this one a Firestar compact 9mm and a few more small knives. She'd tossed them all into the bad and zipped it up before pulling her on her leather coat.

Now, sitting at the bar, she was having a lovely conversation with Doc. The old man was smiling and pouring her a drink. He watched Connor walked out of the restroom and head his way. Taking a swig of the pint Doc had served him, he lit a cigarette. Connor sidled up beside him, putting a nice sized buffer between him and the woman who was turning out to be a test of his will.

"So," Connor said, taking a mouthful of his own draught.

"So what?" he replied.

"Are ye gonna tell me what happened at Branna's apartment? What got the two of ye's so hot and bothered ye started a screaming match over it in the kitchen?" Lighting his own cigarette he exhaled a circle of smoke.

"It was nothin'," Murphy muttered. "Absolutely nothing."

"Oh come now. I know ye better than that. Ye can't hide shit like that from me, I'll find out one way or another. I mean, I could get Branna's side of the story. Sure she'd be more than willing to part with that tasty bit of information…" Connor chuckled.

Murphy looked at Branna; she was smoking and laughing at Doc trying to explain the difference between a light beer and a smooth beer. He turned.

"It was fucking… I don't know what the fuck it was. One minute we're screaming at each other, the next minute, its like we can't get our clothes off fast enough. Thankfully, before anythin' happened, those pictures showed up." He sighed.

"I don't know what the fuck is wrong with me head. I look at her, and it's like nothing's changed! It's like all those years after she left don't exist anymore. I mean, what the fuck? She left me! She took off on her own, no word, no goodbye, just up and left. Christ, I'm in me mid-thirties and fer the last ten years I haven't been able to get me head unwrapped from that bloody woman. I dunno what the hell is wrong with me Connor."

He ran a hand through his hair and put out the smoke in the ashtray on the bar.

"Brother, this all I have to say on the matter - don't be a dumbass." His brother clapped him on the back and waved Doc to bring another round. The old man toddled over to refill their glasses.

"Th-Th-That girl ye brought with ye be something special." Doc said with a wide smile.

"Aye, something… not sure what just yet." Murphy muttered.

"Don't b-b-be a fool now boy. I c-c-could tell the first time she glanced over to ye th-th-that ye both have unf-f-f- FUCK!" Doc cursed. "Business ye need to take care of."

He watched Doc point a shaky finger in Branna's direction. She was laughing and high fiving one of Doc's other bartenders. He watched her push her bangs back off her face and shake her head at some unheard joke.

"Ye don't even know the half of it Doc." He said sardonically. The elderly man just smiled and nodded in the direction Murphy was looking.

"Go on boy, go talk to her."

Murphy nodded. It was about time. They'd got no leads when they'd arrived here. Doc hadn't seen anyone matching the description Branna provided and he hadn't overheard any conversations in regards to any suspicious. They were simply enjoying a brew now, hoping that maybe, if they were lucky, something would turn up. He stood up to go over to her when she stood herself, stretched, and headed towards the door. Shrugging to Connor, he followed.

* * * *

Outside, Branna was leaning against the wall smoking. Her head leaned against the building with her eyes closed. Her one leg was propped up behind her. The night air felt good against her skin. The smoky bar was beginning to go to her head. At least, that was the excuse she was making up for herself. Her conversation with the little old man named Doc made her lightheaded. He was a lovely wee man. However lovely, something told Branna that his jolly good nature was simply a disguise for his true goal – reading people's minds. Everything he'd said to her had made perfect sense, and she hadn't even offered up the information.

She heard the door open and the sound of footsteps coming towards her. She knew it was Murphy. She'd seen him stand up and follow her out. Opening her eyes, she rolled her head to the side so she could see him. He stood a few feet away, hands in his pockets.

"Hey," she said with a half grin.

"Hey back." He replied.

His blue eyes were stormy. She knew he wanted to discuss what happened upstairs in her apartment earlier that day. Hell, she wanted to discuss it too. Ever since he'd been back in her scope of reality, it was like she couldn't breathe around him. She knew he was still angry about the past. How could he not be?

She knew that leaving hadn't been the right answer. As she'd flown over Ireland to London, she'd wanted to scream at an airhostess to let her off the plane. Had someone given her a parachute she'd have dropped down from the sky. But it had been too late. She'd made her decision. She'd tried to justify it by telling herself that he was better off, that he would be just as happy with someone else. She knew now, looking at the inner turmoil written on his face that it was impossible to try and justify what she'd done. It had been cruel. She had cut him deep, and most importantly she was at a loss of how to make up for it.

"Branna-" Murphy started. She cut him off.

"Murphy, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I left ye. I'm sorry I didn't tell ye sooner about what I was into. I wish… I wish I could just go back, be honest from the get go. God, I am such a gobshite! I made a total bags of everything."

"Branna!" he tried to interject.

"No. Ye need to hear what I have to say. Ye came for answers today, somehow ye got dragged into me mess and I have some things I have to tell ye. Things I should have told ye a long time ago." She interrupted.

"When I first met ye, ye were like this angel from God. Ye didn't ask me questions, ye didn't pester me fer answers. Ye just accepted me. I never expected to fall fer ye, and when I did? It was the most glorious thing I'd ever experienced. It was like Heaven had fallen from the sky and landed in me lap! That night-"

Her hands were shaking. She was facing him now. Her eyes burned. She could feel the water welling in her eyes. She hated crying. She didn't want to cry. The memory of the night he found her was burned into her memory. Focusing on that, she swallowed and closed the floodgates. She crossed her arms, hugging them tight to her chest with the hope she could still the tremors. Her shoulder ached from the tension. She used the pain.

"The night ye found me. The things ye said to me, they hurt. Not as much as I surely hurt ye with me foolish actions, but it killed me to see ye so upset. It felt like a piece of me died! The look in yer eyes, that look-"

* * * *

Murphy stood silent. He'd tried to get a word in but she was on a roll. He watched her struggle to get the words out. She'd never been too good on that front. He'd never minded, she was his opposite. He could see her holding back. Her eyes were glassy with unshed tears. The thought that she would cry pained him. He took a step forward.

"The look in yer eyes, that look-"

Brushing her bangs out of her face he leaned down and kissed her, gently this time. His hands on her shoulders, he pulled her into him. He could feel her reluctance fading as she gradually fell into his embrace. Her arms slid up the sides of his shirt. The feeling made him sigh against her. Sliding his hands down to rest on her hips, he kissed her deeper. Hugging her body against him, he felt her press herself into him.

She felt so soft. Her arms running up and down his back made him shiver. One hand came up and caressed his cheek, her palm warm against his skin.

"Murphy-" she said between kisses.

"Don't say a damned word Branna Ferguson." He chided as he turned her and backed them up against the wall.

His kisses trailed down her neck. His hand moved to grip the back of head while the other slid around and pressed her hips into him. She gasped into his shoulder. He kissed her face as he slid the shoulder of her jacket back, exposing the thin fabric of her shirt. He laid kisses on her collarbone, her neck, the crook of skin between her chin and her ear. Her hands moved over his shoulders and his hips pulling him taut against her. He had her tight against the wall. Her knee slid between his legs, rubbing against his thigh. He shuddered.

"Well then," Connor's voice broke the moment. "Now I see why she called it 'manhandlin'."

Jumping back startled by the abrupt noise, he spun to where he'd heard the familiar accent. To his right he saw his brother was leaning casually by the door with a cocky grin on his face. Branna rubbed a hand across her mouth as she adjusted her jacket. Her cheeks flushed.

"Shut yer gob." He shot him a glare.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the walls fly up on Branna's face. For that one small second, they'd been down; she'd given herself completely over in that one small moment. But the moment was over, and now he had his brother grinning like an eejit on Saint Paddy's day making faces at him.

"Oh, it be shut. Not another word. Fuck, we might find we have an easier time of things if ye handled all our business that way." Connor smirked.

"On a more serious note, we gots to go. I overheard a fella inside telling his buddy that he'd hired the best hacker in South Boston to crack a code for him so he could spy on his little girly friend. I figure it could be a way for us to get a little more information on Colin. Havin' someone check a few databases for us, wouldn't hurt." He added.

"Here, I brought ye yer coat, but after watching the tail end of that little show, I'm not sure ye need it anymore." Connor laughed, dangling the jacket out a few feet from reach.

"Oh fuck off." Murphy replied reaching for his coat.

His brother laughed again and tugged it out of reach. He stepped forward and snatched it away. Shrugging on his coat, he turned back to Branna. His brother had already forged on own the street.

"Branna, I-" he offered with an apologetic look. She gave him a small smile, waved him off and started after Connor.

"We'll talk about it later. Right now we need to catch up to ye brother."

* * * *

"So ye got a name for this hacker?" Branna asked as she caught up to Connor.

"Well, not exactly. I heard the man say that the kid refused to use his real name, just his online one." Connor admitted.

"Come again? Ye mean we got to go looking for some username in a system?" She heard Murphy call out from behind them. "We're on a fucking goose chase!"

"Well, when ye put it that way." Connor snapped.

Murphy came up on Branna's other side. He stepped in front of Connor.

"Don't tell me. It's another one of ye grand ideas from the movies isn't it! Fer fucks sake. Could ye for once come up with a plan that didn't already exist?"

"Ye know what? Those movies have plenty of good ideas in them! Don't start with yer negative attitude on me. I know what I'm doing. Ye just need to let me work out the details!" Connor shouted.

"Where are we goin' then? 'Oh brains of the operation'." Murphy scoffed.

"To an Internet café. Those kids are always doing their work out of those things." Connor defended.

"An Internet café eh? And what d'ye s'pose we do once we get there? Go around tappin' people on the shoulder sayin' 'scuse me, we're looking for imastupiddumbass00001, could ye point me in the right direction'?"

Branna watched the two of them. At Murphy's last remark, Connor stiffened. Quick as a flash he shoved his brother with both hands. Murphy stumbled back. His eyes grew wide and with force shoved him back. Within seconds the two were scrapping in the middle of the street. Connor threw a fist, Murphy kicked out with a leg. It was a blur to Branna as the men went at it.

"OI! Cut it! Ye be acting like children. Connor! Murphy!" she shouted at them.

Her cries went unheard as the men shouted curses and swung their arms at each other. Seeing the only opening she was going to get, she took a chance. Reaching in with both hands, she grasped each of them firmly by the ear and pulled. Their hollers were excruciatingly loud.

"Ye wanna act like a couple of testosterone filled teenagers than do it another time. Right now, we have somewhere to be!" she bellowed.

The boys, because their actions deemed no more than that, were finally silenced. Each ripped himself from her grasp almost as soon as she'd pulled them apart. They looked at her like sullen children who'd been scolded for having one to servings of dessert.

"Ye, stop acting like an arrogant fool. This may be the only thing we have that could help us find Colin." She pointed at Murphy. He scowled back.

Connor puffed out his chest. She turned on him,

"AND YE!" She pointed. "Not everythin' ye see in the pictures is gonna work out just like it did on the screen. Right now, it's the only thing we got. Ye got us on this wild goose chase, ye can be the one to go around tappin' folks on their shoulders to find us this mystery hacker person."

A/N: To everyone who is going, "Mid-thirties?" I'll explain the timeline for you all so you can understand where Branna and the boys are age wise. When Branna met Murphy, she was 23 years old and the boys had been in Ireland for just over a year. Going by the time the movies were released (and a bit into the future) as well as how old they appear to look in the first movie, it goes as follows:

2000 – The Boys move to Ireland (24ish)

2001 – Murphy (25) meets Branna (23)

2002 – Branna (24) leaves Murphy (26)

2010 – The Boys return to Boston (34)

2011 – Branna (33) runs into Murphy (35) and main story begins

Thank you everyone who is reading this, I'll have more soon. Don't forget R&R