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Disclaimer***** I do not own The Black Donnelly's

The only interesting thing that happened during my shift was a call from Sophie saying she wouldn't be at the apartment when I finished work.

I couldn't help but wonder how she could afford to go out every single night when she barely worked at the restaurant. When I asked her about this her response was "There's always a guy who will buy you a beer". Personally I'd rather buy my own beer than have to flirt with some loser.

I grabbed my jacket from my locker in the back and quickly made my way out of the restaurant, before Jake asked me to stay behind and help close up. Since I was related to the people that owned the restaurant I was expected to do extra work and not get paid for it.

Unfortunately for me my apartment wasn't close to the restaurant as it was to the Fire Cracker. But that was one of the main reasons I decided to live there. I didn't want to be called in every time they needed some extra help at the restaurant.

Besides if I lived that close my parents would drop in on me and Sophie constantly. Don't get me wrong I love my parents, but I don't want them around all the time. I'd probably kill someone.

I started on my long walk home, folding my arms across my chest trying to keep warm as the wind blew in my face.

I was just a couple blocks away from my apartment when the sound a screeching tires snapped me out of my thoughts. I looked up at the street ahead of me I saw a black shiny car pulled in front of Sean and two guys hopped out of the car. I recognized Nicky Cattero immediately. I might have been gone a while but's Nicky Cattero is not someone you forget easily.

I knew right away this wasn't a happy visit. My suspicions were confirmed when Nicky's goon got out of the car with a bat.

That's when I took off running. I looked around for a pay phone to call 911, but there wasn't any time, these guys were beating Sean hard. I saw the goon hit Sean in the head with the bat, I ran faster. I saw the girl that was with Sean jump onto the goons back in a poor attempt to stop him from hurting Sean.

He quickly threw her to the ground and stopped her with one punch to the face. I silently cursed her for not knowing how to hold her own in a fight.

As I reached that fight I pulled out my mace and sprayed the goon in the face with it. He tried to step back but tripped and fell to the ground, I took the opportunity to repeatedly kick him in the ribs. I suddenly felt Nicky pull my hair yanking me back.

"Who the fuck are you?" He asked as he threw me to the ground. I felt my head make solid contact with the hard concrete ground. I knew right away I would need stiches.

I tried to get up but he stopped me by punching me in the face. I had been punched in the face before, I mean I grew up with three brothers it was to be expected, but I had never been punched that hard.

I turned away trying to escape the pain only to have Nicky kick my stomach. I gasped for breathe, struggling for air. Nicky turned away from me and back to Sean who was lying at my feet holding his stomach.

As soon as he kicked Sean again I moved towards them. Like I said I grew up with three brothers, I never gave up that easily in a fight. I might not have been able to punch him, but I could defiantly kick him. And that's exactly what I did. I kicked him straight in the balls.

Nicky doubled over holding his crotch, calling me many different names. The guy I had maced came over to me a repeatedly kicked me in the stomach. The last defense I had was to scream, which I did as loudly as I could.

Right then I heard someone scream "Sean!"

Nicky looked at me and quickly punched me in the face before he got into his car and they drove off.

The last thing I remember was seeing a familiar looking guy with brown curly hair look at me. Then I blacked out from the pain.

-

I woke up to a white spotted ceiling. I looked around me confused about my surroundings and tried to remember how I got in a hospital, as a patient. Then it all came back to me, me attacking some guy, then me getting beat up. I looked around the room, the only person there was a young blonde nurse.

'Excuse me?' I whispered to her my voice sounding raspy.
'Hey, glad to see your up.' She said smiling; she pressed a button making my bed rise up, so I was sitting.
'How long was I out for?" I asked trying to piece together how badly I was hurt.
'Not too long, we had you sedated so you could rest a bit. I'll go tell your friends you're awake.' She said leaving the room before I could ask her who she was talking about.

I was trying to take the IV out of my arm when someone said "I think that's in your arm for a reason."
"Hey Tommy," I whispered my voice still raspy, it sound like I had been chain smoking for fifty years.
"Janey." Ms. Donnelly called my name, pushing past Tommy, Kevin and Jimmy who were standing in the doorway looking like they didn't know what to do. Ms. Donnelly came up beside my bed and touched my face lightly looking extremely sad and worried.

"How's Sean?" I asked her trying to make my voice work properly but failed.

"Jimmy go get her a glass of water." Ms. Donnelly ordered without turning around. Jimmy huffed and turned and walked out of the room, "Sean just got out of surgery, were still waiting to hear from the doctors."

I nodded. "What about the girl Sean was with?"

'Kim?' Tommy ask and I nodded finally learning her name.

"She's fine just a little bruised." Ms. Donnelly informed me, the dislike for Kim was clear in her voice.

I smiled. "She went down after the first punch; obviously she didn't have the Donnelly's to teach her to fight." I said joking. Ms. Donnelly smiled and shook her head, then left to go see if there was any more news about Sean.

After Ms. Donnelly left Tommy and Kevin came up to my bed. "Janey I don't even know what to say to you right now." Tommy said looking over my face. I hadn't had the chance to look at the damage yet, but by the look on Tommy's face I could tell that it was pretty bad.

"What are you talking about? I'm fine, just a couple of bruises, I've had worse." I told them smiling. Jimmy finally came back with my glass of water, I accepted it gratefully. Jimmy excused himself to go buy some beer.

The conversation stopped after I realized it was one way; I would ask a question they would answer it. End of.

"What's wrong? You guys are acting like I'm the plague, since when were you guys afraid to tell me something. Say what you need to say." I told them.

Tommy sighed and Kevin ran his fingers through his hair nervously. "I need you to tell me what happened." Tommy said.

"That's what you were worried about asking me?" I asked confused. I shrugged then winced from the pain. I relayed to Tommy and Kevin what happened, they didn't interrupt me once. Tommy just nodded his head, like I was confirming what he already knew. Kevin just frowned the whole time.

"Jane, we need you to forget what they look like?" Tommy asked me quietly.

"What do you mean forget? Like not remember who attacked Sean?" Tommy nodded his head. He started to explain but I stopped him. "No I get it. I tried to help, but I can't remember what they looked like other than they were tall and driving a black car. Don't worry Tommy I know the drill." I said waving him off.

Tommy smiled and got up from the chair he was sitting in and stood next to my bed. "You were always quick to catch on. Thanks for trying to help Sean, means a lot." Tommy said, leaning in he whispered, "I'm pretty sure my mom forgives you for leaving now." With that he lightly kissed my cheek and turned to leave.

"Thanks Tommy." I called after him, I smiled at his words. After I got my scholarship I was so excited, I completely forgot that I'd be leaving Sean at public school. I had always helped Sean with his homework and in school; he felt betrayed when I left. Ms. Donnelly was never friendly to me after that.

Tommy left the room, leaving Kevin standing awkwardly at the end of my bed. "Kevin, come here." I said beckoning him to stand next to me.

Once he was beside me I grabbed his hand and said " I know you and Tommy are off to fix what happened tonight, I want you to be careful."

"We're not going to do anything." Kevin lied.

I rolled my eyes at him and squeezed his hand harder, "Kevin don't lie, you can't do it very well. Be careful, please. I wouldn't be able to handle seeing you in the hospital. Promise me that you're going to be careful."

Kevin was quiet for a bit, but finally he promised. He was about to leave when he stopped and turned around. "The doctor said you could leave in a couple days, do you want me to come and take you back to your apartment?"

"That'd be great, thanks Kevin." He was almost out the door, when I called him back. "Did anyone call my family?" I asked nervous.

"No, once we found out you'd be okay, we decided not to call them." Kevin told me half smiling.

"Thanks, and if you see them don't tell them. Tell your mom too please, I know she's friends with my mom and everything, but I don't need my mom worrying about me. Also if Jenny's in the waiting room, tell her not to be a stranger." I told Kevin, he promised he would and left me to go back to sleep.

Even though I didn't want to admit it, I was in quite a bit of pain and I wanted to sleep most of it off.

-

When I woke up Jenny was sitting in the chair next to my bed reading a book. I just watched her for a bit, thinking of how she looked exactly the same as she did when I last saw her. But things were completely different. Her husband was dead and she had no clue. I wonder if she thought the same about me.

"Hey, you're awake." She said putting her book down and pushing her chair right up to my bed.

"How long was I asleep for?" I asked smiling as she held my hand. I was glad that we were still close even though we hadn't spoken in ages.

"About fifteen hours, they had you sedated, the doctor said something about some bruised ribs." She told me. I nodded, I knew I wasn't going to walk away from that fight and be fine when I woke up. I would need a couple of day to heal.

Soon we were catching up. She filled me in on everything that was happening in her life. Then she bombarded me with questions about college and Boston. The only interruption we had was Sean's girl Kim stopped by to say thank you.

I had nothing against her, but I could tell by looking at her that she wouldn't last. Plus the fact that Jenny told me that Ms. Donnelly strongly disliked her. If Ms. Donnelly didn't like someone they usually didn't stick around too long.

After me and Jenny had talked for what felt was hours, she had to leave to go work at the diner. Soon after she left Ms. Donnelly came in with a sandwich and some juice. I thanked her gratefully; the last time I had eaten was at the wake. Which was almost a day ago?

Could that be right? It was. The wake seemed like such a long time ago. This time yesterday I was getting in a truck with the Donnelly's laughing. Now I was in the hospital with two black eyes and some bruised ribs and poor Sean was completely beaten up. It's crazy how quickly things had changed.

"Jane, thank you for trying to look after my Sean, I appreciate it. I always knew you two were something special." She said holding my hand.

"Special? Ms. Donnelly me and Sean are just friends." I said clarifying mine and Sean relationship, if I had just gotten back in the good book with Ms. Donnelly I wanted it to stay that way.

Ms. Donnelly let go of my hand. "I know your just friends, why would you assume I meant something else?" She asked my looking my over.

"Oh good, I just wanted to make sure you knew there's nothing going on between us. Me and Sean we'll always be just friends, I don't think it could ever be anything more."

Ms. Donnelly stared at me a long time before she said, "I know, now eat your sandwich." She told me sitting down in the chair next to my bed.