Longest chappie yet! & I really did enjoy writing this so I really hope you enjoy reading it.
As always thank you to my reviewers, I can never thank you enough :)
Pete reached out blindly, pulling Josie close to him and burying his nose in her hair taking in the sweet scent of apples, "Wake up love, you gotta get to school." He kissed her head softly as he heard her mumble incoherently and he smiled slightly at the noise.
"But I don't wanna go to school," she whined softly, "I wanna stay here alllll day with you." She rolled over in his arms to face him and he closed the space between them easily, tilting her chin up carefully to kiss her softly.
He pulled away from her reluctantly, "I'm all for that Joze but yer meeting with your professor right? We get to find out if I get you for a few more years or if I have to follow you back to bloody Boston."
She smiled up at him, her eyes still closed, "Don't worry – you think I'd ever be able to leave you?"
"You think I'd actually let you go?" the smile on her face deepened and he felt his heart thud painfully. He found for the first time ever he wanted her up and out of his bed because this time it meant finding out if she got into the PhD program and would be staying in England for a few more years.
She kissed him again before finally opening her eyes and hugging him tight, "I should go, big day ahead of us. And you need to finish up your Christmas shopping; it's less than a week away babe."
Pete rolled his eyes at her, she had to have been Santa's little helper in a previous life that's how into the holidays she was. She noticed the look in his eyes, "Don't even start with me Dunham. I love Christmas and if you ruin it for me I'll injure you." She wagged a scolding finger at him as he smirked back and as she climbed out of bed he fought the urge to follow her into the shower.
As he heard the shower start he began to think back on how he'd mistakenly thought his feelings for her would eventually taper off. Or that she would stop having the ability to knock the very breath out of him with one look but he'd never been so wrong in his life. The longer they were together, the deeper he fell and the more convinced he was that she had stolen half of his soul that day he'd knocked into her at the museum.
This weekend would be one to remember as he'd finally be meeting her family. Josie had no idea that her dad and brothers would be landing in England in about an hour to surprise her at the Abbey this afternoon. Her oldest brother Eamon had called him a week or so ago to get his help for the surprise and Pete shuddered at the memory of the conversation,
"Ello?" Pete answered gruffly, recognizing the number only as an international one.
"Pete Dunham?" The accent that greeted him caused Pete to immediately think of Josie's and he replied cautiously.
"This is him, 'hos this?"
"Eamon Murphy. I believe you're dating my baby sister." Pete felt his mouth go dry at the stern voice and his mind immediately recalled the picture of the four huge men that made up Josie's family. They appeared to be at least as tall as he was and at least two of them were broader than he.
"Erm, yes Sir, I am." A loud laugh met his words and Pete cringed slightly.
"Sir? Fuck, you do have it bad for our little Josie Jo don't you?"
Pete didn't know if that was meant to be a rhetorical question or not so he paused slightly before replying, "Yeah…I do."
Silence greeted him and he felt his heart pounding, what was this about? He thought, please don't let Josie's dad be sick again – I couldn't bear it if she left me. He knew how selfish that thought was but he couldn't help it, his happiness was inextricably intertwined with her very being.
"Right then, well I need your help Dunham. I take it you're aware of Josie's freakish obsession with Christmas since I doubt she's ever waited until December to start playing Christmas music?"
Peter grimaced slightly, he'd heard All I Want for Christmas by Mariah Carey more times than he could count especially since it was her ringtone, "Yeah, I've noticed. She's been playin' them since the middle of October."
"Sounds about right," Eamon chuckled lightly, "Well this is meant to be her first Christmas away from us and we'd prefer that not be the case. We want to surprise her for the holidays but we'll need your help."
"Anything you need," Pete immediately promised. He'd do anything to make Josie have a great Christmas.
"Great we're plannin' on flying in on the 20th, if you wouldn't mind giving us directions to this Abbey place she works at we'd like to surprise her there."
"I'll do ya one better – I'll pick you lot up from the airport if you just give me yer flight information. I'll make sure Joze is workin' that day too so she'd probably get there early afternoon. Her shifts usually start at 5ish but I'm sure I can get Terry to put her on earlier."
There was a pause on the other line as Pete heard papers rustling slightly, "Thank you Dunham, Josie raves about you but she has a bad habit of seeing the best in everyone. It's a pleasant surprise to find she seems to actually be right for once. What's your email? I'll send our flight details to you that way."
Pete felt his face heat slightly as he replied,"WestHamTilIDie at yahoo dot com."
Eamon gave a sharp laugh, "She said you were crazy about soccer…"
"Yeah well, I grew up with it." He trailed off awkwardly; an uncomfortable silence filled the line for a few seconds as he listened to the typing in the background.
"Right well, I emailed the info to you and we'll be seein' you soon. And Dunham?" he said roughly.
"Yeah?" Pete replied, unsure of the sudden change in Eamon's tone.
"Our trip's also about meeting you. Josie doesn't do serious relationships and I can't say we're all that thrilled that you seem to have stolen her from us…or her studies. She's wanted that degree for years. Keep that in mind, yeah?"
Pete swallowed hard before finding his voice again, "Eh, yeah…I will. I'll be seein' you then."
The click that immediately followed his words clearly signaled the end of the conversation and Pete felt his stomach flip. He'd been looking forward to the holidays with Josie as it meant no school or work to interrupt endless hours together but now he wasn't quite so sure that's how it would be.
Pete came out of his reminiscent state just as Josie exited the shower and he followed her with his eyes as she walked about the room, dressed only in a towel as she quickly got ready for the day. He watched a drop of water roll from her soaking hair down her body and he fought the urge to reach out and rip the towel off her body. As he watched and thought about her more his stomach clenched at the thought of the coming days, if Josie's family didn't like him…well, he didn't want to think about that.
She thought the world of her brothers and dad and their opinions meant everything to her. There were countless times he'd heard her calling to ask for help on making the most trivial of decisions. He smirked slightly as he thought about how less frequent those calls to them had become and how much more they went to him. He couldn't help but be competitive when it came to her, even if it was with her family.
He leaned back, propping himself up against the bed-frame and continued to watch her rather than think about what lay in the immediate future. After what felt like only a minute or two but was in fact about fifteen Josie stood in front of him, bundled up for the day and he grinned up at her as she spoke.
"What're you doin' today?" she sat next to him on the bed, rubbing his arm softly.
Pete's eyes widened slightly as he tried to think up something to tell her, he was absolute shit at lying to her, "Erm, I was, uh, plannin' on…shopping early then hitting the Abbey."
Her brown eyes narrowed in suspicion and he tried to keep his face innocent, "Hmm, you're up to something Dunham. You've been actin' jumpy the past few days and all those anonymous phone calls you've been gettin'…you haven't got yourself another bird on the side have you?"
The look of fear that quickly crossed her face made Pete feel terrible, "Fuck Joze, never," he grabbed her hand and pulled her to him, "I only see you." He whispered softly to her and she smiled back slightly.
"Sorry…" she said sheepishly, "I just get nervous sometimes, ya know? I see the way girls on the street and in the Abbey and in stores and in restaurants – everywhere I guess – eye you up and down. I just worry you'll get sick of me."
The vulnerability that shined her eyes scared him. He was always playing the part of the jealous boyfriend, forever worried that she'd get tired of being with him or that he'd scare her off with how strongly he felt for her. He'd never imagined she would ever think he'd leave her, "Josie, you're my life. I'll leave you when I die," he said.
And he meant it.
She managed to smile at him and leaned in to kiss him sweetly, "I like the sound of that…though not so much the dying – I'd prefer we live forever, yeah?"
"As long as it's with you, sure. You're my best and only girl, got it?" He held her face in his hands, looking deeply into her eyes until she looked convinced. He kissed her once more before finally releasing her, "Call with good news only, k babe?"
A nervous look danced across her face, "Ok Pete, I swear it'll be good news. I have a good feeling about today."
He smiled up at her praying with all his might that she'd be calling with good news.
Pete stood in the arrival hall of Gatwick, impatiently waiting for Josie's family to get off the plane. He tried to calm his nerves as he paced back and forth, eyeing the gate often. He recognized them the instant they walked out.
They were hard to miss.
The four men walked towards him all over six feet tall with pale skin and freckles; brown hair and brown eyes, just like Josie. The older man had laugh lines etched all over his face and a slight paunch but the younger men were all huge and fit and could possibly kill him should they decide to, though not that he wouldn't be able to give them a good run for their money.
He gulped down the lump in his throat as he eyed them up and down. He'd never been scared of another man before, not even when they were coming at him with intent to injure, but the sight of these men that held his fate in their hands scared the shit out of him.
Trying to shake off any bad thoughts he strode towards them, "Dr. Livingston, I presume?" Pete stared in confusion at the shortest of the tall men standing in front of him and if the brown eyes hadn't been mirror images of Josie's he would have thought he'd been mistaken that they were her relatives.
"Ah Jesus Rone, do you have to be sucha freak?" the older man slapped Ronan in the back of the head before turning his gaze to Pete, "Pete Dunham? Eamon Sr." He said, holding out his hand for a shake and Pete took it, feeling the strong grip nearly crush his hand.
Josie's brothers all shook his hand as they introduced themselves, repeating the same death grip that her father had.
This is gonna be a long fuckin' week, he thought as the final brother released his hand, they're gonna try to kill me.
"Alright then, my cars just out 'ere," Pete said and they all reached down to grab their bags, following him out the door quickly. His pulse raced as the three brothers all joked about, shoving each other playfully while the older Murphy tried to get control of them. There were practically bouncing up and down in anticipation of surprising Josie and Pete couldn't help but laugh at the similarities between her and her family. By the time he corralled them all into his car they were as hard to contain as puppies around bacon.
As the ride into town began it also became apparent her brothers had spent the plane ride drinking and they were ready for more but at their dad's insistence they detoured to the hotel where they were staying at to drop off their bags and change their clothes, "So Josie'll be at work at 3 you said?"
"Yeah and it's just about two," Pete answered Josie's dad, "She was meetin' with her professor this morning for a few hours to find out if she got into the PhD program." He outwardly cringed at the thought of what the outcome may be and the fact that she hadn't yet heard from her worried him when he caught Josie's dad looking at him strangely. He turned away quickly to avoid eye contact and at that moment his phone rang shrilly,
I just want you for my own
More than you could ever know
Make my wish come true
All I want for Christmas is you
The four men burst out laughing and Pete flushed red, "Guess we know who that is," Colin said, giving a loud bark of laughter as Pete fumbled to answer Josie's call. He'd forgotten she'd set his phone so that when she called that song rang out.
"Shh…she's got no clue you lot are here," he shushed them and they all immediately fell silent, not wanting to ruin the surprise this late in the game, "Hi Joze, how'd it –"
The question was immediately cut off by a loud squeal and he nearly dropped the phone at the noise, "I'm in! I'm in! I'm in! Three more years, yessss!"
Pete felt his face break into a huge grin and he felt a huge weight fall from his shoulders, "Babe, that's fuckin', erm I mean, that's fantastic!" He couldn't stop the mad grin that had broken onto his face and he sensed her brothers and dad straining to hear her words.
"Erm love, listen, I'll see you at the Abbey in a bit, yeah? I'm sorta in the middle of somethin'," he bit back another smile at the surprise that would be waiting for her.
"Aw what is it? Can't you come meet me? We have time for lunch and a quick 'dessert' before I have to work." Pete groaned at the thought of afternoon sex with Josie and as the thoughts came into his mind he became extremely aware of the fact that her brothers and father were in the car with him.
"Eh, rain check Joze?" he heard a slight disappointed groan and he continued quickly, knowing he'd ditch her family in a second if she was allowed to beg, "I'm just finishin' Christmas shoppin' for your present and it needs my full attention."
Hah, that'll pique her interest, he thought.
And he was right as another squeal came through the phone, "Oo, ok well I don't want to distract you. I love you baby, see you in a bit."
His voice softened as he replied, "I love you too, see you." As he snapped his phone shut he noticed the awkward silence of the car at his final words.
"Soo…" her dad began uncomfortably, "Josie got into the program I take it?"
"Yeah, she did." Again, the ridiculous grin broke onto his face and her dad gave him a knowing look. Thankfully Pete spotted the sign for the hotel that the Murphys were staying at and he spied a spot across the street that he pulled into quickly, "Ere we are. I'll wait here."
The men jumped out of the car and as they disappeared from sight Pete dropped his head to the steering wheel. It was quite a strain dealing with them on his own and he couldn't wait to see Josie. His blood thundered through his veins at the thought of having Josie for himself for another few years. It ran like a mantra through his mind, three more years, three more years, three more years.
He got lost in the thought of Josie and unbidden came a picture of her in a white dress, walking down an aisle on the arm of her dad. Fuck, that'd be amazing, he thought. He felt all of his nerves light on fire at the thought of having her be his forever. They'd only been together for eight months and before her the thought of marriage had never crossed his mind but this sudden vision of her in a wedding gown just felt right – they were meant to be. He was sure of fuck all in this world except for that fact.
The car doors swung open and he jumped in surprise as her three brothers crammed into the back seat of his car as her dad joined him in the front seat, "Right Dunham, let's go. We're soberin' up and we can't wait to see Joze," Ronan shouted from the back.
Eamon Sr. turned to glare at him before he slapped him on the back, "Alright, Petey boy, ferry us away to our Josie," he gave him a grin that he happily returned as he sped toward the Abbey.
888
Josie walked hurriedly toward the Abbey, anxious to see Pete. Three more years, she happily sang in her head as she practically broke into a run as she saw the Abbey's sign swaying in the wind. She shoved through the door and searched the room frantically for Pete.
She saw Dave, Ike, Swill, Matt, Daddy, Ronan, Eamon, Colin, Terry, the whores, but no Pete. Where could Pete be? She continued to look around frantically for him until something finally clicked, "Daddy!!" She ran across the room and was immediately enveloped in a huge bear hug from her father and her brothers surrounded her.
"What're you guys doin' here?!" she looked at the four of them in astonishment, "and in the Abbey no less." She continued to look at them in confusion and her dad wrapped an arm around her shoulder, pulling her close to his chest.
"Well Joze, it's quite a guy you've got here. Pete picked us up at the airport and brought us here as your Christmas present." He grinned down at her, kissing her temple lightly and squeezing her shoulder.
"When he said he was shopping I didn't realize you'd be my gifts," the boys all looked down at her happily and she grinned back at them, "Where is Pete then? Yeah haven't killed him yet, have ya?"
"Right 'ere love," she heard his voice from behind her and she wrenched herself quickly from her dad's grasp and threw herself into Pete's arms. He hugged her tightly, burying a hand in her hair and Josie longed to kiss him but thought better of it with her brothers and dad watching the two of them closely.
"Three more years Pete," she whispered into his ear so that only he could hear her, kissing his neck softly.
Finally he placed her back on the ground and she twirled around, staying locked in the crook of his arm, "Aw I don't even get to do the introductions, no fair." She pouted up at Pete and he rolled his eyes slightly at her petulant look.
"Now Joze, no pouting," her dad tapped her nose slightly, "Now get behind that bar and show these Brits what a Boston girl can do. I taught 'er everything she knows." He said proudly to the boys that were gathered around causing Josie to sigh slightly in exasperation.
"Daddy," she whined, "I've been here for months and serving these boys for just as long."
Her dad leaned over and pinched her cheeks, "I know Josie Jo but I can't help but brag."
She swatted his hands away and walked quickly behind the bar. The boys, both the GSE along with her brothers, quickly settled around her. Pete stayed close to her dad for the day, making sure he was comfortable and his glass was always full. Josie smiled at the sight of it, Pete never stopped surprising her and she couldn't help but fall more in love with him every day. The very fact that he'd been able to handle her brothers alone for a few hours was amazing in and of itself.
A few hours passed swiftly as she worked and caught up with her family. The boys were all welcoming to them and she noticed Dave chatting with Ronan while Swill tried to get Colin out of his shell, ordering more and more shots for the group. Col was always the quietest one but even he couldn't resist the charms of the GSE.
Finally, she noticed her dad's eyelids beginning to droop and Ronan getting louder and more agitated as he tended to be a volatile drunk, "Hey Murphys, come 'ere." She yelled at them and they immediately came towards her, "I'm thinkin' its time you get some sleep, yeah? You've been up for over 24 hours and Daddy, you're still not all well. An all night drinking binge is most certainly not part of your rehab."
"Joze is right," Eamon said, always the leader, "We'll catch a cab back to the hotel."
Pete, who was lingering just off to the side as they talked cut in, "Nah, I'll take you lot back if you want."
Josie smiled up at him, placing a soft hand on his forearm "I don't think so mister, you have to bring me home. Plus you've done more than enough for one day, I'm surprised the boys didn't kidnap and torture to find out your intentions first."
"Huh, why didn't we think of that when we 'ad the chance?" Ronan slurred causing Josie to glare at him.
Josie's dad slapped Pete's back hard, "Ronan –shut it. And Dunham – we're fine ina cab, you've got to look out for my little girl; she's the only one we've got."
Pete tried to smile back at his words and Josie noticed her dad had left his hand on his neck and was currently gripping it tightly, "Jesus Daddy, let 'im go – you'll break his neck with a grip like that."
At her words and glare her dad immediately dropped his hand, giving her a sheepish smile, "Sorry Joze, force of habit."
"Choking my boyfriend is a force of habit?" she said while gritting her teeth slightly, her dad was unbelievable when it came to meeting boys that were interested in her.
"Alright," Colin cut in swiftly, "I think we've done enough damage to Josie's relationship for the first day." Leaning over the bar he pecked a quick kiss on her cheek, "We'll see you tomorrow bright and early for sightseeing!"
Josie let out a groan but gave a smile and a kiss to each of her brothers as they paraded out of the Abbey. She heard Pete let out a sigh of relief at the sight of the four men getting into a cab, causing her to grin at him, he'd been amazing tonight and she didn't blame him for feeling relieved at the evening being over.
"Sorry Pete, they're a bit of a handful, I can't believe you were alone with them for a few hours. You're an absolute saint."
Pete smiled down at her, reaching across the bar to take her hand in his, "Nah love, I knew it'd make you happy so no big deal. What's a little choking and death grips and death threats if it means I get to see that smile?"
"You're too good to me, ya know that?" she couldn't help but grin up at his blue eyes sparkling down at her.
"So sightseeing tomorrow eh?" he questioned lightly, taking a seat on the stool across from her, taking her hand and drawing circles on her palm.
Josie grimaced slightly at the thought, "Yup, we're gonna see where Chuchill took a tit."
She was quite proud of her use of rhyming slang until Pete gave a loud laugh, "Love, it's a tom not a tit for shit."
She rolled her eyes, "Oh whatever, stupid rhyming slang. Last time I try to speak in words you'll understand. You wanna come with us?"
"Sightseeing?" Pete's eyebrows hit his hairline at the thought of the day with her entire family causing Josie to smirk, "With you and the four horsemen of the apocalypse? I'll pass on that love. Dinner though?"
She smacked his arm lightly but a grin broke on her face nonetheless, "I know they're a bit much but they're all I've got. But dinner: yes. Daddy actually mentioned all of us going out to dinner tomorrow. I think he also invited Matt, Shannon and Steve after he found out that you're related – he's big on family. You might as well call your mum at this point."
The look of horror on Pete's face caused Josie's stomach to flip, apparently he didn't feel like that was something they were ready for, "Oook, never mind Pete, it doesn't look like something you're interested in. Forget I brought it up, I'll just let them know you already had plans."
She turned to leave but stopped when he leaned across the bar and took her face in his hands, forcing her to meet his gaze, "No. We'll all have dinner together tomorrow night. I'd just been lookin' forward to a little alone time with ya but I should've known you'd have family stuff going on. It'll be one big family dinner where hopefully no one gets murdered."
She leaned forward and kissed his lips sweetly, "So it's not too soon for the parent meeting the parent thing?"
"Nope," he said quickly then leaned in for another kiss before he reluctantly pulled away, "Now grab yer stuff, I have strict orders to escort you home."
Josie left Pete, hurrying into the backroom to grab her purse. She felt slightly unnerved by Pete's initial reaction at the dinner offer but she supposed he was right, she'd been looking forward to Christmas break as it meant all of her free time could revolve around Pete. Not like she wasn't happy with her family here, it was just going to be hard to juggle between the two. She'd just started realizing that Pete now ranked at least on par with her family, if not higher than them in importance.
Coming out she saw him waiting patiently at the end of the bar for her, "So you didn't turn tail as soon as my back was turned? You really must be a keeper then," she joked lightly though she was honestly relieved he hadn't left.
"Not goin' anywhere love, now let's get you home. We've got some celebrating to do. I've got to prove to you that three years 'ere is more than worth your time." The glint in Pete's eye caused Josie's body to heat immediately and she grabbed his hand without another word to drag him out of the Abbey and back to her flat.
"Ronan I cannot believe you, how am I ever going to show my face at the museum if anyone finds out about today?!" Pete heard Josie's shrieking tone even before she entered the Abbey after a day of sightseeing with her family.
"Uh oh , sounds like the day didn't go quite so well," Pete glanced up to see Terry had heard Josie as well and the crinkle around his eyes showed he was looking forward to hearing whatever ridiculous story befell Josie and her family. The girl was a liability even on the most boring of days.
"Aw Joze, he was just lookin' out for you," another voice responded and Pete thought it was her dad who was trying to defend Ronan and he cringed at what he knew was coming.
Right on cue, Josie's voice reached a whole other octave bordering on a level that only dogs could hear, "Don't you defend him! He got us kicked out of the Tower of London. I was scolded by a gin man for fucksake."
As he heard her words Pete nearly choked on his pint. He looked up to see Josie and her family entering the pub, she was storming furiously towards where he was seated and the fire in her eyes made him happy he wasn't on the receiving end of her temper. Reaching him she hugged him tightly and he rubbed her back soothingly, placing a kiss on the crown of her head, "Long day?"
"Ugh," she groaned, "Don't even get me started! I was kicked out of the Tower of London and banned for a year. Do you have any idea how mortifying that was?"
Pete tried to bite back the smile that was threatening and was saved as Josie's attention was diverted by Ronan once again, "I was saving you," her brother whined.
Josie opened her mouth to begin another tirade but Pete clamped his hand over her mouth stopping the flow of words, "I'm sure whatever happened was in your best interest. Now what happened to get you kicked out?"
"Well, ya know how Josie's scared of birds?" Pete's mouth dropped open at Ronan's words. Apparently she'd managed to hide this particular phobia from him as her face turned crimson red and she buried her head into his side, shaking it softly.
He patted her hair slightly, "Birds, Joze?" and he eyed Ronan questioningly.
Ronan happily began explaining, "When Josie was ten we all went to Disney World for a fun family trip. At one point Josie used her hard earned allowance to buy a hot dog that cost about 10 bucks. After her purchase she stood in the midst of the outdoor food court, hot dog in one hand as she juggled her bag, trying to put her wallet away. A seagull used that opportunity to swoop down and snatch the dog right outta her hand." Pete tried hard, for Josie's sake, not to laugh as Ronan continued, "Funniest shit I've ever seen. She freaked out started flapping her arms frantically and screaming while running around in circles as the seagull ripped the hotdog out of her hand. Been scareda birds ever since."
Josie smacked his arm hard, "You would be too if you were dive bombed by an angry seagull intent on murder!" Her face was still bright red as she turned to face Pete, "I tried to keep it a secret cause it's so embarrassing but now you know." She glared at Ronan and the matching smirks on her brothers' and dad's faces.
Colin cut in, "Now back to today. Those stupid crows they keep at the Tower were attacking Joze. They kept followin' her around. And Ronan here," he said gesturing to him, "took it upon himself to defend her after he'd enjoyed his liquid lunch which always bolsters him up."
Josie's eyes flashed furiously as she loudly finished the story for him, "By defend, he means that Ronan began kicking every crow that came near us. Apparently, they frown upon that. The beefy men kicked us out but first they publically scolded us, relishing in making us examples for other tourists. The massive group of tourists that were surrounding us were all shaking their heads in disdain. It was humiliating."
Pete finally couldn't hold it in anymore, "You were scolded by the Beefeaters while surrounded by a tour group?" he burst out laughing at the look on her face, joined by her family, Terry and the few members of the GSE that were present as well.
"Laugh it up asshole," she said smacking Pete's chest and glaring at the laughing faces of her friends and family before turning back to him, "you of all people are supposed to make me feel better, not laugh at my plight."
Pete pulled her close to him, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and keeping her locked against his chest, "Aw love, I'da done the same thing if I knew you was scared of birds. He's a valiant white knight, your Ronan is."
Ronan grinned happily at Pete, surreptitiously ignoring the glare that Josie was throwing in his direction, "Thanks guy. The brat could never accept how amazin' I am."
Pete held her even tighter at his words, resisting the urge to hit him. Ronan may be her brother but he still didn't like the sound of someone calling her a brat, "You're an ass Ronan. Your punishment for today is no more drinks until dinner. Get back to the hotel and we'll pick you up when I think you've learned your lesson," Josie ordered, pointing towards the exit.
The furious look on her face caused Ronan to drop his head in shame and he immediately turned to slowly walk out of the bar, "And I'll kill you if you go into some other pub on the way back to the hotel. And believe me, I'll find out about it if you do."
"Aw, Joze – that's a bit harsh," Ronan whined but immediately stopped when she began to storm towards him, held back slightly by Pete clamping his arms around her.
"Lemme go Pete, I'd like to kill him," she struggled against him but he only held her tighter, laughing as Ronan took the opportunity to flee out of the bar.
"Now Josie Jo do you think that was necessary? We all woulda kicked the crows but Ronan was closest," her dad said in a soothing manner.
"Ugh you idiots are impossible," she groaned and Pete rubbed her arm slightly, willing her to calm down, "Daddy you should head out too. Rest a little before dinner, k?"
"I'm confused as to when you became my mother," her dad replied causing Josie to place her hands on her hips and give a fierce look in his direction, "Alright alright, I get the point. I'll go catch up with Rone. Eight o'clock sharp for dinner, yeah?"
She kissed his cheek lightly, "You got it, see you in a bit."
Pete watched as her dad walked out of the bar and as he disappeared he pulled her to him tightly, kissing her deeply, "HEY, two of us are still here." He vaguely heard the outraged shout from Eamon which he chose to ignore as Josie pulled her body tighter to his.
"Miss me?" she smiled up at him as he finally dropped her down to the floor.
He traced her jaw line lightly with his finger, feeling her shudder under the touch as he leaned in to whisper in her, "Always, you were up and outta bed way too early for my liking."
Her face flushed at the thought as she leaned in closer to him, "I know, as much as I love my family I wish it was just the two of us. Am I terrible that I wish they'd stayed in the States?"
Pete grinned happily at her words, "Nah, I was thinkin' the same thing." He leaned in to kiss her again when he felt something hit the back of his head. He turned to glare as he saw Dave and Swill staring back at him innocently.
"Release my baby sister Dunham, I'd prefer to pretend you haven't defiled her innocence," Eamon shouted loudly and Pete felt his face burn slightly, though it had nothing on the crimson color that now painted Josie's face as she buried her head in his neck.
"Beer for the lady," Terry pushed the pint towards her and she smiled up at him, grateful for the distraction.
The group settled in for a few hours of drinking before they'd be heading out to dinner with the families. Pete kept his arm tightly wrapped around Josie, pointedly ignoring the glares her brothers were throwing in their direction especially when about twenty minutes later she took her regular seat on his lap.
About an hour or so later Pete was leaning back in his chair watching Josie and Eamon play darts against Dave and Swill when he felt someone come up next to him, "Jesus you're a goner."
"Erm…what was that?" he looked up startled to see Colin standing there watching him watch Josie. Colin had been the quietest of the group, barely stringing together more than a few sentences with him.
"You've got it bad for our Josie Jo. The look on your face is slightly pathetic though understandable," he smirked at Pete who chose to remain silent, waiting for him to continue, "I have to say – we were all thinkin' Joze would pick a real dud, especially since you're an Englishman but it's nice to see how crazy you are for her. You seem to take good care of her."
"It's kinda hard not to love her," just as the words left his mouth he watched as she leapt into Swill's arms and he spun her around and around nearly knocking over an old one's pint. He laughed slightly as he watched the older man grin at Josie while simultaneously smacking Swill. He'd really never met a girl like her, "She's funny though, she's never liked all the attention she gets from the boys around here."
It was something that'd always bothered Pete, the way she shied away from everyone preferring to let him have all the attention instead. For some reason Colin looked surprised at his words, "She never told you why?"
Pete raised an eyebrow at him, "There's a reason?"
"Oh there's a reason alright. That reason is our bitch of a mother," the venom in his voice surprised Pete especially from the shyest of her brothers.
"I don't quite follow…I mean, Joze has mentioned how your mum left you all when she was little but nothin' more."
Colin cringed and hesitated, debating whether or not to continue. He seemed to make up his mind when he spoke again, "There's a bit more to it than that. Normally I wouldn't go behind Josie's back but there's stuff you need to know – especially about our mother."
Pete nodded his head, urging him on while leading the two of them away from the loud group and towards the bar, "Lemme get ya a pint while you talk."
Colin nodded his head slightly and once he'd taken a long drink from his beer he began to talk, "Guess I'll start from the beginning – our mother was a stunner. I mean, I've seen pictures and it's a miracle she married our dad though she had nothin' on Joze." The two of them glanced over at Josie who seemed to feel the gaze as she looked up, giving Pete a wink and a smile, "A little attention Dunham, five minutes away from her won't kill ya."
"Sorry," he said waving a hand in Colin's direction, "continue, please."
"Anyways, life was swell – the three of us boys were born and my mother was happy since dad absolutely doted on her and we adored her. She was never meant to have Josie, she only ever wanted three boys but then along came Josie to mess up her plans." Colin clenched his jaw at the memories, cringing as he continued, "We all loved her. And dad – well you see him, he's been wrapped around her little finger since the day she opened those brown eyes. At first, our mother enjoyed the extra attention she got from having a girl. But the older Josie got the more our mother began to resent her. When she turned five I guess that was the final straw. Dad threw her a huge party, got her a pony and everything. Everyone we ever knew came, absolutely showering Joze with attention; she had a little princess crown and everything. But apparently our mother thought she didn't deserve to play second fiddle to her daughter."
Pete followed the story closely, motioning for Colin to continue when he again hesitated, "Go on."
"Well…we woke up the next day late. I remember it clearly: me, Rone and Eamon all came down to see dad sitting in the chair drinkin' a glass of whiskey – mind you it was 9 o'clock in the morning – and Josie was curled up in his lap, petting his hair soothingly. I'll never forget that sight and after we read the note it made it even worse."
Pete felt his mouth go dry, "She left yous through a note?"
"Yeah, coldhearted bitch left a note sayin' that clearly no one needed her if they had their little princess Josephine and that she wasn't going to compete with her anymore. We 'aven't heard from her since," Colin broke his gaze from Pete's, staring at Josie wistfully, "How anyone could resent her is beyond me. Since that day, Josie's been our rock. She takes care of us, makes sure we're all doing ok, going so far as to make sure we eat our veggies when she barely eats em herself. She naturally takes care of people – us, the hockey teams we played for, you, the boys…she loves it."
Pete smiled, "She's a saint – I barely even like the boys and I've known most of them since I was ten."
Colin smirked, smacking his back hard, "That's our Joze. Now anyway, the point of my story – and yes there was a point," he said at the look on Pete's face, "Is that if you hurt her, we'll kill you. Like actually kill and don't think we can't – that girl is our little sister, the only woman who's ever meant anything to us – so mark my words, you'll be happy when we kill you cause it'll be a relief from the pain of the torture."
Pete gulped slightly, noting the very serious tone that Colin spoke in, "You have my word – Josie is my life, I'd rather die than hurt her."
"Good man," he said with another hard hit to his back, "I'd keep yer eye on that one too." Colin nodded his head in the direction of the table that Dave and Matt were seated at, causing Pete to look up at him in confusion.
"Matt? Nah, he's a good guy – practically family."
"Not Matt, I'd watch out for Dave," Colin replied seriously.
Pete almost laughed at the look on Colin's face, "Dave? Why would I have to keep an eye on 'im? He's one of my best mates, been like a brother for years."
"He's got the look," Colin replied cryptically.
"The look?"
"You wouldn't notice cause you haven't stopped lookin' at Josie but he watches her a lot. Seems he might have a bit of a crush on her. All I'm sayin' is that she sees the best in everyone, trusts too quickly and I don't know him from a stranger on the street, I just don't want her in any danger is all. Just keep an eye out is all I'm sayin'."
Pete sat in silence, looking over at Dave and Matt who were casually drinking and watching Swill and Josie fake wrestle, "I guess I've thought of it but Dave wouldn't make a play for Josie…would he?"
The question hung tensely in the air between the two men and just as Pete was going to say something else, Josie interrupted, slinging her arms around both Colin and Pete's shoulders, "You boys look wayyyy too serious for a bar, ready for din soon?"
She leaned heavily into Pete's side and he wrapped his arm around her tightly, kissing her forehead lightly. His head was still spinning from his talk with Colin but he answered her as casually as he could, "Yeah, it's about time we get goin' love."
"Col, grab Eamon and Matt and we'll head out, kay?" She smiled up at him sweetly and Colin nodded his head, leaving the two of them alone. He took her face in his hands, cupping her chin before leaning in to kiss her, "Mm, what was that for babe?"
"Just cause," he pulled her into a hug, wishing he could talk to her about everything Colin had told him. Keeping things from her killed him and he hated the fact that she might be hurting and worse, that he couldn't fix it even if she told him.
She stared at him knowingly, "Hm, I don't know about you Dunham, but I love ya." She locked her fingers with his, pulling him towards her, "Now let's get through this dinner so we can be alone."
Pete smirked down at her smile, "You hussy, quite a one track mind you've got."
Josie smacked him in the stomach, "Fine – I'll sleep at my place tonight. Enjoy a cold bed."
"I don't think so love," he pulled her towards him, "You know I can't sleep without ya."
She tapped his nose lightly, "Good, just the way I like it. Now lead the way…I have no idea where we're goin' and I can barely walk straight as it is."
Pete laughed down at her, pulling her out of the Abbey and as they walked out he noticed Dave watching the two of them carefully. Maybe there was something to what Colin had said and if Dave thought he could get Josie there'd be hell to pay.
Sooo, thoughts? No matter what I hope you enjoyed it.