AN: Fyi, anything in italics is Brigit's writing.

Again, I don't own the Black Donnellys.

And thank you little miss michelle for the review. It was greatly appreciated.


August 31, 2001

So today is my last day in New York City. Tomorrow, I will be going away to college in Boston and even though I know I'm going to miss home, I'm a little thankful to be leaving.

It's been three months since senior prom, since I thought Kevin and I would finally get together but it never happened. My summer, when it comes to Kevin, was full of fruitless flirting. I know there's something there though. I saw it when he first saw me with Jimmy.

Yes, Jimmy Donnelly...

Kevin put the phone back in its place, frustrated. Mrs. Murphy had said she thought her daughter was over at his house. He knew it wasn't true as he looked over the small apartment to see Sean fanning himself from the late July heat in the living room and Tommy in the kitchen.

As if he too realized the absence of the eldest Donnelly brother, Tommy asked, "Where's Jimmy?"
Kevin shrugged, "Sleeping, I think."

Tommy shook his head and headed towards the bedroom he shared with his older brother. He opened the door to see nothing because it was so dark but he heard otherwise.

"Jimmy?" Tommy asked, turning on the light.
"Tommy, come on-"
Tommy's eyes grew wide, "Brigit?!"
She smiled shyly, "Hi Tommy."

Tommy was relieved to see she still had all of her clothes on, though Jimmy was missing his shirt. Tommy ordered them out into the living room – Jimmy resisted, refusing to take orders from his little brother, until Brigit pleaded with him to oblige.

Tommy went back out into the living room to a confused Kevin and a distracted Sean. A few minutes later, a slightly embarrassed Brigit followed him with Jimmy's arm casually slung around her shoulders. Jimmy showed no embarrassment at all.

But the sight of them confused Kevin even more than before. They moved over to the couch on which Kevin was sitting.

"Jimmy? Can I talk to you in the kitchen?" Tommy asked in the angry voice everyone recognized and tried to avoid.

Jimmy pushed himself off the couch, throwing a wink over his shoulder at Brigit. She couldn't help but smile but stopped when she met Kevin's eyes.

Nothing had to be said. He knew. She knew.

I don't know what or how Jimmy and I happened but we did. We were just a summer thing – I don't think we could ever be anything more. There's five years between us and we are just so different. Plus, Tommy may love both Jimmy and I but I could tell he didn't love us together. But that's understandable, I guess.

So when I leave tomorrow, I will not being leaving anyone behind – I could never do that, but I'll just be taking a break, I'll be testing new waters. There's a world outside of New York and the Donnellys and I'm going to find it and enjoy it.

March 12, 2002

Spring break's over and now, I'm back to school. After hearing my room mate's rendition of her vacation, I almost wish I had gone somewhere warm because when I went home for spring break, it seemed a lot colder than normal. And I don't mean the weather... I mean my friends.

But then again it could have been because I brought Brian home to meet everyone. I've already meet his parents since they live in Wellesley, which isn't too far miles from Boston. So I thought it was about time he met my parents. And, of course, that would mean he'd eventually have to meet my 'assumed' brothers, the Donnellys and Joey Ice Cream.

And so he did. My family liked him well enough. Of course my dad was a little skeptical but then again, he always is of anyone who is in any way romantically involved with or interested in me. My girl friends liked him a lot, especially Jenny – he's a bit of a charmer like that. But not enough to charm my male friends... well, except for Joey and Jenny's husband, not that they would admit to that if Jimmy, Tommy, Kevin, or Sean asked.

See, I knew there would be problems when introducing Brian to the Donnellys and, in a way, I wanted it like that. I wanted Jimmy and Kevin to know what they had passed up, what they were missing. I wanted them all to know I could handle a real relationship with someone they didn't know or really approve of, especially since they never knew about my almost year long relationship in junior year with Billy O'Malley.

But I should really be going. I have a whole book to read by Thursday...

Brigit curled up on her bed. Her room mate was out, leaving her to the solitude she needed, which is why she finally got around to updating her journal.

She opened the book she had to read for her English class in one hand and held the bear Kevin had given her the Christmas before cuddled up in her other arm. After a while she realized she hadn't truly read a single word and tossed the book aside. She couldn't stop thinking about Brian and the Donnellys. She knew their approval shouldn't matter but it did, probably above everyone else's. They represented Kenny for her and Kenny always knew what was best for her.

She sighed and at the same time a light, almost shy, knock on her dorm room door was heard. It wasn't the knock Brian usually used and it was her room mate's 'I lost my key' knock. So she placed the bear back in his respectful place on her bed and got up to answer it, figuring it was someone looking for help with their homework.

Who she found behind it was not some girl from down the hall but a man from back home – she found Kevin Donnelly standing in front of her.

"Kevin? What are you doing here?"

Kevin's eyes took the sight of her in and then the scene behind her before he answered her question. He could remember less than a year before he had been standing in her room after she had finished packing for college. To him it had looked like she had taken nothing but clothes with her – her room looked just like normal. She had told him she had 'brought everything important.' Looking inside her dorm room, he spotted something from home – the bear he had given her.

Without a conversation passing between them at that moment, he knew he had already gotten his answer.

He stumbled with his words, "I uh... I had to tell you something."
"What was so important that you couldn't call instead?"
"No," he shook his head, "This had to be said to your face."

She was worried... and concerned. It almost sounded mean.

She moved aside, letting him inside her room before she shut the door with a click. She stood in front of the door, waiting.

Kevin paced the room for a bit, quickly taking in other items around the room. Pictures of her and her family and pictures with him and his family... but pictures with her and Brian too, but not as many. He had to tell her but he didn't know what to say.

So instead, he stopped and looked straight into her eyes briefly before he went for it. He walked up to her, pulled her close, and kissed her.

Brigit let herself get caught up in the happiness his touch created before she pulled away.

"Just to clarify... what does this mean?"
He smiled, "It means I love you, Bri."

They laughed and fell onto her bed, getting lost in each other.

After a few minutes, Brigit thought of something, "So if you're here and you can't drive-"
"They're all down there waiting."
She sat up, "All of them?"

He nodded.

"In the street?"
He nodded again, "In case I needed to make a quick getaway."

Brigit laughed before picking up her phone and calling Sean, telling him to bring himself and his brothers upstairs. She would never let them all stand out there in the Boston cold.

They needed to celebrate.