AN: Thanks SO much little miss michelle, sillyya, and Nelle07 for the reviews! I hope this one is as good as the last... although it might be a little more mushy. Oh well, we'll see.

Again, I do not own The Black Donnellys.

Kevin propped his head up on the pillow, watching Brigit sleep. She was facing him, with her left hand in his. He looked at the small hand and saw the ring he had placed on her ring finger over seven months ago.

He never thought it meant much when he saw other girls with engagement rings but now he felt differently. That ring represented to the rest of the world – and to him – that Brigit was willing to spend the rest of her life with Kevin Donnelly. Kevin hoped that would happen and decided that when all this was cleaned up he would marry her.

He stopped thinking when she turned over, pulling his hand with her, hinting, even in her sleep, that she wanted his arms around her – he couldn't and wouldn't disappoint her.

Brigit woke up to a knock on her front door and she moved as quickly as possible to dress herself so she could get it before it woke Kevin up.

She opened the door right before Tommy was about to bang his fist against the door.

"Gosh Tommy, what's wrong?"
He pushed by her, "Where's Kevin?"

Brigit knew Tommy well enough to know something was wrong – she grabbed Tommy by the arm, making him turn to face her.

"Are you all right? I heard about the fight you and Kevin got into last night..."
Tommy's eyes flicked towards the bedroom door to see it was still closed, "Yeah, I'm fine, it's no big deal."
"Then what really is the problem?"
He sighed, "Is Kev-"
"Just tell me... what happened between you and Jenny?"

Tommy quickly looked up at Brigit, wondering how she knew but pushed it aside as she knew everything about him and Jenny, but then looked down even quicker, blushing slightly, remembering what had happened him and Jenny.

A hand flew up to Brigit's face, "No! Did you two...?"
"Yeah... then she told me it wouldn't work."
"Oh gosh!" Brigit made him sit down as she went into the kitchen, "You poor thing! Are you hungry? Come on, I'll make you anything you want."

He tried to refuse but she ignored it. Kevin came out at the sounds of breakfast cooking and joined them. He looked at Tommy sheepishly, unsure of what to do or say.

"Dokey came to see me this morning."

Both his listeners looked at him, Kevin just raised his eyes while Brigit did a dramatic turn towards him, showing her interest.

"I think we'll be okay. But eat and get dressed, Kevin, we're going to visit Sean then Jimmy," Tommy ordered.
"We bailin' him out?"
"Better not be," Brigit piped in.
Tommy stepped in before anything could start, "Hey, no comments from the peanut gallery. Kevin, eat."

Brigit smiled at the two – it was like nothing ever happened. She went around and kissed the both of them on the cheek but gave Tommy a reassuring pat on the back.

"Kiss Sean for me. And be careful you two, don't let Jimmy intimidate you," she warned before disappearing into the bedroom.

Hours later, Brigit struggled with her bedding, trying to find her cell phone that was somewhere in the midst of her comforter.

When she finally found it and answered it, a worried Helen Donnelly was on the other line, telling Brigit that the doctors were moving Sean and she didn't know why. Tommy was on his way but Helen wanted Brigit there – if anyone could get an answer from a doctor, it was Brigit.

She made it to the hospital in under twenty minutes.

"If you ask me, the doctor only said he's stable because they need the bed."
"Do you really think they would do that?" Tommy looked at his mother, almost questioning her but showing that he wouldn't dare.
"Helen, Tommy," Brigit was out of breath, "They wouldn't move Sean if he couldn't handle it."
Helen stood strong, "I think they're moving him too soon. They're trying to put him on the fourth floor with the derelicts and the homeless 'cause they're sons of bitches. It's the ward."
"The ward?" Tommy asked.
"They don't even have doctors up there, they have interns up there."
Brigit tried to reason with Helen but almost knew it was pointless, "Helen, he'll be fine. I'll make sure to check on him all the time."
Helen looked at Tommy, "They killed your uncle Harry in the ward. Sons of bitches."
"Ma? They're not going to put Sean in a ward. I'll take care of it."
"I know you will."

Tommy began to walk off to find Dr. Tyler. Brigit tried to comfort Helen but found there was no need of it and so she figured she'd be needed more by Dr. Tyler if Tommy had actually found her.

"Nah, that's not what you just said," Tommy called after the doctor.
Brigit rushed up, "Tommy, let it go. Dr. Tyler is a good doctor, she wouldn't jeopardize Sean's health. He'll be safe in the ward, Tommy, I give you my word."
"I'm going to fix this before that happens."

Brigit stayed true to her word though – she checked on Sean as often as she could, which she made sure was often – at least once an hour. And when the call came up from the ward, asking to put Sean back in ICU, Brigit rushed down to make sure no intern messed anything up.

She slipped by the Donnellys, into the ward, and inserted herself in the mess around Sean. When everything was settled, she made sure to give the intern a piece of her mind. Interns thought they knew everything but, in truth, they didn't, at least not while they were interns. Most nurses knew more than second year residents and they knew that. So when an angry nurse comes at an intern, they stand down off their high horse.

When she turned to give Helen the sign to signify Sean was all right, she could see Helen's proud smile.

"Kevin, come on, we've got to go! There is no way we're going to be late to Huey's funeral!" Brigit yelled down the hall.
"Would you lay off him? We should be out, gettin' booze for the wake."
Brigit turned around, glaring at Joey, "Who asked you? Look at you, you can't even tie a tie! For Christ's sake, it looks like you have a limp penis around your neck! Come here you idiot. And plus, I don't want the two of you out stealing beer. I'll buy some so you don't have to go running around all of Hell's Kitchen looking for alcohol."
"Kev, has anyone ever tell you your girlfriend isn't as sweet as she looks?" Joey called out.
There was no need to yell, Kevin was ready, "What'd you say? Bri's a sweetheart... I mean, if she wasn't, would she stitch you up every time someone beats the shit out of you?"
"Hey, no one has ever beaten the shit outta me."

Brigit laughed as she ushered the two arguing men out the door, finally heading for the church. When they arrived, Tommy gave them a glare but changed it to a sympathetic look, understanding how hard it is to get Kevin and Joey Ice Cream to go somewhere without complaining too much.

The two of them practically ran from the funeral when it was all over, still going on about having to get beer for the wake while Brigit followed Jenny and Tommy to the Firecracker Lounge.

Of course then Kevin and Joey showed up with kosher alcohol, causing Tommy to drag Kevin off to get something acceptable. Brigit soon ran after them, knowing they had no money. She walked in on Tommy making a deal with the man so Kevin wouldn't ask the owner's daughter out in exchange for some scotch.

Brigit slammed as much money as she could on the counter, "Don't worry, I would never let that happen, sir. Just throw in some ale too, okay? Thanks."

Both Donnelly brothers smirked at her reaction as they headed back to the wake, arms full of alcohol.

Soon, Dokey Farrell approached Brigit when she was alone. Knowing Dokey, she had expected nothing less from him and, unlike Kevin, she could handle lying under pressure.

Especially when he asked, "Who else was there at the hospital? Kevin? Tommy?"
Brigit pushed out her best laugh, "You think I'd let Kevin out of my sight after what happened to Sean? I don't think so. And Tommy wouldn't dare leave his mother at a time like that."

Thankfully, around that time Brigit realized it was time for her to go to work, so she excused herself from Dokey and said her goodbyes to Kevin and the rest of them.

What she didn't know was about ten minutes later, the phone rang at the bar and Kevin answered, "Firecracker."
"Hey, why don't you and your brothers come join me here downstairs? Jenny's here waiting with us. Where's your little girlfriend?"
"Uhh..."
"She's on her way to work, right? She goin' to make it there safe?"
"Uh, I don't-I- I mean- hold on," Kevin handed the phone over to Jimmy and ran out the door.

Kevin jumped into the cab he had stolen earlier and headed towards the hospital he knew his mother and Sean were at and hoped Brigit was at as well.

He rushed into the hospital's elevator, pushing the button for the floor the ICU was on. When the doors finally opened, he practically ran to the nurses' station, his eyes darting back and forth for his blonde girlfriend.

"Do you know where Brigit Murphy is?"
The Hispanic nurse looked up at him, smiling, "She should be starting right about now. I don't where she is though. You miss her already?"

Kevin turned around, he didn't have time to answer. He didn't need to answer. He began searching the rooms along the hallway.

"Kevin?"

He turned around and saw her. He couldn't move. He finally realized what she must have felt every time he went out with Tommy to "get coffee." He didn't like the feeling.

"Kevin?" she was in front of him now, pulling him out of his thoughts, "What's wrong? Why are you here? Did something happen?"
He couldn't help but smile, "No, you're safe. Nothing's wrong, not right now."
He hugged her and held on for dear life, "Marry me."
Brigit laughed and pulled away to look at him, "I already told you I would, Kevin. Remember? Christmas? See," she indicted her ring.
"I know," he shook his head, "I mean really though. Let's do it."
"Well, when I said yes to you I meant I would really do it."
"Let's do it soon. I don't want to wait any longer."
She was starting to worry again, "What brought all this on?"
"It's just," he fumbled with his words, "if something happens – to either of us – I want to be able to say that I was married to Brigit Murphy, the sweetest girl I knew. I don't want to leave the chance of me losing you to anyone else."
"First off, nothing is going to happen to us anytime soon. Second off, no one could take me away from you – no one."
"You don't want to do it soon, do you? You're having doubts, you don't want to marry me anymore, do you?"
Brigit looked up at him, shocked, "Kevin Donnelly, I want to spend the rest of my life with you and only you. I would marry you this instant if you wanted, but I really have to get to work so right now might not be the best time. We'll discuss it later, okay? I'll see you tomorrow. Meet you at the Firecracker?"

Kevin nodded, feeling bad that he had questioned her like that.

"I love you."
He kissed her, "I love you too."