Chibs leaned against the back of Aoife's station wagon. He blew a final puff of smoke through his lips and dropped the cigarette to the macadam, crushing it under his boot heel. He considered lighting another, but he figured Aoife would be out the door any minute. Rois' eyelids had been drooping when Aoife asked Chibs if he would give her a few minutes alone with her aunt. He stared up into the inky black sky, a particularly bright star catching his eye. In his mind, he heard Jiminy Cricket singing "When You Wish Upon a Star" accompanied by Kerrianne's giggling toddler singsong. She'd watched that old VHS tape of Pinocchio until the VCR finally ate it, resulting in hours of tears before he and Fiona had managed to scrounge up another copy. He remembered Kerrianne crawling up onto his lap one evening and asking him urgently if wishing on a star really worked.

"Well, what do you think, baby?" he'd stalled, not sure how to answer her.

His daughter had scrunched up her faced and frowned while she thought, gravely serious for a four year old. "Pinocchio gets in trouble for lying, so I don't think that Jiminy would lie. Have you ever wished upon a star, Da?"

At that moment, Fiona had walked into the living room of their tiny flat, already dressed in her nightgown and carrying Kerrianne's small flannel pajamas decorated with circus animals. Fiona's curly hair was loose, her face freshly scrubbed, and she looked absolutely gorgeous. Chibs looked down at Kerrianne, the image of her mother, and whispered conspiratorially, "Aye. How else do ye think I got so lucky as to get you and your ma?"

Aoife's echoing footsteps interrupted his reminisces. She stopped just out of arms' reach and regarded him. "Hey," she finally said.

"Hey," he replied, shifting his weight from one foot to another.

"Stargazing?" she ventured.

"A bit. Didn't get to look up at them much as a kid, what with the haze and city lights." Chibs relaxed a little as she joined him in leaning against the station wagon, her body so close to his that he could feel the heat radiating off of her. They both looked up into the clear sky, some of the tension between them dissipating in the quiet calm of the night. He rolled his shoulder so that it rested on the car and he could see her face in profile. "I don't think it's wise to park on the street after the latest damage to your car. Isn't there a garage behind the coffee shop that belongs to you?"

"Aye, but Rois was using it for storage. I can't get the car in it right now." Chibs frowned. Everyone who had ever come by the coffee shop knew Aoife's car. It had been Rois' before it was hers, and it was one of only two like it in all of Charming. "I guess I could park it at the farmhouse just for a few days until I made room in the garage. There's an old barn there that Rois used for a garage."

"Farmhouse?"

"Aye. Rois' house. She rented out the apartment above the shop before I moved here because she lived out on an old pioneer farm. One of her friends has been keeping an eye on the property. It's just so hard to go there and remember how strong and independent Rois used to be." Aoife bit her lip. "But you'll have to drive me home after that," she commented hesitantly, as if she expected Chibs to refuse.

"You know that I will, lass. I ain't mad at you, and I want you safe no matter what happens between us."

"Okay. It's off Old Farm Road. You'll have to follow me."

Chibs said nothing as he helped Aoife open up the old barn so she could park the station wagon inside. He handed her the helmet, and saw her hesitate as she realized that she would be pressed up against his back on the bike. He extended his hand to her and smiled, hoping to break the tension. "Hop on, lass. We've got to get you home so you can get your beauty sleep before work tomorrow. Not that a lass like you needs that." Aoife allowed a small smile to turn up the corners of her mouth, and put her hand into Chib's leather-clad one. Chibs closed his eyes to collect his thoughts and resisted the urge to pull her body to his. He was working his way back into her heart, and he couldn't risk pushing things too fast with her. As he started the bike engine, Aoife's hands went to his hips rather than their normal place wrapped around his waist, but as the ride continued, he felt Aoife's body mold to his back, and her chin found its way to his shoulder. Chibs sucked in his breath as her hands moved from their impersonal grasp on his hips to curving around his abdomen, and then her uncasted arm found its way under his cut and shirts. Her hand splayed across the skin of his belly as she pulled herself tighter to him, and Chibs' heart sung.

Chibs approached the coffee shop from the back alley. He allowed the bike motor to die at the base of the outside stairs but Aoife maintained her grip on him. He dropped his right hand to his belly, covering her hand with his. He shivered involuntarily as she peeled herself from him and stepped off the bike. "Thank you for giving me a ride home, Filip," Aoife said as she gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

"Aye. Anything you need, lass, you call. If you need help with the garage clean up, you know that some of the boys will help. Even if you don't want me there."

"You've hurt me deeply, Filip, but I don't hate you." Aoife put her hand on his that still rested on the handle bars of the bike. "I meant what I said to my aunt. I want to be able to trust you again."

Chibs picked up her hand and brought it to his lips. He kissed her knuckles with his chapped lips. "And I want to earn back your trust, lass."

Aoife dropped her purse and jacket on the barstool, listening for the roar of the motorcycle. She heard the bike start, go a short distance, and stop again. She pulled back the curtains and saw Chibs rolling the bike into space across the street, clearly positioned to see anyone who tried to get in the front or side of her building. She brushed her teeth, took a quick shower, and changed into a pajama set. Peeking out the window, she confirmed that Chibs was still outside keeping an eye on her. He was nearly invisible on the dark street, but she could see the red-orange end of a burning cigarette.

Aoife laid down to sleep. After fifteen minutes of staring, wide awake at the lazy ceiling fan, she got up and went to the window again. She picked up her cell phone and dialed Chibs. As she watched, he answered the phone. "Filip, I can't stand to sleep in here while you try to stand watch on your bike or the hard concrete. Come on up. You can sleep on the couch."

The sun peeked over the horizon as Aoife emerged from her shower, a towel wrapped around her body and another twisted on top of her head to absorb the water from her hair. She dressed quickly, rejecting a black sparkly top that she knew Chibs loved on her in favor for a much plainer, looser green one. "I'll save that one for later," she murmured, and then realized that, despite the ache in her heart and the sour stomach that had put her off food for two days now, she didn't want to imagine her life without Chibs in it.

She stopped at the end of the hallway. Chibs' cut and button down shirts were draped neatly across the barstool, jeans folded on top. At the base of the stool were his boots, socks tucked inside. His keys, wallet, and other contents of his pockets filled the once-empty decorative bowl on the coffee table, and in front of that, his rings, necklaces, and a small rosary were lined up. In her minds' eye, Aoife saw him sitting in his tank and boxers, removing each piece of jewelry methodically before leaning back and rolling onto his back in one cat-like movement. She protected herself from the allure of the long, muscular lines of his body by plucking the blanket he had kicked off in the night from the floor and draping it back over his now goosebump-covered flesh. Under her breath, she said, "You damn well better fix this so I can trust you again, Filip, because I can't seem to stop loving you." She pressed her lips to the right cheek scar, and he smiled in his sleep.

ATF Agent June Stahl and Deputy Chief Hale walked into the coffee shop during the late afternoon lull. Aoife watched them come in and took a few deep breaths. When they reached the counter, she pasted a pleasant smile on her face and greeted them. "Good afternoon. Nice to see you, David. What can I get for you?"

They ordered and then Stahl started in on her. "Coffee for both of us. I'm ATF Agent Stahl. I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions." Stahl flashed a smile that didn't reach her eyes.

"Of course, but we close in about twenty minutes. Please, have a seat." Aoife gestured at one of the tables along the front left side of the shop, as far from the back kitchen and the steps to her apartment as possible. She was grateful that she now locked the door up to the apartment every day. She pulled three mugs from the rack and poured the three of them coffee.

"So, I was wondering what you can tell me about this man?" Agent Stahl pushed a photograph of Chibs across the table.

"Regular customer. Coffee, black, two sugars. Buys a lot of breakfast baked goods and shepherd's pies for himself."

Stahl raised her eyebrows. "You know all your regular customers' orders?"

"Not all of them, but most of them. The deputy chief here takes his coffee with two sugars and two creams, and is partial to the sugar cookies. The chief takes his coffee black and will order whatever on the menu is the sweetest." Aoife rattled off the typical orders of a half-dozen other police officers from Charming PD and stared coolly back at Stahl. "Small town. Not a lot of places to get a good cup of coffee."

"Now, see, David here thought that you had somewhat more intimate knowledge of Filip Telford. He was under the impression that you two had dated."

"We went on a few dates. He wasn't my type." Aoife acted casual even as her heart was thumping.

"That's too bad," Stahl said after a pause. "Or maybe not. Would his not being your type have anything to do with the fact that he runs guns for the IRA?" Aoife swallowed her surprise at how quickly Stahl played that card. Before she could answer, Stahl continued. "I'm sure I don't have to tell you who the Real IRA is. Your politics match your boyfriend's?"

"I know who the Real IRA is. We didn't see a lot of them down in the Republic, where I'm from," Aoife replied evenly. She paused before continuing, hoping that the next lie would put paid on this interview. "I didn't know that about him, but why would I? If you're hoping that Chibs whispered deep dark secrets in my ear, you're going to be disappointed. David wasn't wrong about the intimate part of our relationship. We didn't spend a lot of time chatting when we were together, if you catch my drift." Hale choked on his coffee and his cheeks flushed.

Stahl raised one eyebrow at her. "I see." The ATF agent used both hands to pick up her coffee mug and take a drink, watching Aoife the whole time. Aoife kept her face a mask and sipped from her own mug. "Did you ever go into the Sons of Anarchy club house with him?"

"No. He came over here."

"Have you met any other members of the club?"

"A few. I had my car towed to the Teller-Morrow Garage once, and they sometimes stop in here for breakfast or lunch."

"And you've never overheard anything strange?" Stahl pressed.

"Look, Agent – Stahl, was it? So far as I have bothered to notice, they're just a bunch of grungy bikers. I didn't see or hear anything odd, but my primary interest wasn't in connecting with any of them on an intellectual level." Stahl and Aoife stared at one another for a long time, Stahl with one eyebrow cocked as if she was examining Aoife under a microscope. Aoife held the agent's gaze, her face an impassive mask.

"Well, thank you for your time, Miss McIntyre. If you remember anything that might be of use to us, however small it may be, I would be really grateful." Stahl put her card on the table and stood. She took one last sip of coffee and then cocked her head to the side, her eyes boring into Aoife. "I'm a little surprised at you, Miss McIntyre."

"Why do you say that?" Aoife asked.

Stahl jerked her head in the direction of Aoife's neck and cleavage. "Good Catholic girl like you, not just having pre-marital sex, but with a married felon. The priests must love it when you come to confession." Peering at Aoife to determine the effect of her comment and seeing no discernible response, Stahl gestured for Hale to follow her and swept out of the shop. Only once Stahl had left and the doors were locked behind her and Hale did Aoife reached down and finger the rosary that hung around her neck. It had at some point found its way outside of her chocolate-brown apron, and the mottled green Connemara marble and shiny silver links and cross were hanging to a few inches above her waist for all the world to see.