'Of the Section 3 Assault Causing Harm offence, we the jury find Brendan Brady guilty.'

The result had felt like a stab to the gut. They'd been so close, hadn't they? So close. And now it was all in ruins. He wasn't going to be inside for life, he wasn't even going to be kept at Portlaoise anymore. They were going to downgrade him to a lesser prison, where he'd be out of reach of Walker and his buddies but his family…. He looked over to the people who'd supported him for so long. He wasn't going to be able to protect any of them if he was inside. Walker would be able to reach them and there would be no way for Brendan to stop him.

'Steven,' he whispered.

He could imagine Anne in her position as a public figure and in her apartment block with Riley and his rich mates would be a difficult target. Cheryl lived in the most beautiful but unlikely-to-stumble-upon part of Northern Ireland and Walker knew virtually nothing about her, but Steven. He'd be foolish enough to stay close, stay in Ireland and he wouldn't be able to afford much more than a cheap council flat if he could afford housing at all.

Walker would find him; just like he'd found Vinnie, just like he'd found Macca. But losing Steven; it wouldn't just be Brendan's heart that broke … it would be everything. It would kill him. He'd wither and die knowing that his only chance at happiness had been snatched from him so viciously.

'What does that mean?' Ste demanded, looking around at the hapless people around him. They looked a bit like he felt, shocked, speechless. 'Cheryl,' he demanded the only person he thought might even possibly have her head around Irish law. She'd grown up with Brendan in Ireland hadn't she? Had she? Northern Ireland was on the same bit of land. It was a hell of a lot closer to Ireland than England was. 'Cheryl! What does that mean?'

'I don't know, babe,' she mumbled, barely opening her mouth. 'I don't know.'

McGinn knew and Ste felt sick when the lawyer explained. They'd found Brendan guilty of beating O'Shaughnessy to a pulp. They'd found him guilty because of Ste's own evidence. He was the only one called to the stand who'd seen it happen. He was the only one who'd brought up the attack.

'No,' he cried, sliding down the wall until his bum hit the wooden floor. 'No, I didn't mean to…. I wasn't….' And then he screamed: 'Brendan!' in some wild idea that the man might be able to hear him. 'Brendan! I'm sorry.'

'For God's sake, he's not going to blame you, Ste,' Mitzeee scorned in her typically practical way. 'McGinn, what does this mean?'

'The charge can hold anything from community service to ten years imprisonment.' He seemed exasperated as he looked around at them all.

'Ten years,' Mitzeee echoed breathlessly.

Ste could barely summon up the energy to be angry at him, but McGinn still apologised: 'I was so busy fighting the murder charge, I didn't even consider….'

'It doesn't matter anyway,' Doug, the unwanted voice of reality. 'Brendan did beat Cian up. Those facts wouldn't change even if you had tried to fight it.'

'But I didn't have to tell the court,' Ste's words sounded strained in his throat. He wasn't surprised, there was a lump there that felt painfully like it was going to choke him to death. He was running out of tears to shed over Brendan Brady. His tolerance to emotional pain was wearing thinner and thinner, and yet the idea of being without him was somehow worse. 'I didn't have to tell the court that I saw it.'

'Some hero, I am,' Ste groaned later that evening. He'd been staying with Cheryl at her beautiful apartment in central Dublin. She'd rented it for the time Brendan was on trial, which was testament to how disgustingly rich her and Nate were.

'Babe, you saved his life,' Cheryl said firmly, handing over a hot chocolate. She made an amazing hot chocolate. 'He was going down for life and you came in to rescue him. And I….' She paused, Ste glanced up to see her tearing easily. She was emotionally drained, just like him. He felt like anything could set him off about now and she was apparently the same. 'I'm always going to be grateful for that.'

She hugged him tight and into the darkness, she admitted:

'I never thought he'd find someone to love him, someone to stand by him like this. He was always so….'

'Difficult to love,' Ste finished for her.

'Exactly.'

'What about Mitzeee?'

'Don't get me started on her. They were never right together, money grabbing whore.' She sighed heavily. 'But she knew the real Bren, when I wasn't allowed to. She supported him when he needed it. She's been doing my job for ten years. He likes to think he's strong, but he needs someone to ground him. It was me when we were wee, Mitzeee through the college years and you…. Well, for as long as you can put up with him.'

'Long as he can put up with me,' Ste gave a smile diluted by tears. I was hard to think of forever, when Brendan might still be looking at ten years.

Brendan had never felt so sick in his entire life. Then again, his life had never depended so steadfastly on one moment. This was it. The moment that was going to see him walk free forever, or see him chained behind bars, (less aggressive bars but still bars) until he was middle-aged.

The "moment" took forever. The judge was forced to recap the jury's initial decisions. The paparazzi had returned now. There were journalists taking notes; he could imagine "monster let off lightly" would be a nice headline for them. Whatever the decision, they weren't going to let him be innocent. In the eyes of the public, he'd be guilty forever. He'd probably be able to release a book in a few years' time. It might give him something to do with the rest of his jail time.

Finally, the sentencing was announced.

'Due to the nature of the crime, the emotionally charged situation and the courts inability to produce any evidence for the level of damage caused by Mr Brady, it is this court's opinion that the actions leading to Section 3 Assault Causing Harm were a crime of passion, in which Mr Brady was faced up by a man who had previously attacked and wounded Douglass Carter and was now engaging in intercourse with Mr Brady's partner.

'We condemn these actions, but are empathetic to the extreme situation in which Mr Brady found himself. As Mr Brady was able to be dragged away from the attack, but unable to drag himself away, we feel his mind-set at the time was not of a reasonable man.

'We, therefore, sentence Mr Brady, to 5 years...'

Brendan heart stopped. Five years was lifetime when he imagined Anne's unborn child in school and Ste, moved-on and married.

'… suspended sentence.'

Suspended? Five years' suspended sentence? He was free. He was bloody free. McGinn cheered loudly, whilst the prosecuting lawyer shook her head in repulsion. She looked ready to contest the decision. She looked ready to scream Brendan's guilt to anyone who would listen, but he wasn't bothered. The lawyer and the media could go to town on what a monster he was, because when he looked into crowd, he could see just a handful of people who didn't think he was a monster and one who really, truly loved him.

'Mr Brady, you will be expected to complete an anger management course within the next 6 months. And let me remind you that any more run-ins with the law will see you imprisoned immediately.'

Brendan just nodded. He wasn't worried about the conditions. The court would never see him again, his focus had changed now. He was watching his family as they fell apart with happiness. They were being photographed by paparazzi and journalists were asking for quotes.

Anne, in her idiotic role as Mitzeee, was taking the questions with an elegant smile. Cheryl was sobbing herself inelegant. Steven had silent tears rolling down his cheeks. He was a beautiful crier, but Brendan vowed he'd never allow the boy to have reason to shed a tear ever again.

Brendan was yet to be allowed to breath. He was in the middle of a mushy, perfumed, aftershave-d, hairspray-smelling ball of fumes and from every side he was being squished. Douglass was stood awkwardly to the side with McGinn, but Brendan had one arm around Anne, one around Cheryl, his neck was Steven's. The younger man was alternating between snuggling into the available crook at his collar bone and kissing him fervently. Brendan could feel damp patches spreading across his shirt, salty tears seeping into his skin.

'We need to celebrate,' Cheryl said determinedly, when she felt she'd finally hugged him enough. 'Where's a good restaurant in Dublin, Mitzeee?'

'Well, we could….' She was stroking her belly. Her and Cheryl had done what Steven could not, they'd let go of the man. Steven was buried at his side and Brendan understood. He didn't want to let go either, not again.

'Not in public,' Brendan warned, nodding to the greedy paparazzi who were like piranhas snapping and chomping in the court yard in front of the building.

'We can go to mine,' Cheryl said determinedly. 'All of us. We need to celebrate with a full-fat takeaway. Brendan, you can choose. Now,' she patted McGinn on the arm, 'you're going to come with us, aren't you? We're going to celebrate your victory. Everyone can stay at my house. Ste,' she linked arms with the boy, 'you're going to love Nate, when you meet him. He's so handsome.'

Brendan watched as the two of them walked away from him. Steven managing to glance over his shoulder to flash him a smile. Steven was part of the family now. Brendan wondered if Steven was aware that he would never be able to get rid of Brendan now. No matter how much he wanted to.

They'd had a few drinks in Cheryl's rented apartment in Dublin, Anne had winced her way through some non-alcoholic cocktails and some glasses of orange juice. Douglass had seemed uncomfortable with the situation. Yes, he'd helped to prove Brendan innocent, but it was obvious his opinions of The Boss hadn't changed. There was still a level of hatred in his eyes every time he glanced over.

They celebrated late into the night, enjoying the view from Cheryl's balcony. Brendan was glad to be stood there again, cold air on his cheeks. He couldn't sit down. There was so much space for him to wander about in and he had so much energy. The others had fallen asleep slowly. Douglass had returned to his hotel, McGinn had gone home, Cheryl had disappeared to bed. Anne was still awake. She was lounging in one of the sun loungers on the balcony. They were an optimistic touch for an apartment in Dublin, but Anne seemed comfortable enough, half wrapped in a huge blanket. Steven was under the other half, but his eyes were more closed than open.

'So, what's next for you two?' Anne asked as Brendan took another deep breath in. There was something about the scent of Dublin in your lungs which felt special.

'I have an idea,' Brendan said mysteriously. 'I have to check that it's the life Steven wants though.'

'And if it isn't?'

Brendan already knew the answer: 'We do what he wants.'

'Urgh,' Mitzeee scorned good-naturedly, getting labouredly out of her lounger to join him. 'You've gotten soft, Brady.'

'No,' he placed his arm around her shoulder. He wouldn't let her get cold, just because his time at Portlaoise had given him an aversion to going inside. 'But I have found something I love more than power.'

'Me?' she suggested, with a chuckle and he just shot her a look.

'You loved the power more than I did.'

'True,' she worried her lip a little between her teeth. 'You know, relationships are compromise, not sacrifice. You wouldn't cope without the thrill of crime.'

'Me neither,' Ste mumbled through a yawn, drawing both their attention. His eyes were open now, but that didn't mean he was going to move or stand up. 'It'd be dead boring just working for a living.'

'What would you do then?' Brendan asked with a smile. 'Where would you go if you could pick anywhere, eh Steven?'

'The best city in the world. The place where it was just me and you and we were really happy.'

'Stop talking in riddles,' Anne scorned, but Brendan cut her off with a simple:

'I know where he means.'

'You do?' she looked shocked. That was probably a normal reaction though. Brendan was useless at reading cryptic clues usually. He'd never paid enough attention to anyone (not even Anne) to decipher things, but he could remember ever second of that painfully short time he'd manage to make Ste happy.

'Anne,' Brendan smiled, looking at his friend. She was really pregnant now, but he needed her to be his ruthless, insane, crazy and loving best friend just one last time.

::

In the morning, they were forced to say their goodbyes, but this time there were no tears or talks of forever.

Anne wouldn't stop talking about coming to visit once Brendan and Steven was properly set up and making Brendan promise he'd come to Manchester for the birth.

'And my wedding,' she said firmly. 'Once I've proposed, you have to walk me down the aisle, right?'

'That's not going to look very good in Heat, is it?' he mused. 'Mitzeee Miniver looks stunning in wedding dress as she is walked down the aisle by suspected murderer Brendan Brady.'

'Something's are more important than the media,' she replied, checking her nails for any imperfections. 'Besides, you said it yourself, I'll look stunning, and that's all anyone will talk about. Oh and Brendan,' she said just as she disappeared through security, 'just let me know when and I'll finish what we talked about.'

'What did she mean by that?' Steven asked, brow furrowed suspiciously.

'It's a surprise I'm planning.'

'For who?'

'For you, you idiot,' he smiled. He couldn't help himself. He felt happy. He had this future ahead of him that he'd never dreamed possible just a week ago. And for the first time in months, he was saying goodbye to someone without the weight of "forever" hanging heavily on his heart. Finally, this felt like the beginning of a "Happy Ending".

He just had to get through the hell of living at his sister's house until Anne was able to do her job.

'Wake up,' Steven groaned, with an accompanying shove in the side.

'No,' Brendan replied. He felt like a grumpy child desperately trying to avoid going downstairs to see mum and dad.

'You're on my arm,' Steven huffed, shoving him again. 'It's going numb.'

Brendan rolled over just enough for Steven retrieve his arm from his prison and then forced out some gentle snoring.

'You can't just hide in this room forever.'

'I can,' Brendan insisted, or at least he could give it a bloody good go. He couldn't face anymore unsubtle comments about sound carrying through the house. It wasn't Brendan's fault that the man he'd fallen in love with was as noisy as a prostitute and Steven had no qualms about the sound. He shrugged Nate's comments off as though he hadn't even heard them, whilst cooking breakfast for everyone.

Food was Steven's way of paying off both their debts for staying at the house, whilst Brendan worked on securing their own place. He couldn't wait for Anne to start her part of the deal.

'I was thinking we could head into St George's Market today.'

'You want to go shopping?' Brendan asked. The comment had come as such a surprise that he'd forgotten to be asleep.

'Nah, well, sort of,' he was grinning like he had some kind of mischief up his sleeve. 'I'm going to introduce you to a game Callum and me used to play around Chester Market.'

'Mmm?' He was trying not to show too much interest, as he grudgingly tipped himself out of bed. He was too old to play games, wasn't he?

'You start at one end of the market and you have to get to other end stealing the most stuff.'

'You're joking,' he accused. Steven was already fully clothed.

'No. You get difficulty points if the item is displayed and if the item is big.'

'That's juvenile.'

'You're only saying that because you know you can't win,' Steven challenged. 'Big ol' crime fat cat man like you, you'll never be as nimble as the little street rat.' He posed to show off his skinny, street rat self.

'I didn't start at the top,' Brendan warned, his shirt was still somewhere in the room but finding it didn't seem as important as showing his cheeky git of a boyfriend who was boss. 'I had to work my way up,' he prowled forward, backing Steven into a corner, which the boy didn't seem too concerned about getting away from.

'Oh yeah?' Steven raised an eyebrow. His eyes were bright blue and full of joy and Brendan liked to think he helped put that there.

'Yeah, I started stealing from supermarkets and record stores, just like you.'

'I never stole from a record store. There weren't really many left when I was a kid. I illegally downloaded some music but that's not the same is it. Everyone does that.'

Brendan tried to hold back the chuckle but it still rumbled in his chest. Steven's back had collided with the wall, but Brendan just pressed himself closer to his boyfriend.

'Don't be laughing,' the lad threatened. 'I'll still beat you, old man. You haven't been on a job in years.'

'You're forgetting one thing, Steven,' Brendan whispered, hot and wet in his lover's ear. 'I always come out on top.'

When he pulled back, Steven's little pink tongue was wetting his lips. It was all the invite Brendan could need and he crashed their mouths together. The kiss, like the others before and the ones that would come after, was ragged and messy and too desperate to have any skill. They kissed like it would be last time, tongues duelling, imitating the constant battle for dominance between them. If Brendan was honest, he would always yield to Steven. He'd do anything the younger man wanted, he'd sacrifice everything to keep him happy, but he wouldn't let him win this.

He tried not to let Steven win the stupid market game either, but the lad hadn't been wrong when he'd said Brendan hadn't been on a job like this for years. Steven was deft at diving through the crowds and filling his pockets with junk from the Belfast Market, Brendan on the other hand was still the half-recognised face of a Boyfriend Murderer. People were suspicious of him and Steven romped home with the victory.

'What's the prize?' Brendan asked, when Steven emptied endless tat into the car. Steven just pushed himself onto his tiptoes and whispered:

'You know what I like.'

And Brendan was more than happy to give Steven exactly what he liked.

One, maybe two chapters left. Thanks so much for sticking with this and thanks for all the lovely reviews. You've been very kind.

Sisi xx