God dang it, this chapter did not want to get written (as evident from the length of time it took me to update) and when it finally decided TO be written out, I came up with this . . . lackluster chapter. Not really pleased with it so I might come back in and edit it, but I'm not sure yet. Guess we'll see :/
mrsreedus69: Yeah, there's Connor and Sean daddy/bonding time at the end of the chapter. Your welcome :)
JDB (Guest): Smut comes next chapter (I'm pretty sure I've planned it out that way, anyway). I can't do smut every chapter - it'll drive me fuckin' insane, so I have to do filler chapters with plot in them . . . like this chapter . . . which probably came out the way it did because there is no smut . . dammit!
PS - Sorry for the short chapter - will be longer next chapter :)
A Week Later . . .
His son . . . Sean Connor MacManus . . . his son . . .!
Even now, the words sounded and tasted so completely foreign on Connor's tongue, that he found himself muttering them under his breath whenever Murphy wasn't around to hear them, in the hopes that he would eventually get used to them. He had truthfully never thought that he would have kids – judging his life too risky and/or not wanting them to get into the same line of vigilante business that him and Murphy's father had inadvertently dragged them into. But the longer he stayed over at Branna's apartment and the longer he spent time with Sean – bonding with him over cartoons, westerns (of which he seemed to have inherited Connor's love of), Lego's and elementary school level homework - the more he realized that he was starting to want to give anything for the life the two of them were forging – the life that he was now technically a very important part of.
"Hey Conn, where ya goin'?"
Connor froze halfway to the door of the bar, and turned around, where he saw Murphy standing by the storeroom with Romeo, a slightly curious look on his face. His jaw hardened as he turned to face his brother. His overnight bag was slung over his shoulder and he hated going through this again – giving excuses and lying to his brother about where exactly he was going and to whom. He really did.
But every day that passed that he wasn't around them, made him hurt. It made it heart ache and it made him feel anxious – like if he stayed away too long, he wouldn't have them to go back to.
Doc was the only one who actually knew of his and Branna's new relationship aside from the twins' mother, him being Branna's grandfather. And while Connor was confident that he and Annabelle had said nothing to anyone about it, it actually wasn't long after Connor came back, that he realized that Romeo had found him out – or at least partially. Connor didn't think he knew it was Branna that he was staying with for days at a time, per say, but he did know that it was someone. He would constantly catch the Mexican sending him slightly suspicious, searching glares and would reply by sending him a sarcastic wave as he left. And it wasn't long after Romeo started suspecting something that everyone else who spent any length of time in McGinty's, did too. It was normally a sarcastic wave that would get Romeo back to minding his own business, but there was always the low buzzing of rumors but they stayed just that: rumors that remained easy to quash when they had the power to grow too out of control.
He returned to Branna and Sean whenever he could manage it, and after Connor would spend a few days with Murphy and Romeo. He would find himself throwing everything of himself that he possibly could into the new family life that he was unwittingly forging with the two people that meant the most to him in the entire world, then he would return to the bar and to his brother and his friends for a few days. That was their pattern: a few days at Branna's with her and Sean and then a few days at the bar – rinse, repeat. It seemed to suit them fine for the moment and Connor had yet to hear either Branna or Sean complain about it.
Connor gave a shrug and looked away as he buried his hands deep in the front pockets of his jeans. "Oh . . . nowhere important. I'll be back in a few days." Murphy nodded slowly at his brother's words.
"Yeah, ya always are, but still. What 'ave we done since we got back? We're supposed ta be lookin' inta tha death of the Priests, but instead . . . instead ya gone for three days at a time intermittently and when ya do come back, it's not like ya can concentrate on anythin'!"
Even now, as Murphy spoke, Connor felt himself only half-listening. He glanced anxiously at the door over his shoulder and considered just leaving, but knew that would piss off Murphy and make him angrily follow him out the door. Then he really wouldn't be able to get him off his back.
"Look, Murph . . . I gotta . . . I gotta go. Can we . . . maybe do this another time?"
Murphy stood there, glaring at him for a moment before giving a shrug. "Ya've already asked tha', Conn. Ya asked tha' tha other day when ya left – same damn ting, ta be exact. When is this "other time" gonna come?" Connor heaved a sigh as he glanced back at the door again. He wanted to leave – he needed to leave. He imagined Sean getting home from school, excited that it was the day his father would be home waiting for him, only to be disappointed when he wasn't. He imagined Branna cooking a meal that he would not eat, and his heart gave a wild thump at the imaginings – almost as if it couldn't handle the possibility that he might miss out on those things.
"Look, Murph -!"
"Are ya wit Branna?"
Connor's eyes widened as he returned his gaze onto his brother. Murphy gave a shrug when he had his attention. "It's jus' tha fact tha' ya gone for days at a time and since ya obviously ain' doin' recon, then it makes sense tha' ya've tracked down Bran. 'Ave ya?"
Connor swallowed hard and eventually nodded. "Yeah . . . yeah, I 'ave."
A look of hurt flickered across Murphy's face then. "And . . . she hasn' asked 'bout me at all?" Connor rolled her eyes.
"O' course she's asked 'bout ya, Murphy, its jus' . . . she ain' ready ta see ya yet." He told him and Murphy's eyes immediately narrowed in anger.
"Oh, but it's perfectly fine for her ta see ya, eh? Perfectly fine for ya ta fuck her?" Connor rolled his eyes again.
"It ain' like tha', Murphy -!"
"O' course it ain'. Sorry. Sorry I even asked. Really, I should 'ave known better. It's been ya, Connor – it's always been ya, Connor. I should 'ave known tha' now tha' we're back, she'd only be interested in seein' ya again." Connor shook his head.
"Murph, it ain' like tha'! There's a reason she's not ready ta see ya yet, believe me! And once she figures out how ta tell ya, then -!"
"Ya know what - jus' shut it, Conn!" Murphy interrupted him with a shake of his head. "Go back ta Branna and her big secret and then come back when ya ready. But when ya come back, ya damn better well be ready to figure this shite out!"
Connor stepped forward and opened his mouth to speak – to tell him that Branna's big problem was really their big family – but his eyes crossed with Doc's before he could speak. The older man slowly shook his head and Connor closed his mouth with a defeated sigh. He stood there for a minute and watched him walk off in an angry huff, before his eyes crossed with Romeo's uneasy ones. He had witnessed fights between the two brothers before, but those fights had always been a little on the good-natured side. This fight . . . this fight wasn't.
"Please tell me you's two's fights aren't always like that?" He asked, and Connor and Doc both shook their heads.
"Only when Bran's concerned, Rome. And right now, I don' tink she's gonna be brought up again for a very long time."
He could hear her moving around in the kitchen when he unlocked the door and stepped into her apartment. Feeling himself relax the longer he stood there in the doorway, he only stepped away when Branna appeared in the archway to the kitchen, a slightly concerned look on her face.
"Ya okay?" She asked, and he gave her a small smile and a nod. He stepped forward and after curling a hand around her waist, pressed a kiss to the corner of her mouth.
"Yah, I'm fine, mavourneen. I jus' . . . had some trouble with Murph before I came." He told her as he left her and headed for the bedroom, where he slung his overnight bag onto the bed. Her look of concern deepened as she returned to the food she had on the stove.
"Was it anyting big?" She asked, and he shook his head as he returned to the kitchen. He came up behind her and after wrapping his arms around her waist, pulled her back and against him.
"Don' worry 'bout it. What'cha cookin'?" He asked, changing the subject, and she rolled her eyes but allowed herself to be drawn back into him.
"Colcannon. But it ain' done yet. So ya wanna go pick Sean up from school for me?" She asked him and he stood there for a minute, thinking, before nodding.
"Ya know, I tink I will. Surprise him." He told her, and she smiled as he moved over to the island counter on his quest to the front door.
"I hope this tastes good . . . I added someting new to it and now I'm a little uneasy 'bout it . . ." She mused, but Connor turned around to face her again, a grin on his face.
"Don' worry, mavourneen, I'm sure ya'll still taste amazin'."
Branna shot him a look over her shoulder. "I was talkin' 'bout tha food, Connor!" She remarked, and Connor gave her a grin and wink.
"And I wasn'!"
When the school bell split harshly through the air, letting everyone know that school was over that day, Connor smiled when he saw Sean was one of the first ones out when the flood of fleeing students exited the plain brick building. Flanked on either side by two taller boys but both with thick Irish accents, he was mid-conversation when his eyes flickered upwards and locked with Connor's. He immediately broke out into a broad grin as he ran forward and flung himself at his father. His arms wrapped tightly around his waist and Connor chuckled as he returned the hug.
"How did ya day go?" He asked him, and Sean pulled away from him, where he nodded.
"It was pretty good. How long are you staying for, this time?" He asked, more interested in how long his father was going to stay with them, than how his day at school went. That question, he'd answer his mother when she asked.
Connor knew Sean hoped he was going to say forever, he also knew he couldn't. Sean didn't exactly know why his father was gone for intermittent periods of time, but he knew it was for something important. His father wouldn't leave them again without a damn good reason.
"I'm stayin' a little bit longer than tha' last – four days this time. How does tha' sound?" He asked him, and Sean gave him a small smile and nodded.
"I wish you could stay longer . . ." He confessed, a little glumly, before he said goodbye to his friends and allowed Connor to steer him down the street towards home. Connor nodded in agreement as he placed a gentle hand on his back.
"I know, Sean, I know. Its jus' . . . I 'ave some important tings I need to clear up wit ya uncle, and then I'll be wit ya and ya ma for as long as tha both of ya will want me." He told him and Sean stayed silent for a moment, thinking, before giving a confidant nod and turning his eyes up to Connor's.
"Then you will end up staying forever. If I know ma, she won't ever let you go again." He told him, and Connor grinned and laughed as he wrapped an arm around his shoulders, where he brought him against his side as they continued to walk down the street.
"Well, ya know, tha'd be fine wit me, Sean. 'Cause I don' ever plan on leavin' ya two either."