Disclaimer: Now, had I been Christopher Paolini, do you think the books would have turned out the way they did? Of course not! Therefore I'm not Chrissy P, meaning the characters don't belong to me. Lol, and that's probably all for the best! XD The plot doesn't belong to me either. It belongs to Mercuryadept92.

Warning: See chapter one for warnings. If you've missed them and are still reading, don't come crying to me!

A/N I would like to thank all my awesome reviewers and readers. And thanks to everyone that have added this fic to their favs or alerts. And an extra special thanks to Mercury, for giving me this fantastic plot to play with. And a Merry Xmas and a Happy New Years to you all. :D

Part Ten; Twists

Murtagh sighed tiredly as he packed the last of his things. He had actually been able to move out his furniture one weekend Morzan had been away. Now there was only the bag in his hands left of his old life.

The dark haired male frowned as he slung the bag over his shoulder. The place looked like a mess. He almost felt bad for leaving his father behind. But no, he refused to be Morzan's slave and punching-bag anymore. Running a hand through his hair he closed the door behind him. Murtagh swiftly locked the door and pocketed the key. Now there was nothing else left of his, he had made sure of that.

Murtagh could however not resist taking another look around the house to make sure. But no, he couldn't find anything else. What he did find however was a picture of someone he could have sworn to have seen before. Murtagh stopped before the photo and took a better look. In it was a younger version of his father and a strong and handsome young man with thick black hair and intense eyes. They looked pretty close. Murtagh shook his head and put away the picture. No time to start thinking about the past. Especially his father's past.

Murtagh's gaze lingered at one picture he couldn't even remember having been taken. It was of his father and him. It didn't show anything special, but it was the only one Murtagh could see that didn't have Morzan scowling at him. It was just a younger him sitting on the bench during a football game, and Morzan talking to him with a blank look on his face. Almost hesitantly, Murtagh reached out and took the picture down. Five minutes later the picture was back up on the wall, but a neat copy was being packed away. The hazel eyed teen sighed again and fished out a wrinkled envelope. He clenched it in his fist and stuck it into the frame. Then he nodded to himself and walked out of the room.

"Goodbye father. Thanks for… whatever you gave me." Murtagh whispered to himself as he locked the outer door.

Murtagh turned around and walked down the road he had walked so many times to school. He quickened his pace and tired not to look back. As he walked there, trying desperately not to think about what he was leaving behind, something else slithered into his mind; Eragon. Murtagh had to wince. Whatever he did lately somehow always made him think about Eragon. It annoyed the hell out of him.

If he were to be honest, he had tried really hard not to think about the younger brunet ever since he had run from Morzan. That he had used Eragon like that against his father had made him think. Murtagh had a feeling it had been his heart talking back then, without consulting his mind whatsoever. And that scared him. Was he still in love with Eragon? Even after everything?

Murtagh stopped and sighed. A small cloud floated up and disappeared before his eyes. Suddenly he wished all his problems could disappear just as easily. He closed his eyes and tipped his head back, allowing his mind to get free room. Million of thoughts whirled inside his mind, yet he could only make out a few of them, the few that mattered. Am I still in love with Eragon?

"… Yes."

Murtagh opened his eyes and sighed heavily. There the answer was, spouted from deep inside his heart. There was no denying it.

"Fucking hell. I really am." Murtagh muttered to himself.

He shook his head and continued to walk back to his new home.

--TWISTED--

"Murtagh, I want you to be honest with us."

Said dark haired male looked up from his work and into Nasuada's warm eyes. The three of them were seated inside Murtagh and Thorn's flat one night in early February when their study session had taken a different turn. Thorn closed the book he had been reading and leant forward. The girl sighed and seemed to gather her courage.

"It has been a month now." Nasuada continued. "And I know we're all asking the same question."

Murtagh frowned.

"What are your feelings towards Eragon now? And please don't kill me for asking." The girl finished with a worried glimmer in her eyes.

Murtagh put away the pen he had been fiddling with. He had been anticipating the question, but it still caught him off-guard. He sighed and felt his frown deepen. He wasn't angry, but he didn't know what to feel at all.

"You honestly want to know?" Murtagh asked after a minute of silence.

Nasuada and Thorn shared a look. They both nodded.

"Fine." The hazel eyed teen murmured. "I'm still in love with him, DNA be damned."

His friends were silent after his confession. Murtagh almost had the urge to check if he had shocked them into silence. He didn't get the time to do anything else as Nasuada flung her arms around him with an excited cry.

"I knew it!"

"What I don't know, is why you're happy about this." Murtagh said dryly as Nasuada finally detached herself from him.

"I just, I had the feeling that you still loved him. I'm so glad you're finally honest with yourself." She said with a wide smile.

Thorn chuckled softly and nodded.

"Well, I'm glad to see that I haven't scared you away." Murtagh said with a mock-bored tone.

Nasuada jabbed him in the ribs. Murtagh faked the pain and groaned as he fell to his side.

"Oh, really original Tag." The girl said with a giggle.

"Someone has to keep the clichés alive." Murtagh commented as he got up.

"The real question though…" The dark haired girl trailed off.

"Are you going to tell him?" Thorn finished for her.

Murtagh stopped up. He studied his friends' faces carefully before he answered.

"No."

"Why not?!" Nasuada exclaimed.

"Do you want him to hate me?" The hazel eyed teen had to hold himself from shouting.

"Of course not." The girl said and looked ready to start a long rant.

"Then why are you asking me this?" Murtagh interrupted her almost angrily.

"Because -" The black haired girl began but once again was cut off.

"No."

The two others turned to stare at Thorn. The redhead rolled his eyes.

"It's not your place Nas." He continued.

"What's not her place?" Murtagh wanted to know.

"Not my place either Tag." Thorn said with a half sigh. "Sorry."

Murtagh frowned. He wondered what they were keeping from him this time. And it had always bugged him when people kept secrets from him. That was why he hated surprise birthday-parties, the ones that were thrown for him of course.

He stared at his friends for a minute before sighing and admitting defeat. When Thorn had his mind set on something; nothing could change it.

"Can I just say something Thorn, please?" The girl begged softly.

Thorn gave her a sharp but friendly glare, something only he was able to do without making it look comical, and nodded. Nasuada sent him a wink and turned back to Murtagh.

"Talk to Eragon." She said with a small twinkle in her eyes. "It will make you feel better, and it'll be worth it in the end."

"Right." Murtagh drawled. "And if you'll excuse me, I have to get back to Mrs Trianna's very exciting way of teaching."

"You don't say?" Thorn snorted.

"Oh yeah. I absorbed her every smoke-rasped word."

Nasuada sniggered into her hand.

"Too bad you didn't get Ms Angela's class." She commented and brushed away a strand of hair from her eyes. "You would have enjoyed it, I'm sure."

"Doesn't she teach psychology?" The redhead asked absently.

"It's never boring, gentlemen." Nasuada said with a wink.

"I'll say." Thorn muttered under his breath.

Nasuada glared at him with an irritated growl before going back to her own homework. She didn't get far however as her phone rang a second later.

"Hey you."

Both males stopped at this. They shared a look before focusing solely on their friend. Nasuada crossed her legs and began to twirl a lock of hair around her finger.

"Uhu." She murmured in an obvious answer to something.

"No, I just talked to him actually." She commented a second later.

Murtagh lifted his eyebrow. Thorn just snorted amusedly. Murtagh vowed to get back at his best friend later.

"You did?!" Nasuada exclaimed joyfully. "What did he say?"

Murtagh felt his right eye begin to twitch.

"Perfect." Nasuada practically purred. "It's all coming together then?"

It was silent on their end for a minute or so. Nasuada nodded along and made a sound or two of agreement.

"Great!" The dark haired girl said. "When do you suggest?"

Murtagh wanted so to rip the phone out of her grasp and listen in himself. But by the look on Thorn's face it was clear that he would be held back before he even made it out of his seat.

"Then it's settled. I'll call you if anything else happens." Nasuada said and got ready to end the call.

"Don't worry; I've got things under control. You just make sure your guy behaves." She said with a small smirk. "You too. Bye!"

"I always knew you and Arya were too close." Murtagh commented when Nasuada put away her phone.

"For all you know, that could have been my dad." The dark haired girl said dryly.

"Sure." Murtagh snorted. "And Thorn and Saphira aren't dating."

"Hey." Thorn growled.

"Sorry mate. You were the first thing I thought of." The hazel eyed teen said with a shrug.

Nasuada rolled her eyes and went back to scribbling answers into her notepad, the other hand flipping through pages as she went on. Murtagh leant forward and stared at her unblinkingly. Slowly, Nasuada looked back up with a bored look on her face.

"Yes?" She asked.

"Still waiting for that answer."

"That's for me to know, and for you to find out." Nasuada said with a sly smirk and went back to trying to ignore him.

Murtagh tipped his head back and laughed.

"Then answer me this. Where am I supposed to be, and when?" He asked as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"You'll know when it's time." The dark haired girl said with a small snigger.

Thorn lifted his hands in surrender when Murtagh turned his gaze to him.

"Just as clueless as you." He added.

"Why don't I believe you?" Murtagh asked deadpanned.

"Because you shouldn't." Nasuada answered cheerfully.

The darker brunet leant back and sighed.

"Wake me up when we're leaving." He said in a drawl and closed his eyes.

There was a second of silence before his two friends started to laugh loudly. Murtagh rolled his eyes and went back to relaxing. Whatever he was being dragged along to, he wanted to be rested and clear-headed when they got there.

--TWISTED--

It turned out that they weren't going anywhere. What was to happen was going to happen in the flat they were already in. Murtagh had rolled his eyes when he had gotten the information and had promptly hauled out his guitar and started to play. Nasuada has just laughed and got back to whoever she was talking with on the phone, that of course being Arya.

Murtagh continued to play a small string of notes as his two friends packed away their things. Of course, Thorn wouldn't have had to, but he stated then that he was leaving once the others got there. And once again Murtagh felt left out. But he had a sneaking suspicion that maybe, for once, that was for the better.

He was humming along to what he was playing as the first knock sounded on the door.

"I'll get it!" Nasuada announced merrily and skipped out to the door.

Murtagh sent Thorn a pained glance.

"Yes, she's for real." Thorn answered the unasked question.

Murtagh allowed himself to groan.

Nasuada came back with a wide grin, no smirk as Murtagh later noticed, accompanied by Arya, Saphira and… Eragon. The darker brunet frowned. Something was definitely up.

"Well then, I guess the only thing that remains is for us to leave." Arya said then, clapping her hands together once.

"What, we just got here!" Eragon exclaimed.

"Oh, you aren't leaving 'Agon." Saphira said with a tiny smile. "The rest of us are."

"Wait… what?" The brunet asked confusedly.

Thorn rolled his eyes as he laid an arm around a blushing blonde. Saphira sent Eragon an encouraging glance before letting herself be led out of the door again. The brunet just stared after her.

"Don't look so down Eragon. Look who's going to accompany you!" Arya said merrily.

Eragon turned around with a small frown on his face. He took one look at Murtagh and turned around so fast Murtagh wondered how he hadn't gotten whip-lash.

"You aren't serious?!" He whispered just loud enough for Murtagh to be fortunate enough to hear it.

"Oh, yes I am." Arya said smugly. "Enjoy the talk boys!"

Nasuada pushed the green eyed girl out of the door, throwing a few well-chosen words over her shoulder as they went.

"And remember, we'll know if there's no talking being done in there!"

The only sound that was to be made in a long while was that of the door closing. Eragon stared forlornly at the door before he glowered at it and crossed his arms. Murtagh allowed himself to laugh silently. Half-involuntarily, he noticed how the younger brunet was dressed. A hooded tee with a long-armed black sweater underneath and loose jeans. His hair looked styled however. Murtagh suspected Arya instantly.

"You can sit down you know." Murtagh spoke up after a while, hand coming back to run over the guitar-cords as he did so.

Eragon jumped slightly. Murtagh smirked as the brunet blushed softly and sat down slowly.

"Do you… have any idea what all this is about?" He asked hesitantly.

"Nope." Murtagh answered and played a sequence of slow notes.

He stretched out legs, clad in green and black army pants, and fixed the hold on the guitar.

"You're very good at that." Eragon commented softly.

Murtagh looked up with a soft grin.

"Thanks."

"What are you playing?" Eragon asked and leant forward slightly.

"Noting really. Just a few random notes strung together." Murtagh answered honestly.

"It sounds nice." The brunet responded then.

Murtagh chuckled lowly and put away the instrument. He smothered down the black tee as he sat back down.

"I doubt that's what they brought you here to talk about, though." He commented. "But thanks again."

Eragon gulped quietly.

"You're probably right." He said and folded his hands over his chest. "Do you have any idea?"

Murtagh paused as he began to think back before Nasuada's conversation on the phone. Could they have set him and Eragon up? Murtagh wouldn't put it pass them. He needed to check it with Eragon however. He didn't want to make a fool of himself for nothing.

"Before they brought you over here… did you guys talk about something in particular? You don't have to say what. Just yes or no." The darker brunet settled for asking.

Eragon bit his lip. He looked down at his hands and nodded meekly.

"I suspect that's what they wanted us to talk about then."

"You mean you… had a talk like that too?" Eragon asked slightly shocked.

"Well, yeah." Murtagh said with a chuckle.

Eragon looked truly uncomfortable now. Murtagh frowned. He wondered why. It couldn't possibly be because…?

"Whatever happens, I'll stay by your side, the both of you. Never doubt that." Eragon murmured to himself. "Could she have… known?"

"Who? What? Eragon, talk to me." Murtagh begged.

"Mom." Eragon responded and finally lifted his gaze from the floor. "She supports us, whatever we decide to do, but she told me she needed time to get used to it."

"What are you saying?" Murtagh asked huskily.

"That mom will support us if we decided to continue our relationship." The brunet whispered.

Murtagh's hands sank into the material of his pants. His nails dug into his legs, but he didn't care. Had he just heard right?

"A little late for that right?" Eragon commented bitterly. "We've already decided."

Murtagh shook his head. They hadn't really decided anything, not officially.

"So I guess -"

"Never guess anything Eragon." Murtagh interrupted.

Two brown eyes startled met his own. Murtagh sighed and scooted closer to the younger of the two. Eragon thankfully didn't move. Murtagh was sure he would have been too discouraged to continue if he had.

"Did we ever officially end it? I can't remember when one of us specifically said it's over." He said quietly. "And it doesn't have to end."

Eragon seemed to jump into a straighter position. Murtagh wasn't sure why, but he only hoped Eragon would wait until he was finished speaking before he ran.

"I know where I stand; it's up to you really." Murtagh finished and held back the urge to sigh.

The brunet was looking away, his eyes firmly planted onto the floor beside the couch. His eyes kept flickering back and forth, never seeming to settle on one target. Murtagh frowned and smothered out his forehead instantly. He had been frowning too much lately. No need to make it permanent… yet.

It was silent for another minute. Eragon had begun to twin his thumbs and bite his lip again. Murtagh gave into the one urge he couldn't resist and smothered over the soft bottom lip of the younger teen. Eragon blinked and allowed himself to look Murtagh's way.

"Don't. You'll get marks." Murtagh teased.

"I… I don't know what to say." Eragon blurted out a second later.

"Don't think. Just once, let your heart take action. It helped me get where I am." Murtagh advised with a wink.

Eragon nodded to himself. He leant forward quickly and kissed Murtagh softly and slightly awkwardly on the lips. Murtagh let a small smirk enter his lips as Eragon pulled away.

"So… that's a no, it hasn't ended yet?" Murtagh asked with a crocked eyebrow.

Eragon flushed softly before he found his voice again.

"Not if you don't want to. I mean… you're allowed to be skittish and all, and not want to continue, because we know what we're putting at stake this time… and -"

Murtagh put a hand over Eragon's mouth, successfully rending the brunet silent, though he wished he could have done it in another way.

"If anyone's to be skittish, it's you." The hazel eyed teen murmured.

"I'm not." Eragon admitted quietly. "This feels right."

"Fate works in mysterious ways." Murtagh said with a roll of his eyes. "Let's not question Her too much."

"Don't start. You're sounding just like Katrina on a bad day." Eragon groaned softly.

Murtagh chuckled.

"Can't have that now can we?"

Eragon shook his head firmly. Murtagh laughed out loud and pulled the younger against him. Eragon meeped and fell into a pair of strong arms. He quickly settled and relaxed. Murtagh fell back against the couch and sighed contently.

"What?" Eragon asked confusedly.

"I just missed you, that's all." Murtagh answered.

"You see me practically everyday." Eragon said then, a just as confused look on his face.

Murtagh rolled his eyes and landed a swift kiss on his lips. Eragon closed his eyes and had a tiny blush when they pulled apart.

"I missed that, kid." Murtagh clarified.

Eragon nodded mutely.

"I'm not usually this naïve. Sorry." He said in his defence, though it sounded quite pathetic.

"I know Eragon." Murtagh commented amusedly.

Eragon glared and hit the older lightly. Murtagh sniggered.

"But you know…" Eragon said with a small pause. "I thought you said nothing could be the same."

"They aren't." Murtagh added. "We know something we didn't before. That's what's different. But it doesn't change much."

"Nope." The brunet said with a grin. "I still love you, you know."

"Aw, let me say it first one time!" Murtagh said with a mock-pout.

"I'm sorry. Forget I ever said anything." Eragon said with a short laugh.

"I love you, no matter what. Don't you forget that." Murtagh whispered.

Eragon grinned up at him and answered just as quietly.

"I love you too. Don't you forget that either."

And the mood would have been perfect hadn't the girls bounced inside the room squealing and gushing loudly. Thorn however stood by and laughed. Eragon and Murtagh let him know just what they thought of him because of that.

"TRAITOR!"

Thorn just kept on laughing.

--TWISTED--

Everything just seemed to fall into place from that day on. Eragon and Murtagh stayed together, despite the many arguments they somehow got into during the time they decided to live together. While Selena showed her support, she kindly told them that she didn't want to see any PDA under her roof, so her house was out.

They didn't get their own flat until Eragon finished college. By then Murtagh was a teacher, in Psychology and Culture & Society of all things. Nasuada had rolled on the floor laughing when she had heard his choice of carrier. Murtagh had just snorted while Eragon had grinned and told him to go for it.

Thorn and Saphira moved together even before Saphira finished college. She then began to study to become a physiatrist, and kept reminding Eragon and Murtagh it was them that had led her towards her that line of work. Murtagh always was left behind with a question-mark over his head while Eragon blushed a bright red. Murtagh had still to get what Saphira meant out of Eragon, but that didn't mean he wasn't still trying. Thorn on the other hand decided to get a carrier in sport, and was soon famous as a top football player, and later coach. His team rarely lost, be it with him on the team or shouting commands to his players.

Nasuada had to completely change her choice of carrier and started to study biology and chemistry. Soon she was taking her medical exams and was one of the youngest doctors on the local hospital. To say that she was happy was an understatement. She had chosen gynaecology, and was to be in close contact with Saphira and Thorn when their time came. Arya and Nasuada had gotten out of the closet, so to speak, not long after Murtagh and Eragon had re-established their relationship. They had already been living together, though Nasuada had been pretending to live with her father for a long time before they came clean. Arya though, had become a chiropractor, and had helped Thorn with the injury that put him on the bench for good. She was very skilful, and helped every once in a while when her friends needed backrubs. In exchange for a good-old story of course, for future blackmail use. Some people never changed.

Eragon however had struggled with what to choose. In the end he had decided to study foreign languages and cultures, meaning that he had spent quite a few years abroad. Their friends had kept Murtagh company for those times, and they had all tackled Eragon every time he arrived back and begged him to stay. Apparently Murtagh was quite a handful when he was too long without Eragon. But no one had been happier than Murtagh when Eragon had told them one day that he was staying for good, and Eragon's welcome gift had been heard throughout the night. No one in the neighbourhood had slept much that night, and many complains had been filed. But Murtagh and Eragon hadn't cared. It wasn't every night that they were so loud after all.

Roran and Katrina had settled down quite nicely, and Roran had eventually gotten over the grudge against Murtagh. The grudge had in fact been forgotten when Katrina gave birth to their first child. She had then jokingly suggested they name him, as they had gotten a boy, Murtagh. Roran had then flushed angrily and told her no. They settled on the name Morag though, much to Murtagh's pleasure. Pleasure being as he got to tease Roran thoroughly before Eragon found out and shut him up. Never had Murtagh been more willing to be shut up.

Eragon and Murtagh never got into question with the police, as no one knew that they were brothers. Or rather, those who knew weren't likely to tell anyway. Morzan however became a forgotten chapter in the boys' life, and he moved suddenly and was never heard from again. Not until Selena got a letter from her ex-husband where he told her everything, and that he now was happier and that he should have listened to her long ago. The woman had then laughed to herself and had merely told her sons that Morzan was never going to bother them again.

The minute Murtagh had found out that Morzan had left, he had run over to the County Hall and changed his name. It was from that day on Murtagh Morann. He had responded to their questions of why with that he didn't want to change his initials. Eragon had just rolled his eyes while the rest of them had laughed.

Though, their lives weren't lived without a few holes in the road or cuts and scrapes. Things happened, accidents occurred, but still they were happy. Why? Because they had lived over the biggest challenge of all, and were determined not to let anything else get in their way. No matter how many twists and turns life sent their way, Eragon and Murtagh was prepared to face them head on.

The End

A/N And here it was, the end. The end of Twisted, but not the end of me! Fear not, I shall post more around New Years or so.

I know the ending might seem a bit sudden, but that was the end. Also, for those who might have been looking for some lovin' between the boys, I'm sorry to say it didn't fit in here. You are free to image their sleepless nights that had the neighbours banging on their door though :evil grin:

I want to thank you all, everyone who has reviewed and read this story. Thanks for sticking with me. You've been terrific, and a real support when the internet crashed. I still have a few technical problems, which is why I will either be posting before New Years or a week or two after, but I will get back into the game! I can't stay away really. :lol:

But, what did you guys think? A review is always appreciated. :wink:

Oh, and just to let you guys know... I'm working on a continuation to The Dark Series. If you are interested, feel free to look out for it. ;D

Until next time you guys. Again, thanks!