**Hey everybody! Welcome to my first BDS fanfiction. It's set before and during the first movie, possibly adding a few chapters for after the first movie ends. I haven't decided yet. It's rated for language and for adult relations in later chapters. Many thanks to Troy Duffy for creating this amazing concept – it completely belongs to him. The only things that I own are my original characters and the craziness that they create. Favorite, follow, and review to let me know how I'm doing! Thanks and enjoy!**

Chapter 1

I hate the cold. I had never gotten used to it growing up and living on the East Coast now meant that I got to deal with extremely harsh winters. This one was proving to be no exception. I pulled my coat tighter around me and picked up my pace, determined to get into work and out of the wind as quickly as possible. The bell above the door jingled, and I let out a huge sigh of relief as the warmth hit my face.

"You look like an icicle!" my coworker, Aileen, exclaimed as she rushed to pour me a cup of coffee. I had never been so grateful for her motherly attitude.

Aileen was an older Irish woman who, with children grown, worked with me in the bookstore during the day and waitressed at night. As she put it, she really didn't have anything better to do so why not work? I, on the other hand, worked more than forty hours a week to pay the rent and did editorial reviews to be able to eat. Occasionally, a book review would fall in my lap and I could afford to splurge on new clothes or something for myself. It didn't happen often, but living in any city was expensive.

I managed to thaw enough to take my coat off but thankfully I had thought ahead and was wearing a cowl neck gray sweater. It was bulky, but somewhat feminine. It may have been winter, but I was still a very single woman. My jeans were a little tight, but at least I was able to get them buttoned this morning. I made a mental note that I really needed to start a diet. Midweek was always slow on business and Wednesday was the perfect day to clean. I put my apron on and grabbed a duster.

It wasn't my plan to move to Boston and end up working retail, but life was funny. Okay, maybe funny wasn't the right word. It was more like, life was a bitch and you dealt with the cards you were handed. It wasn't like I had anywhere else to go. I didn't have any friends in the city, and my grandmother was my only living relative, so Aileen was essentially it. She treated me like family and wouldn't have it any other way. I had a decent enough apartment in a section of town that didn't require me to carry a gun on a regular basis. I usually had enough to eat and when I didn't, Aileen brought me leftovers from the diner.

"Heads up, dear. Looks like you have an admirer." Aileen chuckled and went back to reading her Danielle Steele novel.

I, on the other hand, risked a glance out the window. I found myself looking at tall, dark and handsome who was staring right back. I blushed like hell and hurried to the back of the store.

I had always had it tough when it came to men and that hadn't changed with my move across country. It wasn't like I was anything special. At best, I was forgettable: nondescript brown hair, pulled into a messy bun; average height, average weight; no makeup; a few freckles; all in all, I was completely average. Well, except my eyes. Those came from my father. They were one hundred percent Irish green. He gave me those and my name before he split town, leaving me an infant with a dying mother and a poor grandmother who would have moved mountains for me if she could have.

The bell sounded again and I heard Aileen call my name. Damn. I made my way to the counter.

"Yes, Aileen?"

"Siohban, my knees are acting up again. Would you mind showing this gentleman to the section of…"

"Cookbooks," he supplied. His Irish accent was thick and obviously untainted, meaning he probably rarely left South Boston. We were on the border so I guess we counted. "It's a birthday gift for me brother. He cain't cook worth a damn."

I smiled and caught the wink from Aileen. She thought herself a master matchmaker, but I really wasn't in the mood. Didn't I have enough issues with Richard?

"Right this way, sir."

The store was small and the cooking section was smaller. I could feel his eyes on me as I showed him the few choices we had. "Did you have something in mind for your brother?"

He shrugged. "Something… simple. He probably cain't even boil water." He smiled and it just lit up his face.

I mentally smacked myself in the head. This guy was good looking, no doubt. He wasn't too tall which I liked since I was on the shorter side. He had dark brown hair in a shaggy cut, and eyes that pierced like cut emeralds. He was wearing a black coat over a black turtleneck with a nice fitting pair of jeans. He had short, dark hair, lips that looked good enough to kiss, and the heritage was obvious from the accent to the eyes and his entire demeanor. His face had more than a five o'clock shadow, which I hated to admit was incredibly sexy including a small mole above his lip. Sexy? Did I really just think that?

I grabbed the one book I knew was the easiest we had. "I actually learned how to cook from this one. It's really basic, and the food is good."

I handed it to him, and he brushed bare skin as he took it. It was like an electric volt through me. He glanced at me, a small cocky smile on his face. I made a show of straightening the shelf, keeping my eyes down. I did notice the tattoo on the hand that had touched me. It said 'aequitas"… it was Latin but I had no idea what it meant.

"Thanks," he said, nodding his head at me. He went back up front to pay, but all the while kept his eyes in my direction. I tried not to pay attention, but it was impossible not to notice.

After he left, I knew it was only a matter of time before I was cornered so I made my way up front. "Don't even say a word," I cautioned, setting my duster down.

"All I'm sayin' is that boyfriend of yers is no good." She had lived her a long time, since before her babies were born but when Aileen was mad, it showed through. "He's trouble and I know ye didn't just walk into a wall again. Ye ain't that clumsy."

I self-consciously touched my cheek. I thought I had covered it up well enough that she wouldn't notice. "Yeah, well. Good men aren't exactly falling at my feet."

She rolled her eyes. "That one would have," she said, gesturing at the door.

She could go on for hours if I let her, but we were interrupted by the delivery man. He had the normal boxes of books for us to inventory and put away, and a long box addressed to me. I knew what it was, but opened it anyway. Long-stem roses, no real surprise there. I didn't even read the card before dumping the flowers into the trash.

"See what I mean? He's no good."

I tuned her out and turned my attention to the boxes. She was right. I knew she was right. Richard had a habit of being physical with people. He tended to scream at me and occasionally he shoved me around or gripped me too hard, but this was the second time he had hit me in the face. The first time was a backhand. This time, it had been his fist. He was so apologetic and tried to make it out to be my fault, but I knew the relationship was ending. If I wasn't so afraid of him, I would have left ages ago when the bruises were easier to hide.

Our day ended quietly and I hugged Aileen goodbye. "You be careful now, you hear me?"

I nodded. I turned up the collar on my coat and shoved my hands into my gloves. I didn't carry a purse anymore at Aileen's recommendation and my Mace was always in my coat pocket. It was safer to be prepared, she said, so when I walked home I always had my finger on the trigger.

I reached my apartment building and was inside before the sky had darkened. The building was old and in need of some repair, but it was clean and the landlord took decent care of us. We rarely ran out of hot water and the handyman showed up when he was supposed to. I had my keys out but my door was already unlocked. I could hear the television on and knew what was coming.

"I'm home!" I called out so that he wouldn't be surprised. Richard didn't like it when I startled him.

He was in the kitchen, pouring himself a drink. By the look on his face, it wasn't his first of the night. "You're late. Where were you?"

I took off my jacket and hung it in the closet. "I didn't have enough to take a cab so I walked home. It took a while since it's so windy."

He grunted and downed what I assumed was whiskey. He wasn't native to the city either, but most people in Boston drank beer or whiskey. They were the staples of every bar. "We're going out tonight. Go get dolled up. You look like shit."

I smiled and leaned up to kiss his cheek. "Okay," I said, heading into the bedroom.

Inside, I was angry. I was depressed. I was disgusted, both with him and myself. Gram would be so disappointed if she knew but the two times she had spoken to him over the phone, he had been super polite and the epitome of the perfect boyfriend. I rummaged through closet and found my black, knee length skirt and a silky red top that I knew Richard liked. It was too tight, but it was low cut. I slipped into a pair of ballet flats and swiped on some mascara.

"I'm ready."

He looked me over and shook his head. "Why aren't you wearing heels? Go change."

I rushed back and swapped the flats for what I thought were hooker heels. They were black, strappy, and stiletto. I wasn't just going to freeze tonight. I was going to trip and break my neck too.

Outside, snow had started to fall, but Richard was cheap and didn't want to pay for a cab. He would have been fine if it was my money but payday wasn't until Friday. I lost count of how many blocks we walked. It took forever, but eventually we reached our destination, a seedy bar in a nastier part of town.

"We haven't been here before."

He grabbed my arm. "Why are you complaining? Most girls would be happy if I took them out at all."

"Let go. You're hurting me," I hissed before yanking my arm away. He could be pissed all he wanted, but I was done with this.

The night went downhill quickly. I found myself watching as he pulled a waitress into his lap, deciding to find out if she kissed better than me. I grabbed my coat and my purse and headed for the door.

"Where do you think you're going?" he demanded, dumping the other girl unceremoniously to the floor and grabbing me.

"I'm leaving. Alone."

"Like hell you are," he yelled, yanking hard. I lost my balance and couldn't recover in time to block the fist that hit me in the eye. I hit the ground hard.

A couple of other patrons grabbed him and pulled him off of me. I got to my feet and someone helped me into my coat. "We are over. I'm done being your punching bag."

I hated that the tears were falling down my cheeks and dripping off my chin. I probably looked like the whore I felt like, clothes askew and beat up. I was out the door before he could react. I ran blindly, knowing I had to put as much distance between me and him as I could. A light shone on a sign at the end of the street, indicating the entrance to McGinty's Pub. I ducked inside and waited. The door didn't open behind me. If I was being followed, he lost my trail.

The bar was small and smoky, and full of men who obviously spent a lot of time here. A few women were mingling, but mostly all were enjoying their drinks, laughing and having a good time. I swiped at my face to get rid of the streaky makeup, but I probably only made it worse. I took off my coat since it was warm inside and made my way to an empty seat at the bar.

"What'll ye have?" the old bartender asked me gently. I guess I looked worse than I thought.

"A rum and Coke, please."

He poured and set it in front of me. I dropped the twenty dollar bill from my pocket on the counter, the only money I had on me. I started to drink and didn't stop until I had emptied the glass, setting it back on the counter. "One more please."

He nodded and brought my second round. I decided to take my time with this one. I looked around and saw that there were a few booths open. I got up and turned. If I had waited one extra moment I could have avoided the collision, but instead I was bumped from behind and ended up with my drink down the front of me.

"Damn it!" I yelled, shaking the liquid off of my hands. My shirt was soaked and even my shoes were going to smell later on.

"Whoa there lass!"

The Irish accent made me stop and stare. It must have been my day for tall and handsome. The man in front of me was gorgeous with short dark sandy blonde hair. I was suddenly aware that he was holding my elbow to keep me steady and that he was standing very close to me. I was close enough to see that his eyes were a dark green and that he needed to shave.

"Are ye alright?"

I swallowed and managed to nod. He moved me away from the bustle of the bar and towards a booth in the corner. He dropped onto the bench and gestured to the seat opposite him. "Hey Murph! Grab a couple o' towels?"

"Fuck, get them yeself!" came the response from where we had just been.

The offensive response must have been in jest as I was handed something that used to be white and fluffy while another was given to my neighbor. It was only then that I realized that my drink must have gotten him too. Embarrassed, I attempted to dry myself off and said, "I'm sorry."

He shrugged and lit the cigarette that was dangling from between his lips. "Don't ye stress yerself. Not the worst thing ta happen to meh. I'm Connor, and that's my brother Murphy."

Said brother smiled and took my hand in his. "Nice to meet ya, luv." He actually leaned down and kissed the back of my hand before sliding into the seat next to me as Connor had propped his legs up on his.

"You!" Well, hell. Aileen wasn't going to believe this.

"Me." My sexy customer from earlier was now sitting very close to me. "Didn't think I'd get to see ye agin so soon."

Despite myself, I smiled. There were worse places I could be at the moment. "Someone's looking out for me tonight."

Both boys crossed themselves, but it was Connor who replied. "He usually does. Especially those who need it." He pointedly looked me up and down, but I ignored that.

I cleaned myself up as best as I could, but I needed to change my shirt. Problem was that I didn't think I was going anywhere. I wasn't entirely sure I wanted to, especially when Murphy draped his arm across my shoulders.

Connor ordered us another round and we got comfy, me and the MacManus brothers. I learned that they were twins, had lived in Ireland until they were nineteen when they headed to the New World for the standard dream of money and fame, and McGinty's was more home to them than their apartment. I found myself enjoying a pint of Guinness, something I normally would have shied away from, and their company.

"So where'd ye get the shiner?"

My good mood and slight buzz instantly flew out of the window. "It was a mistake."

Murphy growled. "That mistake should be ashamed of himself."

I shrugged. "Well, it won't be happening again." I lifted my glass in a silent promise and downed the rest of my beer.

Connor got up to get us another round while I toyed with the edge of my sleeve. Murphy moved to sit across from me, lifting my chin with his finger when I refused to look him in the eye.

"A man that hits ye ain't worth nothing. He's less than nothing, you hear me?"

I nodded but didn't say anything. Connor returned and handed me my glass. I downed that beer just as fast as the last and let out a great belch, somewhat embarrassed. The boys were laughing.

"Not much of a lass, is she?" he said as my bench was once again shared.

It may have been the twin thing, but they moved the same way. They lit their cigarettes at the same time, mirroring each other's movements. Connor pulled me closer to him, arm around my shoulder. He wasn't as broad as his brother, but he was just as comfortable, and he smelled good.

I sighed. "I think I'm drunk."

They both laughed. We talked a bit more and I told them about Richard. I caught the looks they were sharing and I could tell they were angry.

"Ye ain't going home t'night."

Connor nodded his agreement. "Ain't safe."

"I ain't got anywhere else to go," I replied, mimicking their accents terribly. At least it made them smile. "I can try Aileen. I can probably sleep on her couch for a few days until I get my locks changed."

"Where does she live?" one of them asked.

I shook my head. I couldn't keep track of who was talking, let alone remember where Aileen lived. All I know is that it was further away than my apartment. I didn't even really know where that was in comparison to the bar. I felt strong arms helping me up.

"She ain't goin' ta like this, Con."

"Don't have much of a choice."

I attempted to walk with them and even made it outside, but one cobblestone and I was falling.

"I got ye." Connor's voice was soft against my ear as he lifted me into his arms. I snuggled closer and wrapped on hand around his neck.

Murphy grumbled as we made our way down the street, obviously peeved that his brother was holding me. I didn't care. He was warm and I was comfortable. I was vaguely aware of being carried up a couple of sets of stairs and being set down on a mattress, much closer to the floor than mine.

"Get some sleep, lass." Connor went to move away but I grabbed his sleeve.

"Stay?" I asked, yawning.

He glanced at his brother who shrugged. "Okay." He lowered himself onto the mattress, facing me. I wiggled closer and nuzzled his chest. He kicked his boots off and pulled a blanket over us.

"You too, Murphy," I called, reaching a hand out into the air. Fingers caught mine.

"You sure?"

I made a noise of agreement and was happy when he slid under the blanket behind me, body flush with mine. He wrapped his arm around my waist, his brother's already resting on my hip.

"We'll keep ye safe, lass. Now get some sleep."

Lips pressed against my hair and my forehead at the same time, and I let the darkness overtake me.