The three shall spread their blackened wings…

A/N: I don't own them (though I wish I did) they belong to Troy Duffy...Yadda yadda yadda...

Warnings: If you are on this site, you know what to expect but if you don't read and find out..hahaha!!!

Chapter POV: Murphy

Deich Á Dha

. He stared into her gunmetal gray eyes, clouded with sleep and something more as if she was battling through thoughts of the recent past. That look that crossed her features reminded him so much of Conner after they had found Jessie. The pain and anger that didn’t really consume their entire facial feature, just their eyes, making them empty, almost dead. Murphy wanted to hold her, to just take her into his arms and give her the shoulder to cry on that she seemed to need so much but did not as for. She was like Conner, he thought watching her try to compose herself, they think that they have to be so strong all the time.

. Murphy moved from his chair to the edge of Faith’s bed and asked again, “Faith, you can tell me what they did to you.”

. “No, Murphy, I can’t. Telling you means that I’d be admitting that I was weak and helpless; that I couldn’t take care of my self and I was raped,” Faith replied, her voice hollow, as if she wasn’t in her body but in memories.

. “Faith, please?” he implored, taking her hand in his. It was as if he drew her away from the memories as she startled a bit, her eyes clearing and focusing on his. She lowered her eyes, embarrassed.

. Placing a finger under her chin, Murphy lifted her eyes to his, “Faith, it’s ok to tell me. I was captured once, too. They hurt me more that I could bear. They made me watch as they hurt Conner and our best friend, Rocco.”

. She stared at him, eyes clearing with understanding, “They made you watch them hurt your brother and Rocco?”

. Murphy nodded, “They had us bound to chairs and they made Conner and I watch as they tortured Rocco. They shot of his finger before shooting him in the chest.”

. Murphy slipped into the memory of Yakavetta’s basement. The single light that hung from the ceiling, the hard metal chair that he had been chained to, the sight of his brother being hit across the face as he fought to get to Rocco when Yakavetta shot off another of Rocco’s fingers. Murphy remembered the feeling of Yakavetta’s men holding him down as he threaten to yank his hands from the bindings when Rocco screamed and droplets of Rocco’s blood dotted Conner’s face. Murphy could feel his heart contract as if someone were squeezing his chest making it hard for him to breath. Breath couldn’t make it past the tightly clenched airway that was his windpipe. The world spun, as his ears let no sound past; Murphy couldn’t hear a thing until the door opened again. The barrel of Yakavetta’s gun pointed straight at Rocco’s chest and sound came rushing back with a boom, as a bullet hole pierced his friend’s heart knocking him onto the floor. Murphy dropped to the floor, arms still tied behind his back, as he listened to Rocco’s last words.

. “You’ll get out of here,” Rocco said, gasping in pain, “You can’t stop, don’t you ever stop.”

. It was as if Murphy could feel the slowing of Rocco’s heart, as his lungs filled with blood. He watched as Rocco’s body shuddered and he inhaled his last. Murphy had screamed then, swearing that he would kill them all.

. “And Conner and I did,” said Murphy as Faith listened on intently, “Yakavetta’s thugs died that night when our father came and Yakavetta died not three months later, in the courthouse, when we put our fucking guns to the back of his head. The thing is that I could have handled the fact if it was I being beaten, but watching what those fuckers did to Conner and especially what they did to Rocco, that broke me.”

. Faith nodded as if she understood. There was a slight pause and she started, “You know why I was there, I was insurance to make sure that my father would do the job; this job was that important. But he didn’t know that I would be harmed and I don’t blame him. He worked with them for 10 years and he trusted them like they were family, but when he retired a few years ago things changed I guess.”

. She continued when he urged her on with a grunt, “The Cornelis were nice in the beginning, but after the 2nd month I became a servant and later, I became Giovanni’s personal sex slave.” Murphy felt Faith remove her hand from his grasp as he watched her pull her knees to her chest and hug them as if trying to protect herself from the memories that haunted her mind.

. “He raped me many times in the last month. At least twice a week,” Faith confessed, as Murphy watched her eyes avoid his. She’s so ashamed of herself, he thought, watching as a tear fell from her eyes, She thinks that it’s her fault. His heart went out to her, because he had seen guilt weigh on a person before. It had happened with Conner; he blamed himself for Jessie’s death and for a long time, there was nothing that Murphy could do to reach his twin in the depths of Conner’s despair.

. Murphy spoke and watched as Faith brought herself to look at him, “We didn’t kill them last night. Brother John and Giovanni weren’t there last night, Faith.”

. “I know,” she replied matter-of-factly, “They went to visit Papa Joe’s family in Boston. They’ll be gone for a week.”

. Nodding, Murphy asked, “Are you okay?”

. Something changed with F as as Murphy noticed her shoulders straighten. Her eyes no longer avoided his and her jaw clenched. What the hell, thought Murphy. It was a physical change in her mood as she reached for the shirt that she had removed earlier that night. He watched as she pulled it over her head and advanced towards him on her hands and knees.

. The look she gave him was angry and predatory as she growled slightly, “Am I okay? What do you think, Murphy? Have you ever been raped? Been treated like nothing?”

. That’s what this is about, thought Murphy as she grabbed the collar of his shirt.

. “I can’t say I know what it’s like to be fucking raped or treated like nothing, but you can’t let it eat at you,” said Murphy as she shook him, “Get it off your chest, Faith.”

. Faith collapsed against his shoulder, her hands still fisted in his shirt, and whispered “Oh yeah, how? All this anger and shame, it burns and consumes you from the inside, Murphy. It feels as if it’ll never be gone.”

. “Get it all out. Fuck! You can take it out on me. Imagine that I’m him, that I’m Giovanni,” pressed Murphy as his arms finally came around Faith’s tear shaken body. It felt so good to hold her in his arms; his blackened wings unfurled and sheltered her as they had Conner only a few short years before. Murphy sighed as the fists that had twisted in the front of his shirt slackened into flat palms and slid slowly down his chest to rest on his lap.

. God, I hope that I know what I’m doing, cringed Murphy inwardly, releasing Faith’s body from his embrace as she pulled away too look into his eyes.

. “Are you sure?” she asked with wide-eyed innocence, completely unsure if it would help her deal with everything.

. Murphy nodded and answered, his chocolate eyes softening, “Of course. Give me all you’ve got.”

. He watched Faith wipe the last of her tears away as her eyes began to blaze anew with anger. Preparing for her first blow, Murphy stood as Faith followed. He watched as the hands formed fists. God I really hope I fucking know what I’m doing, he thought as Faith raised her fists to her eye level. He mental prepared himself for the slight pain of her fist coming in contact with his face, but it didn’t compare to the actually feeling. With all of the built up anger, Faith’s blows were actually enough to make Murphy wince in pain. The first punch to his cheek was nothing compared to the following blows to his chest and the knee to his stomach. Murphy took the blows without a sound as Faith’s fists rained down upon his well-toned body. I’m going to be bruised tomorrow, thought Murphy as Faith nailed him right in the eye, but I guess it’ll be worth it if she gets something out of it. A half an hour later, Murphy noticed that Faith could no longer raise her fist to deliver a decent punch. She had worn herself right out and she was now leaning against the side of her twin bed. Ignoring the throbbing pain in his muscles, Murphy bent to place an arm under her thighs and behind her back. He gently carried Faith’s prone body over to the bed and he tucked her in.

. “I’m sorry, Murph,” Faith whispered as she struggled to keep her eyes open, trying to reach up and stroke the swollen flesh of Murphy’s right eye.

. “‘S alright, seis cailín, I’ll be fine,” he smiled as he kissed his fingertips and placed them lightly on her cheek, “Sleep now, we’ll talk in the morning.”

. Murphy sat back in the chair he had been sleeping in before Faith had awakened him from the strangely sensual dream that he had been having. He watched as her breathing evened out, falling deeper and deeper into sleep himself. Soon enough he was also sleeping lost in his subconscious.

. He didn’t notice Conner turned over in his bed and whisper, “You could never resist helping someone in need, could you, Murph?”

A/N: Hey, I actually updated! I hope you like where the story is going. And Thank you to Grimsister and GraycefulChaos for reminding me that people do read my stories... :)

Gaelic Translations:
seis cailín- sweet girl