Long Way

Shawn and I are at the house playing Mario Kart by ourselves. Declan got his job back at Mo's, so he's been there a lot. Which is fine by me. I've been having a hard enough time trying to figure out what's going on with us, I don't need him breathing down my neck every five seconds.

"I can't believe this is the only game you've got," Shawn said to me.

"What else do you need, kid?"

"Anything is better than this space age crap. You need like, some Call of Duty or something."

"That crack is whack," I told him. I could almost feel him rolling his eyes at my back.

"You need to modernize," he said.

"In this house, we kick it old school."

"You're stuck in the eighties."

"What's wrong with the eighties?"

"You need to get out more, Aunt Didi." I gave him a playful shove and went back to playing

Declan walked in the back door a few minutes later. He had jeans on that were grease stained, and a dark blue mechanic's shirt with his name sewn on it. His hair was sticking out from under a backwards Bruin's hat.

"Hey," I said to him.

"Hey," he said back in a barely audible voice. He went into the bathroom and washed his hands, then came back out and peered into the fridge, coming out with a bowl of leftovers my mother sent home with me.

Shawn got up from the couch when our game ended and took care of our controller's. As he bent over to turn off the game console, a bag of what looked like dirt fell out of the back pocket of his jeans. He didn't notice, and started walking back to his bedroom.

Declan and I made eye contact across the room, already knowing what it really was. I jumped up from the couch and grabbed the bag up from the floor.

"What the fuck is this?!" I yelled at Shawn's back. He reached back and felt in his pocket before turning around.

"What do you think it is?" he said to me in a cocky voice.

"Don't you use that tone of voice with me, Shawn. I warned you about this shit."

"Yeah, I guess you did. Oops." I wanted to smack him across the face.

"Don't even think that you're not in trouble here."

"What are you gonna do? Call my dad? Whats he gonna do about it?"

"Yes I am gonna tell your dad. And if I ever find out that you're doing this shit when you're living under my roof-"

"What?" he interrupts. "What are you gonna do? You're not my mother."

"You think your mother would want this for you?"

"Fuck you."

At that moment, Declan crosses the entire house in about three strides and grabs Shawn by the front of his shirt, pinning him against the front door.

"Declan!" I screamed, running over to them. Their faces were just inches away from each other.

"I've had it up to here with you, kid. You will not speak to her that way, after everything she does for you."

"You're a fuckin' hypocrite. Fucking alcoholic loser," Shawn says to him, almost laughing in Declan's face.

"Declan, let him go, now!" I yelled. His eyes never left Shawn as he slowly let go of his shirt. He took a couple steps back and I could tell he was trying to collect himself.

"Get out of my face," I told Shawn. He immediately went into his room and shut the door.

I still had the bag of weed in my hand. I've never done drugs in my entire life, and I'm extremely paranoid about them. I was convinced that the cops were going to bust in at minute and we were all going to go to jail.

Declan saw the look on my face, and knowing how I felt about the situation, he reached out and took the bag from me.

"You have to get rid of that," I said to him as he shoved it into his bag of clothes.

"I will." He moved into the kitchen and looked in the fridge.

"Declan."

"We're out of beer."

"I can't have you acting like that in front of Shawn. I'm trying to teach him something and set a good example for him, especially since his dad is gone so much." He snorted.

"D."

"I'm sorry, but, the kid and I don't get along. I had a really shitty day today, and I'm not gonna put up with him talking to you like that. I'm just not, Diana."

"It's not the first time someone has talked to me like that. What are you gonna do, beat up everybody?"

"Can I?" I laughed and he looked in the fridge again.

"We're all out of beer."

"Why did you have a shitty day?" He gave me a long look.

"Mo's drinking again, and it's pretty bad. He gambled with Jack Belsi's boys and owes them money that he doesn't have. Now Belsi's taking exception to it.

"How much money?"

"Three grand." I felt my eyebrows touch my hair line.

"Holy shit."

"Yeah."

"Where is he now?" I asked.

"In Lawrence, hiding out."

"Oh my God." He looked in the fridge again.

"I know, we're out of beer," I said.

"You wanna go out with me?" I laughed.

"I think we passed that point a few years ago, Dec."

"No, like go out for a drink at a bar."

"Are you gonna get drunk?"

"Chances are pretty good, I'd say," he said with a shrug and an almost amused look on his face. The look that I can't resist.

"Yeah let's go out. I could use a drink right now." I grabbed up the keys to the Cayenne and walked into Shawn's room without knocking.

"What?" he asked.

"I'm leaving. If I find out that you left this house tonight for any reason, we're done."

"Fine." I shut the door and followed Declan out to the driveway.

He headed over towards his 93 Chevy Blazer.

"We'll take the Cayenne," I said to him, getting into Martin's car. He gave me a look, then reluctantly got in the passenger side.

"I hate driving around in Petracelli's cars," he said as we backed out of my driveway.

"Guilty conscience?" I asked non-chalantly. He slid me a sideways look, but didn't say anything. The air in the car is a little tense for a second.

"I just don't get off on having Petracelli knowing where I am all the time like you do."

"Ooh, burn." He smirked.

I got off the expressway at Market St, and took that to Cambridge, then took that to Cedar, where Leon's Pub is. I found parking in a well lit lot about a block down, then we walked to the bar.

Declan looked totally at ease walking here at night, where if I had been alone, I would have had my pepper spray in my hand. But Declan pretty much raised himself on these streets with all of the other Boston street rats. Anyone in their right mind would know not to mess with him out here. And anyone who does learns their lesson fast.

We walked inside and pushed out way up to the bar where Sharon was pouring shots for someone. She cast her eyes to Declan, then to me.

"Hey you," I said to her with a smile, stealing someones empty bar stool. Declan stood beside me with his back to the bar, scanning the room.

"Bucket's of beer, three dollar drafts, and appletini's are the specials. What'll you have?" she asked us.

"I'll have an appletini." She grins.

"What are you having?" Declan asked, turning back around.

"Appletini."

"I'll have a Bud," he told Sharon.

"Draft or bottle?"

"Bottle."

"If you start any shit in here tonight I'm kicking you out. Fair warning," she told him as she handed him his beer. He gave her the same amused look that he gave me in my kitchen earlier, but she doesn't fall for it.

"You don't know me too well, Shar," he told her.

"That's the problem. I know you too well." She turned her back then and went to work making my martini.

Declan took the first sip of his beer and put a twenty down on the bar.

"Keep a tab going, and put whatever Di order's on it," he told Sharon. She nodded and scooped up his money.

He walked away from the bar, and moved against the side wall towards the back of the room, keeping an eye on the whole place. Declan was never one of those people that you could sneak up on. He always had his back to the wall.

"So what's up with you two?" Sharon asked me. I shook my head and took a sip of my martini.

"He's staying with me, and I'm pretty sure that we're friends."

"That's a good start for two people that have shared a bed for almost eight years." I shrugged and turned on my stool to look for Declan. I spotted him at the back of the room with Lincoln Coats.

Lincoln, or Linc, has been one of Declan's best friends since they were teenagers. They had a similar upbringing, except where Declan's dad was a mean son of a bitch, Lincoln never knew his dad. His mother raised him and his sister by herself. She worked a lot though, so Lincoln spent a lot of time on the streets getting into trouble with people like Declan.

About two years ago, Lincoln took it too far after Declan left for the first time. His longtime girlfriend had just had their first baby and they were broke, so Linc went out and did some desperate things and got ratted out. He ended up in prison for a year. He's been out for just over a year now. He married his girl and they just had another baby. Last I heard he was working at Mo's too.

I turned back on my stool and faced Sharon, who was drying out some glasses.

"He looks good," she said, nodding towards Declan.

"That's pretty much a given."

"Not always."

"No."

"But he looks good now." I slammed back the last of my martini. She raised her eyebrow at me.

"Long day?"

"Shawn has me at my wit's end."

"That must mean you need another drink."

"That's exactly what it means." She smiled.

"Coming right up."

I felt a hand on my shoulder and when I turned around on my stool, I saw Declan and Lincoln.

"Hey," I said to them.

"Look who finally got let out of the house," Declan said, gesturing at Sharon for another beer. I looked at Lincoln and saw him smiling.

"Hey you," I said to him. He hugged me around my shoulders, making me feel very small, which wasn't really a new feeling for me after being around both him and Declan for so many years.

"How are you?" he asked.

"I'm good. How are you? How are the girls?"

"They're good."

"And you?"

"I'm hanging in there," he said, shrugging his shoulder.

"Alright, enough of this family shit," Declan said. "Let's have a drink. Shar, gets us three shots of Jameson." She gave him the same raised eyebrow that she gave me.

"Remember what I said about starting shit in here?" she asked.

"Yes ma'am."

"Good, so do I."

She gives me a look but doesn't say anything. We both know how Declan gets when he starts drinking whiskey. Plus he has his best friend at his side.

Sharon pours the three shots and we all pick them up and clink our glasses together.

"To the three of us, together again," Declan said. "And go Bruin's."

"Yes!" Lincoln yells. We all throw back our shots and slam the glasses down on the bar.

"Keep 'em coming, Shar. We're gonna be here a while," Declan said.

"I can hardly wait," she said under her breath. I shook my head at her as Declan took his glass and walked off.

"Water for me," I told her.

"Done already?" Lincoln asked.

"Something is telling me that I should be sober tonight."

"I'd say that something is probably right." I eye him as he takes his shot and slams it back, his eyes never leaving me.

"Beer?" Sharon asks him.

"Please."

I look around and see my oldest brother, Chad making his way through the bar, heading straight for Declan. I find this odd, since Declan doesn't get along with Chad at all. Nobody gets along with Chad, but he looks like he has something on his mind.

He finally got to Declan, who saw him coming a mile away, and he says something to him that I can't make out.

Declan is already a little drunk, and is holding an empty glass. The whole bar could hear him talk when he was drunk if they really wanted to. And I've always been able to tune into a conversation that was happening across the room. One of my little gifts that Declan hates.

"So what, you're passing your shit off on fucking kids now?" he said to Chad.

"We need to talk."

"I don't have shit to talk to you about."

"I have a job for you."

"Find someone else. I don't want anything to do with your jobs anymore."

"Why, 'cause you're back with my sister?" Declan cast his eyes to Chad.

"Like I said, I'm done with you and your jobs. Find someone else. And if I find out you're giving that shit to kids again, I'll find your ass." Declan started walking towards the bar where Lincoln and I still were. I drank my water, pretending not to have been listening in.

"'Nother shot, Shar," Declan yelled to Sharon.

"'Sup?" I asked him. He looked down at me, his hand on the back of my stool.

"Nothing. You feeling better?"

"Yeah. How about you?"

"Not hardly."

Lincoln was scanning the bar, not saying anything, but I knew that he was aware of everything that Declan and I were saying.

"Belsi's boys are here," he said to Declan, motioning towards the door.

"Great." Declan is leaned against the bar, nursing his shot.

I decided a few minutes ago that I knew something was going to go on tonight. After the conversation with Chad, I kind of figured that was it. Now that Belsi's guys are here, I'm thinking different. But of course they would show up in here looking for Declan. Of course. The one night that I'm trying to relax and not have to think about Shawn, or the shit going down at work.

Lincoln grabbed Declan by the sleeve of his shirt and they walked off towards the back of the bar. I paid no attention. I want no part of this. I should have left the second Declan started drinking because I knew what would happen. Now him and Linc are gonna fight, and I'm somehow gonna get dragged into it.

"Sharon," I said, getting her to stop what she was doing.

"Yeah, babe?"

"In case I can't say it later, I'm sorry." She looked around the bar and without me actually looking, but assuming, she saw Lincoln and Declan at the back of the room, plotting.

"You're forgiven. But he's not coming back in here when I'm working."

"Deal." Sharon went back to working the bar and left me alone. I'm still not watching what Declan and Lincoln are doing.

Two guys come up on either side of me and sit down, which I find kind of weird.

"Where's your boyfriend?" one of them asked. Oh now this makes sense.

"Who?"

"Don't be cute. Where's DeSoto?"

"Haven't seen him in two month's."

"That's a lie. We know he's living with you. We've been watching your house."

"That's creepy."

"Where is he?"

"Got me. Why are you watching me house?" I find it hard to believe that they're watching my house looking for Declan, because Martin's people actually do watch my house, and they would have noticed.

Declan and Lincoln appear suddenly.

"If you've got something to say, say it to me, don't fuck with her to get a rise out of me," Declan said in the ear of the guy who was talking to me.

"There you are. Where's Mo? We know you have him somewhere."

"Leave Mo alone. He's an old man with a problem, you knew better."

"We want our money, and Belsi doesn't care if he has a problem or not. Either you play middle man and this goes nice and easy, or you don't and we hunt him down. When we find him though, it might not end well. Your choice."

"Like I said, if you want to go after someone, go after me. Leave Mo out of it."

"Well I have no problem going after you, but I'm still getting my money from Mo."

"How about we take this conversation outside? I promised my girl Sharon here, that I wouldn't mess up her bar."

"I want lots of witnesses."

"None of these people are gonna say a word against me."

"Prove it."

Right at that moment, Lincoln grabbed the other guy by the back of his neck and turned him around, punching him square in the face before anyone could react. Declan was in motion then, going after the guy who did all the talking. I screamed and jumped back away from them. They've moved away from the bar now. I looked back and saw Sharon emerging from behind the bar with a baseball bat in her hands.

"Dammit, Declan!" she yelled. She somehow managed to get up by them and forced the bat in between their bodies on an angle. She straightened the bat, forcing them apart just enough for me to get my arms around Declan's upper body and pull him with all my might. Lincoln grabbed my arm and pulled me back, forcing me to let go of Declan.

"Get the hell out of here, Declan, I'm calling the cops!" Sharon yelled at him. I grabbed Lincoln's shirt sleeve and he pulled Declan away from the fight. We quickly got out of the bar then, knowing that the cops would be on their way.

Sharon wouldn't say a word to get Declan or Lincoln in trouble, and chances are everyone in the bar would pretend that neither of them had even been there.

We walked down the sidewalk in a big huff, trying to get out of there without being noticed. Lincoln parted ways with Declan and I without saying a word. I heard him get into his truck as we kept walking.

"Give me the keys," Declan said to me as we approached the Cayenne. I held them out and he grabbed them from me. We got into the car and he sped out of the lot on two wheels, heading back to my house.

"I'm sorry you had to be a part of that," he said to me as we merged onto the expressway.

"It's nothing new."

"I need to come up with some cash."

"I heard you talking to my brother about a job."

"I'm not working for your brother."

"What kind of a job is it?"

"Not one that I want." I sighed.

"I wish you would tell me where the hell you've been all this time." He slid me a look that I barely saw in the darkness of the car.

"Think about it, D. You've got all the pieces right in front of you. You've just gotta start thinking like a punk, and you'll figure it out."

"What does that mean? Why won't you just tell me, rather than make me guess?"

"Remember when I told you it was better that you didn't know?"

"Yeah."

"Then just leave it at that."