The Last of Barrett's Privateers

[~ N.P.C. ~]

The winds from the sea were strong and merciless on that afternoon in early Spring, but the water still glittered from the bright sun that warmed the backs of the people that roamed the harbor. Ships had come in just the previous afternoon that hadn't graced the docks in a long period of time, some just mere months and others years. The joyous reunions that formed as a result were what the occupants of the ships that sailed in spent their previous nights. These were experienced men, all used to brief reunions with the ones they loved in their hometowns. The next day they had gathered since the morning and the occupants from the two ships that came in gathered for a reunion of their own at a small dinky building right by the harbor called McGinty's Port Tavern.

Like most buildings in South Boston, the bar was owned by the Clan, and despite it's run down appearance on the outside, the inside was merry as ever. It was stocked with an amazing amount of drinks, for its a sin for a sailor to be without a bottle of rum or whiskey within reach. Other than that, the place was by all means one of the least impressive looking establishments in the city. The walls were lit with low lights and there was not but a few small stained glass windows scattered about, some broken from angry drunken fights. The tables were old and unsteady, as well as some of the chairs. There was no jukebox or any stereo system for music, but there was an old drum set present as well as a tambourine with a symbol or two missing. The center of the room had a pool table that had full set of billiard balls as well as a few carvings on the dark red felt, and many on the side as well. Battered tables were scattered around the room, occupied mostly by men playing cards and the bar itself was made from wood and in a style that gave the impression that the bar had been around for a long time. The most impressive thing about the room would had to have been the large stone fireplace. When winters came and the power would be knocked out by the storm, patrons of the tavern depended on that fireplace to keep them warm on those cold nights.

Certainly the look of the bar was less than sophisticated, but the patrons didn't come there for fancy decorations. No, that particular tavern was home to many a sailor and privateer, a place of neutral territory where the horrors they met on their travels were left at the door and replaced with many drinks, many laughs and good times. It was a sacred place of a sort, and not just anyone was allowed inside. The men wanted nothing to disturb their good times leaving a slim panel of people they allowed inside, one of them being pretty women.

Not that they needed them, the barmaids of the tavern did the trick quite nicely, most with a sense of humor and some more than willing to welcome the patrons that spent long months at sea properly, courtesy of the Clan. The man who ran the tavern was an old salty dog himself, going by Pat McGinty, one of the older Clan members. He was a hefty old man, with deeply freckled and wrinkled skin from the hours spent in the sun. Despite being in his late sixties, the man looked incredibly strong and moved with fluid ease. There was something about him that gave such a pure and genuine feel that made everyone instantly like him.

The tavern was his pride and joy, and despite the shabby appearance, Pat kept it very clean. There was nothing completely broken, for he would fix anything that needed fixing. Though they could do nothing more than patch the stained glass window best they could with what they had, all the chairs were fixed and the tables that weren't unsteady he had personally worked on, planning to get to as many as he could in the future.

At that moment though, McGinty Port Tavern was a cheerful place to be. The men had finished unloading and sending their cargo for deliveries that morning and gathered together for a good time. The sounds of a violin and guitar were heard as a chorus of men's voices sang songs, clinking their glasses at certain verses, all enjoying themselves as some of the voices were drunkenly off key. Laughter was heard between some of pauses of the songs, from what no one but the patrons could be sure. Men played cards in one corner, others in a game of pool and some even throwing knives at the dartboard. No matter what they were doing, most of the men's voices rang out in the small tavern to the amusing song. Behind the bar stood Pat, pouring drinks for the men and singing right to the song with a smile. A merry afternoon it was indeed, but as any sailor would know, the tides of a day could only be as predictable as the sea herself, and the sea be the most unpredictable of all.

[Ember]

The loud sound of Wolverine's hog was heard outside the bar as they pulled up in front of the shabby pub. Aideen directed him where to park the hog so it would be safe from over his shoulder, eyes trained on the run-downed seedy tavern as the singing rang through the wooden door. She hadn't been back to this place in over a year, but it was one filled with possibly the most pleasant memories if she had to pick. Since she had started high school, she worked part time at the little tavern. It had been her choice for a number of reasons, the fact that it was good pay and she was able to schedule around her training sessions was a large part of it. The biggest part was that it was the tavern that her Sergent often spoke of, and being there was a small way of her holding on to him as much as she could.

When Logan turned the hog off, Aideen loosened her grip on his waist and took off her helmet, letting her long dark hair tumble out to hair back, the strong wind instantly made it whip around her. She smiled at him softly while tucking her helmet away on the bike. "I know its not much to look at, but I promise you'll like it," she said softly and waited till he was settled before leading him inside the bar. And so it begins.

The visit to this tavern had been preplanned for several weeks now ever since Mason brought up the idea of her taking him back to her hometown to get into the racing scene. Aideen was reluctant to agree, but when she had there was no turning back. When she first left Boston to go to Xavier's, she had just come back from a series of missions and training over in the Middle East. Had she not gone to the school, a very different series of events would have occurred. With the numbness she had felt for years, one spark had kept her human, and that spark was one of revenge. She vowed that she would get revenge for what happened to James, and what nearly happened to her as well. It may have been risky to hustle the Italian Mafia, but a couple of grand was not worth torching the old garage and trapping everyone inside. Aideen had spent the last several months, in complete secrecy gathering the necessary information she would need to enact the revenge that had been coming for years. Now the time had come to get some final details. How it would go, it had yet to be seen. Two things that she knew though, was that it would be finalized before she left Boston this weekend and that she would keep all the others in the dark about her dealings as much as possible.

Keeping it from the three of them would possibly be the hardest to do. Aideen was a woman of many secrets, and she kept them all well. No one knew her past and the things she had done and been subjected to endure. Sure, some had an idea, but no one knew anything definitely, for Aideen neither confirmed or denied anything when asked. She was a master at concealing emotions and her thoughts, having learned long ago how to act to totally and completely conceal her emotions. Her Uncle would not have it any other way, telling her time and time again that there would be no meek and emotional coward with his blood. As good as she may have been, to keep secrets from three people who touched her own life so deeply would be extremely difficult, but she would do what needed to be done.

Carefully, the door of the pub opened, giving the couple a full blast of the drunken merry singing from the privateers and sailors. Many were too into the song to notice that someone entered, but a few did look up, including Pat McGinty who looked at Aideen like he had seen a ghost. She closed the door behind the quietly to not disturb the singing of the others and went up to the bar where Pat still stood, staring at her with wide eyes and even having stopped the drink he was making. Aideen walked up to the bar and leaned against it a small smile on her face. "Reporting for duty Captain," she said softly with a softened smile.

[~ N.P.C. ~]

"Well bless me heart, I heard ya were back in town, but I says that I don't believe it till I see it with me own eyes," Pat said laughing as he put down the bottle of whiskey he was about to pour and went over to Aideen. He used his large hardened hands to cup her own that she rested on the table, not for long though. He was no fool and new when to keep his hands to himself. "Well look at ya lass. You grew into a regular lady! If I was thirty years younger I reckon I'd be tryin' a hand at courtin' ya. But aye ya could do better than the salty dog that I was." Pat looked at the man that came with her, nodding briefly in acknowledgment. He didn't know who he was, but he knew that Aideen would never bring just anyone to this place. Either way, he was not above being polite to a guest of friend's.

"Come, come, sit down and have a drink. And don't ye mind them over there they got a good couple o' hours of drinks in them," Pat said with a chuckle at the men that were falling over themselves singing and playing the fiddle to a song. He left the two for just a moment to grab two mugs and fill them with exactly to the rim with the classic dark beer that the tavern served. "Ya got no idea the rumors that come threw here that I heard 'bout you lass," Pat began, sliding the beers over to them. "One says that ya ran away ta join the Clan branch in Nevada, another that ya stowed away on one of the ships that went out and ended up in a harem somewhere in Arabia. Oh an' me favorite was the one where ye went ta live down South when ya became heavy with Stones' child. That one gave me a good laugh," he said with a chuckle. "Ye know how them sailors talk like gossipin' school girls. But yer lookin' well, an' if ya dun mind me saying so ya certainly don't got the body that a woman with child would have," he said with twinkling eyes, slightly louder to make sure that she heard him. He may not know where the girl had disappeared to, but he couldn't help making a joke about the more far fetched things he heard passed through.

The bar was in full swing, in addition to the drunken singing, arguments rang out over the card games and the start of another pool game was heard as well. Pat went to finish the drink he was making for another sailor. "So Aideen lass, I take it yer here to see Thomas then? He be the one who mentioned to me to be expectin' ya," he said vaguely, casting a grave look in her direction. Folks only went to see Thomas for one reason, and that reason never led to good things. Pat knew enough of Aideen to know that she had a good head on her shoulders, but he was wise enough to know that when people got mixed up with a lad like Thomas Malinowski, it was never a good reason.

Some of them recognized Aideen after a moment and chose the moment right after Pat finished speaking to make their presence known. "EEEEYYYYY Look who's back!" yelled Amos Carmichael, a young lad that took to the trade as a privateer after his father. The boy himself was born at sea and it was in his blood as much as it was in his father. "Hey we missed ya Aideen. Tell us, how is the harem these days eh? And where be Stones' wee bastard? I know ya named me Godfather right love?" Amos cracked up along with some of the other lads there that knew Aideen as well. "Tell us love how are them maternal instincts kickin' in?" he asked setting off another round of laughter among the men, many taking their hats off in respect to the lady.

[Wolverine]

Smells, as his nose detected them in the air of the bar, let him know what was about and hidden in places not seen. Smells of gun oil and cocaine, of hashish and marijuana, party people out on the prowl in leather and unwashed seemed to be the new trend. The fiddle only slightly off key yet the song sung in a most sincere way buy all in parts but by few at the obviously lesser known verses. It seemed to Logan to be a rambling retelling of times past in the joint and of people who were regulars, mocking in parts but tender in others as the verse about a son returning from the sea to bury his Mother and infant son in the same week was what was lifted as they had rolled in the front door. Then the chorus kicked in and the fiddle played happy again as the whole place erupted with the part they all knew singing:

Oh, you can search far and wide
You can drink the whole town dry
But you'll never find a beer so brown-
But you'll never find a beer so brown
As the one we drink in our hometown-
As the one we drink in our hometown
You can drink your fancy ales
You can drink 'em by the flagon
But the only brew for the brave and true
Comes from McGinty's Tavern!


Leave it ta my girl ta turn a relaxing night of drinkin and shootin pool into some personal vendetta. Heh, what am I complainin about... this should be fun. He picked up his beer and took a long pull. So, wonder which one of these guys is gonna wind up bein Thomas.. and if laughing boy over there says another word to my Angel Eyes I'm jammin this pint glass up his ass and sittin him down HARD for a man to man talk. Nodding to the owner of the bar in his way of saying 'hello' and using his index finger to poke the brim of his hat and kick it back slightly on his head he let the expression on his face tell that he enjoyed the man's beer very much. It was obviously the house brew and as the song being sung with fiddle and fervor, and a harmony only a drunken sailor could appreciate, would attest he nodded his agreement.

He would let this little reunion play out and see what was going to happen. He knew Aideen would not appreciate him alienating all of her old friends in one weekend so he thought he would try using his charm instead of his fists, and by charm he meant headbutting and growling... of course he hoped it wouldn't get that far. Tapping her elbow with his own he gave her a look, with a single raised eyebrow, to let her know he was thinking about hurting the loudmouthed punk but he would hold back for a minute. Another pull of his brew left the sharp hoppy flavor on his tongue to sooth his hair trigger nerves and striking a match he re-lit his cigar.

[Ember]

A small smirk appeared on her face while placing her the glass of brew down on the table. Aideen's hand moved to Logan's thigh to squeeze it, the look on her own face one of ease to let him know there was nothing that she couldn't deal with. Turning around in the stool, she slid off and walked over to Amos Carmichael, smile hidden on behind a serious look of danger. "Why Amos Carmichael, are you making a joke at my expense? That's not very gentlemanly of you, and you claim to be a gentlemanly sailor. That makes me question all the other traits you seem to be fond of boasting about, like your virility for one?" she said with a raised eyebrow. Some of the other boys laughed, some going "OooooooooOOOoo."

"I have to ask my dear Amos, did you go visit some harems on your travels in hopes to find me? How sweet." The smirk on her face deepened and her voice became a mocking version of a tender tone. "Aww was I a star in those wet dreams? Oh pardon me I believe that's what you boys call proving your virility." She stood in front of him now, hands on her hips, but set in a particular manner that Freud would call a sexually dominant position with her legs spread slightly in the beginning points most women would stand right before they straddle someone. It was all strategic for Aideen, a way of proving her own dominance as she looked down at the boy she knew for quite some time.

Aideen leaned over a bit to look him more eye to eye, a playful spark now in her eyes, but the mocking tone never leaving her voice. "I'm flattered truly, but I am also a bit hurt. Don't you know I'm saving myself all for you? And any day now those first chest hairs will spring and we can finally consummate." Her heeled motorcycle boot with a steel toe went up now and pressed right in between his legs, pressing her toes hard into his crotch till he was gasping for air and unable to talk. "What's that? No chest hairs yet? How sad. And still got a baby bottom smooth pair? Oh you don't say. Have you considered more protein for your diet?" she spoke to him as if having a normal conversation, despite the fact that he was struggling for air and had tears running down his face. Aideen was very controlled though, and exerted just enough pressure to cause pain, but nothing damaging.

After a moment, she removed her foot and the smirk on her face was out full blown as the other boys were cracking up and clinking their glasses together to her little performance. Amos still had tears going down his face and was gasping for air. "I'm gone for one year and you forget your manners. That's just disappointing," Aideen said raised eyebrows and moved to ruffle the boy's hair. Amos was one of the few people she really didn't mind while she was here. Him and James were best friends, and he grew on her. She may have not taken any comment to offence as she would from a stranger, but she had no problem putting him in place. She leaned down to his ear, whispering to keep the other boys from hearing. "Cool it okay? That guy sitting next to me that was giving you that look gave a beating to Stones last night for touching me. And we don't want to bruise this pretty face now do we?" She patted the side of his face. "Man up, sailors aren't supposed to cry," Aideen winked at him and straightened up, walking back to Logan and Pat with a smug smile and a silent laugh.

Her hand went back on his thigh and she leaned over to kiss his lips lightly. "He's harmless, just forgets himself once in awhile," she said softly and grabbed her mug of beer to take a long sip, feeling Pat's eyes on her. The laughter and singing in the bar was still in full swing, the first chorus of 'Seven Drunken Nights' beginning from one group as the others still laughed at her little stunt. "As for Thomas, I might be looking to see him. For old times sake." Aideen kept her tone neutral, not wanting to let on to Logan anything that she had up her sleeve. She kept her whole idea quiet from everyone, and she didn't want to get any of them involved and chance them getting hurt. She hated keeping it from Logan, but she would do what needs to be done. "Is he around by chance?" she asked casually looking at Pat over the rim of her glass.

[~ N.P.C. ~]

Pat was chuckling while he cleaned the glass, the gasps for breath still heard over the loud drunken music as one of the privateers strummed to the song clumsily. "Aye Thomas will be comin' in the back way soon enough, but there be no rush to see an old friend then right?" he said casually looked at Aideen, playing at her game. He didn't like it, but it was not his place to say what she was to do with her life or the company she decided to keep. The patrons of the bar were a shady bunch, not the kind that any parents would want there kids to be in. The tavern was violent and dangerous place to be, as most of the patrons were often armed with a weapon and had a some wild tempers.

Of course these fights were just trivial ones, as there was more than one occasion when blood was shed in the little establishment. On an afternoon like this though, it was much calmer, with minor arguments and loud drunken singing from the sailors as the pretty barmaids brought them drinks, once in awhile pulled down on a man's lap. The pool game was just finishing and card games were starting up everywhere. Smoke from cigars, cigarettes and a blunt or two filled the room, the strong sea wind blowing the smoke away from detection.

"Till then, why don't ya two enjoy yourselves. Yer money be no good at the bar, but the boys here play a mean game o' gin and a real mean game o' pool," Pat said looking toward the indicated activities as me made another drink for one of the sailors that called for one. "Take yer bloke lass and relax eh?" The elderly man glanced at Wolverine, feeling a slight sense of understanding of the man. He had seen a lot of the world, and a lot in his long life enough to recognize the old spirit of another who had also seen as much, if not more than him. "Ya take care o' this one lad, she be a difficult one," he said with a chuckle, giving the two a fresh beer before going down the line to complete drinks that the drunken singing group had ordered.

[Ember]

Tipping her head back slightly as she finished the last of the first beer, the ice cold liquid going down her throat smoothly. "I'm not that difficult," Aideen commented, grabbing her fresh beer and standing up, looking over at Logan. She bit her lip for a moment, hesitating for the sake of not knowing what to do for a moment. There was a brief pause on her part before she hesitantly reached out and took his hand. "I did promise a game of pool somewhere along the lines," she said lacing her fingers with his and bringing him to the pool table. She was still learning the whole rules of a relationship part, and wasn't sure exactly how to come about things sometimes, even something as small as hand holding. It was a process, but she wasn't all as nervous as she expected to be sometimes.

Aideen smiled softly at him before slipping her soft and slender fingers from his to put her drink on the windowsill as other sailors came up for a game. "How about it boys? Two on two?" she asked with a raised eyebrow tossing Logan a pool stick. The two boys that did step up Aideen knew well, Sonny and Mac were two privateers for the Clan, and mean pool players. Sonny was a small man with half his face covered in tattoos and long black hair he kept in a ponytail, along with a bull ring in his nose. Mac had long blond dreadlocks with beads in them here and there and a double brow piercing. They had both docked into shore just two days ago and we're still enjoying a taste of the home brew. "We're in, losers by the drinks for the night," Mac said the standard wager on a game. "Ladies first aye? You can break," Sonny said stepping aside.

"Well look at that, you retained your manners, how refreshing," Aideen said glancing at Amos who looked like he just managed to calm down. When he caught her eye, he grinned at her and she just shook her head with a laugh. "Looks like I'm up then." A slender hand went up to the zipper of her jacket, taking it off and placing it on the chair. Despite the anxious feeling that had been building up in her, she was relaxed by her environment and planned to enjoy herself.

She grabbed her pool cue and positioned it right, leaning over the pool table and tossing her long dark hair to the side while placing the tip of the pool cue between her fingers, her mind calculating the right angle to hit the ball in her mind. She liked pool for the reason that it was a very calculating game, requiring an analytical mind and someone who knew their own strength very well. Both aspects of the game she was very well versed in, and it showed when she hit the cue ball into the triangle balls, sending them flying across the table. "Oh. Looks we're solids," she said standing aside to watch as Logan went up for his turn. Though enjoying her time, her eyes stayed peeled for the arrival of Thomas, all the time her mind calculating how to get what she needed done without Logan or the others finding out.

[~ N.P.C. ~]

The game of pool was a rigorous one, filled with a battle of wits on both sides and many jests and laughter. Though the tavern was small, it was a good natured place. Not a whole hour later though, the singing was gone and the fights had begun. Other than the man playing the fiddle, just about every man in the tavern was engaged in a physical fight. No one realized how these brawls started, but they always spread. Men were thrown on card tables, interrupting the others game and getting them to join into the brawl. All around them, men seemed to beat the daylights of each other, yelling drunken accusations and fists and brass knuckles swinging everywhere.

The pool game ended when two men that were in the midsts of a mean bare knuckles fight took their fight to the pool table when one threw the other one on top of the table. That's when Sonny and Mac got into it, each grabbing one of the two men and another fight stemmed from that. The staff seemed mostly unconcerned, going about and still serving drinks and avoiding the men as they fought. Even Pat seemed unconcerned, going about his merry way as just about everyone was in the full out bar brawl, save for two tables that were in the middle of a game of dice and poker.

And just as a man was thrown full force against the brick wall by the stone fireplace, the back door of the tavern opened, the strong wind blowing in for a moment as a large figure stepped inside, looking around without an ounce of surprise. His eyes however landed on the one woman in the room that looked more comfortable watching the brawl than any other lady would have been. His stormy eyes met the endlessly dark ones as he sat down at a table in the dark corner, a barmaid instantly bringing him a jug of the home brewed shine. The man at the table, was Thomas Malinowski.

There had been numbers calls and conversations between the elderly man and the young lady, all pertaining to one reason. Tonight, the deal would be sealed and the wheels of a plan the most sinister would be set in motion. Taking a deep swallow of the shine, Thomas bowed his head to the lady in greeting, for her to join. As a signal, he took out a large envelope from his vest pocket and placed it in front of him on the table, eyes never leaving the exotic young woman.

[Ember]

The feel of the wind whipping against her bare skin was the first sign that made Aideen's large eyes dart to the door. Sure enough, the object of that anxious feeling that had been building up in her had walked through the door, and signified the final phase of careful plans set in motion for months now. "Logan I-" She paused to duck as a bottle was thrown right over her head and hit the wall. "I'm going to go say hi to an old friend. I'll be back in a moment," she said staring at Thomas from across the room the whole time before tearing her eyes away to look at Logan, smiling softly while stepping aside to avoid a fist meant for another. She looked at him for a moment to not let him suspect that it was anything but what she said before slipping on her jacket and making her way to her 'old friend.'

Walking across the room to Thomas proved only to be slightly difficult with all the fights in motion. Aideen avoided them easily until she stood right in front of Thomas, who stood upon her arrival. "Malinowski," she said curtly and shook the hand that he offered.

"Ms. Aideen, tis a pleasure," Thomas said bowing his head for her. No one seemed to know her last name, so the most formal he could get was to add a formal title to her first name. "Sit please m'lady." He sat down after she sat and reached his hand up to snap his fingers. A second later a barmaid came over and set a fresh dark beer in front of Aideen before leaving to make her way through the fighting crowd.

Aideen took a sip of the beer and looked at the large manila envelope on the table. "I'm glad to see you're not empty handed," she said looking at him in a completely professional manner. Thomas just gave her a pointed look as if insulted at the thought that he would show up to a business deal with nothing to show. "Aye I be not. Now the question is... are you?" he asked taking a swig of his shine.

Reaching into her jacket pocket, Aideen took out a plain white envelope and slid it across to him. It contained over a grand in cash, freshly drawn from the bank earlier in the day. "Ahh very good m'lady very good," Thomas said opening the envelope to peek inside. He didn't bother to count, knowing the lady was always true to her word. "Now we can talk business." He reached for the manila envelope, pulling out what looked like a blue print of a house.

"Tonight there be the big meeting, and ya wanna hit the Big Boss house, cause that be like shooting fish in a barrel, no pun intended m'lady," Thomas said in a low voice, that only Aideen could have heard with all the noise in the bar and that blasted fiddle. He smoothed out the blueprint and leaned over it, beckoning for Aideen to do the same. "Avoid any South entrance, there are motion detectors here, here, and here." He pointed to the places marked in green on the blueprint. "Now you have a camera everywhere the yellow dots be marked, and I got all them security codes for you, as well as the wireless codes. If ya disable the cameras, entering here would be yer best bet," Thomas said pointing to an area on the map.

"Big Boss should be there by half past midnight, house go on full lock down then. No one but those with security clearance will be allowed anywhere in the area. They got highly trained guard dogs and armed guards circling the area," he said pointing to various places on the blueprint to give her the full information that wasn't already indicated on the blueprint.

Aideen listened quietly the entire time, looking at the area and committing the information heard to memory. She knew that she could do it, she'd broken through worse security situations before, but that was under direct orders and with no one to worry about finding out. This was her own personal mission, and nothing would stand in her way on something that had been a long way in the making. She reached into her jacket and pulled out another envelope, as thick as the last. "This is for your silence. Any contact between the two of us never occurred. We remain mutual acquaintances and nothing more." She said in a low voice sliding the envelope to him, dark eyes trained on his face. Her eyes flashed dangerously, a warning to him, but put a smile on her face in case anyone was looking. "Am I clear?"

[Wolverine]

Logan had to admit, he loved a good game of pool. More than that though he loved a good bar fight, and this one had all the trimmings. Everything from broken bottles and brass knuckles to high flying moves straight off the TV wrestling and splintered cue sticks across a face or two. Aideen sure knows how to show a guy a good ol'time, but what's this?

Logan put his preternatural hearing to the test. He was not a jealous man, by any stretch of the imagination, but he wanted to make sure his Angel Eyes didn't get herself into anything too far over her head. He was of the opinion that if she wanted his help she would ask him, but he knew how pride had a way of messing with the best of them. He was no exception to that rule, so concern being his motivating factor, he took a close listen.

She was not some dumb amateur though. Although most living today could be called amateurs by Wolverine's standards, he wouldn't be that cruel to his little lady. No names huh? Smart girl, real smart... but there can't be too many 'Big Bosses' in the area, and probably even fewer with ties back to you girl. What am I gonna do with ya? Well, I guess I'll letcha play your hand, see if you bluff me or come clean.

`*`CLANGK!!`*` a brass knuckled punch landed in the side of his head as he watched his girl, focusing too completely on her conversation to even care what was happening in the fight around him. "Is that right Bub..?.. C'MERE!" He spun grabbing the guy with both hands and pulling him hard and fast into a severely heinous head-butt to the face, smashing the man's nose and splitting it open on one side. "Take a nap" he said dropping the man off in a nearby chair and stepping over to the bar for another beer.

He knew it wouldn't look too good if he came up to Aideen as she was doing business. The discreet passing of envelopes was hardly that at all, but Logan was willing to let it play out. He knew, as Ember, the girl could handle herself and at the very least he wouldn't be too far behind if he was needed. So it was set, he would see if she would entrust him with her dilemma, see if she trusted him at all... he would be there for her no matter what she chose to tell him. Trust, it always seemed to come down to trust, and Logan shook his head as Pat placed his beer before him.

[~ N.P.C. ~]

The air was thick between Thomas and Aideen for a moment, with the tips of her fingers still on the envelope and her dark eyes flashing dangerously at him. He studied her for a moment and then placed his thick sinewy fingers on top of the envelope on the other end. "We have an accord m'lady," Thomas said and slid the envelope to himself to join the other one in his vest pocket.

He then proceeded to take the blueprints and casually and fold them up just as they were before and placing them in the manila envelope. Discreetly he moved the envelope across the table to Aideen and watched as she put it away safely. "Say we finish our drinks, and call it a merry visit then eh?" Thomas said and raised his jug to her, clinking glasses with her and taking a long swallow. No more words were passed between the two individuals, the only sound made was that of their drinks hitting the table when they paused between sips.

It got to the point where Aideen had finished, and ever the gentlemen, Thomas stood up when she stood up, bowing his head to her as she walked. That young lady was getting herself into something that Thomas just couldn't see her handling, but he wasn't paid for counseling, he was there for information and only information. His job was done and the rest was up to her now. All that was left for Thomas was to finish his drink and go play a round of poker with the boys.

[Ember]

The second that she tucked the manila envelope safely into her jacket, Aideen realized just how very real all she had planning was at that moment. It had been on her mind for a long time, and now it was finally happening. It surged a slight rush of adrenaline her, and the huge bar brawl was added fuel to that spike. She made her way over to Wolverine, but not without getting in the middle of a couple of fights herself.

One man threw a fist at her in drunken stupor, and Aideen grabbed his wrist and pulled him forward, making him trip over his two feet and fall face first to the floor. She ducked when another man went flying through the air into a man next to her, and used that opportunity to trip the guy in front of her into another guy. Something about being in a brawl like this was one of the few things that she truly enjoyed doing, and it showed as she picked up a bottle and broke it on a guy's head that was charging to her, sending him falling to the floor.

Aideen felt the manila envelope in her jacket pocket, mentally prepping herself for the events that would come with the night. It was something she needed to do, not just for herself, but for the sake of Justice. The fact that it was a very real reality now and with the added bar brawl, she was feeling damn good. She grabbed another guy's hand that had a pair of brass knuckles attached to it and used it to hit another guy in the jaw, starting another fight between those two men.

It was just then that she reached Logan, the excitement from that bar brawl and her little meeting projecting in her movements as her hands slid up his back and around his neck from behind, slender heated fingertips tracing the lines of his pecks. "Hi," she said softly in his ear and bit the skin behind it lightly. Aideen moved under his arm to look him in the eyes, her own dark eyes sparkling with mischief and that devilish swirl that came with an adrenaline rush, a large contrast to the dangerous flashing eyes from a moment before. She moved both her hands behind his head and kissed him hard right there. So hard that she practically lifted herself up in attempt to get closer and she swore her mouth must have grown hotter than normal from the crazy adrenaline in her blood now from the fights, future prospects, and pressing her body against his as much as possible.

When they broke apart, she smiled with hazy eyes at him for a moment. "Well, I'm having a good time. Good old fashioned relaxation has always been a favorite of mine," Aideen said looking at the bar brawl with a smirk. She reached out to grab the beer that Pat brought for her. The look on his face was priceless, slightly shock mix with disbelief. She winked at him discreetly and took a sip of the beer, all the while keeping an arm around Logan and sticking by his side. "I did promise you'd like it here," she said with a smirk as her heated fingertips played with the hair on the back of his neck.

[Wolverine]

"Malinowski huh? Ya know what they say don'tcha? True on the playground as it is in the grown up world Angel Eyes...'Snitches get Stitches'." He tipped his beer up and finished it off, his words referring to the big scar on her informant friend's face. Looking at the empty glass in the dank light of the bar, none present would have ever guess the time of day save for a swath of sunlight cutting in through the broken stained glass window, the last of the foamy head slipping it's way slowly down the inside of his glass. "You think payin him extra will buy his silence?" Wolverine chuckled inwardly. "Hope it's money you wont miss much."

As Pat put another beer before him Logan handed him the glass. "Thanks Bub. Smooth as mother's milk, finishes crisp on the tongue. Some fine drink ya make Pat." He was talking around his issue, the issue he had with his love. He didn't want to go there with her right inside the bar. He wasn't sure he'd like the outcome if he did, but he knew she wasn't prone to telling her little secrets and that was one big plus for her as far as he was concerned....EXCEPT... when it meant she didn't clue him in.

"Look, I'm gonna ask you about this whole thing with the envelopes and all when we leave here, and I hope you know it's not out of jealousy. I just don't want you needin backup and havin none around, we square?" He took his beer and turned to look her in her smokey chocolate eyes. "Ya mean too much ta me. I know you can handle yourself and all, nice moves out there by the way," his head nodded to the brawl still carrying on in the main area of the floor "-just sometimes it's important to have an extra set of eyes and some willin hands around." He reached a hand behind her neck, cupping the back of her head and pulled her in to his lips. "Yeah, I like it here.. but you... you're the best part." He kissed her again, smolderingly long and hot, as a growl of contentedness and dominance issued from deep in his chest.

[Ember]

The fresh mug of beer was forgotten on the table as her arms wound around his neck, pulling herself closer to him. Just in time because in the next moment, some guy's head got smashed dangerously close to where she had been standing. Aideen didn't really give it much notice, not at that moment anyways since she was too wrapped up trying to get Logan to growl like that again. Her fingers curled in the hair at the back of his head to pull his lips tighter to her own, all the while with the brawl in full swing as a man got his face punched right next to them. Somewhere behind them the sound of glass shattering was heard and drunken yelling still heard at a maximum volume while amazingly someone still played the fiddle in the midsts of all that.

It wasn't until two men had heaved another man and moved to bash his head into the bar right next to them did Aideen pull away to look at the scene. Her elegant eyebrow rose as her swollen lips twisted into a slight smirk at the scene. "I wondered if you would listen in," she said leaning back a bit to look him in the eye as her hands slipped to his chest. "Later on when you ask me..." Her dark eyes searched his and her face became serious. "I'll answer fully. I... please don't think for a moment that I didn't trust you, it's not that, not at all." Her dark eyes were wide as they searched his own for a reaction.

"It is something I need to do, and I don't like the idea that if I involved you something could happen to you. I am well aware that nothing technically can happen to you, but pardon me for not letting that fact stop me." A small sigh escaped her lips and she slacked a little in his arms, stopping her conversation only to watch a guy swing from the lamp on the ceiling and throw himself on a group of brawling men. "I told you before, you're the best thing in my life, probably ever," Aideen said with a small smile coming on her face. "You'll get the answer you want, I do not think it's in me to do otherwise." A hand reached up and pulled his head to her to seal her promise, his mouth cool to the touch compared to her own. "By the way," she said when she pulled away. "Who says the second envelope had any money in it?" Her elegant eyebrows rose as the impish spark returned to her dark eyes, just in time for one guy to slide another one across the bar.

[~ N.P.C. ~]

Indeed the fight was in full fledge, a spectacular bar brawl if there ever was one. The number of occupants seemed to have doubled as fresh sailors and privateers came in and wasted no time joining the fight. Punches were thrown as much as people and bottles and chairs were broken used as weapons. The best thing about the brawl was that there didn't seem to be any particular conflict in the making. They were just fighting and brawling for the sake of violence and a bar room fight.

Still in the midsts of all this, there were several tables that remained untouched where the gentleman sat engaged in a game of cards, avoiding the brawl. It was one of those tables that Thomas Malinowski joined, grabbing a chair and making himself comfortable. They were just about to start another round of poker, and he was looking forward to spending some of that massive amounts of cash he just received. Taking an envelope out, he opened it ready to throw some cash on the table, but this envelope had no cash. Thomas turned away and took out the contents of the envelope, eyes going wide in shock as he looked at the articles in private. They were photographs of past informants that double crossed a deal.

Horrifying as those pictures were, they compared nothing to the last picture in the folded pile.

It was a side of him he never wanted to reveal to anyone, and had worked so careful to conceal his secret love affairs. As an Irish Czech man who worked for the government several times in his life, to have affairs with young men was unforgivable and the biggest shame. Behind that picture was a note, written in elegant writing that needed no signature.

Thomas paled as he stared at the picture, numb to the brawl around him. He stared at the pictures for a moment longer and then turned to look at Aideen across the bar. Even wrapped up in the arms of some older man, he stared in disbelief. Without another word, he stuffed the pictures in the envelope and grabbed his coat, wasting no time to get as far away from that bar as he could.