“Is this a good idea? I mean, should we be going?”

“No. It’s a terrible idea but the alternative is staying here and that just won’t do anymore. That place was like living with the dead...or the soon to be dead.”

There was a long silence between the two men as they both leaned against the railing of the ship destined for the new world, the cold mist of the Atlantic Ocean matting James’ light brown hair to his head. 

“Do you think they will be able to put it all together? Do you think they will find us?”

James Aherne rubbed at his eyes tiredly, he knew the questions would come but that didn’t mean that he was equipped to deal with them at the moment. Shrugging his shoulders noncommittally he focused on the horizon in the distance. He had never been off of the isle before, let alone this far out into the world. It was all undiscovered territory for him, terrifying and freeing at the same time. “Eventually. What we did can only be glossed over for so long. Someone is going to ask the right questions and get pointed in the right direction sooner rather than later. I’m not going to be standing here with my hat in my hands when that does happen.”

“Did we cover our tracks well enough?” All the questions were starting to nag their way into the back of James’ thoughts.

“I can’t be sure of that, not right now anyways. There was always going to be loose ends to tie up.” 

James let his words trail off. He knew what was coming, more so than his friend Charles did. It wasn’t going to be all that much different then being back home. He had grown accustomed to the constant looking over his shoulder. At least the moves they had made before all of this had bought them a little bit of breathing room, not much but it was enough to set the ball in motion to get the hell out of the way of the firing squad.

“We killed a copper.” Charlie tried to keep his voice hushed but it came out more scared than anything else.

James slammed his fist hard on the railing, “I know what we did. I was the one who pulled the trigger, remember? I certainly don’t need you drudging up the past. Of all the times, not fucking now.” He lowered his voice to barely above a whisper, “We’re almost out.”

Charles wasn’t wrong of course but it was a necessary evil. Something that needed to be done. At least that’s what James kept repeating to himself over and over. Maybe he was trying to justify his actions. There were a thousand different ways it could have gone but this is the way that it did. 

By now, at least half the island was looking for him. On both sides of the law unfortunately. There were some that didn’t take kindly to him removing someone so deeply entrenched in their pocket from the game board. And the coppers were looking to place the blame at anyone’s feet, it didn’t particularly matter to them if it was the guilty party or not just as long as someone paid dearly for it.

None of it felt right but he could barely remember the last time anything did. It felt wrong leaving home. There wasn’t much to leave behind, his family was long gone at this point and he had only managed to scrape just enough scratch together to get onto the boat. There was plenty of time to worry about that once they landed, right now he just needed to get away. As far and as fast as he could.

”All we do now is keep our heads down and our mouths shut and we should be just fine.” James had practiced the lie enough that he was even starting to believe it. He knew how this ended and even if he fought against it now it would only bury him later. He was going to have to see this through to the end, no matter what.

By now, James had grown accustomed to the rocking of the boat. With each and every gust of wind and crash of the waves against its hull, he felt a little better the more distance there was between himself and home. It wasn’t the most comfortable way to travel but it was at the very least, heading in the right direction. 

He caught himself reminiscing for a brief moment before pushing those thoughts away completely. He would be much better off at this point letting the past stay buried away but it didn’t always work out like that, much to his dismay. 

Sleep had eluded him for most of the trip and he was beginning to grow envious of Charles who was snoring away loudly with his back pressed up against the ship’s interior.  No matter what, the man could always fall asleep. Whatever danger that was hiding around the corners of his world didn’t seem to bother him enough to keep him up at night. 

James rummaged through the only bag he brought with him, the one stuffed with all of his earthly possessions, letting out a sigh of relief as his fingers found the neck of the bottle. Pulling the cork out with his teeth, he took a moment to savor the smell of the last of his father’s bottles of whiskey. Once this one was empty that would be it; nothing left to remind him, nothing left to drag him into the darkest parts of his mind. 

Taking a long pull, he enjoyed the burn for a moment. He used to hate the stuff when he was younger, even remembered spitting out his first sip but, just like everything else, it grew on him. Before he knew it, the claws were sunk in deep. It was the only thing that could calm the waters. The only thing that helped block out the light. 

James sipped slowly at the bottle, not getting much sleep had the adverse side effect that he wasn’t really sure how much time they had been at sea. It could have been a few days or a few weeks which meant he had no idea how much longer it would take either. It would be best if he made his last bit of drink last as long as possible.

With a frustrated sigh he carefully buried the bottle back into his bag before letting his back slide down the wall until he was in a seated position. 

He tried to close his eyes but the memories rushed back to him. The loud ringing in his ears as the gun went off. The rancid smell of gun powder that filled his nostrils. The repulsion that turned his stomach as he watched the body slump over the desk in front of him. 

James felt the uneasiness as he forced his eyes back open, the hairs standing up on the back of his neck. No loose ends. He tried to rack his brain but he was in a fog, things just didn’t seem to be working correctly. The only way he saw getting out of this wasn’t something that he was ready to admit to himself. Not yet anyways. At least he had some time to decide before they landed in America.

“James! James wake up!”

“Ugh, what now Charles?” James groaned as he regretfully opened his eyes.  

Charles was standing over him now, a nervous look plastered on his face but he couldn’t hide the excitement from his voice, “Were almost there! Ship’s captain says it shouldn’t be more than a day, day and a half at most!”

“And you felt the need to wake me up to let me know?” James grumbled. The lack of sleep was catching up to him now. It certainly didn’t help that Charlie was pulling these stunts when he felt like he closed his eyes five minutes ago.

“Ahh, come on! We’re so close! How could you possibly sleep now?!” 

James knocked the empty bottle with his foot, sending it rolling across the floor, “That certainly helped.”

Charles picked up the bottle before tipping the last few drops out onto his tongue. He looked around for a moment before lowering his voice, “Any thoughts of what we’re going to do?”

James rubbed the sleep from his eyes, keeping his head low so that he wasn’t forced to make eye contact. He knew what needed to be done but that didn’t mean that he wanted it to happen. It was another one of those necessary evils. If he was going to survive this, if he was going to come out unscathed, he needed to act soon. Before they landed anyways. And he needed to be smart about it. 

“They’ve probably figure it out by now. They are going to send someone after us, most likely a few someones. Our best bet might be to keep on running. America is a big place, much bigger then back home. We can find a nice place to tuck away. Maybe this will all blow over.” James didn’t believe the words as he spoke them but there wasn’t any point in getting Charles any more worked up. That wouldn’t be good for either of them.

“Do you really, truly believe that this will all blow over?”

James was silent for a long pause, “No. No, I don’t.” He seemed resigned to the fact now. It might be a fresh start in this new world but the past wasn’t going to stay there for much longer and someone was going to have to take the fall for their actions.

James stood on the deck of the rocking boat, his hair blowing wildly in the wind. He was drained completely at this point and was looking forward to nothing more then getting his feet on solid ground. He swore to himself up and down that he would never step foot onto another ship for as long as he could avoid it. 

He shifted his stance to see Charles leaning over the railing beside him, his eyes as big as saucers as the Statue of Liberty towered over them, the entryway to New York’s sprawling city in front of them. 

James rubbed at the back of his neck nervously. He was quickly running out of time. There were to many variables to take into account and he needed to deal with them one at a time. The most pressing matter being what happened back on the Isle. 

“Come on Charles, lets grab our stuff from below. It’s going to be a mad house here soon enough.”

Charles let out a slight chuckle as he turned on his heels to follow James into the depths of the boat. 

Reaching his bag first James reaches into it, pulling out the murder weapon, “Here. I need you to hold onto this. Stash it away in your belongings.” James roughly slammed the gun into Charles hand, “Bury it in there so no one suspects anything.”

James took a deep breath as Charles wordlessly took the gun and went about hiding it away. Closing his eyes for a moment, he didn’t see any other way that this could possibly turn out. Someone was going to pay.

He moved quicker then he thought he could at the moment, his arm moving like a flash, burying his blade as deep as he could into Charles side. He reached around him from behind, clasping his hand over his best friend’s mouth, stifling whatever sounds he was threatening to make. “I’m sorry Brother. It had to be one of us.”

James twisted the blade, pulling it out before plunging it in again and then a third time. He slowly cradled Charles body down onto the floor, his eyes welling up as he did. 

He took a moment to compose himself, wiping at his eyes with the back of his hands. He needed to move fast if he was going to pull this off. Reaching for his bag once more, he wiped the blade free of blood and slipped it back into his waistband, pulling his shirt up to cover it. He found the folded up piece of paper, opening it and glancing over it once more, For the death of Thomas Aherne, was scribbled on it in swooping letters. He tucked it away into Charles breast pocket. 

This was the only way it could go he kept repeating to himself as he slung his bag over his shoulder and quickly moved above deck.

As soon as the boat was tied off to the dock, James mixed into the group of people that were disembarking. Pulling his cap down slightly, he covered his eyes and as soon as he started down the ramp, he reached for the knife, dropping it into the water unseen. He let out a relieved sigh as he continued to move with the crowd until he was clear of the ship, quickly switching directions and slipping into America for the first time. 

He found it harder then he anticipated to find his way around, the skyscrapers towering high above his head like nothing he had ever seen before. Their sheer massiveness completely overwhelming him. James took a few moments to compose himself, looking around at the bustling streets as he leaned against one of the buildings, trying his best to keep unnoticed for as long as he could. This was all strangely new to him. He hadn’t been off of the Isle before, let alone halfway across the world where most of his people weren’t welcomed. He shook his head distraughtly as he passed too many Irish Need Not Apply signs to count. Maybe if he just kept his mouth shut, no one would have any idea what his heritage was. 

He found a rare quiet alleyway tucked between two buildings and turning his back to the street, he dug into his pocket, pulling out the last bit of cash he had that he had swiped from Charles before he did what he had too. It wasn’t much but it could have been his ticket to a different life if he used it correctly. 

Returning back to the street after hiding his money in the sole of his shoe, he picked a direction and headed that way, not fully sure of what he would come across. 

He wasn’t fully sure how long he was wandering for before his stomach started grumbling angrily at him. If he didn’t find something to eat soon, he feared he might starve to death before he escaped from another island home. 

As if by some divine intervention, he turned the corner to see a small hot dog stand, the smell seemingly grabbing him by the collar and pulling him in. He slipped into line behind an older couple that were holding hands sweetly as he bent to pretend to tie his shoe, slipping out a few crumpled bills as he did. At this point he would take the scraps if need be.

James waited patiently for his turn in line, letting his eyes fall along the city, people watching whomever was out and about at the time. He noticed they seemed to be from all walks of life, old, young, some finely dressed business men, some wearing tattered clothing. It was a mixing pot of everything and he thought for a moment that he might have actually found a place to fit in. 

He was snapped back to reality rather quickly as the man behind the counter was yelling to get his attention,“Hey! Kid! Speaking to you! Are you there?!”

“Oh, ye-yes, Sir. Two hot dogs please.” James replied sheepishly, not wanting to step on anyone’s toes.

“You’re one of those Mick fucks aren’t you?! Get the hell out of here! We don’t serve your kind!”

James was taken aback by the abrupt anger. He had always heard stories back home of how his people were treated here but most of them were so outlandish that he thought they must only be that, stories. It seems he was wrong as he slipped his hat from his head like a dog that had been beaten and retreated away from the hot dog stand, his stomach still grumbling wildly. 

He honestly didn’t know how to feel about it. By now, he was so far out of his element that he truly had no idea what to do. He certainly wasn’t welcomed back home, not after the murder of his father, the copper, by his own hands. And now it seemed as if he wasn’t welcomed in the new world as well. 

As soon as he found another dark corner, he slipped into it and realized how much more comfortable he was hidden away, where no one could bother him really. It wasn’t the best way of living but, at the moment, it was truly all he had. As he leaned his back against the older building, his heart thumped wildly in his chest, his breathing slightly ragged. What in the hell had just happened, he questioned himself. The more he thought about it, the more his blood began to boil. The hot dog man had no idea who he was, no idea what he was capable of but that didn’t seem to matter at all. He had made his split decision and now, James was suffering for it.

James tried his best to let it go but it kept eating away at him. He spent the rest of the afternoon meandering around the city, thankfully finding the train station before doubling back to the hot dog stand. He stayed around the corner out of sight, occasionally looking out to see how many customers there were. 

Leaning back against the cold brick once more, James drew in a slow, deep breath. He steadied his heart beat as best he could, waiting for the last customer to walk away before he slipped towards the back door of the place. He tried the door knob first, only to find it locked and with a grunt of frustration he kicked at the handle with all of his strength, sending it crashing open, splinters of wood flying into the air. Wasting no time, James rushed forward, catching the owner off guard and scared. Before he even realized it, James landed three heavy punches into the man’s face, his nose splattering blood into the air and pouring down his face, staining his off white apron. 

Pushing the man to the ground, James stood over him now, the amount of fear that radiated from his victim made James feel...powerful? No, that wasn’t it. It was something else, something more entrenched in his DNA, something that he wouldn’t be able to escape from no matter how much he fought against it. 

James slammed the heel of his shoe into the man’s chest, causing a spray of blood and gurgled breaths from the cook. He slammed his foot down another three or four times, the fight and strength draining from the man. 

He certainly wasn’t expecting this after the way he treated James. To him, James was just another Irish mutt, incapable of doing much of anything. But that wasn’t how it was at all, and James was going to show him, one blow at a time.

Dragging the man by his collar to the broken door, James nearly tossed him out into the street, the blood making the floor slippery beneath each and every step. He pulled the man the rest of the way out, hearing the bones of his left leg shatter underneath James weight as he stomped heavily once more, drawing a howl of pain that seemed to get lost echoing between the buildings that stretched high above them.  

With one final act of defiance, James stood over the man spitting down into his face. “Remember this the next time you see an Irishman.”

After his run in at the hot dog stand, James moved away from the place as quickly as he could. Seamlessly integrating himself into the shuffling crowd that packed the streets, turning into everyone else as they moved along. 

He tried as best as he could to push each and every thought from his mind. The way his father’s body crumpled, the way Charles groaned his last breaths, the horrible, terrible fear that was plastered all over the hot dog owner’s eyes. He shuddered a bit as he pulled his jacket tighter, the knuckles on his right hand cracked and slightly swollen. 

It wasn’t what he wanted to happen but, it was what happened. There was no going back, on any of it. The only true path was the path forward. And he was willing to do whatever brought him to the path. 

He followed the crowd into the train station, almost running to the ticket window. He forced a small, strained smile as he did his best to hide his accent, “One ticket please, ma’am.”

“Where too hun?” The petite woman behind the counter questioned. 

“What is the farthest place from here?” James leaned against the counter.

“That would be Pioneer Square, Seattle. Two way ticket, hun?”

Stifling a small laugh, for the first time in a long time, it was genuine laughter, “One way is fine, Ma’am.” He pulled his last remaining money from his shoe, sliding the crumpled bills beneath the glass partition. He took the ticket she handed him before making his way to the platform with everyone else that was waiting for their train to roll in.

James spent four restless days and nights watching America chug by as he mostly spent his time staring out the window. Every so often he would wander to the dinner car and grab a quick bite to eat before retreating back into his seat. It didn’t take as long as he thought it would and he quickly found himself looking out over the Puget Sound in Washington. The vast wild he passed through was gorgeous in its own right but there was something about this place that was different. The over cast skies and seemingly endless drizzle reminded him of home. It felt comfortable. 
 

He gathered his meager belongings as the trains wheels squeaked to a halt. Letting a few families pass him by, he moved in behind them stepping out into the vast Northwest. He drew in a deep breath for a moment, the smell of rain filled the air around him. It felt familiar, as if this was a place that he could call home. 
 

James hurried off of the platform, finding his first steps into Seattle more welcoming then anything he had felt for some time now. It certainly wasn’t going to be easy but he was going to restart his life, finally once and for all, leaving his past where it always should have been, behind him. His last remaining secrets dying with Charles back at the port in New York. 
 

It wasn’t long before he bumped into @Donna_Angel, the pretty Lass taking a slight amount of pity on him by offering him a few odd jobs here and there before realizing at least a small bit of his potential and inviting him into @Oblivion’s family with open arms.