Officially Cumberbatched? A sequel to 'Well and truly Cumberbatched'

Chapter 45

AN: Song for chapter- 'Work Song', Hozier.

Monday night. Belfast.

The barn, three mugs steam away at the kitchen table.

"You're not staying for dinner? Either of you?" our grandfather Cillian frowned wiping his hands on an old tea towel; his famous stew bubbling away on the old aga. It must be older than all of us put together; it ticks away the days at its own pace.

"No I'm not. Well, we're not, sorry. We'll be back soon; I've just got to sort something out." I said zipping my old Barbour up, Alex finishing the remainder of his tea- minus the Jameson, with a look on his face that told me he was up to something, buttoning up his Saint Laurent 'Allure' coat.

"In that case make sure Von Hauser knows his place, which is far far away from you. About fecking time too." Grandad said pushing his square glasses along the bridge of his defined nose, his aged but soft hands clasped together.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked, none the wiser.

"Sit down Rosalind." He said. I sat next to Alex, my hands in my lap, his eyes averted to the family portrait above the back door, taken after the raucous after party to Fran and Andy's wedding, everyone was pulling funny faces. I smiled thinking back to that day.

"Sorry I was daydreaming; I don't understand what you mean." I looked over at him again, his bright blue eyes softened.

"He was a bit of a, now I don't mean to pry in the lives of my grandchildren- but a how you "might" say...prick in the end. That was hardly going to go unpunished now was it?" He asked, my jaw dropping.

I know everyone thought it but I didn't expect him, him of all people to say it. I'd expect Finn to say it; God knows he had enough times.

"What do you mean?" I asked. Alex's stifled laugh was becoming hard to ignore.

"What I mean is, we don't need the Von Hauser's money, it's not how it was in the early days, where we took on whoever wanted to be our client. However, keeping their affairs all wrapped in a legal noose too intricate for even their morals means the golden prince can't quite set about ruining your life in the ways you know he could and at one point intended to despite your willingness to be his friend. He was a very spoilt boy who clearly never learnt the rudimentary lesson of letting go of what was no longer his. Go clean up and come back for dinner, or at least a nightcap. Understood?"

"Yes, thank you." I mumbled, my mind blanching in the process. This family isn't half full of surprises I thought, as if there weren't enough secrets buried in its generations.

...

Walking through town I looped my arm through Alex's, my mind still whirring in a pool of thought.

"God"

"What?" He breathed looking over at me.

"All this time, they've been in a legal chokehold? For his sins?" I asked. He simply, if not smugly nodded.

"Yep, it was interesting working a few of their cases with dad when he decided I ought to learn a few things, develop my skillset."

"What?"

"Rosie." he giggled, maybe there was something in his tea afterall.

"Yes, commander giggles?"

"Come on, as lovely as we are everyone's got an unforgiving side. It's not been as difficult as you may think; we can shut people up, cover things- as you know, and expose truths when we have to. It's not always honest but it is justified. Do you honestly think any of us would stand by and watch someone they love be hurt the way you were and not do something about it? Dad couldn't let it go. Don't tell him I told you this." he began, seriousness in his tone as we stopped walking.