Work Text:
Kate sat in her room, thumbing through the pictures of Derrick throughout the years that her mother had, and she had thousands; Ma could fill a library with her kids' pictures. Big drops of water fell onto the photos and it took Kate a while before she realized she was crying.
Derrick...she hadn't known him well and was only a baby when he left for Ireland, but he was still her brother. And her boyfriend shot him. Shot him in cold blood. And he had thrown Francis under the bus as an excuse. She knew that Francis was behind it all, but she wanted Niko to take some responsibility. He could've said no. He could've walked away. But instead, he shot her oldest brother. And she was about to give him her virginity. How could she be this much of an idiot?
Kate heard a soft knock on her door and turned with tear-stained eyes to look at the wood. "Katie?" a small, elderly voice called.
"Come in..." Kate said somberly. The door creaked a little open and Maureen walked in, looking at her daughter sadly.
"Katie...you love him."
"How can I love someone who killed my brother? Your son??"
Maureen shook her head. "The heart wants what the heart wants."
Kate looked down and sighed. "I was stupid enough to believe he could change..."
Maureen sighed, trying to find something to say to help her youngest and only daughter. "Katie, your heart will guide you. But I know you will make the right decision."
And she left, closing the door and leaving Kate to her thoughts again. She climbed onto her bed with the photos of Derrick, all of them at Gerry's weddings and numerous family funerals when she was a baby. But she also pulled some more photos: ones with her and Niko making funny faces and kissing in the photo booth at the mall in Dukes, a cute one with her and him poking their heads out from behind a tree. She cried even harder. Her mother was right; Niko was a dangerous man, a killer, a criminal. But he was...he was....her soulmate. God had destined them to be together.
Kate continued to cry for what felt like hours until she heard a faint sound from outside her window. It sounded like the opening bars to a song. She stopped crying and looked at her window quizzically. The glass wasn't very strong, so maybe that's why she was able to hear it? After an instrumental, she heard a woman's voice begin to sing.
"Many times I've tried to tell you,
Many times I've cried alone..."
As Kate listened closer, she heard a high-pitched, reedy male voice covering the female voice. Wait a minute...I know that voice...
She got up and moved closer as the singing and terrible coverage continued.
"Always I'm surprised how well you cut my feelings to the bone.
Don't wanna leave you really,
I've invested too much time.
To give you up that easy
To the doubts that complicate your mind--"
Kate opened the window to see Niko standing beneath it in the backyard, a stereo on the ground. He sang along to the music, making dramatic movements with his hands, face and body. Kate didn't know whether to be embarrassed and cover her face or watch in awe. She chose to watch in awe as Niko raised his voice to match the chorus.
"WE BELONG TO THE LIGHT, WE BELONG TO THE THUUUUUN-DER.
WE BELONG TO THE SOUND OF THE WORDS, WE'VE BOTH FALLEN UUUUN-DER.
WHATEVER WE DENY OR EMBRACE, FOR WORSE OR FOR BEEETT-ER,
WEEEEEE BELONG, WE BELONG, we belong togee-ther."
Kate cringed internally. He could not sing. At all. But it was pleasant to hear him with an American accent. All of the other McRearys watched, with different expressions on their faces. Francis was disgusted, Packie was laughing his ass off, Gerry just shook his head and laughed and Maureen made the sign of the cross and shook her head. Kate rolled her eyes, but smiled and shook her head anyway. Ma was right. She loved him. She loved every part of this goofy ass Serb. The killing she could look past; this was who he really was and she loved it.
Niko started on the second verse, but Kate was already running out of her room and out of the house. By the time he raised his voice on a crescendo, she was in the backyard and singing with him.
"Have we become a habit?
Do we distort the facts?
Now there's no looking forward
Now there's no turning back
When you say we belong to the light, we belong to the thuuund-er
We belong to the sound of the words, we've both fallen uuun-der.
Whatever we deny or embrace, for worse or for beeett-er,
Weeee belong, we belong, we belong togee-ther."
The music continued, but Niko and Kate both stopped singing and faced each other.
"We belong together, Kate," Niko said quietly. Kate shook her head.
"This reeks of Roman, I hope you know that."
Niko looked at the ground sheepishly. "Well...he's used this song to death to get Mallorie back and he says it always works..."
Kate shook her head again. "LISTEN to me, you immigrant fuck. If you EVER kill any of my brothers again, I will make your life a LIVING hell and don't you DARE--"
She swung at him, but Niko dodged and chuckled.
"AND--" she wrapped her arms around his neck. "I love you, Niko..."
"I love you, Kate." And they made out passionately as the song faded out.