AN: The characters belong to Tess Gerritsen and Janet Tamaro, except for originals.

We hope you enjoy this chapter because much is revealed :)

Chapter Three

The next morning, Tess awoke to the very enticing aroma of chocolate. She dressed quickly and followed the irresistible scent into the kitchen. She saw that Sasha had set out plates of delicious-looking chocolate chip and double chocolate muffins.

"Good morning," she gestured toward the plates. "Have something to eat, if you like."

Tess took a muffin and headed to the glass top table. "Thanks."

"I made coffee," Sasha continued. "Do you want a cup?" Her guest nodded."I meant to ask last night before it got too late," Sasha began, hoping to be tactful and not make her new friend feel like a charity case. "Do you need a job? Because I really need a good assistant at the firm." Sasha suddenly realized that she had forgotten to tell Tess anything about her job. "My cousin Angie and I have a design firm and we could really use a hand," she explained. "It's difficult enough for just one of use to stay organized, let alone two!"

Tess thought it over for a moment and then decided it seemed like a good idea. Somehow she knew she was safe with this enigmatic stranger, so she found herself accepting the offer.

"Great!" Sasha exclaimed, smiling broadly at Tess. "I was hoping you'd say that. Ever since we took on the Fairfield mansion, we have been totally swamped." She looked downward and stirred her coffee. "You'll like Angie. She's really fun and creative. The sister I never had. Anyway, that's what I was doing at Jimmy's place last night, working on sketches. I know it's mainly a writer's hangout, but Jimmy and I go way back. What kind of writing do you do?"

Tess stared into her coffee. Sasha wasn't a writer, but she appreciated the creative mind. She wouldn't laugh or mock. "I'm dipping my toes into science fiction. I find it fascinating."

Sasha smiled, and Tess heaved a quiet sigh of relief. Good. Sasha didn't find it dumb. "I'd love to read something you've written. If you want."

Tess's cheeks burned, but she tried to hide her surprise. "Really? " She gave a nervous laugh. "You're the first person to tell me that." When was the last time she'd been this open with anyone? She couldn't remember. Of course she couldn't. "So do you have to work today?"

Sasha let out a laugh, so much like Tess's own. "It's Saturday. I thought we'd go shopping, if you're up to it."

Tess stared down at her simple white t-shirt and jeans. "I think you're right. I'm tired of looking like I put on the first thing in my closet." Her smile faded. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to wait until I start my job."

Sasha shook her head, getting to her feet. "Nonsense. You'll pay me when you can." She went into the kitchen. "My niece has a habit of dropping by unannounced. She lives next door. She's Angie's daughter. Sixteen."

Tess joined her in the kitchen. "Wow. Your poor cousin."

Sasha laughed, putting the milk in the fridge. "Actually, she's not a typical teen. She's so sweet. She loves Broadway and writing. You two will have a lot to talk about."

Tess picked up Peter just as a knock sounded at the door. She kept her gaze trained on Sasha as she opened the door. In stepped a girl with chin length dark hair and a small frame. She looked no older than twelve, clad in jeans and a dark blue top. Glasses rested on her nose and in her left hand she held a red and white cane.

"Whoa. Mom wasn't kidding. You do look exactly alike," Anna said as she stepped into the house. "Can I hang out here? Mom's on her cleaning frenzy."

Sasha laughed, putting an arm around the girl's shoulders. "Of course you can, honey. Anna, this is Tess. Tess, this is Anna."

Tess put Peter down. "Hi, Anna. It's nice to meet you. Sasha tells me you like to write."

Anna nodded, folding up her cane and putting it on the counter. "I do. I love science fiction."

"Me too. I also write and have recently discovered sci fi."

Anna's eyes widened, as though Sasha just told her she'd won a gold medal. "Really? Have you gotten anything published? I'm going to get published when I graduate college."

Tess did her best to keep back a smile. This girl was really serious about writing. "I need to figure out who I am first." She tried not to avert her gaze at Anna's confusion. "I have a severe case of amnesia."

Anna's smile faded. "Oh. I'm sorry. Well, maybe writing will help. And maybe being with us, too."

"And shopping," Sasha said, coming into the room. "Tess needs a new wardrobe."

Tess shrugged, giving a half-smile. "It's true. You're welcome to join us."

"Sure. Can we go to the coffeehouse after?"

"I know why you want to go there," Sasha said, patting Anna's shoulder. "To hear Jimmy talk."

"Hey, I love all things Scottish." She plucked a muffin from the plate on the counter. "Aunt Sasha, is my star cup clean?"

"Star cup?" Tess asked as Sasha took a glass from the cabinet and handed it to Anna.

"Gold stars." Anna held up the cup and sure enough gold stars covered the glass. "I'm obsessed with the show Glee."

Tess furrowed a brow. "Glee?"

Sasha poured milk into the star cup. "It's a TV show about a high school glee club."

"It's amazing," Anna said, sitting at the table with her star cup. "My favorite character isRachel, played by actress Lea Michele..."

As though she were running a marathon, Anna launched into an explanation of Glee, explaining each character. She even explained about a favorite guest star named Idina Menzel, who played Rachel's birthmother on Glee.

"Wow," Tess said when Anna finally stopped talking. "That sounds great!" Had she ever been this passionate about something? Writing was still too new. "I'll have to check it out sometime."

Anna grinned. "Oh I have the first two seasons on DVD."

"After shopping," Tess said, leaning over Anna and kissing her on the head. "Eat up so we can go."

Tess watched Anna and Sasha interact, like sisters rather than niece and aunt. Would she ever feel comfortable enough here to joke around and feel like family instead of a guest?

"No, we're not listening to Wicked the entire day." Sasha held a CD out of reach. "You need a break from it."

Anna glared. "I do not. Have you been talking to my mom?"

"Yes, and we both agree. Pick something else." Sasha shoved the CD in a drawer. "How about Glee?"

Anna smiled, but it was a you're-up-to-no- good smile. "Fine. It has Defying Gravity and For Good on it." She grinned again and disappeared down the hall.

Sasha shook her head. "She seems sweet..."

Tess laughed, putting her coffee mug in the sink. "She's passionate. That's not a bad thing."

"Thank you!" Anna said, coming into the room. "Convince my mom of that, would you? And I'm ready to go."

Tess smiled at Anna's excitement. Oh, to be sixteen again. Slipping on her shoes, she followed Anna and Sasha out into the sticky heat, the sun shining from the sky like the brightest light possible. Tess squinted against the glare as she climbed into the front seat.

"Here. Use these." Sasha dropped a pair of sunglasses in Tess's lap. She started the car. "Anna, you situated?"

"Yep." Anna said nothing more and Tess twisted in her seat to find her reading her phone. "No way! Detective Rizzoli emailed me back! She spoke to all the juniors and I met her after. She gave us her card. I emailed her with questions."

"Wow. That's neat!" Sasha said, stopping at a red light.

"It's sad, though. Her best friend was murdered."

"Oh, wow. How awful. Did they find who did it?" Tess asked. That poor woman. How awful to lose your best friend in such a cruel way.

"No. She said she can't work some cases even now, two years later. Her best friend was a medical examiner."

Tess shook her head. "Wow." She stared out the window. What was it about Boston that felt so familiar? She stayed silent, listening to Anna and Sasha talk.

"She said that she's seen Glee," Anna was saying, "She likes Santana best."

"That's neat. Don't email her too much, okay? She's probably busy," Sasha advised as she pulled into a large parking lot. A four story building loomed before them.

"She doesn't mind. She looks forward to my emails." Anna scrambled out of the car. "So what sort of stuff do you want to get, Tess?"

Tess shrugged. "I'm not sure. Guess I have to figure out my style as well as my memories." She attempted a laugh but let it falter.

The brightness and loudness of the mall did not help her feeling of disorientation. Once inside the first store, her worries melted away. After five minutes at the sale rack, she found herself drawn to the colorful blouses and skirts. And the shoes. She'd never seen so many different kinds of shoes in one place before.

"Try this." Sasha handed her a black above-the-knee spaghetti strap dress.

Tess hesitated. "It's too much." She tried to hand the dress back, but Sasha wasn't having it.

"Come on. Every woman needs a little black dress."

Tess looked at the dress. What could it hurt? Smiling, she disappeared into the fitting room, emerging a few minutes later. "Well?"

"Awesome, Tess!" Anna said from where she sat on the floor across from the dressing room. "Whoa, what happened to your leg?"

Tess glanced down. She'd forgotten all about the ugly scar. "Another mystery I have to solve."

Immediately after the mention of her scar, Tess felt her head begin to swim more and more. She felt flooded with indescribable emotions as she searched the racks for more suitable clothing and was barely able to pay attention to anything outside of her own thoughts. Sasha's advice on color or style felt as though it was coming from the moon. Suddenly she remembered, or perhaps imagined, the distant sound of a collision, metal on metal like cars crashing into each other. Then she heard a gunshot in her memory so vividly imagined that she jumped.

"Are you ok?" Sasha was startled and concerned.

"I don't know," Tess answered, shaking as she tried to hold onto the shopping bags.

Sasha looked down at her phone which had just began to vibrate with a new message. "It's Angie, she needs help with a client."

Tess sighed as her mind filled with more metal collisions and firing of guns. "Can I just go back to your place?" she whispered, longing for the barrage of these sounds to end.

Sasha nodded. "Looks like we've got to call it a day, anyway." She glanced at Tess and tried to keep the alarm out of her expression both facially and vocally. "Do you want me to come with you?"

Tess shook her head. "No. I really want to be alone for a while, if that is all right."