AN: This chapter is a tad short, but nothing more fit into this segment. And halfway through I realized I had snapped into present tense, woops!

*

"Well excuse me if the expanding presence of Big Brother leaves me a little edgy," Munch lamented. Sara watched on curiously.

"You're just whining because you had to spend all day at the DMV," Fin countered.

Sara fought back a giggle.

Munch leaned in towards the girl, giving a wink as he spoke. "One should not have to produce more forms of identification than one has teeth."

"You could always stop flossing."

It had to be the most ridiculous argument she had ever heard. Sara addressed Munch. "You're crazy."

"See," Fin blurted, "even she knows it and she's only known you for five minutes."

Munch's hands clasped over his chest as though gripping a blade. "You wound me."

Fin's eyebrows raised in exasperation as he settled back down at his desk. Realizing that the entertainment had dried up, Sara went back over to Olivia's desk and sat in the chair. Her life had been one giant waiting game, always waiting for the shoe to fall. Now that what she waited for is so important, she found herself growing impatient. Eying the doorway into the bullpen, she willed Olivia to enter and tell her what she's been waiting to hear.

Sadly her telepathy is rusty, and she found herself staring off for so long she drifted into a light sleep.

Her brain settled in the fog of half-sleep. Where thoughts flowed into dreams, but you're still aware of the sounds around you. So she heard the footsteps stop beside her, and only started slightly when a hand descended to her shoulder. Olivia stood over her, and immediately Sara smiled. But she soon noticed the sullen expression, and the smile evaporated. The look alone threatened to bring her to tears.

Olivia motioned to a nearby room, her voice little more than a whisper. "We need to talk."

As she followed, she stroked the bunny tucked inside of her jacket. It was bad, she knew that much. Her mind shuffled through the possibilities. Olivia couldn't find a new place for her. The case was being dropped because no one believed her. And the worst her mind had come up with, she'd have to go back to her dad.

Sara sat down automatically, unable to look at Olivia as she pulled a chair up in front of her. The silence seemed to hang in the air forever, and Sara was afraid to break it.

"I wish I didn't have to say this." Sara's body tensed so much she feared she would snap in half. Olivia sighed before continuing. "We don't have enough to prove your dad broke the Order of Protection, so we can't put him in jail for it."

"What?" There was a short-circuit in her brain, so she couldn't quite process the words.

"I'm sorry."

She squeezed the bunny into a pancake. "He was there."

"I know he was, but we just can't prove it."

And her anger continued to build. "You said that you would."

Olivia's tone remained soft, apologetic. "I really wanted to. I thought that we could."

Sara did start to cry, silent tears. Empty promises were something else she thought she was used to. Normally she expected disappointment, so was never really disappointed. But this time she had truly believed. She was starting to remember why she had stopped believing in the first place. The shattering of her hopes was a tangible pain in her chest.

"Also... they're offering him a plea bargain."

That meant less time in jail, she knew that much. "Why?"

"Because if it goes to trial he might not be found guilty," Olivia replied.

"So he's only getting part time?" Now she wasn't sure if she was angry or afraid, so she just stared blankly.

Olivia frowned. "Maybe, he hasn't agreed to it yet, and he might not."

Sara stared at the wall and cleared her mind until the tears stopped. She was too angry at Olivia to let herself cry in front of her. When she saw Olivia start to reach for her, she shrunk back. The woman got the hint and stopped.

"I will get you another place to stay," Olivia said. Her voice was adamant. "And cops will drive by throughout the day to make sure everything is ok. You will be ok."

She wasn't impressed. It didn't matter that the words were spoken with more conviction than she had ever heard. One promise broken was more than enough for one day. Her voice made her thoughts perfectly clear. "Whatever."