A/N: For those of you scratching your heads wondering who 'Plum' is, he is the US Marshal from "Paper Stars, Paper Hearts" that protected our beloved Marshall during Tony Jr's short trial - and for some reason, he's always called Marshall 'sir'.

WARNING: This chapter contains disturbing subject matter and character death and may not be suitable for all readers. (It's not too descriptive because I don't do that but it was hard to write and I'm just warning you it's in here) :( Grab those tissues - you'll probably need them for the next couple of chapters.

"I'm sorry, but Mr. Moyer is out of the office. If you'd care to leave a message-"

"I've left two messages already. Look, this is life and death, understand? I need you to call him and tell him to call me back ASAP."

"What's your name, sir?"

"Stefano Forelli."

"I'll be sure and give Mr. Moyer your name and number the next time he picks up his messages, Mr. Forelli."

"You do that."

"Jen, take a breath and listen to me – no, we don't know where the kids are at this exact moment but-" Mary shook her head as she paced back and forth, holding her cell to her ear. "Stop! I know you're scared – we all are. But Sadie and Jacen will take care of each other, all right? I need you to calm down and focus on taking care of yourself and the baby and helping Nanny G with our kids so she doesn't lose her mind. I'll call as soon as we have more news, OK?"

Mary threw her cell onto the bed, jumping as she felt Marshall's arms come around her from behind. She sighed as she relaxed into his chest, still damp from the shower.

"How's Jen?"

"A ball of nerves – only made worse by pregnancy hormones. God, Marshall. This is all our fault – I don't see how she's going to forgive us for this! What if she refuses to let Jacen hang out with Sadie anymore? That will completely crush her not to mention that I would-"

Marshall spun her around, his blue eyes piercing hers. "None of this is our fault, Mer. Tony is a murdering sociopath who raped his own wife and kidnapped his own children, not to mention your niece. We're not responsible for his actions."

"But Sadie's our daughter – I can't help feeling that she ran off knowing that we'd come after her-"

He grinned. "Of course she knew – but Jacen didn't have to follow her."

"Yes, he did. They're best friends, Marshall, and if you can't see that that boy's in love with our daughter-"

"What?" Marshall blinked in surprise. "He's not even thirteen years old."

"So?" Mary fired back. "It's puppy love, but it's still love. What were you thinking about when you were almost thirteen?"

He cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Chess, badminton, computers-"

She shook her head. "Forget I asked. I forgot who I was talking to. You probably made up Katinka too, didn't you?"

His mouth fell open. "I so did not make up Katinka."

Her eyes narrowed. "Liar."

"She was a foreign exchange student from Iceland-"

"I didn't think anyone lived in Iceland."

"Be quiet if you want to hear the story. You've pestered me enough over the years."

Mary made a zipping motion across her lips and looped her arms around his neck.

"I knew the basics of chess but Katinka was a natural. She joined our club and beat all the members within a week. The rest of them held a grudge at being beaten by a girl, but I asked her to be my tutor and in return she asked me to teach her how to play badminton."

Mary rolled her eyes. "A real juicy romance, lover."

"I never said I was in love with her – I said she was my first."

"Oh. So how did it happen?"

He shrugged. "We were playing badminton one afternoon in the backyard – we collided and the next thing I knew, we were rolling around in the grass, naked. It took less than five minutes-"

"It rarely does that first time," Mary laughed.

He flushed. "Hell, I was just happy that I knew where to put my-"

She slapped her hand over his mouth. "Ok, that's enough, I get the picture."

His blue eyes met her green ones and swept over her tense face, his grin widening. Removing her hand, he leaned in close to breath in her ear, "Are you jealous?"

"Of your first roll in the grass with some blonde Icelandic chippie – hardly." She snorted.

"I didn't say she was blonde."

"Was she?" Mary bit her lip.

Marshall cocked his head. "Yes – why?"

She shrugged and tried to remove her arms but he wound his around her waist, locking her in place. "You have nothing to be jealous of – then or now. The only blonde who has ever been able to turn my head or stop my heart is you." He bent his head down towards hers.

"Marshall," she breathed softly just before their lips met. She trailed one of her hands down to his waist, to where the towel was knotted.

He broke their kiss and turned his head to the side, panting against her cheek. "We don't have time, Sunshine."

She tugged on the knot and the towel pooled at his feet. "Not even for a quickie?"

He growled as he bit the soft skin of her neck and lifted her against the wall. She wrapped her legs around his hips, grinning in anticipation of what was to come.

"Hold on tight," he ordered as he glanced over his shoulder at the time. "We only have six minutes."

She quirked an eyebrow. "Do you promise me a better ride than the one Katinka got?"

He laughed. "You'll have to be the judge – but I believe our record stands at three minutes."

"Can you – " her breath hitched as his mouth hit a sensitive spot. "beat it?"

"I've always loved a challenge."

Carmen's eyes fluttered open and for several moments she stared at the ceiling, trying to remember where she was, and why she was there. Slowly, like she was watching a film on TV, the memories flashed across her mind like snapshots and each one was like a whip tearing her flesh open as she remembered that her mother was dead and Emmy had been kidnapped. The tears ran from the corners of her eyes into her ears, tickling the fine hairs and she was unable to lift a hand to wipe them since she was still restrained. My beautiful Gemma – she's got to be scared out of her mind. She has no idea what's going on and now that Tony has her, he's probably left the country by now and could be God knows anywhere! I just thank God that Sadie is still safely tucked away with Mary. If only there was a way to get Emmy to Mary – she could raise both of my girls as her own. I know they would have a good life with her. They would be safe and loved. I know they'll never be safe as long as Tony and I are still alive. He wants to punish me for trying to kill him. I know he doesn't really love our girls – it's just another way to torture me. He's probably thinking of another way to kill me even as I lie here. I think I'm safe, but I'm not. I'll never be safe from that monster.

She had no idea how long she had been awake but the tears had dried before Dr. Nyguen came in to check on her. "How are you feeling today, Carmen?"

"All right."

His eyes studied her face. "Have you been crying?"

She shrugged. "It's frustrating – just lying here, not remembering why I'm here and not even being allowed to get up to use the bathroom."

"You still don't remember why you're back in the hospital?"

"No – should I?"

"It's been long enough that the medication should have worn off by now."

"Maybe you gave me too much, doc."

Dr. Nyguen frowned. "You seem – different today. Are you sure you feel all right?"

"I told you, I'm tired of being in this bed. Can I get up for a bit, go for a walk, maybe take a shower?"

"I don't know – not without an escort-"

She rolled her eyes. "Of course not, I'm still in prison."

Dr. Nyguen studied her silently for a long minute. "I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you."

Mary towel dried her hair just as Marshall turned off the shower and opened the curtain. He grinned at her and she stuck out her tongue.

"You made me take back to back showers."

She laughed. "I didn't make you do anything. You could have skipped the second shower."

"And let you shower alone?"

She opened her mouth to answer just as someone knocked on their suite door. "Get dressed!" she hissed at him as she slipped out of the bathroom. Taking a deep breath to steady her racing heart, she opened the door.

"Mary." Stan breathed her name like a prayer as he stood in the doorway, staring at her like she was an apparition that might disappear again at any moment. Her response was lost as he took two steps forward and engulfed her in a bear hug, squeezing her so tight she wondered if she would be able to breathe normally again – and yet it felt so right. "I can't tell you how good it is to see you – although I wish it were under better circumstances."

Tears blurred her vision as the emotions threatened to overwhelm her. This was the man who had served as her surrogate father and it wasn't until he was embracing her that she realized how much she had missed him in her life. She allowed her head to rest briefly on his shoulder. "I've missed you too, Stan."

Eleanor appeared in doorway. "Stan, let her go before you crack one of her ribs."

Stan let go so fast that Mary swayed slightly on her feet. "Sorry! I'm just-"

Mary waved off his words. "I understand – Hi, Eleanor."

Eleanor nodded. "Mary, you're looking well." She smirked as she took in the younger woman's freshly showered appearance and Mary grinned. "So, on the phone you sounded excited. Have you found out something?"

Mary turned and picked up the brochure from the small table near the door. "We're trying not to get our hopes up – but we think we found out what Phoenix is!"

Eleanor snatched the paper. "It's a what not a who?"

"That's what I said but-"

"Wait a minute," Stan interrupted. "Who's 'we'? Who's here with you, Mary?"

The women exchanged looks and Eleanor sighed. "Stan, I think it's time we told you-" she bit her lip.

"What?" he looked first at his wife and then Mary. "What don't I know?"

Just then, the bathroom door opened and Marshall came out. "Hey, you're not starting the reunion without me, are you?"

"Oh my God," Stan breathed, staggering slightly on his feet.

"Hey, Stan," Marshall grinned.

Stan swallowed. "Marshall, you're – you're alive?"

"'The rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated,'" Marshall quoted softly.

Mary slapped the back of his head and he winced even as he looked down at her fondly. Eleanor shifted her weight from one foot to the other as Stan continued to stare at Marshall like he was seeing a ghost.

"Say something, Stanley, please," Eleanor pleaded.

Stan took a few steps forward until he could reach out and touch Marshall's arm. "It's really you?"

"It's really me, Chief."

Stan grinned and gave him a bear hug. "If I'm dreaming, don't wake me up."

Marshall grimaced. "If I'm dreaming, please wake me – because this is a horrible nightmare."

Stan sobered. "You're right, I'm sorry. I just – you have no idea how much I blamed myself for your death."

"Blamed yourself? Stan, why?"

"I promised Mary I'd watch your back – you died on my watch."

Marshall and Mary exchanged sorrowful looks. "I had no idea, Stan. We should have told you sooner that I was alive. We thought it necessary to maintain the ruse, that the fewer people that knew I was alive, the safer Sadie would be. It seems a moot point now-"

Stan shook his head. "No, it was a good plan. Don't get me wrong. I'm furious that I was kept out of the loop but we'll talk about that later. Right now we need to focus on finding these kids."

Marshall clapped his old boss on the shoulder. "Right – let's get to work."

Carmen was staring at the ceiling when a guard and a prison nurse stepped into her room a couple of hours later.

"Doc says you want to stretch your legs," the nurse barked.

Carmen blinked in surprise.

"Well? Are you mute?"

She shook her head.

"Do you or don't you?"

"Huh?" Carmen squeaked.

The nurse sighed. "Want out of that bed?"

"Yes."

"Then I'm going to undo your restraints one at a time – but no funny business, understand? If you try anything, it's back to bed with you and there will be no walk today or in the foreseeable future."

Carmen nodded and lay perfectly still as the stone face nurse began untying her soft restraints. Maybe my memory isn't all the way back – did I get violent? Why am I restrained so tightly? Did I try to hurt myself or someone else? Am I suicidal? Even as the thought crossed her mind, she couldn't help but think that it would be the ultimate escape. To die and finally escape her husband's clutches; her daughters would be safe – especially if she could somehow ensure that Emmy would be raised by Mary and not Tony.

"All right, sit up, nice and slow."

Carmen did as instructed, surprised to find that she was weak as a newborn kitten and the room spun a little. She watched as the guard came forward and shackled her feet together. "What about her hands?" he asked the nurse.

"Well, she has an IV," the nurse mused aloud. "But to be safe, you might as well cuff her other hand to the IV pole. That way we know she won't be going anywhere."

Carmen resisted the urge to kick the nurse. Where was she going to go? The ward was locked down and just the act of sitting up had taken more energy than she thought it would.

"All right, nice and easy now – let's go."

Carmen slowly slid off the bed, gripping her IV pole tightly for support, surprised at how unsteady her legs felt. What was in this IV?

Two turns around her floor and she was ready to drop. When her sour faced nurse told her it was time to head back to bed, she didn't complain. As she and her two person entourage turned down her hall, an alarm sounded, a code blue. The medic team went racing past and her nurse pushed Carmen roughly against the wall.

"Must be Mrs. Legge, poor soul," her nurse grumbled.

But Carmen's attention was caught by a medical tray right next to her. It seemed providential that she had been shoved to the wall just there as all sharp objects were kept careful away from patients – but this one had one object left on it. Quickly, before her nurse or guard noticed, she snatched the little scalpel and tucked it under the belt of her robe.

"Come on – back to bed for you."

She moved away down the hall without protest.

Gus unlocked the door and held it open, waiting for Sadie to go inside, but the girl just looked up at him defiantly. "Let my friends go."

He grinned. "That's not my decision to make, Sugar. You'll have to talk to your Father about that."

"Ok, tell him I want to see him."

"You'll see him at supper, in a few hours. Right now, why don't you go get acquainted with your little sister – see if you can get her to stop crying for her Nana."

Sadie shut her mouth and marched into the room, struggling not to flinch as the door slammed shut behind her, and the key turned in the lock. The room was nicely decorated as a little girl's room with lots of toys and a large canopy bed, on which a little girl was curled up in a ball, facing away from the door.

"Emmy?" Sadie said softly. "Are you awake?"

The figure on the bed didn't move so Sadie moved further into the room, looking around at the toys her father had left for his daughters. She opened the cupboard at the far end of the room and inside she found clothes, dresses mostly, in two sets – one small and one big.

Sadie's lip curled. "I am not wearing a dress – and I am definitely not wearing clothes that match my sister. Not even the twins do that!"

A whimper came from the bed and Sadie turned to see Emmy moving restlessly on the bed.

"No!" Emmy cried. "Nana!"

Sadie dropped her back pack on the floor and crossed to the bed, dropping onto the mattress beside her sister. "Shh, wake up, Emmy. It's just a bad dream."

Emmy's eyes blinked open, looking up at her in confusion. "Who are you?"

"I'm your sister, Sadie."

For a moment, Emmy looked up at her without recognition and then suddenly she flew up and wrapped her little arms around Sadie's neck. "You're here! That mean lady said you were coming but-" Emmy broke down, the sobs shaking her body.

For the next several minutes Sadie comforted her sister, rocking her back and forth, stroking her hair and murmuring words of comfort. When her sobs had lessened to hiccups, Emmy looked up into Sadie's dark eyes. "And you're really my sister?"

Sadie smiled. "Yup. Don't you believe me?"

"Nana showed me pictures of you – but you look different-"

"I'm older – I just turned ten. How old are you?"

"Five."

"You're the same age as my brothers."

Emmy's eyes widened. "You have brothers?"

Sadie nodded. "Two brothers and two sisters – well, three, counting you."

"Wow – you're lucky. It's just me and Nana."

Sadie frowned. "But Nana's-"

"What?"

"Nothing." She doesn't know Grandma is dead – and I don't want to tell her! "Our mom is still alive."

"And the bad man said our dad is too."

Sadie nodded. "He is – he brought me here."

Emmy shuddered. "Do we have to live with him? I don't want to."

Sadie cuddled her closer. "No – we don't have to. My real parents are coming to get me – to get us."

"And they'll take me home to Nana?"

Sadie swallowed. "Don't you worry, little sister. My parents will take you home too."

In a control room, Giselle watched Sadie and Emmy on a TV monitor. Gus sipped beer next to her.

"Who are these parents Sadie speaks of?"

Giselle shrugged one slim shoulder. "That is what he will want us to find out."

"I thought Sadie has been in hiding these last six years with a US Federal Marshal named Mary Shannon."

"According to Rosie's Intel, that is correct."

"Hmm, perhaps Rosie's Intel was wrong."

Giselle glared at him. "Have you any reason to believe that?"

Gus pointed at the monitor. "Other than what we just overheard?"

Giselle inclined her head. "Perhaps it was – incomplete, but I refuse to believe it was wrong."

He snorted. "So – incomplete, then. Sadie has been in hiding with Mary and who?"

Giselle rose to her feet. "I will find out."

Carmen couldn't believe her good fortune. The nurse didn't put the restraints back on her wrists when she got back into bed, which left her hands free. She wrestled with her conscience for the remainder of the afternoon. After all, what she was contemplating was the unforgivable sin – but was it worth it: to escape Tony's clutches and give her daughters a better future- even if it meant she wasn't around to watch them grow up?

The shift change was the best time to attempt it – just after the new nurses had come on duty and checked the patients. She had already found a small notepad and written a note to Dr. Nyguen. She knew he would pass on her final wishes to Eleanor and that Emmy would be looked after – if only it wasn't too late for her as well.

She curled onto her side, placing her back to the camera in the corner of the room. Closing her eyes, she said her final prayers, asking God to have mercy on her soul. With trembling fingers, she drew the scalpel from her robe's belt and placed the blade against the flesh of her wrist. With a final sigh, she drew a line up her forearm along the artery and watched as the blood began to seep out of her, taking her life with it.

"Come in."

Giselle poked her head around the door. "Is this a bad time?"

Rene straightened his tie. "Yes, I'm getting ready for my first meal with my daughters. I don't want anything to distract me-"

"I know but something's come up that you should know about. We've been monitoring your daughters and Sadie told Emmy that her parents were coming for her."

Rene shrugged. "So?"

"Parents – not just her mother – our information said that she had been living with Mary Shannon only. Odd, isn't it?"

Rene nodded. "Are you looking into it?"

Giselle nodded.

"Good – then I won't worry until you give me a reason. That will be all."

Giselle withdrew and shut the door. Rene crossed to the bed and picked up a stack of messages, sorting through them until he came to the one he was looking for.

Stefano Forelli has called 3 times – says it is a matter of life and death

Rene's eyes narrowed. "I wonder."

A/N: Reviews are LOVE. . . .