* * *

Sara woke the next morning to see the sky just beginning to lighten with the rise of the sun. Feeling unaccountably energized, she climbed out of bed immediately and jumped into the shower, turning it on hot to help get some of the soreness out of her muscles. After doing nothing physical, she had jumped into heavy cleaning the night before and her body was protesting. Making a mental note to go into the gym in the next few days, she climbed out of the shower, dried off and got dressed.

She paused when her hand went over the small wooden chest Joe Siri had left her months ago. In it, she could find information about her parents. At the time, still angry over Danny's death, finding out that she was adopted, and Joe's retirement, she had simply stated that Jim Pezzini was her father. Now, she found herself wondering about the woman who had given birth to her and given her up. Would the answers be in there?

Shrugging, she decided there was only one way to find out. She moved the chest to her kitchen table and opened it. Inside lay some black and white pictures. She pulled them out, looking over the faces before laying them on the table. "Are you still alive," she asked the still pictures without expecting an answer. "What stories do you have to tell me?" She easily recognized herself as a teenager and the shots of her parents. She lightly touched the face of Teresa Pezzini in an informal wedding snapshot. "For so long I believed that you were my mother. I wondered what you were like, what you would have told me. I still wonder."

She laid the photographs down and picked up a container for 35 mm film. Opening it, she saw that the film had been used but never developed, and she idly wondered what was on it before moving on. Moving further into the small ox, she found a letter written in a woman's elegant hand. From her mother? Putting it aside to read later, Sara saw what had been covered by it. A bullet engraved on one side with a bull. Some type of in-joke with her father? She put the bullet down on the table and looked at the photographs again, hoping to get remember a bit more of her father and get a feeling for his wife. Her mother? "How does this work? You weren't my biological mother. You didn't raise me. But you did adopt me."

She moved over to her CD player and slid in a CD to listen to while she waited for Jake to show up before going back to the table and spreading out the pictures. Instead of concentrating on the captured faces, her eyes were drawn to the bullet. "I've seen this before." Sara picked it up, running her fingers lightly over the engraving. "Where?"

"Everything is connected, Pez."

Sara turned quickly to find Danny standing just behind her, looking over her shoulder at the pictures.

"I'm really beginning to hate that phrase," she said as she leaned against the table and crossed her arms across her chest.

"Why? You were a cute kid, Pez. What happened?" Danny glanced at her and smiled as he said it to let her know he was just teasing.

"Oh, you know what they say, a cop can never be cute. It's something in the coffee."

"I must have missed that piece of training," he laughed. "So, what do you hate about it?"

Sara thought for a second before answering. "It means there are no coincidences. I have to look into everything that happens to me to see how it connects to the rest of my life."

"Not everything, Pez."

"Well, that's a relief."

"Just most things." He flashed another quick grin at her.

"Oh, great," she responded, her voice laced with weary disgust.

Danny laughed before sobering and gestured to the bullet that Sara still held. "What does this say to you?"

"This stuff is supposed to belong to my parents, supposed to give me a clue about who gave birth to me." Her tone became frustrated. "I know I've seen the bullet before, recently. I just don't know where."

"When you remember where, what will it tell you?"

"I don't know." She turned to the table. Dropping the bullet to the table top, she dropped it and sighed, knowing that Danny wasn't going to say anything more until she came up with a few ideas. "That my father is connected to a case of mine somehow? He was a cop, so this has to be connected to cops. I know I saw the bullet at a crime scene, I just don't know which. Am I getting warm?" she asked while turning to Danny and seeing nothing but air. "Thanks, buddy."

She reached across the table and began checking her gun to make sure it was in proper working order. At the moment she finished, the buzzer sounded and Sara went over to answer it. "Yeah?"

"Sara!" Jake McCartey's voice came through the intercom, his surprise at being answered obvious.

"Come on up," she said while buzzing the lock open, taking another drink from her coffee mug and setting it down on the table before turning to the stairs.

Jake did, coming up the stairs to see her, stopping abruptly when he did.

"Hey," she greeted with him with a small smile. Sara waiting for him to reciprocate, asking if anything was wrong when he stayed silent.

Jake shook his head and looked over Sara. "No, nothing. I mean, you look great."

Sara smiled and, remembering Gabriel from the night before, motioned him forward for a hug. "I'm OK," she whispered into his ear before they parted.

Jake continued with his original thought as Sara turned back and picked up her coffee again. "It's just… with everything you've been through, I expected you to be… wasted."

"I guess you could say I've… uh… come to terms with a few things." Sara nodded, pleased at the fairly matter-of-fact way she had said that, and took another drink of liquid caffeine.

"Like what?"

Sara shook her head. "I don't know. My purpose." She smiled again before going to a clothes rack. My purpose. My mission. Does the way it's said make much difference? She heard Jake sigh and turned back as she put on the jacket she had retrieved.

"What's all this?" he asked, moving towards the table.

Sara shrugged as she put the jacket on. "Ah, just some stuff that belonged to my parents. I was in the mood to look at it, see if they had any stories to tell."

Jake nodded as he picked up the bullet that Sara had been holding. "I'm guessing they do," he said partially under his breath.

Sara looked over at him while in the process of zipping the leather up, wondering what had made him say it like that. She noticed that he was looking at the engraved bullet she had talked to Danny about. Everything is connected, she repeated. Wonder how Jake is? Out loud, she asked him if there was time for breakfast.

Jake put the bullet back on the table, seeming strangely reluctant to actually let go of the small piece of metal. "Sorry, Pez. Dante wants to see you as soon as you get in."

Sara pushed a button as she passed the CD player, stopping the music, and started down the stairs. "Something to look forward to."

"Hey, he's not such a bad guy," Jake defended their captain as they went down the stairs, laughing at the disbelieving look that Sara shot over his shoulder at him.

"Yeah, sure." Sara shook her head and started to her Buell.

Jake's softly voiced "Hey, Sara?" made her turn to him.

"Yeah, Jake?"

"It's good to see you again."

Sara laughed. "You'd think I was gone for months, Jake!"

Jake backed up a step defensively. "Hey, a guy can't miss his partner?"

Sara stopped laughing and shook her head. "I was teasing you, Jake. 'Course a guy can."

"Good. Um, Sara? Wanna drive into work with me?" Jake noticed her raised eyebrow and explained. "There are some things I should tell you before you see Dante."

Sara shrugged and moved towards the light blue car, stowing her helmet on the backseat before sitting down herself. Glancing out the window, she saw a middle-aged Asian man with long blonde hair walking by.

Jake nodded, obviously relieved, and went to the driver's seat. Starting the car and pulling out, he noticed Sara staring blindly out the window. "Sara?"

She pulled herself out of the trance she had gone into. "Sorry, Jake. A movement just caught my attention."

"Something you wanna check out?"

Sara shook her head, her gaze returning to where the man had last stood. "Nah, I don't think we'd find anything there even if we did." She looked at the blonde man who had replaced Danny as her partner. "So, Jake, what do I need to know?"

Jake took a deep breath, visibly concentrating on the traffic he was driving in. "Dante knows that you were there when Conchobar was killed." He flinched at the look he could feel Sara directed at him and lifted one hand from the steering wheel in a placating gesture. "Sara, I didn't tell him. He suspects that you were there, since Conchobar was your boyfriend and you'd looked up his brother that day."

Sara sighed. That man must have it in for me.

"He's really bent out of shape about it. Says the guys holding Conchobar were cops."

Sara glared at him. "They were terrorists, Jake. They tried to ransom Conchobar for his terrorist brother and for money from me."

"Hey, I'm on your side, remember? I'm the one who got you out of there before the cops showed."

She sighed. "I know. It's just…" she stopped, unable to continue.

"The memories are still fresh?"

She nodded and flicked a relieved glance in his direction. "Yeah, something like that."

"I've been covering for you, Pez. Said you thought you had food poisoning." Jake smiled and nodded, obviously patting himself on his back for his quick thinking when it came to excuses.

Sara nodded. "Thanks, Jake."

"Anytime." He glanced at her before turning back to the street. "Dante says that you used that roll of film we pretended to get of Orlinsky to get money from lockup. Was it for the ransom?"

Sara took a deep breath, reminding herself that she'd left everyone operating in the dark somehow. They're in my life for a reason. I just need to figure out the whys. But how do I know I can trust Jake? I know he covered for me, but he's not Danny. I'm still trying to figure out where this all belongs. She was quiet for so long that Jake had repeated her name twice. "Sorry, just thinking."

"About anything in particular?"

Sara looked at him, wondering what was hidden under the surface surfer boy looks. "Jake, I appreciate you covering for me, but things are still raw. You know how that is. Mind if we don't talk about it?"

Jake looked at her a moment before nodding. "No problem."

They finished the rest of the drive to the precinct in silence, speaking only after they had gotten out of the car. Jake was the first to break it. "Hey, Pez?"

Sara sighed and turned to Jake. "Yeah?"

"You know you can talk to me about anything, right?"

Sara looked at him, her green eyes moving over his face, staring into his blue ones, searching for something. She gave a small nod before going up the steps into the building. She wove her way around the uniforms and civilians milling around the large room and hallway before making her way to Homicide. She was just entering the office, Jake a step behind her, when Bruno Dante called out her name. She looked over at him, Jake moving to one side so he wasn't in her way, and raised an eyebrow at the captain.

"Can I see you for a minute, Detective?" The question was obviously an order, Dante already turning away from her and starting towards his office.

"Sure. You're the boss." She passed the helmet she carried to Jake for him to put it in the office and started after the man walking away from her.

He held the door open for her, a gallant gesture ruined by the smirk on his face. "Finally, Pezzini, you understand!"

Sara carefully schooled her face into a bland mask, knowing that Dante's continuous mispronunciation of her name wasn't carelessness, but a deliberate attempt to get under her skin. "Well, it does say 'Captain' on the brass plate on your desk."

"So true." He stepped around her and sat at his desk with the air of a king sitting on his throne. "So, how're you doing, Detective?"

Sara's brow raised again. "Concern, Captain? I'm touched." She sat down in one of the chairs he gestured to.

"You have one of the best closure rates in the department, Detective. Of course I'm concerned." He smiled widely, hoping to disarm her. "What did you have again?"

"Food poisoning, Captain." She settled back into the chair, getting ready for the long haul and the enjoyment of thwarting Dante.

"Irish food disagree with you?" He asked, obviously fishing.

"I'm afraid I wouldn't know, sir. John wasn't much more of a cook then I was." Sara shrugged. "We went out to eat a lot."

"Anywhere in particular?"

She shrugged again. "Here and there, hot dog vendors when in a hurry, pizza delivery. You know how it is."

Dante nodded. "Yeah. I gotta admit, Pezzini, I shoulda guessed you weren't much of a cook. Too busy trying to be a man."

Sara smiled. "Why on earth would I want to be a man when women are better?" She laughed as a dull flush worked it's way up Dante's neck to his face as he made aborted choking sounds. "Are you okay?" He nodded and she continued, "if you've assured yourself as to the state of my health, Captain, mind if I go? Jake said there's a ton of paperwork that still needs to be done."

Dante nodded distractedly and Sara got up to go to her office. Looking over her shoulder with her hand on the knob of the door, she said, "Thanks for your concern, sir," hoping to rile him even more. Before he could respond, she slipped out the door and closed it behind her.

"And Pezzini scores," she murmured under her breath as she let herself into the office she shared with Jake.

Jake looked up from the open file on his desk and held a cup of coffee out to her. "What?"

Sara laughed. "Nothing, Jake. Thanks for this." She raised the cup in salute before taking a drink.

"No problem."

Sara took off her jacket before sitting down. "Anything new?"

Jake shook his head. "Paperwork, paperwork, paperwork."

"Ahh, yes. The police department's market on deforestation. Well, who am I to stand in it's way? Pass me a folder."

The rest of the morning passed quietly with the two of them silently filling in forms and drinking pots of coffee. Finally, Sara looked up at the clock on the wall and noticed that it was 12:30. "Hey, Jake?"

"Yeah, Pez?" He asked without looking up from the manila folder he was reading.

"Hungry?"

Jake looked up and tossed the folder onto the desk. "Am I ever! What are you in the mood for?"

Sara shrugged into her coat. "Calzones?" She deliberately repeated his own pronunciation of cal-zone-ays.

"Hey, Pez, it's calzones." He said it correctly as he shrugged into his own.

"I know, rookie. Just making sure you do."

He lifted both hands palm up. "Hey, I'm supposed to remember what my training officer tells me, right?

"Right." Sara shook her head as they started leaving the station. "Tony's?"

"Sure. Wanna walk or drive?"

Sara looked up at the bright blue sky. "Walk. It's not too far and I feel like some fresh air after being cooped up in the office all day."

Jake nodded and fell into step beside her. "Good idea."

"Thanks again for covering for me."

Jake grinned. "Hey, least I can do, partner."

"Thanks for telling me about it too. Dante tried to trip me up."

"He ask about the deposition?"

Sara stopped and looked over at him. "Deposition?"

Jake nodded. "Yeah, I told him you had an alibi for the time of the murders. You were taking Kenneth Irons deposition on the case with Dominique Boucher and Gina Mavis."

Sara stopped and stared at him. "He backed you up?"

Jake nodded. "Yeah."

"Why?"

Jake shrugged. "Well, according to him, because he has the utmost respect for you."

"Direct quote?"

"Of course!" Jake gave her a faux wounded look.

Sara grimaced. "Great, just what I need; Kenneth Irons' respect."

"Hey, you can do a lot worse!"

Sara glanced at him and started walking towards the small Italian restaurant again.

Jake hurried to catch up to her before falling into step beside her again. "Well, it's true. He's rich, he's not that bad looking, and he's obviously willing to help you."

"Because he respects me."

Jake nodded in answer.

"Yeah, right."

Reaching Tony's, they ordered their calzones and went to sit outside at one of the wrought iron tables that lined the area between the window and the sidewalk.

"Why don't you think he respect you?"

Sara shook her head. "Jake, guys like him just want to control other people." Watching the rookie, she saw the slight grimace that spread across his handsome features before he took a drink of his soda. "Jake, did he ask for something in return?"

Jake shook his head.

"Jake?" Sara asked again, putting a small warning threat into her voice.

"He just said that if he needs a favor in return, he won't hesitate to ask," Jake explained in what he hoped was a soothing tone.

Sara took a sharp breath, wondering just what type of favor Irons would ask for. Knowing him, it wouldn't be something convenient and above-board.

"Sara?"

"Nothing, Jake. Just… Just be careful, ok?" She caught Tony gesturing to them and went to pick up their food from the clean counter. Sitting back down across from Jake, she handed him his food.

"I will, Pez." He smiled reassuringly and unwrapped his food.

Sara nodded and did the same.

After each had finished a few bites, Jake noticed that Sara was preoccupied, eating and drinking on auto-pilot with her mind clearly elsewhere.

"Pez?"

Sara glanced at him. "Sorry, Jake, just thinking about something." She took a long drink of her soda to give her time to collect her thoughts.

"Anything in particular?"

She shook her head. "Just some of the things in that chest."

Jake nodded. "The pictures?"

"Actually, no, the bullet." Sara's matter-of-fact reply caused Jake to choke slightly, and she moved over to pat him on the back. "Jake, you ok? Jake?" He stopped and began to breath, his face losing the ruddiness lack of oxygen brought. Lifting up the styrofoam container holding his soda, she kept her hand on his back as she offered it to him. "Here, why don't you take a drink?"

Jake took the drink from her and took a long sip from the straw. "Sorry, food went down the wrong way."

Sara sat back down and nodded. "Sure it wasn't something I said?"

Jake took another drink of his Coke and nodded. "Yeah, why?"

She shrugged. "Well, at the loft, you seemed pretty interested in the bullet."

Jake laughed. "Why would I be interested in a bullet that has an engraved bull on it?"

Sara shrugged again. "I'm not sure. You were looking at it when you said that you guessed my parents had stories to tell." Jake looked at her and she gave another small smile. "Good ears." He nodded. "So, what made you say that?"

Now it was Jake's turn to shrug. "Just that you don't often see engraved bullets. Especially bullets that belonged to cops."

Sara looked at him, a silent question seen in her eyes.

"You have a picture of your dad in his uniform. I'm a detective, you know."

She nodded and continued eating, her thoughts returning to the puzzle her life was now.

Everything is connected. I was right, I am beginning to hate that phrase. Jake knows more then he's telling me. Call it feminine intuition, a detective's instinct's, or a gut feeling from the Witchblade. I just know he's hiding something. Maybe that's how he's connected to this? Something to do with the engraved bullet, whatever it means.

Dante wouldn't have trusted Jake. He must have called Irons. I can understand why he gave me an alibi, as the Wielder of the Witchblade I wouldn't do him any good if I was in jail. But what does he want with Jake? What will he ask for as his favor?

I really shouldn't antagonize Dante. He already hates me and he is my captain. He can make my life difficult. More difficult then it already is.

Jake looked up at Sara's laughter. "Something funny?"

Sara nodded and tried to catch her breath, a job made harder by the fact she hadn't stopped laughing yet.

"Care to share the joke?"

Sara shook her head and managed to gasp out a reply. "It isn't something you'd get."

Jake watched her for a second before shrugging and finishing off his food. "Ready to go back?"

Sara finished off her own food and wiped her hands on one of the paper napkins from the tray. "No, but I don't think we have much of a choice if we want a paycheck." She stood and took a hold of her drink as Jake collected the trash and dumped it into the garbage on his way to return the tray to Tony.

He returned and gave a small bow with a sweeping gesture in the direction of the precinct. "Shall we?"

Sara shook her head at his antics and started down the street.

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