Her upstairs neighbor apparently knew the man who'd been a friend of her father's since their days training at Langley, as he answered the door almost immediately. Sarah smiled at him through her tears and he laughed. He was a tall man, with brown hair that fell where it wanted, and piercing eyes. He smiled back at her, of course, because he was a foot taller than she was, the distance was somewhat large. "Paper girl!" he noted, quite happily.

Sarah shook her head. The most regular interactions she had with her neighbor were the early morning chats they had as they both went to get the morning paper. She found herself holding back a laugh as she pointed at her feet. "I didn't think you'd recognize me without my slippers." Her neighbor smiled and she was about to make some comment when she heard a familiar voice.

"Sarah's apartment was broken into," interjected her Uncle. Walter, just like her father, but controlling. Imperious. Commanding. "There's going to be trouble," he pronounced in a voice that sounded to Sarah like it would have been better suited to announce the end of days.

"A simple break in?" Her neighbor raised his eyebrows, his expression turned to one of unease, disbelief.

But it wasn't simple, she thought to herself. Nothing was ever simple when it came to her. The tears came again and rather than stand there and sob she found herself screaming. "It isn't simple," she began, in spite of herself and without control. "I was broken into," she continued, cutting herself off before she explained how it wasn't anybody else so they would have no clue why a break in wasn't simple. "The alarm…" she began, intending to explain how high tech the alarm system was...that it was designed.." And then she just lost it. Completely. And she let herself. She saw the hands of the guy who reminded her of him...but she wouldn't succumb to his touch...wouldn't succumb to the illusion of the man who was across the country from where she stood. When she needed him the most. She shook her head and stepped away, crossing her arms. "Nothing is ever simple with me," she made out.

All of a sudden, she felt a hand on the small of her back, as someone who seemed like her uncle ushered her inside. She glanced behind and the blonde illusion, who'd not questioned her odd dependence on him followed a few steps behind. She stole a glance at her neighbor and at the illusion as her neighbor closed the door.

**

They'd stood there waiting, wondering, including Sarah who knew what was going to happen once her uncle judged that everybody had calmed down. And once they did, she heard him clear his throat. "Sarah's father is CIA," he began, in a tone that Sarah judged sounded more appropriate for a classroom lecture. " Her uncle is a Navy SEAL working on a government project. Her friends from back home are involved in things so secret, not even I know about them." And then she caught a glance of him and a smile that oozed pride...though she wasn't sure what to make of it or wasn't sure where it came from. "Her too. "

"And the alarm?" interjected her neighbor, almost excited to be asking the question.

Sarah swallowed and composed herself enough to answer it. . "Was created by a technology firm that's consulted on several government projects, including work with the CIA, FBI, tons of biotech. She paused, looking at the rest of the assembled group. Judging their state of mind. When she figured they were ready to listen, she spoke again . "We're talking foolproof…."

Her neighbor gulped. "S&S?"

Sarah nodded, full of pride for the fact that he'd recognized the name of the company. Missing one of the partners. "That's them." She listened to what her uncle had said but somehow found herself fighting some internal battle...scared of nothing but everything at the same time. And then she realized why. She was scared out of her mind because someone had broken into her apartment and tore up the security device that was painstakingly put together by .... "Whoever busted that alarm is someone that scares me," she burst out, not caring who heard her. "And I don't scare easily."

All of a sudden, a taller woman with long chestnut hair walked into the room "What's going on." Sarah looked up into her face, and saw nerves, fears that oddly seemed to echo her own. "Are you ok?" the woman asked, her emerald eyes filled with concern.

The no she held at the tip of her tongue was held off by her uncle's voice. "We have a burglary downstairs," he began, all business and then pointed at her. " This young woman's apartment was broken into. They may be looking for us…or Tom…"

Sarah shook her head. Exactly what had happened was crystal clear in her mind. The reasons, the actions and the logic. And nobody else seemed to understand it for what it was. And they didn't have a reason to understand . So how coulkd she explain? What could she say to make them understand? "No," she finally said, turning around to look at everybody who stood around her. "It was deliberate. Nobody is going to stand there and break that security system because they're looking for anybody other than me." She saw the reaction on the kind woman's face and smiled, recognizing it as the relief she often felt when she found out that one of her loved ones, her boyfriend in particular, wasn't involved. "They may want a Tom," she continued slowly, finding herself oddly scared beyond belief. And then nervous. Feeling her heart start to beat faster. It was her place they'd broken into...or someone had broken into. Not anybody else's but hers. They wanted her...or someone connected with her. "But my guess is," she continued, trying to keep her voice steady, "that we'd not be talking about the same person…."

And then she lost it. Again. She tried to hold it in...but felt absolutely no luck as her world started to turn black.