After a breakfast of leftovers and quiet awkward conversation, Sara had gone into the living room curled up on the end of the sofa and fallen asleep. After everything that had happened in the last 24 hours she was exhausted. Connor leaned against the wall and watched her. When asleep not only did she look ethereal, but there was no sign of the battered young woman, just peaceful innocence. Again Connor felt the anger and the need to protect her building up.

"We need to call Smecker."

Connor turned to Murphy who was also watching her. "We can't."

"I'm not saying turn her in. I'm saying let him know what we now know and that we've found the Angelus Iussa Letum. He could help her the way he's been helping us. Besides 'cause of her he's been making us lie low. Fuck, it's been a while since we had a hit. He may have something for us to do now that she is, I don't know, out of the way?"

Murphy was right, again. And Connor was starting to feel cooped up. "Yer right. It's time to remind the Boston fucking scum just who they should fear."

Murphy grinned and hit Connor on the shoulder. "Now that's the Con I fucking know and love. I'll get my coat."

"Hang on. What about Sara?"

"What about her?"

"Smecker is going to want to meet her at some point. But I doubt she would be up for going to a police station right now, so we can't take her with us. But at the same time I'm not sure I want to leave her here alone."

"Ya think she might try something?"

"I don't know. But I'd rather be safe than sorry."

"Well how about ya stay with her and I go see Smecker alone?"

"Nah," Connor shook his head. "I want to talk to him. Would ya stay?"

Murphy shook his head. "I'm no babysitter. And she seems to like ya more than she likes me."

"She doesn't like me."

"Fine, she trusts ya. Twice she has left and come back. Yeah, the second time you brought her here, but she came willingly. So there is a good chance that she'll still be here when we get back."

"Right then lets go."

"Are you sure? Ya don't want to leave her a note or anything?" Murphy was only half joking but Connor just ignored him.

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Sara yawned and stretched her arms above her head. She grimaced as she felt her back pop. Swinging her legs over and onto the floor she stood up, wandering into the kitchen. It was empty. She stuck her head into the bedroom and knocked on the bathroom door. All empty.

"Now where did they go?" She stood with her hands on her hips and looked more closely at her surroundings. The living room had the sofa, two battered and mismatched arm chairs and a coffee table in the corner with a small TV sitting on top of it. The walls were appeared to be white but had so much grime layered on them that she couldn't be sure.

The kitchen had everything a kitchen could need except for decent food. The table was still covered from breakfast. Without really thinking about it Sara started to clean up the mess. She put the dirty dishes into the sink and ran the water over them. She then found a large bag and started putting the garbage into it. It filled up quickly and she tied it off, setting it in the corner. She then tackled the beer bottles that littered the apartment, pouring out the ones that still had beer in the bottom. She rinsed them all out and lined them up in rows on the counter. Lastly she washed the dishes that she had put into the sink and put them away in the cupboards.

She looked around, already the apartment looked better. But she knew that if this apartment was to be truly clean she would have to go out and buy the necessary supplies to do it. She walked over to her duffel and rummaged around until she found her wallet and check book. Looking at her remaining balance she saw that she had just a little over enough. It was the last of her money but this right here was a worthy cause. She put on her coat and gloves and grabbed her backpack which she found thrown in the corner from the previous night.

Her equipment was still inside. She reached down and fingered the handle of her father's gun. Its weight was comfortable in her hand and its grip familiar. It felt right.

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"Murphy, Connor. Over here." Greenly stood up at his desk and waved somewhat frantically.

Both brothers rolled their eyes. Even after all this time Greenly was still clueless They made their way over.

"Hey Greenly, what's up?" Murphy gave him a slap of a handshake.

"Not much. What are you guys doing here?"

"We need to see Smecker. Is he in?" Connor looked around the room for any sign of the agent. He nodded his head at Detectives Dolly and Duffy on the other side of the room

"Yeah, he's in his office, but he's kind of busy at the moment working on that Angel of Death case. Said no one was to disturb him…"

"Don't worry 'bout it." Murphy slapped his back as he moved past him. "He'll want to see us. We've got some information for him."

"But…"

"Thanks." Connor followed his brother. They didn't even bother knocking, just went straight into Smecker's office. He looked up his face angry at being interrupted but it changed to surprise when he saw who it was.

"Oh it's you two."

Murphy grabbed a chair, spun it around, and sat on it backwards, his arms resting on the back. "So how goes it?" Connor took the other seat.

"Fucking terrible. And another body was found early this morning. Crime scene was nearly fucking identical."

Connor shared a look with his brother. "What ya mean by nearly identical?"

"Everything matched but the blood on the wall. Or rather the lack of blood on the wall. Someone stuck their fingers in the blood and there were drops leading to the wall, but nothing on the wall. It would seem that something or someone interrupted and scared them off. But there is also the possibility of a third copycat, in which case this whole thing is totally fucked up!"

"That someone would be me."

Smecker looked sharply at Connor. "You?"

"Aye."

"You mean to tell me you ran into the Angel of Death last night and you are just now telling me?"

"Yeah. We would have been here sooner but we were both kind of busy."

"And just what could be more important that this case?"

"I was, um, busy, with Mary until the wee hours of the morning." Murphy was unable to stop the smirk that was on his mouth, but it disappeared as quickly as it had appeared under Smecker's glare.

"And you?" He was still glaring at Murphy but his question was directed to Connor.

"I was dealing with the angel of death."

"Please tell me that by dealing with you mean lying dead in a ditch with a bullet in his head."

"No, she is still very much alive."

"She?" Smecker's voice actually went up an octave.

"I was just as surprised as you are. Turns out Murphy's little theory was right."

"His whole theory?"

Connor nodded. "And as for her not being dead, well, the situation is complicated. Ya see…"

"Uncomplicated it."

Connor looked up surprised. "What?"

"You heard me."

"We can't kill her." Murphy sat up and clenched his fists.

Smecker folded his hands. "Why not?"

"She a girl. We don't kill women and children. Da didn't do and we aren't going to start doing it."

"Besides," Connor interjected. "Ya haven't even let us finish explaining what's going on."

"Well then, please, enlighten me."

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Author's Note:

To those of you who reviewed and offered advice, thank you so much. My writters block is mostly gone. Keep reviewing, I love hearing that you like it and what you think. This is after all my first fanfic of any kind. Any and all feeback is welcome, even if it is negative, but try to be constructive and not downright mean.

And sorry if Smecker comes across as harsh. But i figured even though he is helping the brothers that old habits and training from before die hard. And it will make sense later on, I hope.