"Fuck!" Connor fell back against the wall with his arm cradled against his chest.

Both Sara and Murphy heard him and looked up from their positions in the room. Worry crossed both their faces. Sara, out of bullets, hit the guy in front of her across the face with the butt of her gun, knocking him to the ground cold.

Murphy pulled out his knife. "I'll finish him. Go check on Connor."

Sara didn't have to be told twice. Shoving her gun back into its holster she ran over to Connor who had slid into a sitting position against the wall. "Are you hit?"

"No I just felt like yelling fuck real loud. Of course I'm fucking hit." Connor clutched his forearm and hissed through his teeth.

"Don't yell at me. I'm trying to help you." Sara glared at Connor but the hurt and fear was evident in her eyes.

"Sorry." Connor removed his hand, showing the sleeve of his coat which was already covered in blood.

"Christ." Sara very carefully helped Connor to remove his coat and then push up his sleeve. At the sight of the gunshot wound she had to fight back the urge to throw up. "Murphy I need your knife and your lighter. Now."

Murphy was by her side instantly handing her both. Sara grimaced at the sight of it covered in blood. Looking around she saw a bottle of wine fallen over onto its side.

"Grab me that bottle as well." She took off her coat and gloves and rolled up her sleeves. "And find me some cloth or something. We can't let Connor's blood get on anything."

Murphy disappeared into an adjoining room. Sara could hear the sound of fabric being torn. She rested the palm of her hand against Connor's cheek. "You're going to be fine."

He swallowed and gave her a rather forced smile. "With ya taking care of me how I could be anything but?"

Murphy came back into the room and handed to Sara a bunch of strips of what appeared to have been a table cloth. Sara quickly used one to wipe the blood of the knife, next she took the wine and poured it over the blade, drying it off again with a second strip. Next taking Murphy's lighter she heated the blade.

"Murphy, get behind him. You're going to have to hold him still."

Connor scooted forward and Murphy got behind him, locking his arms in place. Sara sat on Connor's legs and held his arm firmly with her left hand. She locked eyes with Connor.

"You ready?"

"Aye."

Looking back down, Sara dug the tip of the knife into the wound, and dug out the bullet. Connor convulsed and bit back a yell. She felt tears stinging her eyes, but soon had the bullet out. She grabbed what was left of the wine and used it to clean the injury. Then she heated the knife again with the lighter and pressed the length of the blade against Connor's skin. Grabbing the last two trips of cloth, she folded one over and pressed it down on his arm and then tied it tight with the last piece.

"That should hold it for now. But we'll have to deal with it more fully when we get back home."

Standing and pulling Connor to his feet, Murphy him a reassuring pat on the back. "I'll finish cleaning up."

Sara took Murphy's place next to Connor putting both her arms around his waist and burying her face in his chest

"For fuck's sake Sara, ya act like yer in as much pain as I am."

Sara opened her eyes and frowned, looking up at Connor as she did. "Don't try and make light of the situation Connor. This could have been a whole lot worse."

"Yeah, well it aint. I'm gonna be fine."

"Well excuse me for being scared." Sara let him go and bent down picking up both their coats and her gloves. She shoved his own coat into the hand of his uninjured arm and put hers back on, jamming her gloves into the pocket. Joining Murphy she began spraying the blood that was everywhere with ammonia, and picking up all the empty bullet casings that were lying around.

A mess that had taken only five minuets to create took twenty to clean up so that they wouldn't leave behind any tell-tale signs.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Mary finished stitching up Connor's arm and wrapped it. "There, you'll live. And I give Sara my praises for quick thinking."

"All she did was pour wine over it and press hot metal to my skin." Connor flexed his fingers and slowly rotated his arm. Still sore, and more than a little tender, but he would survive. It was just a flesh wound.

"Which is more than either you or Murphy ever did before." Mary began to put away the med kit. "She saved me quite a bit of trouble. I'd tell you to rest and not use that arm, but I know you won't listen. But at least use what little sense you have buried under that thick Irish skull of yours and don't overdo it if you want that to heal properly."

"Thanks Mary, ya'd give the best surgeon a run for his money."

Mary rolled her eyes. "Someone has to make sure you boys stay in one piece."

Sara appeared in the doorway. "You done with him?"

"Yup, stitched and cleaned up." Mary stood.

Sara hugged her. "Do you need a ride home?"

"I'll get Murphy to take me. It's about time he did something useful, and I need to talk to him anyways. I see you later."

Mary left them alone. Sara continued to stand in the doorway, fidgeting restlessly.

Connor leaned back on the bed and looked at her. "Ya still mad at me?"

"Why would I be mad at you?"

"I got shot."

"I'm not mad at you for getting shot. I am mad that you got shot."

Connor patted the bed next to him and Sara made her way over, sitting down on the edge of the bed. Connor pulled her into his arms so that her head rested over his heart, and ran his fingers through her hair. "It's what we do, it comes with the territory. And sometimes we get hurt."

"I know." Sara sighed. "I'm not sure I can keep doing this though."

"Doing what?"

"This. Leading a double life." She pursed her lips and furrowed her brow. "It takes a lot out of a person." She looked up at Connor. "I've been thinking that I need to get rid of one of them."

Connor tensed. "Which one?"

"I think I should retire from the business of saints and angels." Sara felt Connor relax again and smiled. "You thought I was going to say we should break up didn't you?"

"It crossed my mind."

Sara snuggled closer. "I admit that I thought about it too. It's getting harder for me to keep us and that separate. How much longer till our concern for the other person's safety gets in the way of our own? This way, I get to keep you, and I still know that you've got Murphy looking out for you."

"Okay."

Sara blinked. "That's it? I'm out."

"If it is what ya want then sure. I'm not gonna force ya to keep doing something ya don't want to do. And yer right. This way I'll know yer safe at home. I got you involved in the whole thing out of necessity. But we did it without ya before, we can do it again."

"Alright then. I'm out, but if there is every an emergency or anything…"

"Then I'll let ya know."

Sara kissed him lightly on the lips. "I love you."

"I love ya too." Connor pulled her tighter against him and rolled her onto her back, slipping his hand under her shirt and kissing her harder.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Author's Note: you know the drill, review please.