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(Where the Sun Rises)

Anna Williams had not even been an adult a full week, but she was already a professional killer. Her name was already on the lips of dangerous and powerful men who wanted to send a certain type of message. Or who simply wanted their adversaries out of the way.

Quinn had kept his word, and no one contacted her while she was underage, but she was eighteen years old now; it was bound to happen soon. She still didn't know how to feel about that. She still didn't know how to feel about the fact that she had already killed three men.

Sometimes she hated herself for doing what she had done, and sometimes she hated herself for not feeling worse. Sometimes she couldn't sleep, and sometimes she slept like she didn't have a care in the world. Sometimes she indulged in all the shopping and food she loved, and sometimes she couldn't eat and didn't even want to leave the house.

But most of her time was spent wondering about Nina. She had not seen her since the night after their meeting with Quinn. He said he would need one of them to tie all the loose ends. That had to have been Nina's task. Emmett Walsh didn't seem like a loose end. As far as Anna figured, he had just been a way to test her, and at the same time, get rid of someone who had wronged Quinn in some way.

The loose end had to be Margaret's mother, Bridget Callahan. It had been said that her husband's death, along with the death of her only surviving child, had driven Mrs. Callahan to suicide. That horrible thought alone was enough to keep Anna awake at night. But Mrs. Callahan lived in Frankfurt, Germany, and Anna had tracked Nina to Luxembourg City; it was just a short flight away from Frankfurt. Why else would Nina have made the trip on such short notice?

Anna didn't want to think about it, but the thought was always there, nestled somewhere in her mind. All that violence was part of her now; it was her future. What she needed to do was turn her back on the idea of a normal life; she had to cut all ties to her past.

Anna sat quietly on a chair in Jenny's bedroom, a cat sleeping at her feet, and an envelope clasped tightly in her hand. Her heart pounding, aching.

The doorknob turned, and the cat stretched lazily in response.

Jennifer stepped inside, a book bag slung over her shoulder. She closed the door and turned on the light. When she saw Anna sitting on her bed, she gasped and flattened herself against the wall.

Anna stood up. "Don't worry, Jen, it's just me."

Jennifer dropped her book bag and rushed toward Anna, pulling her in a tight embrace. "I have been so worried about you." She took a step back and looked reproachfully at her. "Why did you send me that letter? What does it mean? What was I supposed to think after reading that? I've thought the worst just so you know."

Anna's gaze moved to the floor. "It's worse than that."

Jennifer looked at a loss for words, then shook her head slowly. She picked up the cat and sat in a chair next to the bed. "No, it's not, Anna, don't say that."

Anna sat on the bed and looked around the room, taking in every little detail. The books neatly stacked on Jennifer's writing desk, the obligatory U2 poster on the wall, the bedsheets with faded stars, her best friend with a cat on her lap.

There was an uneasy silence. It seemed unnatural; Anna had always felt so comfortable around Jenny, had always found it so easy to talk to her. Now it felt like there was an invisible wall between them.

"...You look so different," Jennifer said, "I know you said you were thinking about cutting your hair, but that coat..."

Anna gave a short, dry laugh. "Don't worry, it's not real leopard."

Jenny looked like she tried to smile but ended up looking like she was going to cry.

Anna traced the pattern of the faded stars on the bed rather than look at Jenny. "...My room is empty now."

"I heard you were selling your house. I wanted to help you with the packing and everything."

"There wasn't much to do. I just took what I wanted and told the real estate agent to do whatever she wanted with the rest. The house sold today." Anna chuckled. "The new owners brought in a priest to bless it, they know it's a murder house, but they bought it anyway."

Jennifer sighed as she pulled the cat close to her chest. "I could have been there for you."

"I'm sorry, I'm doing what's best for you."

"You're not coming back to school, are you?"

"No."

"Where are you going?"

"I can't tell you."

Jenny set the cat on the floor and crossed her arms protectively as she looked at Anna. "I hate myself for asking this… Is the Callahan's house a murder house too?"

The thought of Jenny knowing what she and Nina had done made Anna feel sick to her stomach. "No one was murdered," she looked at the cat instead of Jennifer, "you read the papers."

"And Bridget Callahan?"

She could never tell her that she and Nina were responsible for wiping out an entire family. But Jenny wasn't an idiot, and if Anna tried to lie to her, she would see right through her. "Jen…" she sighed softly as she shook her head. "You're too smart. Your brain makes too many connections, and you don't even mean to do it… It's best if you don't ask and even better if you don't share any theories with anyone. Anyone."

Jenny's gaze didn't move away from Anna's. She couldn't even tell what she saw in her eyes, acceptance? Disappointment? Maybe both. Her lips moved as if she were about to say something, but she exhaled and nodded instead.

"Where are your other cats?" Anna didn't care about the cats, but she just wanted to hear Jenny talk. She yearned for the easy flow of conversation they'd had only a few weeks before.

"Downstairs. Didn't you see them? How did you get in here anyway?"

"Through the back door. I know where you keep your spare key. You should get a dog. You never know who could try to break into your house."

Jenny looked afraid for a brief moment, then bent down to pet Petunia's head. "I can't; the cats would hate that. They're having a hard time as it is. Maurice is scared of Petunia, but Agatha and Persephone are so mean to her. We're making progress though, they all ate breakfast in the same room this morning, and no one tried to kill anybody."

"That's good."

There it was again, the invisible wall, the uneasy silence.

"Do you miss your father?"

The question came out of nowhere. It was such a simple question. All it required was a simple yes or no answer. But she couldn't just say one word, not to Jenny. Even if things were different.

"I was there, Jen. I watched him die."

Jennifer stared wide-eyed. "I'm so sorry, Anna."

"He was bleeding out, and I asked him what I should do, but it's like he wasn't even there anymore. He was barely conscious, and he called for Nina." Anna heard her own voice break. "I was with him. It was me. I was the one who had his blood all over my clothes. I was the one trying to stop the bleeding with my own hands, and he wanted her."

Anna wanted to say more, but she couldn't breathe. Pressure was building in her chest, her throat hurt, it felt like it was closing. It wasn't until she felt Jenny's arms around her that she noticed the tears flowing freely down her face, her own shaking shoulders. It should have felt like relief, but it scared her. She couldn't put her guard down, couldn't show vulnerability, couldn't say too much; it was time to leave the past in the past.

She focused on breathing slowly through her nose. She inhaled and exhaled deeply until the sobbing had subsided, and all that remained was a dull ache in her throat. She pulled away from Jennifer's embrace and dried her tears with the back of her hand.

Anna cleared her throat before speaking. "I...I wanted to give you this." She handed Jenny the envelope that she'd been holding for the past half hour.

Jennifer turned the envelope over in her hand as she dried her own tears. "What is it?"

"When I turned sixteen, I found out that my mother had set up a bank account in my name before she died. I told you about that. My mother wanted me to have the money I needed if I wanted to get away from my father and live my own life."

"Was that the money for Paris?"

"Yes."

"Are you going?"

"No. I put the account in your name."

Jennifer stared at the envelope. "What? Why?"

"Because I want you to go to veterinary school, and I want you to open the rehoming center for animals. I want something good to come out of this money, something genuinely good."

Jennifer shook her head as fresh tears began to well up in her eyes. "No, no. You take it, go to Paris, become a model. I'm sorry I wasn't supportive, but you never told me what you were trying to get out of before. I want you to go. Please take it and go."

Anna shook her head. "I don't need the money. I have more money than I'll ever need." She felt the ache in her throat and the tightness in her chest again. "This money was earned by my grandfather and my great grandfather through hard work and good business decisions. They-"

"Anna, I can't."

"They built ships and later sold their company. They were honest men; I know they would want their money to go to someone like you. At least do it for me; I want this money to be used for something good, please, Jen."

Jennifer nodded through her tears as Anna pulled her into a tight hug. "I'm never going to see you again, am I?"

Anna refused to let more tears fall. She was a Williams, even if she hated being one, and she was not supposed to cry. The time for tears had come and gone. She was losing her connection to the only pure-hearted person in her life. There was nothing left to cry about.

"I'm sorry, Jenny," Anna tried to make her voice as even as possible, "it's for your safety and my peace of mind."

Jennifer pulled away from Anna and looked at her for a long moment. The tears had stopped flowing, but there was a deep sadness in her eyes. "Please be careful." She was smart and had always been a realist. She must have known that whatever Anna was involved in was not something she wanted in her life. "I don't want to open the newspaper one day and see your obituary."

Anna gave her a sad smile. "You won't." In her line of work, if she died, they'd make sure her body was never found.

"And stop smoking."

She had to smile at the expression on Jenny's face. It was a cross between a concerned mother and a know-it-all teenager. A heaviness settled in her chest, knowing that she would never see it again.

"I promise."

She gave Jennifer one last brief hug, then bent down to pet Petunia lightly on the head. Not trusting herself to stay strong if she looked at her again, Anna turned her back on her friend and left the room.

As she walked away from Jennifer's house, Anna felt a sense of heartache and loss. But there was also relief knowing that Jenny was safe, that she was no longer tied to her parents' ridiculous expectations. She had a real chance to be happy, to live her dream.

Anna spotted her parked car, or what she'd been using as her car, Nina's BMW. She looked at her watch and quickened her pace; she was late meeting Michael.

She opened the driver's door and sat in the now-ruined leather seat. She'd spilled her drink a few times, and the interior smelled of cigarette smoke. Nina loved that BMW like Jennifer loved her cats and had left it in a storage unit before her departure. Anna was only borrowing it and fully intended to return it.

After fixing her makeup, Anna drove to the park where she and Michael had agreed to meet. He was there already, standing next to his car, smoking and looking impatient. She had been enjoying their time together. He was sweet at times, possessive on others, but always useful. She parked behind his car and stepped out.

"There's my warrior angel."

He took a drag from his cigarette before speaking. "Where were you?"

Anna slid her arms around his waist. "The bank. You know those people have no respect for anyone's time." She gave him a tiny peck on the lips. "You're not angry, are you?"

He shook his head. "I was worried."

God damn it. She'd have to let him go before he did something stupid like proposing or telling her he loved her.

"That's so sweet." She kissed him again. When she pulled away, he offered her his cigarette. "No, thanks, I'm quitting."

"Why?"

She let go of him and leaned against the door of his car, then slowly ran her hand over her hip. "I want this body to be at its best for you."

He laughed. "Is that so?"

"Of course." She put her arms around him again and gave him an alluring smile. "What did you find out for me?"

He responded with a wolfish grin. "I don't know, am I going to get something in return."

Anna put her hands in the pockets of his jeans and pulled him against her. "My most sincere gratitude."

Michael bent down and kissed her. When Anna broke the kiss, he took a step back and dropped his cigarette on the ground. He crushed it with the heel of his shoe and ran his hand over his hair. "Your sister went to Tokyo."

"Tokyo? What for?"

"I don't know, but it seems that she's gonna be there a while, like a month or more. It was hard enough to find out where Uncle Seamus sent her, so no, I don't know why, and he won't tell me either, so don't ask again. And don't tell him that I told you, or-"

"You know I would never."

He looked at her with concern. "You going to Tokyo?"

Anna laughed. "God, no. I went with my father a couple of times, it's the most boring place I've ever been to. A beach on the Caribbean, on the other hand…" She loved Tokyo. The shopping, the nightlife, the food. "Did you reserve a nice room for us?"

"As always."

"Good." Anna walked to the passenger side of his car and waited for him to open the door. "I'm in a good mood. I want room service."

"Anything to make you happy," Michael said as he helped her into the car.

Yeah, definitely time to let him go.

She would leave early before Michael woke up; he was a heavy sleeper. She would fly to Madrid to check on Christina, and from there, she'd go to Tokyo to see what Nina was up to.

If that bitch thought I was joking about being her shadow, she's got another thing coming.

And besides, Anna needed a change. A change of pace, a change of scenery, and Japan was beautiful at that time of year.

-Fin-

A/N: Well, I finished a thing. When I saw that Anna's bio listed her occupation as 'assassin' at eighteen years old, I thought, there has to be a dark back story there. I guess there was.

Thank you so much for reading it. I had so much fun writing it. I hope you're all well.