A/N: Apparently, I'm evil. But just so you know, I'm enjoying every minute of it. :):) Hopefully this chapter will help me get back into your good favor...:) But maybe not, who knows?

She reached their apartment and used her key to quietly enter. The emptiness of the rooms without the boys didn't upset her this time. It only made her more determined. Her life may revolve around the three McManus men, but it didn't mean she had to sit home and wait for them. Especially since she might just be the best one in a position to do something worthwhile.

The silence of her phone stopped nagging at her as she reached her closet and threw the doors open. It was better she was left alone right now. She needed no contact that might talk her out of it.

The amount of clothes she'd purchased in the last few weeks would severely limit her options, but she knew that Sara's closet was always up for grabs as well. Something short, something sexy. These were not items usually found in Katie's closet. And she certainly wasn't finding them today.

Stepping back out of her bedroom, she closed the door quietly and stood in the hallway for a moment. Her eyes fell on the boys' door. To the sound of Sara's understanding laughter, she'd remade their beds the night before, after they'd had a nice dinner. Sara convinced her that they'd never know. They were men and men rarely kept track of the smell of their own sheets. Especially the lack of smell of their own sheets.

Promising herself she wouldn't do anything stupid and pathetic, Katie indulged the need to go into their room. The thought had hit her that if things went somehow wrong, she might never see this room again. Or them again. Would never see him again. She also knew that if things went well and she came home unhurt, Murphy would probably kill her for doing something so stupid. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

With a slight smile, she sank down on Murphy's bed. They would be upset when they found out. But she couldn't just sit there and do nothing. She just didn't have the strength any longer to play the waiting lover role. Especially since she had experience with the mob. Valuable experience. And now, because of Smecker's influence, she also had a good idea of how to get back in. 'Horny fuckers never think twice about a hooker being dangerous'. And that works perfect for me.

She still felt guilty that a man had died because of them. And while she knew logically that more would probably die before this was over, this man had helped them. He had been vital to them as an informant. And now they were without one.

"And that's where I come in." Her whisper filled the room and she knew her purpose for being in this situation.

It might be God's will for them to face this mafia-formed army, but they weren't going to face it blind. Not if she could help it.

Sara found her eyes drifting away from her work again. She'd covered the phone with a notepad nearly an hour ago, but still, she knew it was there. And that alone was enough to distract her. Her emotions had been at war within since the night before he left and she was starting to feel raw inside.

She had been angry at first. Angry that he would put her in this situation, that he'd been forced by circumstances to leave just as she was getting comfortable. But she knew he didn't know. He didn't understand the fears she had, so he didn't know to do things differently. If there would have even been a way to do things differently.

With her inability to push Connor away for the moment, she'd been pushing Katie away instead. She knew that Katie understood the situation, but for the first time ever, she was unsure of whether her friend would be 'on her side.' She hated to think of things that way, but even though Katie was with Murphy, she still had a certain bond with Connor, too. And that meant that she might not see things as clearly as a best friend was supposed to.

Sighing, Sara leaned her face into her hands, breathing deeply to try to quell away the emotions. She couldn't work this way. Fuck, she couldn't even live this way. And that scared her. What if this was just a preview of how life would be as Connor's girlfriend? Getting him for a few nights, only to have him stolen away from her by a job. The job itself didn't bother her, as she understood it. Understood the need for it. And a large part of her loved Connor for being able to take that burden on for the rest of the world. But that didn't mean she could live that way.

Sara checked the phone again and saw that it was nearly four o'clock. Soon she'd be off of work and would have to go home and face Katie. As long as their conversations steered away from the McManuses, she loved being around her again. But she knew tonight, after another full day of no news, there would be no way of avoiding the topic.

She was worried. And she knew if she was worried, Katie was bound to be frantic, even if she managed to hide it well. Katie had the disadvantage of knowing many more details of what the mob was capable of. And thus, her imagination was much more likely to be running wild and driving her mad with concern. She just hoped that Katie would be still satisfied with waiting. Because Sara wasn't sure she could handle anymore drama. Not even Katie drama.

Katie reached Sara's apartment and immediately went to her closet. They were slightly different in size, but she hoped she could make what she found work for her. The red halter top she found stuffed into the far end of the closet fit a little snugger through the chest than she usually liked, but she figured that it might work to her advantage.

Shifting through the dresser drawers, she grinned when she found what she was looking for. The black mini skirt had been Sara's favorite during their early college days, and Katie knew deep down that Sara would never have the heart to get rid of it. And now it worked out perfectly for her that she knew her friend so well.

As she slipped it on and zipped the side of the skirt up, Katie realized that for the first time she was truly thankful for the weight she'd lost while being held at the warehouse. Sara had always been a little thinner than her. And taller. The length of the skirt was more of a decent length on her, but rolling it would make her waist line look too bulky. It was better to just look like less of a slutty hooker. Is that even possible? She smirked and shook her head. Leave it to me to break down the options of the 'hooker look.'

Moving to the bathroom, Kate pulled out her makeup case and touched up her mascara, adding dark eyeliner and a mixture of eye shadows. Sara's deep red lipstick topped it off. Her hands shook slightly as she turned her head over and tousled her hair, adding some hair spray to give it volume.

Slipping on a pair of Sara's black strappy heels, Katie looked at herself in the full length mirror near the bed. Could she pass? Was she believable as a prostitute? Do I even know what I'm doing? Staring into the mirror, she realized she'd never gone this far before. And this was a step that might possibly change everything.

Connor's right shoulder still throbbed, despite the extra-strength Tylenol he'd found in Katie's bathroom medicine cabinet. He'd been mystified by most of the products he found lurking behind the threefold glass door, but finally his eyes landed on the large, half-full bottle near the top. Pulling it out carefully, he cringed as he watched everything shift. To his relief nothing fell.

He took the bottle with him out to the living room, partly because he was afraid to try to put it back and also because he knew they'd need it. Da's back was a little better, but he was still holding himself stiffly as he sat at the kitchen table, talking to Smecker over his cell phone.

Murphy sat with his feet up in one of the recliners and winced as he reached to grab the bottle Connor threw at him. He gave him a half smile of thanks but turned wordlessly back to the news.

They'd been like that most of the day. Plenty to talk about but nothing really to say. Both of their minds were with Boston and what it might hold for them when they returned. Da still hadn't given his okay for them to call the girls, but Connor knew as soon as he got off the phone with Smecker, he'd finally allow them too.

He'd asked them to wait until they knew for sure when they'd been coming home. And until he knew what they could safely say. Somehow, someone had known where they'd been and Da wondered if it wasn't connected with their phones. Connor thought that was a ridiculous idea, especially since they were pre-pay phones, but Da wanted to see what Smecker thought first. Then they could each make a call home.

Connor stared at the phone in his hand, wondering what he was even going to say. Things had been unsure with Sara when he'd left. And now, after two days of not talking to her, he had no idea where he stood. He was usually better at this with women. But that was before. Before he and Murphy's lives had become the constant state of turmoil and alarm.

Ironically, they'd switched places in their abilities of hanging onto a relationship. He'd always been the one to have long-term relationships with girls, while Murphy rarely had one last beyond a week. But it had been Murphy who had left this time with the strong relationship; albeit one that was still less than a week old. And now here Connor sat, unwilling to assume anything about his own.

Da looked over at them and nodded finally, as he pressed the button to end the call. He sighed. "We fly back tomorrow mornin'."

"We're fuckin' flyin' home?" Murphy frowned from his chair across the room. Da nodded.

"Aye. Smecker can't make the trip because he's in the middle of a big case. And he's not about ta send one of the girls."

"Fuckin' right he's not sendin' 'em up here." Connor glanced up from his phone and exchanged a nod with Murphy. "That'd be fuckin' idiotic."

"Ye can call yer girls. Smecker doesn't think they'll be trackin' the calls, but try ta keep the calls to a minimum in case." Da shifted in his chair and turned back to the table. Murphy picked up his phone and walked back to Katie's bedroom to call her. Connor sighed as he left, knowing he needed to call Sara now too. He'd be in worse trouble if he waited.

Holding the phone in his lap, he struggled to put down the footstool with his left hand, reaching at the awkward angle to the handle on the right side of the chair. Once he finally got out of the chair, he walked the bottle of Tylenol over to Da and set it on the table.

"Take 'em. It might help yer back." He grabbed glass of water and filled it at the table before setting it in front of Da. "And maybe, when we get back, you should go get that checked out."

"Connor, ye know I can't do that."

"It's not a fuckin' gunshot wound, Da. They probably won't think twice about it."

"Maybe."

"Just talk ta Doc. I'm sure he knows a good doctor somewhere in Boston who won't ask questions." When Da finally gave him a nod, Connor moved away from the table. Wandering into the hallway, he glanced down and saw that Katie's bedroom door was closed. There really weren't too many private places to talk in a one-bedroom apartment. For lack of a better option, he walked into the bathroom and sat down on the side of the tub.

"Hello?" She'd picked up her phone on the first ring, giving him little time to prepare what to say.

"Hey, Sara. It's me."

"Conn. How are things?" Her voice was softer and he knew what she was really asking. How are you? So, he realized, they were both feeling awkward about things.

"Things aren't too bad. We're comin' home tomorrow mornin'."

"Great. I miss you."

"I miss ye, too. I'm sorry I had ta leave, Sara." He pressed his lips together as she sighed. There, it was out there. And when they got back, he knew they'd need to really talk about it.

"I'm sorry I was a bitch about it." Her words caught him off guard and he frowned down at the phone.

"I'd hardly say ye were a bitch. I'm sure it's not easy ta be left to wait for us."

"And I'm sure it's not easy to leave." She took a shaky breath and he knew she was crying. He felt useless, knowing there was nothing he could do about her tears from four hours away. "At least, I'm sure I didn't make it easy for you, Connor."

She had made it hard, but he could hardly say that to her. So he said the only thing he could. The one thing he really felt. "I love you, Sara."

He heard her sob then and squeezed his eyes shut at the lump growing in his own throat. Why couldn't things be easier?

"Connor." She whispered but didn't continue. They sat there in an awkward silence for a moment. Finally, he couldn't take it anymore.

"Its okay, Sara. I'm sorry. My timing is bad." He spoke quietly, hearing movement out in the hallway. Murphy's head peeked around the corner and Connor waved him away without looking at him. She was still silent on the other end. Closing his eyes, he leaned his head back. "But I just wanted to tell you that we're all fine here."

"Okay." Her response was so soft he could barely hear it.

"I'll see you tomorrow once we're back in town. Bye Sara."

"Wait." She spoke before he could move the phone to end the call. "Connor, I-"

"What?"

"Conn, I don't want you to think I don't care about you. Because I do. I just…I just don't say those words until I'm sure."

He nodded and sighed. "Me neither. But we can talk about this when I get home."

"That and a few other things."

"Okay. I'll see you then tomorrow."

"Bye, Connor."

"Bye." He pressed the 'End' button and leaned his head forward with another, louder sigh. Christ, why couldn't things be fucking easier!

Getting up slowly, he kept his right arm to his side to try to keep the pain level down. He was tired, he was hurting and now, he really didn't know what to do with Sara. A fight sounded really good right about now. Something to use his energy up. Maybe Murphy would be willing to fight with him. He usually was.

But as Connor rounded the corner, he saw that Murphy was sitting on the couch, looking very tense. Now wasn't the time to pick a fight with Murphy. Fuck. He looked up as Connor stepped in and stood up right away.

"She didn't pick up."

"What?" Connor put his left hand on Murphy's shoulder, seeing the worry in his brother's eyes.

"Katie. She didn't fuckin' pick up. I waited and called three times."

"Maybe she's at the bar. Ye know how fuckin' loud it can get there."

Murphy nodded slightly, and started chewing on his thumb. "Maybe."

"Try her again in a bit. If ye still can't get her ta pick up, than I'll call Sara back and see what she knows." Connor squeezed Murphy's shoulder and moved to the kitchen.

"Ye're probably right. I didn't think of her bein' at the fuckin' bar."

Connor glanced over where Da still sat at the table and saw that he was cleaning their guns. Pulling out a chair, he sat across from him. "What are we gonna do with our guns? We can exactly take 'em on the fuckin' airplane."

"We'll leave 'em here. And come back and get 'em sometime soon." Da didn't look up from his work. Connor nodded and looked over where Murphy sat on the couch, staring off at the far wall.

"Good idea." Connor agreed quietly, knowing his words fell on deaf ears. Neither Da nor Murphy were paying attention, each attempting to distract themselves and each failing miserably. Connor knew how they felt as he returned to picking at the label on his beer bottle, the conversation with Sara running through his mind again. Christ, it'd be good to just get home.

She'd gotten in. All the way into the house and now up in an empty bedroom on the second floor. And now, as the greasy looking, low-level mobster leered at her, she wondered what the fuck she'd gotten herself into. His eyes wandered down her body again.

"You must be new to this, honey."

"Why?" She gave him a provocative smile. "Don't remember a face like mine?"

He stepped closer, shaking his head and managed to back her against the wall. Her heart raced as he grinned at her again. "Faces? No, faces I don't remember. But these." He ran his rough fingertips lightly over her cleavage before putting a hand over each breast. "These I never forget."

His lips were on hers then, pressing harshly. He shoved his tongue in her mouth and forced a hand up her shirt. Katie fought hard not to gag and fight him off. He'd expect her to be enjoying this. But she had to slow him down. She had no intention of actually sleeping with him. He just didn't need to know that yet.

She pressed her hands against his chest and leaned her head back as far away from him as possible. "Slow down now. We have all night."

He shook his head. "Ha! I ain't payin' for a whole night, baby. I can't afford to go your pace."

As he lowered his head again, her mind raced as she thought of what she could do to distract him. None of the options seemed particularly attractive to her at the moment. She was hardly a prude, but now as she fought to keep kicking him as he began to work her slowly back to the bed, she wondered. Just how far was she willing to go for this? And how much was she willing to forgive herself for?

She bit her lip to keep from crying out as his hands squeezed tightly on her upper arms. The door squeaked open from behind them, but Katie's view was blocked as the mobster looked over his shoulder. "What do ya want?" His voice was angry and his grip on her tightened, making her bite harder into her lip to keep from making a sound.

"Frankie, what the fuck are you doin'? The boss is gonna be here soon."

"Just gimme a few more minutes and I'll be down." He began to turn back to her but the footsteps came closer, stopping.

"No, you'll go down now."

Katie's jaw dropped as she realized the voice sounded familiar. It was only as the blonde hair and hazel eyes came into view that she realized she was looking at the angry face of her brother. His eyes widened slightly as he looked closely at her, and she knew he was working hard to keep Frankie from seeing his reaction.

"Who do you have here, Frankie?" His voice was hard and he looked away from her. Katie was absolutely mortified as she realized what this must look like.

"A friend."

"Well, your friend doesn't belong here. Go downstairs. I'll escort her out."

Frankie kept his hands on her arms, his fingertips digging in. "No. You just want her instead. She's mine."

"No, she's not yours, you fucking idiot." Peter glared at him and took a step toward the slightly bigger man. Katie thought she felt Frankie flinch a little. "And no, I don't want her. I'm not much on cheap women. Now get the fuck downstairs." He raised his hand and pointed toward the door.

Staring at Peter for a long moment, Frankie finally released her arms and stepped back. "Watch your fucking back, Pete." With one final glance at Katie, he walked out of the room and slammed the door shut.

She raised a hand to her lips and realized she was shaking. The taste of blood was inside her mouth but she ignored it as she stared at Peter. He hadn't looked at her yet. Instead, he simply stared at the door with his fists clenched. She closed her eyes and took a shaky breath.

"Please tell me this was a one-time deal." His soft question made her look up at him again, and she realized he'd turned to look at her. His eyes were hard as he took in her outfit and the red marks on her arms.

"Peter, let me explain…" She stared but he held his hand up.

"Please, please tell me this was a one-time deal, Katie." His voice took on more of a pleading tone and she saw his anger was wearing down. He'd always used his anger as a front for stronger emotions. Nodding slightly, she felt the tears fill her eyes as she stepped forward. He swallowed hard and closed the distance between them, wrapping his arms tightly around her.

Katie was surprised to feel him sob and she rubbed her hand down his back. He may be a man, but he was still her little brother. And he was safe. He was alive. And he was in Boston! She pulled back slightly from him but found that he wouldn't let her go. Laughing softly she leaned back against him.

"Peter, what are you doing in Boston?"

"I could ask the same thing." His voice was still slightly thick but she recognized the serious tone. Silently, she prepared herself for one of his lectures. "Where did you disappear to?"

"I…uh, I was with Janie Fertitta."

"She said she was alone." He turned his head to look down at her. She shrugged.

"She lied. I don't know why, but she lied."

"Why didn't they find you when they found her?"

"A few friends had already helped me out of the situation by then. Janie had been moved to another location and they got me out of there."

"They?"

"Yeah, they." She frowned up at him. "Now what the fuck are you doing in Boston, Peter?"

"I'm on a job." He said carefully and she couldn't help but smile at the phrasing. Obviously not the McManus type of job. "I went in looking for you." His voice was soft and she could hear the emotion behind his words.

"You found me." She hugged him tightly again, fighting the lump in her throat. For a while, she wondered if she'd ever see her baby brother again. Now, as she stepped away from him, she realized just how much of a difference two years could make.

He seemed bigger than she remembered. More grown-up looking. She wondered if his smile still made him look like he was five again. Looking up at him, she realized she wasn't about to find out right now.

His eyes were serious as he studied her face. They worked their way down to her arms and she followed his gaze. Sighing, she ran her fingers over the red marks, seeing that the bruises were already forming. Great, another thing to explain to Murphy. Pulling her eyes back up to her brother's face, she offered a smile.

"Do I pass the exam?"

"What the fuck were you doing, Katie? Do you realize how dangerous Frankie can be? If I hadn't come in here when I did…" He squeezed his eyes shut and forced a deep breath. She waited until he looked at her again before answering.

"I was getting information."

He put his hands on her shoulders and bent down closer to her. "Information on what?"

She sighed. "On what the Fertitta's and the Yakavetta's are planning to do next."

His eyes gave away his confusion and his surprise. "What do you know about that?"

"You could say I know an interested party."

"What possible interested party could you know? It's the two families against some fucking vigilantes."

"And the Russians." She smiled slightly as he narrowed his eyes at her.

"How the fuck do you know that?"

"I know things."

"How do you-" He started to ask but then stared down at her, his eyes widening. "Who the fuck are your friends, Katie?"

"The Saints." She sighed as he let go of her shoulders and turned away from her. Running a hand through his hair, he began to pace.

"What the fuck have you gotten yourself into? What is it? They save you and now you risk your ass for them?" His questions shot out one by one and she shook her head quickly.

"No, no no. Peter, you've got it all wrong. They'd kick my ass if they knew I was here."

He stopped and looked at her before nodding again. "Rightly fucking so. I should kick your ass myself."

"And I should kick your ass for getting involved in the first place. This was my deal, my problem."

"And you're my sister!" His voice echoed through the room and he shot a quick glance at the door before stepping closer and keeping his voice lower. "You are the only family I have left. I wasn't about to just let you fucking disappear without looking for you, Katie."

"Peter." She sighed, raising her hands to her forehead. "I'm grateful that you did. Really, I am." She added as he just looked at her. "But you found me. So you can go back to your much safer life of busting jaywalkers now. Please."

"No, I can't, Katie."

"What do you mean?" The fear she'd felt with Brett came rushing back to her now. She stared up at him, searching for a sign that he too was getting sucked in. That he was seeing more gray than black and white. She realized that he must have been able to read her expression as he stepped toward her and shook his head.

"I'm not Brett. That's not it at all. I just can't leave until my job is up."

"What's your job?"

"Gathering evidence. And keeping my contact informed." He rubbed his hand through his hair and glanced behind him again. "But Katie, I gotta get you out of here. It's not safe."

"Wait, wait. You're an informant?" She gripped his forearm tightly and he nodded down at her, wrinkling his brow.

"Yeah, I guess you could call it that."

"Isn't that dangerous, Peter?"

He laughed and to her ears it sounded rather jaded. "Fuck, Katie. That's hardly a wrinkle on the dangerous scale. You think that's worse than what I'm really doing here? That's a fucking add-on job. The last one got killed."

"I know. That's why I'm here."

"What do you mean that's why you're here?"

"Long story. Let's just say the Saints have a friend in the FBI."

He stared down at her for a moment. "I knew it. I knew someone had to be getting them information." Rubbing his hand over his chin, he narrowed his eyes. "Let's get you out of here. We'll take the back staircase."

Grabbing her by the elbow, he led her out forcefully, only letting her stop to grab her purse near the door. She allowed him to drag her that way, figuring he was making it look like he was throwing her out, just in case anyone was watching. Any other time, she would have smacked him for it.

It was only as he got her outside that she realized that darkness had started to fall. Peter put his arms around her tightly again, and she could feel the tension in his body. Pulling back, she ran her hand through his hair like she used to, watching it spring back up as she let it go. He looked down at her and then leaned down and kissed the top of her head.

"I remember when you used to get the step stool out to do that." She kept her voice low and was finally rewarded by a smile. His face lit up like it used to and she felt finally that everything was alright, at least for the moment.

"What, you mean before I was ten?"

"Try thirteen, Pete. You didn't outgrow me until then."

He held her gaze for another second, losing his smile and suddenly growing serious again. "Katie, promise me you'll stay away from them. For your own good."

"Stay away from them?" She frowned up at him. He couldn't be saying what she thought he was saying.

"Them. The Saints. The families are after them. Fuck, they might already be dead for all I know. They don't tell me much about that yet. It's not safe to be with them." He glanced behind him quickly to make sure nobody was looking for him yet.

His words ran through her head. Might already be dead. Might already be dead. What if Smecker was wrong? What if Murphy had died already? And she hadn't even known it? Her heart raced as she stared up at her brother and she swallowed hard for control. Her voice sounded shaky and she didn't even try to hide it.

"You don't know what you're asking me. I can't do that."

"What have you gotten yourself into, Katie?" He whispered and she realized he could still read her fairly well. How did she explain it to him?

Shaking her head, she took a deep breath. "Not now, Pete. I've got to get back home." I have to check my phone. I have to know. He couldn't be dead. She raised her eyes to his again and saw that he was watching her closely. "Can I give you my number?"

He paused slightly before shaking his head. "I won't remember it and I won't risk having it written down."

"Okay." She sighed. "If you need to get a hold of me, find a bar called McGinty's on the south side. It's an Irish pub. Only mention my name to Doc. He'll know how to find me."

He nodded slightly and pulled her close to him again for one last hug. "Please, please be careful, Katie."

"You too, Peter." She laughed softly. "Te quiero, hermano."

He stepped back but kept his hand on her shoulder and smiled. "God, I haven't heard that in a long time. Te quiero, hermana."

"Goodbye, Peter." She gave him a smile instead of letting herself cry like she wanted to.

"Go down about a block and you should be able to find a cab on that first main street." He waited until she nodded before letting his hand slide off her shoulder. "Bye, Katie."

Walking away quickly then, she tried not to teeter on her heels on the rough driveway. She could feel him watching her but wouldn't allow herself to look back. A hooker wouldn't have looked back and that's who she had to act like now. She walked tall until she rounded the corner. Then her shoulders slumped and she fought the oncoming wave of tears. It was only once she got safely inside of the first empty cab that she allowed herself to breakdown.

Murphy glanced down at his phone again before slipping it into his pocket with a sigh. It was now seven o'clock and she still hadn't answered. Connor had finally broken down and called Sara, only to find that they weren't the only ones looking for Katie. However, Murphy was the only one truly alarmed. Both Connor and Sara agreed that she was probably at the bar and just hadn't heard her phone so far.

Getting to his feet, he wandered around her bedroom again, the pictures on the walls now familiar to his eyes after several hours of pacing by them. His eyes fell on her desk again and he sat down at her chair. He smiled as he realized he could picture her there, studying a thick text book or just talking on the phone.

His chest felt tight as he pictured her there in front of him now, laughing over something stupid and just being Katie. Christ, he missed her. He now understood why Connor had wanted to quit being a saint. He couldn't do this all of the time. Couldn't leave her for unknown periods of time. Couldn't know that if something happened, he might have to live without her.

Where the fuck is she? Needing something, anything as a distraction, Murphy pulled the top drawer of the dresser. He smiled at the neatly organized contents. Everything seemed to have a place in the drawer. Closing it gently, he reached out and pulled the next drawer out. The drawer ended before he realized it and it fell on the floor with a loud thump, spewing papers all over the floor.

Connor poked his head in as Murphy leaned down to clean up the mess. "What the fuck are ye doin'?"

"I was lookin' at her desk." Murphy kept his eyes on the papers he was gathering, trying not to be embarrassed about being caught snooping. Connor laughed softly.

"Anything fun yet?"

Glancing up, Murphy shook his head with a grin. He should have known that Connor would understand. He moved his eyes to the drawer again and tilted his head as he looked at it. "This drawer is short."

"Well, yeah. It's a small desk, Murph."

"No, Conn. I mean this specific drawer is fuckin' shorter." Murphy reached his hand into the dark space slowly and grinned as his hand touched metal. Pulling it out, he held up a metal box. "A lock box."

Connor pulled it from his hand and peered down at it. "It's a fuckin' combination. Good luck gettin' it open."

"I'll let her open it. It must be pretty fuckin' important if it's locked AND hidden."

"That's actually not a bad idea. Maybe we should take a few more things ta her." Connor glanced around the room.

Murphy smiled slowly, nodding. Why hadn't he thought of that before? She'd never asked for anything, maybe never thought to ask. But everything she'd known before she'd been kidnapped was in that apartment. His eyes wandered the room, looking at everything again. "She'd love that. That's a fuckin' great idea, Conn."

"And, it'll give ye somethin' ta do until she calls." He looked pointedly at Murphy who nodded again in agreement. It would work. At his nod, Connor moved to leave the room but stopped as Murphy spoke up.

"Stay. Help me put a bag together for her."

"I thought ye wanted ta be alone. I thought that's why ye came back here."

Murphy shook his head slowly, keeping his eyes on his brother's face. "Please, stay. It was your idea anyhow."

Connor pressed his lips together and moved to sit on the bed. "What else do you think she'll want?"

Grinning at each other, they looked around the room again together. For the next short while, Murphy's phone was nearly forgotten.

Wrapping Sara's thick terry cloth rob around her tightly, Katie sat down on the edge of Sara's bed. It had been nearly 7:30 when she'd gotten home and Sara had fallen asleep on the couch with the lifetime channel on. That was good. That simply meant she didn't have to face anyone dressed as she had been.

But now, even after showering it all away, Katie wanted to hide. What she'd done, and what might have happened if Peter hadn't walked in, had finally hit her. Pulling her cell phone out from Sara's nightstand drawer, she turned it on and watched the screen light up. It let out several beeps and she saw that she'd missed seven calls.

Her heart raced as she scrolled down the missing calls directory and saw that five calls were from Murphy, one from Sara and the last one was from Connor's phone. They were alive! She squeezed her eyes shut against the sudden wave of tears and took a shaking breath. They were alive and they were looking for her. Fuck, they'd been looking for her. Now she would need to explain where she was much sooner. Fuck!

With shaking fingers, she pressed Murphy's speed dial number and listened as it began to ring. She fought the lump in her throat as he answered, his voice filled with concern.

"Katie? Where have ye been?"

"Busy." She managed to force out and took a deep breath. She heard him pause slightly.

"Are ye okay? What happened?"

"I'm fine, Murph. What about you guys?"

"We're alive." He gave a short laugh and she felt her heart speed up.

"What does that mean? What happened?"

"Calm down, Katie. It means we're fine, as well." His voice grew quieter. "God, I miss ye, Katie."

"I miss you too, Murph. You have no idea how much I miss you right now." She let the tears fall and knew he could hear it in her voice.

"Katie, tell me what happened."

"I found him. I found Peter."

"Oh, Christ, Katie. Is he okay?"

"No, no. He's alive, he's fine. And he is undercover."

She heard a sharp intake of breath and then the hard edge to his words as he spoke. "What the fuck did you do, Katie?"

"I found a way in. I was just going to get some information. But I found him instead."

"What the fuck were ye thinkin', Katie?" He was nearly yelling over the phone and she knew without a doubt he was on his feet and pacing. His accent grew heavier as he yelled at her. "Why would ye even fuckin' do that? When we're not even in fuckin' town ta protect ye? Are ye a fuckin' idiot or somethin'?"

"Murph." She started but he cut her off.

"How did ye get in, Katie?"

"It doesn't matter."

"Of course it fuckin' matters. What'd ye have ta do, Katie? What-" She heard muffled yelling as the phone was pulled away from him. A few more thumps came through to her before she heard Connor's voice.

"Now would ye like ta tell me why my brother is yellin' at ye?"

She felt a fresh wave of emotion as she recognized the slight humor in his voice, as well as the concern.

"I went in and I found Peter." She managed to choke out before muffling a sob with her hand. He sighed on the other end and she knew he heard her anyway.

"Are ye alright, Katie?"

"I'll be fine."

"But not yet, huh? Wanna tell me what happened?" He spoke softly.

She shook her head. "Not right now."

"Later then." He left no room for argument and she sighed. Just what she needed. To report to two McManus men.

"Think he'll talk to me again?" She asked, preparing for a no.

"Of course. He needs ta talk to ye again." She heard him put his hand over the phone, but the words on the other side still came through clearly. "Calm down, asshole. Talk to her nicely."

When Murphy's voice came on again, all she heard was a sigh.

"Murph, I'm sorry. Come home and you can yell at me here. But just please come home." Her voice broke again and she moved the phone away from her mouth to take a shaky breath.

"It's okay, Katie. We'll be home tomorrow morning. I'm sorry, I didn't mean ta ye cry."

"You're mad, I understand."

"No, I'm not mad. I'm upset that ye'd take that chance…" He trailed off again and she heard him sigh. "Listen, I'm glad ye're okay. And we'll talk about this when I see ye tomorrow."

"What time are you leaving to drive home?"

"Ah, well." He paused and gave a short laugh. "We're not drivin'. We're flyin'."

"Why? What about the car?"

"We've had a bit of car trouble. The car won't make it home. So, Smecker found us a flight home tomorrow mornin'."

"Oh, okay. Why do I have a feeling there's a story to this, Murphy?"

"Because ye've got a suspicious mind, Katie." She could tell he was smiling as he said it. "I love ye."

"I love you, too, Murphy. I'll see you tomorrow when you get here."

"Stay out of trouble until then."

"I could say the same to you." She laughed softly. "Bye, Murph."

"Bye, Katie."

She held on the line and waited to hear him end the call before she pulled the phone away. Setting the phone down on nightstand, she curled up on the bed and let herself really cry.