A/N: Yeah, it worked. And now I'm done! Sorry for the wait, again. Thanks for all the great reviews! They make my day, sometimes even my week. :):) Updated to actually seperate the POVs. Sorry about that screwup, it appears that underscores do not work with the document editor! Good to know, good to know.

Katie stared into her own face in the bathroom mirror and felt numb. They were being held in the warehouse. Her warehouse. And it's our fault. How the fuck did this happen?

They needed to act quickly but she was having trouble getting herself to move at the moment. Closing her eyes, she thought quickly about what she needed to do. What needed to happen had seemed so clear when they'd left McGinty's but now she was unsure of the individual steps.

She imagined rushing in, finding them and freeing them to escape with her. No guns, no violence but there was little hope of anything being that simple. Tommy's gun was in her purse, mocking her and she knew she'd need to take it in. Adding a gun to the mixture would almost guarantee some need for it. But it wasn't worth the risk of going in without it.

Her hands shook as she pulled the mini-skirt on, zipping it slowly up the side. The halter still fit snuggly and Katie wanted to get them both off of her. Instead, she straightened her hair as she fought the instinct. She didn't want to do this. But she had to. There was little choice if she was going to get the Saints out alive.

The light caught the silver chain around her neck as she leaned closer to the mirror and her fingers running over the cross that hung beneath the red fabric. Murphy's cross. She reached up to take it off but paused in the act, eyeing the swinging metal in the mirror. He claimed it would protect her, as his rosary protected him.

Biting her lip, she dropped her hands away, straightening the cross beneath the halter. There was only one option, really. She'd keep it on. His rosary would protect him; she had to believe that. It kept her sane, kept her moving, kept her from falling apart. And if she believed that, than leaving the necklace on seemed like the only logical thing to do. A little extra guidance and protection couldn't hurt.

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Sara watched from the doorway of her bedroom as Katie touched up her eye makeup again, her hands seemingly steady. Their eyes met in the mirror and the tears came before she could stop them. "Katie."

"Sara." Katie swallowed hard and crossed the room in three large teetering steps, wrapping her arms tightly around Sara as she reached her.

The fear had enveloped them both so quickly but neither of them could show it. Images of a bleeding Connor, of a dead Connor flashed before Sara's eyes and she pressed her face into Katie's shoulder. She couldn't think that way, wouldn't think that way. But the fear still tap-danced down her spine and she took a shaky breath.

Katie simply held her tighter. "This is going to work. We'll get them back."

Sara nodded because she knew it was the truth. They would get them back, no matter what they had to do. It was the biggest change that she had noticed in Katie since finding her again so recently. In situations that needed action, Katie acted. There was little hesitation in decisions that others might never be able to make. And there was little that she wouldn't sacrifice to get things done.

There'd been a certain level of humiliation that Katie had put up with the last time she had gone in as a prostitute. It wasn't something that either of the McManus twins had picked up on and it wasn't something that Katie herself had mentioned. But it was something that an old friend could notice instantly. And it was why Sara had known something had happened, long before Connor had filled her in on the details.

And it was something she knew Katie was going to go through again. But she couldn't allow herself to stop her. They needed the boys back, no matter what they had to do to get them. Sighing, Sara leaned her head against Katie's. "I wish I could do more."

"You can be my pimp."

"What?" Sara pulled back, laughing softly.

"My pimp. Every self-respecting hooker has one."

"And what would that job entail?"

"Staying in that car and being ready to pull away no matter what." Katie straightened her right heel and picked her purse up off of the bed. Her fingers shook a little as she shifted Tommy's gun inside but neither of them mentioned it.

Sara nodded slowly. "Okay. I can do that. But are you sure there isn't something else I can do to keep you safe?"

"Just stay there and be ready for anything."

They were both quiet as they left the apartment. Nerves fought against Sara's attempt at staying calm as she drove them both to the warehouse. The only evidence that Katie felt the same way was the edge to her voice as she directed her there. Apparently this wasn't the first time she sought out the location of it.

It was only as she pulled into the alley that Katie finally looked at her, and at first she didn't say anything. Sara shut the car off and turned to face her, waiting for what she knew would be coming. But Katie's words of warning never came out. She simply lowered her eyes for a moment before sighing.

"Do me a favor, Sar. Call Smecker. See if he can call Peter. I never got a number for him." She handed her phone over.

Sara nodded. "Okay, what can I tell them?"

"Everything. They need to know everything."

"But what are they going to be able to do?

Her hands played at the edge of the mini skirt as Katie stared out front windshield. "If this doesn't work…if I can't get them out, we're going to need Smecker."

"We'll get them out, Katie. No matter what."

Her eyes found Sara's and she nodded slowly. "You're right. We will. But if I'm not back in 30 minutes, drive away. You loiter too long here, they'll get suspicious."

"No, Katie."

"Sara, just do it. But I should be back before then. One way or the other." She opened the door without a second glance back. The sound of it slamming shut again sent a cold wave through Sara's body. Now all she had to do was to call Smecker and wait. And somehow, she knew that dealing with an irate Smecker would be the easy part.

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The warehouse creaked around Katie as she slipped in the back entrance. Her stomach revolted at the smells around her but she fought against it, continuing to move inward. The blurred images of being cuffed to chairs surfaced despite her successful resistance against it for the past two weeks. She could be sick later. She could remember later. Later when she knew the boys and Da were alive and safe again. For now, she couldn't afford the energy for it.

The sound of a clearing throat ahead made her jump and she silently cursed herself. She knew someone would be there, watching them. She counted on someone being there. How else would she get the keys to the handcuffs?

Rounding the tall stack of crates, she was startled again when she found herself staring into a familiar face. Frankie stared down at her, his face lost in confusion between a sneer and a glare. Apparently he didn't know how to react to seeing her again. Her heart raced as he finally settled on crossing his arms across his broad chest and smirking down at her.

"Whatta ya doing here?"

"I…I was looking for you. Again." Katie forced down any emotions, numbing herself before giving him what she hoped was a seductive smile. "We got interrupted last time."

"And how did you know I was here?" He backed her against the crates skillfully, his hand splaying her left breast and his breath hot on her ear.

Her mind spun fast and she let out a low laugh. "I know things. And I find what I'm looking for." She trailed a finger down his back.

"Peter tell ya?" His question caught her off guard and she tried to pull away from him. He held her tightly against him.

"Who's Peter, love?" She hoped her response was coy and she pressed her lips to his as a distraction. He couldn't know about Peter. Fuck, what about Peter? Thoughts slammed through her brain as she tried to keep partial attention on what she was doing. She needed to find a way to get keys away from him. How far am I willing to go to get these keys?

The answer came to her as Frankie pulled her into a small room and shoved her up against the door, hard. As far as needed. His eyes were on her cleavage as he pulled the tied halter strap. The top of it fell down, revealing her black lacy bra.

His hands dug into her back as put his mouth close to her ear. "I didn't think even a whore like you would forget your dear brother."

Katie gasped in surprise as much as pain as Frankie swung her around and pressed her against the hard metal of the table. "My…my brother?" She tried to keep her voice even, but the shaking of it was clear.

"Yes, I know all about your brother. And I'll take care of him. But first, I'll have you." The weight of his body was on her suddenly, cutting of her air supply as his lips pressed harshly against hers.

She couldn't push down the fear this time and the panic welled up from her gut as she began to fight against him. His laughter filled the room and the pain burst in her cheek as his fist hit her.

"Keep it up. I like a good fight." His erection was hard against her leg and she found she couldn't breath. It was only the feeling of his hands stuffing up her skirt that kept her going.

Frankie shifted his weight slightly as his fingers found the line of her panties and Katie used that moment to take a deep breath. Her knee hit him hard and with the combination of her arms and legs, she managed to push him up off of her. His fingers dragged across her chest, ripping her necklace off as he lost his balance. It was the sickening thud of his head hitting the concrete floor that filled the room before it became silent.

Katie found she was sobbing and she couldn't remember when she'd started to cry. Her hands trembled as she retied the halter top and slid off of the table. Frankie's large form was stretched across the floor, unmoving.

Bile rose in her throat but she managed to keep from getting sick. Her hand covered her mouth and she found that she couldn't take her eyes off of him. Oh my God. Oh my God. The thought became a chant that danced through her head as she tried to calm herself down. Spots danced in front of her eyes before she realized she'd been holding her breath, waiting. Waiting for him to move, waiting for him to kill her.

And she realized as she heaved in air that he wasn't going to do anything. He was out cold. But Murphy still needs me. She moved and her eye caught the broken chain and cross that had landed only inches from Frankie's large hand. It had protected her.

Pulling the necklace off of the floor, she bunched it into her hand. She crouched down beside him, ready to roll away if he moved and searched his pocket for the keys she knew he had to have. It was on a small ring buried at the bottom of his left pocket. She breathed a sigh of relief as she was able to step away and tucked the key into her skirt pocket. Picking up her purse off of the floor, Katie backed out of the room quickly.

The warehouse was seemingly silent otherwise and she couldn't help but wonder if the mafia was really stupid enough to only have one man on guard duty. These were the fucking Saints for God's sake. But in the back of her mind, she knew there was a good chance Frankie had been alone for the moment. After all, there'd usually been only one mobster guarding both her and Janie when they were held there.

Creaks made her jump slightly and she glanced around her. Let's hope Frankie really is the only one. Taking another deep breath, Katie pressed her lips together. Her memories of the building were blurred and confused, but she still had a pretty good idea of where they'd held them. It was a good possible place to start. Sighing, she moved cautiously down the walkway.

The knob was cold beneath her fingertips as she reached the third room in the back hallway. The same fear rushed her as she turned the knob slowly. Putting her head inside was the hardest part. It was the answer to her question. Who's inside? So far, she'd been lucky enough not to run into any other mobsters.

Breathing in slowly, she pulled the door open, hesitating only slightly before putting her head inside. Her eyes connected with Murphy's and they both stared at each other. As her heart skipped a beat, she slipped into the room and shut it softly behind her. The three McManus men sat in front of her, bloodied and beaten. And she had to fight not to show the fear and concern she felt. They'd deal with that later.

"Katie, get the fuck out o' here." The pained order came from Connor who sat to the left of a still wide-eyed Murphy.

"What are ye doin' here? How…" His whisper was what caught her attention and she stepped forward, her pulse racing.

"I'm here to get you three out of here. Are you okay?" She moved to Da. The clear-eyed look he gave her calmed her fears. He wasn't hurt as badly as she'd first thought.

"What the fuck happened ta yer face?" Murphy pulled at his restrained arms as she moved to him. Her hand found the sore spot along her cheek bone. She'd forgotten about it.

"I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours."

"Katie, ye've got ta leave. It's not worth riskin' yer life here." Da's voice came from beside her but she just glanced at him.

"Not gonna happen. I didn't come all this way for nothing." She opened her hand that held the necklace, showing it to Murphy. "I'm putting this in your pocket. Don't lose it." His lips found hers and he kissed her gently. Katie forced herself to pull away. She couldn't get lost in that right now.

"Please, Katie. Go. Before they find ye too."

"Too late, Murph." She pulled the key out of her pocket and held it up. "Lucky for you, I'm good at finding things too." Moving to unlock Murphy first, she paused when he pulled his hands out of her grasp.

"Get Conn first. They've fuckin' pulled at his shoulder." His glance was on his brother, whose eyes were shut and his jaw clenched.

"Fuck. Connor, you okay?" She tried to keep her hands gentle as she moved to him. But he winced as she touched his arm.

"Get these fuckin' things off and I'll be much better."

"Hold still." Setting her purse down in front of her, she kneeled down behind him to get a better look. Thinking quickly, she glanced at the door. "First, I'm putting this in the back of your jeans."

"What?" He tried to glance behind him but winced and froze.

"It's Tommy's gun. Long story. And I don't want it." She reached through the back of the chair and lifted his shirt, pushing the gun down against the small of his back. Her hands shook as she fumbled with the key and went to work on the cuffs.

"The safety's fuckin' on, right Katie?" His question made her smile despite the situation.

"I'll let you decide that yourself." She could feel Murphy's eyes on her but didn't glance up. Connor's first cuff snapped open when she heard a sound from out in the hallway.

Her eyes widened as she pressed the key into Connor's palm and stood up. "Sara's got a car waiting in the alley. Go find her when you get free."

Grabbing her purse, she moved to the door, ignoring the surprised looks all three men were giving her. The door slammed open before she could prepare them.

Frankie limped in, his face red and his eyes angry. He puffed out air when he saw her near the door. His hand closed over her arm and Katie forced herself not to respond to Murphy's curse. She took a deep breath.

"Where's my brother, you bastard?"

The question caught them all off guard, and Frankie just looked at her.

"You said you'd take care of him. Where is he?" She found that it wasn't hard to make her voice shake. Her gut twisted as she realized that her concern should be real. He knew about Peter.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing, you fuckin'slut?" He raised his hand as if to hit her again but her sharp intake of breath stopped him. The scrap of the chairs against the concrete didn't seem to faze him. He just smirked down at her. "I wouldn't worry about finding your brother, bitch. I'd worry about finding your God."

She heard the whispered voices of Connor and Murphy in a language she didn't understand but she lost her chance to glance back at them as Frankie yanked her out of the room. As the door slammed shut again, Katie wondered if that was the last time she would ever get the chance to hear their voices again.

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Murphy struggled against the restraints with new found energy as the door slammed. His chair squeaked forward with his movements. Connor's pained gasp filled the air behind him.

"Hold the fuck on, Murph. Ye'll tear yer fuckin' wrists up that way."

"I've got ta get ta her."

"Just gimme….fuck, I'm free." The sound of another chair scraping across the floor stopped his struggling and Murphy glanced back. Connor hands were warm on his wrists and he heard the click of the lock moments later. His left hand was free. It was only as his right hand was free that he worked on turning his chair around.

Connor grabbed the bottom of his chair with his left hand and helped pull him so that they were facing each other. Their eyes met only briefly before he started to work on the cuffs holding Murphy's ankles to the chair. Murphy leaned forward and found himself being pushed out of the way. "Get outta me fuckin' light here."

Long moments passed before both ankles were freed and Connor instantly leaned over to unlock his own. Murphy stepped away from his chair and Connor stood up from his own a moment later. As his brother moved to unlock Da, Murphy stood frozen in his spot. Katie. He had to save Katie. But he couldn't just leave his family behind. What if they needed him? But she needs me! The thought echoed loudly through his head and Connor looked up at him, almost as if he heard it as well.

"Go, Murph. I've got this." He nodded toward the door quickly and kneeled down before Da to get his ankles free. Murphy hesitated again and Connor sighed but didn't look up. "Get the fuck outta here, Murphy. She needs ye more."

Nodding slowly, Murphy backed out of the room, leaving the door wide open behind him. As he got into the hallway, the smell of smoke filled the air and he coughed against it filling his lungs. Something was on fire! He needed to find Katie, fast!

His steps echoed lightly against the concrete and he heard the echo of a laugh from the far corner. Moving quickly between the crates, he worked his way toward them, his heart pounding. The room was hotter on this side, and he assumed that meant they were closer to whatever was on fire.

The sound of movement was behind him but he didn't glance back. Murphy recognized the sound of Connor's boots and knew his brother and Da weren't far behind. Stepping forward, the sight of Katie with her right arm hand cuffed to a pipe made him freeze. The man's back was to him but Katie's eyes found his quickly. Clenching his teeth, he stepped slowly toward the bigger man, hoping to catch him off guard.

But it was the sound of the gun shot that drove the fear into Murphy's heart. "Katie!" Her body jerked back

The man spun around and aimed his gun at Murphy who stood directly behind him, his eyes determined. But a second shot rang out before he could pull the trigger. The man fell with a bullet in his heart as Murphy rushed past him.

Her eyes were closed when he reached her, but her hand was still pressed over the wound on her left side. He bit back a cry as he pulled her hand away, pressing his hand over the wound himself. Connor's voice was in his ear and her arm was soon free from the pipe above them.

"Katie. Wake up. Katie." He wanted to touch her face but was afraid to let go of her wound. Afraid his need to touch her would kill her. A hand pulled at his shoulder but he fought it as he kept pressure on her.

She was shot. His Katie was shot. Trying to save him. The blood that now covered his hands and her shirt still managed to shock him, despite the number of times he'd seen abdominal wounds. He knew they were a sure kill shot. Fuck, no! God, no! Arms came around him from behind and Murphy was surprised to find that he was rocking back and forth.

"Murph!" Connor's voice shouted next to his ear and he cut off his view of Katie by leaning in front of him. "We've got ta get her out of here. The fuckin' building's burnin' up."

His eyes were on his brother only briefly before Murphy finally looked around and saw the orange glow moved slowly over the tall stacks of crates. The nightmare. The fire. He found himself gasping for breath and he nodded slowly. Connor's hands covered his own, applying pressure over her wound.

"Carry her and I'll keep my hands here."

Da's shouted warnings surrounded them and Murphy nodded again. He slipped his hand from under Connor's and put his arms around Katie, lifting her and holding her tightly against him. He'd done this once before in this same warehouse, the day they'd found her. Only she hadn't been bleeding and the warehouse hadn't been on fire. And he hadn't loved her yet.

Another arm came around his shoulders and he felt Da lead him toward the door, Connor keeping in step with him, his eyes only on Katie. The night air was cool on their faces as they found their way out, but the blood was still warm on Murphy's hands as he carried her to the car.

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Connor's heart raced as they neared the car. He wanted to put his arms around Sara and hold her tightly to him, but he kept his hands on Katie's wound instead. Sara's eyes widened as they reached the car and he could see the panic spread before she even spoke.

"Oh my God. Katie! Katie! What happened?"

"She's been shot, lass." Da moved quickly to the driver's side door and nodded for her to move over. "Ye've got ta take her in when we get ta the hospital."

Connor took a hand away from Katie to open the door. He helped his brother slid in with her still in his arms. It was only when Murphy's hands covered the wound that he rounded the car quickly and slammed his door shut.

Da started the car and rocks flew as they took off. Sara turned in her seat, her eyes filled with fear as she met Connor's gaze. He pressed his lips together and tried to give her a reassuring look. "She'll be fine. Just get her inta the hospital when we get there."

Nodding slowly, she turned around again in her seat, her face several shades paler. Murphy was silent, his only movement the occasional readjustment of his hands over her side. Connor put his hand on his brother's shoulder and squeezed, but there was no acknowledgement of the contact.

Murphy only came to life again when Katie let out a gasp and her eyes opened as they were only blocks away from the hospital. She struggled weakly for a moment until her eyes were on his and she realized where she was.

"It's okay, Katie. Hold still." The words were thick as Murphy spoke them and Connor could feel his brother take a shuddering breath. "We're getting' ye ta the hospital."

"What…" She swallowed hard. "…no iron?"

Murphy's chuckle was only half forced and he shook his head. "No. Ye get the real deal, m'dear."

"Lucky me." Her whisper was lost in the moment as Da stopped the car in front of the hospital. Sara jumped out and opened the door closest to Katie. Connor leaned over, brushing his hand over her forehead.

"Sweetie, do ye think ye can walk in if Sara helps ye?"

Katie nodded and there was a sharp intake of breath as she tried to move forward. Murphy slid out toward her, keeping his hand pressed to her side. He let go to put her hand there instead and she winced as she pushed in. Sara put a supportive arm around her to help her stand up and Connor could tell she was taking most of Katie's weight instantly. She'd end up doing more carrying than walking, it seemed.

The girls had only gotten a few feet away before Murphy moved to follow them. Connor wrapped his arms around his brother, pulling him back in the car. He managed to pull the door shut. Murphy struggled against him. "No, I need ta fuckin' talk ta her. Let go!"

But Connor just held tightly and turned his head to glance at Da. "Get us outta here, Da."

They struggled for a few more minutes as the hospital fell out of sight. Murphy's fighting slowed and he fell back against Connor. His chest heaved. And there were tears in his voice as he spoke. "I forgot ta tell her I love her."

"Ye can tell her when ye see her next." Connor kept his arms around his brother, holding him loosely and resting his head against him. Murphy's only answer was the silent sobs that shook his shoulders. Connor just tightened his arms around him and began to pray.