"The funeral for the Johnsons will take place on Saturday. Their investigation is still pending, until they can find the daughter. If they don't ever find her, then the case will go cold," The lawyer sitting across from Lizzie said the next day. She nodded, not sure how to react, was she supposed to do something? She couldn't do anything to blow her cover, thus not being able to step up and say that Elizabeth Johnson-Reagan was still truly alive, because that could put her whole family at risk.

"The house is being liquidated as we speak and then will be put on the market, if they can even sell it, since now the people will think it is haunted or whatever because someone was killed there."

Lizzie had stayed there all of the night before that, taking whatever pictures and personal items she could. She had gotten everything she wanted before slamming the door to that part of her life, both figuratively and really.

She wasn't exactly sure what she was supposed to do now. She hung around with the lawyer for the rest of that day, but then somehow found herself changing into an old sweatshirt and leggings. Showing up at her high school was not something she expected to do, she knew that people could recognize her and blow the cover, which is why she waited until after school when she could sneak into the practice for the musical and see how it was going without her.

She was supposed to be Fanny Brice. It was her dream role, having been portrayed by the one and only Barbra Streisand. She had worked so hard against her enemy, Catherine Mills, to get that role. And yet, Catherine Mills was the one on the stage, singing her song. She sat down in the back of the theater, watching Catherine sing the most memorable song of the show.

"Peooopppllleee, people who need people..." She sang, on key, but in a rather miserable and not enthusiastic way. She didn't even seem in character, just really sick that she was stuck singing the songs.

"Come on Catherine! At least try and pretend you're enjoying it..." Her director, Mr. Murray, seemed to be saying. He looked agitated, if anything. Like if he could have someone else, anyone else, sing it, he would. At some point he turned around and saw her sitting there, a bit amused by the two of them bickering. She immediately stopped smiling.

"Who are you?" He asked, clearly having had a bad day, and not enough coffee.

"I'm, uh, Mary Russell, I, uh..." She started, clearly nervous he was going to somehow recognize her. "I just wanted to see you guys rehearse. I absolutely love Broadway shows and Funny Girl is my favorite." She started, feeling her confidence go back up. She stood up and started walking towards the stage.

"I seem to notice that you aren't very into what you're doing. I think you need a bit more... theatricality. You need to strut that stage and be Fanny Brice. Be Fanny Brice and not be some high school girl that looks miserable playing Fanny Brice. You are standing up there, showing future generations what made Barbra Streisand famous. You need to be a New Yorker that is trying to make her way up there. Getting into the Zigfield Follies even though she has nothing going for her. She doesn't think she will ever find someone to love. Let me try."

And that is how Lizzie found herself standing up on her stage, right where she was supposed to be, singing her song, People.

Well you know what they say, people who need people are the luckiest people in the world.

She closed her eyes, and she felt like she was back in high school, not some undercover dead girl that was actually apart of one of the most powerful families in the New York Police Department. She felt alive. The only difference was that instead of pretending to visualize her Nick Arnstein, she was imagining her mother and uncles and sister and cousins and grandpa.

Because no matter what she did, the thought of them would not leave her mind.

-

Erin woke up in St. Victor's Hospital a few hours later. Naturally her first instinct was to get up and mutter protests about wasting time when she could be trying to find Lizzie, but it was her nurse, Linda, that pushed her back down.

"Linda... my kid is out there. I need to go find her."

"Erin... when you were brought in here, your body was going into shock. You were dehydrated and not eating, your system was starting to shut itself down."

"Because I need to focus on Lizzie, not myself."

"Yeah, but Er, you're no good to Lizzie dead." Danny said, standing in the doorway with Frank and Jamie at his sides. Frank looked relieved, and Jamie just looked sad.

"What about that body you found?" Erin asked, giving her brother a look to tell him not to lie because she would get out the hosptial bed just to punch him in the face.

"Jamie and I went to ID it at the morgue. The body was burned beyond recognition. The medical examiner ruled it as her being murdered, by being burned alive. The body structure matched Lizzie's... and, uh..." Danny looked over at his father.

"The DNA was a match, Erin." Frank said, looking down and pursing his lips, causing his mustache to rise.

"So you're saying she is dead?" Erin whispered, not able to process the words.

"Er..." Jamie started, but was cut off by Frank, motioning for him and his brother to leave.

Frank sighed, realizing he had no idea what to say to comfort his daughter, now sobbing uncontrollably right in front of him.

Like Joe and Mary all over again.

"My dear, you remind me of Elizabeth Johnson. Same vocal quality, same intonation, same stage performance..." The man she used to call her director was saying.

Aw shit.

"Elizabeth Johnson was a client of mine. I read her file and I felt awful about what had happened. Her future seemed so bright. While scoping her house I found a script for this show. So here I am..." Lizzie said, using everything she had ever learned from the man in front of him to lie to that exact same man.

"Stop stop stop stop!" Mr. Murray had yelled to her from his seat in the audience. Her performance as Liesel from the Sound of Music was less than persuasive. She had wanted to be Maria, but was beat out by none other than Catherine. Of course she wanted o continue the role, but she just could not find a way to mold herself into the character, because she still really wanted to be Maria.

"You must believe that you love him, otherwise it just looks like you couldn't care less. Believe that you are Liesel Von Trapp, loving Ralph because he is the first boy you could set your eyes on."

Lizzie looked over at her Ralph. He was so good looking... but she knew that no matter what she did, Ryan would never want her... because she was ugly and socially awkward and hung out with the weirdos instead of the popular crowd. He was a part of the popular crowd, but was not afraid to be in theater because it was what he loved... that was something she admired.

"You are sixteen going on seventeen..."

"Were you involved in drama in your high school? Cause you are a natural..."

Was her cover allowed to have a backstory? She chuckled. "Well... I loved theatre, until I-"

Her cover phone rang and she blushed before putting it to her ear.

"Russell... where are you? The Johnsons? Their daughter's body was found in New York City. The case remains under investigation in case the two events were related. I need you to come with me to meet some of the detectives working on the case..."

Wait a minute, were the detectives she was referring to... the Reagans? She couldn't see them again, not without bursting into tears and running towards them as fast as she could with open arms.

"Turns out the NYPD wants to take over this case completely because they claim the CPD has been doing a lousy job and they want justice. They want to hear our side of the story..."

"Um, I don't think I know enough about them to give a statement. I just know them because they were your clients..."

"But they're being very thorough. Maybe too thorough. They must be looking for something in particular."

Yeah, something like me. "Any chance I can get out of it?"

"Just get your butt down here Russell. Don't make me come get you myself." Lizzie chuckled before walking towards her car.

"Wait!" She turned around to see Mr. Murray running towards her. Her stomach dropped. She really missed this place... "Please come back again... you are a natural. If you want a part in the ensemble, you've got yourself a spot." He handed her a sticky note with a phone number on it. "Take care!" He said, before slowly turning back around. It made her smile, she still had her spark.

Once she got to the car, she pulled out her other cell phone from the center console and dialed Agent Anderson, who answered on the second ring. "Anderson," she greeted.

"Reagan, what is it now?"

"Uh... well... I am not very sure about any of this secret agent stuff... so I wanted to double check with you... the lawyer I am working with? She says that there are detectives from the NYPD investigating this case, and she wants me to meet with them. And if I'm right, it's the Reagans trying to find out whatever they can about Elizabeth's death."

"They want you to meet with them?"

"Yeah, and I think it's a bad idea. Am I right?"

"Listen, I know that you are new to all of this and have almost no training, but you cannot call me every time you have a question. You need to be able to answer for yourself because you are essentially on your own now. Do you understand?"

Lizzie nodded, until she realized that the agent couldn't see it. "Yes ma'am. I just don't want to do anything stupid, everyone is at risk here."

"Yes, I know... but you are a smart girl, and I know that you will do just fine. I have to go. Good luck!"

The line went dead. Lizzie sighed. She was all on her own. She thought long and hard for about four seconds before deciding that she was going to meet the detectives.

-

"Reagan, are you sure that driving all the way out to Chicago was a good idea? You need to be with your family in this time of loss. I am really sorry about Lizzie. She was a good kid."

Jackie and Danny had driven fourteen hours non-stop to Chicago. Danny wanted to stay with his family, but he knew that he had to go solve the case at hand, and if that meant running to Chicago to try to find the man that had raped his sister and killed his niece, then so be it.

Jackie and Danny had taken off soon after telling Erin the truth. Someone suggested the brilliant idea to bug his sister because apparently they all thought she would try something smart to get out of the hospital bed or they thought there was a possibly that he might show up, despite Frank's undercover detail scurried throughout the hospital. When Frank wasn't there, Linda was stopping in every chance that she could. Nicky was with Frank, and Jamie stopped there between his tours.

When Erin started sobbing after four or five hours of silence, it was heard by two hungry groggy detectives. "Jack... Is she crying? Do you think something happened?" Jackie sat up from her leaned back position. Danny had insisted on them listening to New Kids on The Block the whole ride, because apparently Donnie Wahlburg was great, or something.

Jackie flipped the radio volume off and listened. Erin was clearly crying, but it didn't seem like she was in a situation. She was just crying because she was sad.
Heartbroken.
Angry at the world.
Jackie knew how that felt. It wasn't great.

"I think she's okay, not in any trouble, but probably just letting her emotions go. She's been through a lot." Danny pressed his foot down hard on the pedal, speeding them down the highway. Jackie fell back against her seat before rubbing her temples.

"Danny slow down just a tad will ya? I'm going to get whiplash. Erin is fine, okay?"

Danny sighed before slowing back down, knowing that speeding down the interstate would not change what had happened.

"She adored you. You two were cute." Danny sighed, looking over at his partner. He promised himself he was not going to cry at all. The look on his sister's face was enough to know that he was going to be the one to catch the guy who had killed his niece and her parents. "I just want to make sure that whoever did this is caught and gets punishment for murdering one of my girls."

Jackie was having a hard time too. It was awful how quickly she had attached onto this girl, Erin's daughter Lizzie, who despite not having grown up as a Reagan had every bit of potential that the other Reagans did. She would admit to having shed a few tears during the fourteen hour drive to Chicago with Danny.

"Do you really want to go look at the house? Chicago PD claims to have swept it of all evidence, which were all the pictures and blood samples and objects they showed us down at the station."

"As bad and probably creepy as this sounds, I kind of want to see where my niece grew up. Erin clearly thought we couldn't have her ourselves, so she sent her off halfway across the country to this place."

"I don't think you should be harping on Erin. I think she had a reason for what she did, I mean, she wanted to keep Lizzie from this guy... which is what she did, essentially."

"Look at where she is now Jackie! My niece is dead because I failed to protect her! SHE IS DEAD BECAUSE OF ME!" Jackie let her instincts take over and she awkwardly pulled her partner into a hug, and he started sobbing onto her shoulder.

"I'm the reason my niece is dead, Jack..." He cried.

Jackie continued patting her partner on the back, feeling awful for him, not really knowing what to say or do to make him feel better. All she could really do was just be there, and that would be enough for now, she supposed.

"The lawyers that were working the Johnsons' case will see you now." One of the CPD people said from the doorway. Jackie nodded, still clutching Danny tight.