"You okay?" Jack asked Sara for the umpteenth time the following day as they stood behind the counter, Sara finishing up a prescription for a young woman. He leaned on the counter as the woman left, eyeing Sara worriedly.

"Yes, Jack," Sara answered, unable to keep all of the irritation out of her voice. "I'm okay. You don't need to keep asking me."

Jack just continued to look at Sara, his dark eyes worried. "I'm worried about you, Sara. I know this must be horrible, truly horrible for you. I have no idea how you feel. But...." He sighed. "Sara, I don't know what's been going on with you. It's not my place to ask. I just don't want you to get hurt. Please, just...take care of yourself." Straightening, Jack gave Sara a thin smile before heading out from behind the counter, stepping down one of the aisles toward a confused looking customer.

Sara sighed, watching his retreating back. She didn't want to worry him, or her mother, or anybody else. But who else was going to make sure Leah got justice if she didn't? Who else would make sure Darius spent the rest of his life in prison for what he did, instead of only a couple years? Not to mention he had achieved his plea deal through lying about Leah, declaring she was dead because she had cheated on him with Eugene Michaelson, his business associate who was fully in on the lie.

No, Darius couldn't get away with Leah's murder and ruining her reputation.

Sara wouldn't let him.

I'm sorry, Jack. You're right; you don't understand. You don't know how it feels, to have your sister stolen from you so violently, so swiftly, to have her life extinguished like a candle, snuffed beyond reawakening. No, Jack. You can't understand why I have to do this. I don't want to worry you. But I have to do this. It's the only way.

As Sara filled another prescription, the little voice in her mind posed a question. The only way to what? Leah is dead. Bringing Darius to justice won't change that. It can never change that. Leah is dead. Leah will forever be dead.

Like Dad.

Leah is dead.

Sara finished the prescription and handed it to the customer as Jack came back up to the counter, whistling softly. He glanced at Sara but didn't say anything, instead focusing on rearranging some bottles of pills that were waiting for pickup, checking their labels.

"Sara, I want you to promise me something."

"Leah, I already told you I would make sure your CDs won't get 'lonely' if you ever die. You don't have to keep asking."

"Hey, they're used to being listening to lovingly at least once a week! Darius won't maintain that amount of love and attention to them, no matter how much he loves me. Besides, he's already promised to take care of my plant and I can't burden him with anything else in case I someday die."

"The succulent you named Steve?"

"Yes, Steve. I don't have any other plants, they'd all die on me if I did. But not Steve! He's loyal."

"I don't think loyalty has anything to do with it, Leah."

"Sara, you're distracting me, so shut up. I want you to promise me something, in the event something happens to me."

"What?"

"If I happen to die in a natural disaster or some other big, unforeseen event, like a building collapse...if I'm stuck, or something, don't come back for me."

"What?"

"If we're racing out of a collapsing or burning building, and I fall, or get caught, or knocked out, don't come back for me. Just keep running."

"Of course I won't promise you that! You're my sister, Leah, of course I'd go back for you!"

"No! Don't, I don't want you to. If I'm as good as dead, I don't want you coming back to die with me. I want you to run, to get the hell out of there so you can live to see another day. Don't give me that look, Sara. If I'm caught in a burning building and there's no time, don't come back to try and be heroic. You'll just end up dying, too, and that does no one any good."

"I won't promise you that, Leah. I won't leave you behind to die."

"Sara, if I'm already dead, what's the point of you dying with me?"

"I won't leave my sister behind."

"I'll already be as good as dead. I don't want you dying just to try and save me. If I'm already gone, there's nothing you can do to bring me back."

Sara swallowed, Leah's words echoing in her mind. If I'm already gone, there's nothing you can do to bring me back. At the time, it had just been one of Leah's hypotheticals, a just-in-case question. But although she hadn't died in a natural disaster or some other huge event like she had described, her words were still hauntingly applicable to her actual death.

Sara, if I'm already dead, what's the point of you dying with me?

The sound of shattering glass broke through Sara's reminiscences and she glanced up to see an automatic rifle spraying bullets through the pharmacy window, the rapid fire sound of the gun breaking the hum of the store.

"Sara!" Jack yelled, diving toward her before she could react. He grabbed her arms and dragged her to the ground with him, groaning as they hit the floor behind the counter. To her alarm, Sara saw blood oozing out of his stomach and staining his lab coat a dark, dangerous red.

"Jack," Sara whispered, lifting her hand to his face as they lay on the floor. "Jack! Are you okay? Answer me!"

"Sara," Jack moaned, his fingers tightening around her hand. Then his eyes flickered closed, his face frozen in an expression of pain, his skin pale.

"Jack!"