Sally Lewis sat on the top of the little slide occupying the center of the cozy playground right outside her new home, diligently practicing her new name so only she could hear it. Even though these few letters on the mailbox looked hardly anything special, it gave her a sense of belonging she never remembered having before in her short life. Truth be told, she did not remember much at all about the nightmarish city under the sea. The fading images of dancing angels, damp alleys and distorted screams got blurred together into a dream she could not quite put together herself, but Jack and Miss Tenenbaum somehow understood just by looking at her confused little face.

Upon arriving to the surface the two weary adults saw to it that the throng of orphaned young ones around them would all have homes they could soon call their own. Sally felt particularly reluctant about having to leave the doctor's side and her fellow sisters, but Uncle Jack did promise to visit her as often as he could, himself also staying in New York and within safe reach. The newly introduced parents also helped soothe the girl's natural fear of change, as one could hardly hope for a more warm-hearted and generous couple. Their own children having just flown out the family nest in the suburbs, the Lewis' had found the thought of helping a child in need most appealing. The husband, Booker, just seemed to have a face with its pair of calm blue eyes and graying hair that Sally could immediately trust.

It was this same man who now appeared near the slide and drew her out of her musings, as she was still sitting there by herself, fiddling with something in her hand.

"What have you got there, Sally?"

The girl was quite a bit shy when being talked to directly, a curious caution that Booker had come to expect from her after the past few days of experience, although he was sure it would slowly dissolve over time.

The child worked up the courage to answer. "I got a present."

The surrogate father's eyebrows were raised ever so slightly. "Can I see it?"

Sally obediently handed over the ornate neck piece with a birdcage symbol to him, despite her suspicions of not getting it back later.

"Who gave this to you?" he inquired, his friendly features not giving away his growing concern.

"A man with orange hair. He had a funny suit."

No such man ever lived in the area as long as Booker could remember. A stranger turning up, handing away gifts to little girls when he was not looking was an alarming event at the least.

"Did this man ask you anything, Sally? Where did he go?"

"He just went away," she said, looking around the playground as if she was not sure of the direction herself. "He said that a Miss Elizabeth paid very much for me to have it and I should take care of it. Then he smiled and said goodbye."

"Who's Elizabeth, sweetheart?"

Sally just stared at him between thoughtful blinks for the longest time before opening her mouth again. "I don't know."

She hesitantly reached for the pendant in her father's grip, opening her eyes as wide as she could. "Can I keep the gift? There's something special about it."

Booker turned it over between his fingers a couple of times, then helped put it on the little girl's blouse. "It sure looks pretty," he smiled, drawing a quiet but relieved chuckle from her.

"Let's get back inside now, grandma can get here any minute," he prompted her to get off the slide, clasping his hands softly. Leading her back to the tidy family home, he made a mental note for himself to ask around for that certain redheaded mystery man later.

Before they reached the road however, a yellow cab pulled over right in front of their threshold, bringing a wrinkled but graceful old lady in a long blue trench coat to protect her fragile frame against the cool spring.

A middle-aged blond stepped out the door to greet her, helping her out of the car and taking the large cake she had been carrying.

"You gained weight again, Joyce," said the lady, flashing a smug grin that was exclusive to mother-in-laws.

The younger woman took it in stride. "Nice to see you too, Anna. Maybe try making smaller sugar bombs for once in this life."

"Nonsense dear, it's family sized. Which reminds me, where's the little one? I really don't understand why I couldn't get to see her sooner."

"We thought it would be better to let her get familiar with us first before bringing new people around. She's a bit of a shy one-"

"Cough! Cough!" interrupted Booker, arriving at the scene with the child in question at his side.

"Oh, here they are!"

"Hi mom," he grinned, giving her a quick hug. "Let me introduce someone. Say hello to grandma, Sally."

Against her father's best efforts, the girl stayed glued to his leg, hiding her face from the newcomer as much as possible. Anna could not help but snicker at the sight. "What a nice name. It's okay sweetheart, I don't bite."

The child risked a nervous peek at the silver-haired woman with vivid cerulean eyes, and nearly jumped in surprise when she noticed the bird charm on her neck, almost identical to her own.

Her reaction did not fly over Booker's head, the striking similarity of the two pieces leaving him puzzled as well. "Mom, that old pin of yours... where did you get it? I remember you wearing that since forever."

"I had it all my life, as far as I know. Never seen anything even resembling it before," she claimed with brows furrowing and relaxing right after. "You have something special with you indeed, dear."

"Strange coincidence, that one," muttered Booker.

"There's no such thing as a coincidence," said the aged dame with a warm smile. "I brought some delicious cake just for you, Sally. I couldn't decide between chocolate and cream, so I made both! You can have as much as you'd like. What do you say?"

The former Little Sister slowly sidled out of Booker's shadow, nodding eagerly. No matter what had happened in the dark abyss of jumbled memories her mind still harbored, she became certain that for this once, incredibly, everything would be alright.

It was the most pleasant afternoon this side of Brooklyn had seen all season, with restaurants full and shops bursting with customers on the busy summer weekend. A man being dragged around by his energetic five-year-old daughter from one attraction to another seemed nothing out of the ordinary, earning an increasingly tiring Booker DeWitt quite a few encouraging remarks from surrounding groups of females.

"Daddy, look! They have little statues!" exclaimed little Anna, running over to a pair of redheaded twins by the harbor's entry, each holding a miniature on a plate. The female offered a replica depicting the Lady of Freedom looking over them on the horizon, while the brother had the indecisive little girl gasp at a similarly sized copy of the Eiffel Tower.

"Don't bother tricking the kid, we ain't buyin'," stated Booker firmly, getting a bit baffled by a board behind the male twin having dozens of notches under the word "Tower", but not a single one in the "Statue" column.

"But daddy they're so pretty!"

"It's free of charge, sir. We're merely experimenting, provided your daughter is keen on contributing to science," said the man calmly, his eyes not leaving the child's conflicted back-and-forth glances.

"Which one should I choose? What is this pointy one?"

"It's a building in France. Uhm," Booker scratched his head, unsure if these people wanted to play him for a fool. "Pick whichever you like the best, Anna."

Following another minute of careful evaluation, she took the Eiffel Tower, joyfully lifting it for her father to see.

"Hmm. I was certain she would take the statue this time," hummed the woman.

The brother triumphantly drew yet another line on the board. "You're still a sore loser, sister." He turned back to the child with something he pulled out of her pocket. "Take it as gratis for your help, young miss," he smiled, placing the pendant with a bird emblem in her open palm.

The former Pinkerton was distracted from his daughter's happy squeals by the pair's strangely familiar words; he was now searching the siblings' faces as if he hoped to recognize something there.

"Have we met before?" he asked, though he was sure he would remember any uncanny case in his career involving these two.

The twins were slightly taken aback as far as he could tell, looking at each other confusedly before the man answered. "Perhaps we have, or maybe we haven't."

Giving up with a scoff, Booker reached to gather his daughter into his arms and take his leave. "Whatever you say, pal. Thanks for the toys."

They made their way towards the next street of merry performers and salesmen, Anna poking the spiky end of her little tower to various parts of her father's upper body, much to the latter's dismay.

Robert Lutece was still looking in their direction, even after they were long out of their view.

"I suggest you blurt it out before it bursts that floating head of yours, dear brother," sighed Rosalind, having a fairly good idea about what her twin was wondering about.

"Do you think she made the right choice, sister?"

"The girl traded omniscience for croissants and dances, and for that she was a fool. Even if I do see some vague point of her efforts, I will never claim to fully understand it."

She already moved to depart from this world while no one around was looking, Rosalind halted when she saw her brother in the same posture as before, eyes lost in the street that the small family had left for.

"Brother?"

Robert got ahold of himself at last. "Of course. Time to move on, I presume."

He joined his sister with heavy steps and thoughts still with the girl who never was. He had eternity to think about this one fateful decision defying every logic they knew, but he came to realize he already understood.

The End