A/N: Hello, everyone! So, as I promised, this is the next part of Unthinking, that began as a drabble series. This is Thinking, and the last part, which I think will also be drabbles, will be Overthinking. Clever, huh? *crickets chirp* I thought so, anyway. As I said in the A/N of the drabble I posted earlier, my goal is to have this story completely done in a week, and I'm going to try really, really hard to meet that goal. So, this story will have somewhere in the neighborhood of seven or eight chapters.

Episode: Sort of Spike V. Spikette, but an AU set 2 months afterward where Kate's sonic scream nearly completely destroyed Chase's hearing.

Rating: I think I'll call this story a T overall, but this chapter's K.

Warnings: None

Remember, reviews are warm, delicious cookies, and I would love if you could bake me one real quick. *dissolves into a fluffy, cookie-hungry writer kitten*

Be the reason someone smiles today! :)

"Mr. Davenport?"

The man in question jumped, nearly ruining the delicate adjustment he was trying to make to the device before him. "Not now, Bree," he replied, trying his best not to snap, and only partially succeeding. "You know I'm working."

"I know, but I can't find Chase." Bree returned, concern in her dark eyes. "I've looked everywhere."

Donald Davenport straightened, directing his full attention to the girl in front of him. Two months, and a matter of days before, his son's hearing had been nearly completely taken in a tragic accident. Chase had dealt with it surprisingly well, after getting over the initial bitterness of the experience. Even so, Donald knew how painful it had been for him to stop going on missions, and train his students. Chase was confident and headstrong, used to being a leader, and has felt useless as a result of his injury. The likelihood of his youngest just having squirreled himself in some cubby to study or think was high, but it was possible that he was having a problem, and didn't want to ask for help, in which case, there was cause for concern. Bree could almost always find him, whatever the case, and Donald knew she wouldn't have disturbed him if she hadn't been truly worried about her little brother.

He stood. "Alright. Let's see if we can't find him."

The two walked over to the command central, just as the hydraloop returned with a whoosh. The doors opened to reveal Adam and Leo, deep in conversation. Dressed in civilian clothes instead of academy uniforms, the two had clearly just come from the mainland. Despite the enthusiasm of their conversation, both looked stressed. They abruptly stopped their conversation upon seeing Mr. Davenport and Bree.

Leo recovered first, his signature grin flashing onto his face. "Hey, Big D. You're looking well today."

Normally, Davenport would have played along, and allowed himself to be temporarily distracted, but he was already worried about Chase, and had a feeling his other boys' apprehensiveness had something to do with it.

"I look well every day," Davenport said, lulling Leo into a false sense of security, and then dropping the bombshell on him. "Would either of you happen to know where Chase is? We can't seem to find him around here, and I know he's been wanting to visit the mainland, but I specifically told him not to."

Leo sighed, deflating. "Yeah," he began, "about that. He asked if he could come with us, and he's been doing so well, Adam and I didn't see any reason to say no. Chase has been through so much lately, and you know it's been hard on him. We decided it couldn't really hurt anything to take him."

Davenport opened his mouth to explain everything that could have gone wrong with that idea, but then closed it again, because a more pressing problem had occurred to him. "That's all very well, but where is Chase now?"

Leo glanced over at Adam for support, and Adam immediately moved forward to stand slightly in front of Leo, redirecting Davenport's attention. "Chase was enjoying the library so much, that when it was time for us to leave, he said he wasn't done. I have classes to teach, and we couldn't convince Chase to come back with us, so we came back. We made him promise to be back in an hour or two."

Adam's careful placement was not uncalled for. Davenport's face went red. "WHAT?" He snapped. "Do you have any idea how dangerous that is? How much trouble he could get into there?"

Leo was staying miraculously calm. "Of course we do, but what else could we have done? It's not like he actually could have dragged him back, not without losing his trust completely. Plus, the students are waiting. We figured the best solution was to come back, and send back someone else to get him."

Davenport took a deep, deep breath, and then another. Concern for Chase was overpowered by calm and reason. "Of course. Sorry, guys," Davenport told Adam and Leo. "Get to your classes. I'll take it from here."

They nodded. "Let us know when he gets here?" Adam asked, rare vulnerability showing through.

"Of course," Davenport agreed.

The boys ran off to their respective classes, and Davenport turned to Bree. "Do you know which library they were talking about? Where it is?"

Bree concentrated, staring off into the distance for a moment. Then she nodded slowly. "I think so. I have a pretty good guess, anyway. The boys usually go to a gaming shop and a coffee place in the same block when they go to the mainland. Chase tends to slip off to the library across the park for a while, if he goes with them. I'll look there first, and if I don't find him, then I'll come back and ask Adam and Leo which library he was at."

"Sounds good," Davenport confirmed, handing Bree an earpiece. "Wear this at all times, you know the drill."

Bree rolled her eyes a little as she put on the earpiece. "Don't I though," she said, slight sarcasm coloring her tone, before she became more serious again. "Am I good to go?"

Davenport nodded. "Good luck. Be careful."

Bree smiled reassuringly. "Be back in a minute." She stepped into the hydrolift, the doors closed, and it whooshed off to the mainland. Davenport stared after her for a moment, then shook himself out of his stupor. Bree would find Chase. She said she would be back in a minute, and but realistically, it would probably take her far less than that to search the library.

Which was why when three minutes had passed, and Bree still hadn't appeared, Davenport's stomach dropped out from beneath him. Now two of his kids were missing, and he gripped the control panel hard, just trying to stop the panic rushing through him. He would find them.

He just had to.