Author's Note: I am back! And I am truly sorry for not updating The Runway for over a year. Life and writer's block have been the main reasons for the lack of updates. But I have finally started writing again. Although I haven't written anything regarding The Runway yet but I needed to get this plot idea out of my head first. I know its not much of an opening chapter in terms of length but I will try and write longer chapters once I get my writing groove back. But for now any reviews regrading this story would be welcome!


Chapter 1:

"Lo! Lo! Bevakasha!"

Emily woke up when she heard Daniel's incessant whimpering next to her. This was the third night in a row that this happened. And once again she had no idea why this was happening to Daniel.

It all started about two weeks ago. Daniel had come to Boston to spend his summer break with her. Ever since that fateful nigh 5 years ago when Spencer and Toby died in a car accident, Emily had taken it upon herself to be as involved as she could be in her godson's life. Even though Melissa and Ian had legal custody of Daniel, she made it a point to be with Daniel whenever she could. So when Melissa proposed that she could take Daniel with her during the summer break, she pounced at the opportunity.

But when she went to the airport to pick up Daniel, she immediately realized that something about Daniel was different. He wasn't the same 7 year old boy she had spent Christmas with just a couple of months ago. Melissa had smiled sweetly and said that he was just tired from the flight. What surprised Emily even more that Melissa simply handed Daniel over to Emily and whisked off to catch her flight back to London.

On their way back home from the airport, Emily kept trying to get Daniel to talk to her but the little boy barely said more than a few words. It wasn't until it was bedtime that Emily started to get seriously suspicious. The 7 year was almost afraid to go to sleep in the room Emily had especially designed for him. The little boy had previously loved the room. The sports car bed. The 'Hey Arnold' wallpaper. The glow in the dark 'King Julien' poster. Everything that Daniel loved, Emily had put in the room, so his reluctance to sleep there was baffling her.

Emily decided that since Daniel was tired she would let him sleep in her bed for the night and would try to get him to sleep in his own bed from the next night. It started sometime around midnight. Initially it was just quite whimpers and then all of a sudden Daniel started talking in his sleep. However, he wasn't talking in language that Emily understood or even recognized. Emily had called Melissa the next morning and told her what happened. She was shocked to learn that it wasn't the first time Daniel had talked in his sleep.

From then onward the quite whimpers and sleepy mumbles had gradually progressed to screaming and crying. But Daniel was always reluctant to talk about whatever it was that he was dreaming about.

"LO! LO!"

It seemed that Daniel was having a particularly violent nightmare tonight. Emily tried to wake him up.

"Danny! Sweety wake up! Everything is alright!"

Daniel woke up with a start and immediately curled himself into Emily and started crying.

'It's okay sweety. You're safe with me.'

"He was whipping me Emmy!" sobbed the little boy. "He wouldn't stop!". The 7 year old was not crying hysterically. "Why wouldn't he stop?"

"Oh baby! Who? Who was whipping you?"

"I don't know. He wore funny clothes."

"Danny, there's no one here. It's just you and me. I promise I won't let anyone hurt you."

"Really?"

"Really. Now can you trying going back to sleep sweety?"

"Yeah" sniffled the little boy.

"Love you baby. Now go to sleep." Emily kissed His forehead and tucked him into bed and watched him slowly drift off to sleep. But she couldn't help wondering for the rest of the night who was the man Daniel was talking about. Why was he having nightmares about being whipped? Why was he talking in some other language in his sleep? Where did he learn the language from? Emily wanted answers and she knew who to go to for help.


"Paige it's been months since your last case. Have you finally decided to quit?" Caleb asked from his place on the armchair.

"There isn't anything challenging enough for me to pursue."

"What about Mrs Hardwood's case? Her diamond necklace is missing and the Boston Police Department have not been able to find it yet?"

"It's an insurance fraud. Mr Hardwood needs the insurance money to clear off his debts."

"Ohkay! How about Mr Combs? He believes his wife is cheating?"

"She is. With his best friend. Who also happens to be Mr Combs' secret boyfriend."

"Whoa! What!? Okay okay! Mrs Richards said her daughter is missing?"

"Felicity Richards ran away from home with her boyfriend is now currently in Florida. She is 18 and therefore, an adult."

"If you have already solved these cases, why can't you simply tell the clients the same and get paid for it?!"

"Because none of these cases are challenging enough."

"Paige if you keep rejecting cases then we are soon going to be homeless! How am I supposed to ask Hanna to marry me if I don't even have a home to live in?!"

"Okay! Alright! The next case that comes I'll take it. No matter how silly or unbelievable it may sound. Are you happy now?"

"Yes! Thank you!"