A/N: I am positively overwhelmed by your response to my last little fic. Thank you for all the wonderful comments! And as I mentioned, you are in luck. I am quickly filling a notebook with SSD fics. I am working on a series, but most of them are little one shots. However you may find some reoccurring original characters. Usually once I create a character, I like to stick with it. :) Anyway, here's a little family fic I cooked up. Enjoy!
"Dead Letter Office, Oliver O'toole speaking," Oliver politely answered the ringing phone on his desk.
"Oliver, she's gone," Shane's frantic voice came over the line. "I searched the whole house and she's not here. She wanted to walk to the park, but I told her we'd go later and sent her to her room to play. She's not there, Oliver. I don't know…"
"Shane, slow down. Eleanor is gone?" Oliver asked. He assumed that was what she was saying, but she was talking so fast and crying heavily.
"Yes, Nora. Nora is gone," she confirmed. "I guess instead of going to her room, she walked out the front door. I don't know how I didn't notice. I just…I…I don't know, Oliver. We have to find her. I'm gonna go…."
"Shane, no. Stay right where you are. I am on my way. Call my dad. We'll find her, I promise. " Oliver instructed.
"Ok," Shane squeaked.
"I promise," Oliver repeated before ending the call. He took a beat to process the situation. His four year old daughter was missing and his extremely pregnant wife just might worry herself into early labor if the girl wasn't found quickly. He said a quick prayer, tamping down his urge to panic. Panic wouldn't help them find Nora sooner.
"Rita, Norman," he addressed his colleagues. "It seems Eleanor has attempted to run away from home."
"Oh no!" Rita gasped. "What can we do to help?" She exchanged a look with Norman. They had a couple of little ones at home themselves and couldn't imagine what it would be like if one of them went missing.
"I guess for now, hold down the fort here. I don't think she's been gone long so I am hoping we find her quickly. If not, I may need your help with the search," Oliver decided.
"Of course, anything we can do," Norman replied with a nod.
"And keep us updated!" Rita shouted after Oliver as he dashed out the door.
Shane was waiting on the porch when Oliver arrived home. He took the steps two at a time and pulled her into his arms.
"I don't know how I missed it, Oliver. I only sent her to her room a half hour ago, so hopefully…"Shane sobbed. Oliver tightened his hold on her.
"Shhh, it'll be ok. We'll find her," he murmured into her hair. "Let's sit down," he urged, leading her to the porch swing. Once she was seated, he knelt in front of her. The fear he saw when he looked up into her face sliced into his heart.
"Your dad is on his way," she added, wiping at her eyes.
"When he gets here, he and I will canvas the neighborhood," Oliver decided.
"Oliver, I want to help," Shane objected.
"I know you do and I think one of us needs to stay here in case she comes back on her own," he replied gently. His hand slid over her belly, subtly reminding her why it was best she stayed put. "You said she wanted to walk to the park. Maybe that's all she's doing," Oliver tried to reassure not only his wife, but himself.
"I just want her home," she cried. Oliver moved to join her on the swing, tucking her against his side.
"I know, me too," he sighed, carding a hand through her hair.
"Oliver, Shane!" Joe called as he ran up the walk.
"Dad!" Oliver returned, instantly on his feet.
"I take it we haven't found her yet" Joe grimaced. "How long has she been gone?"
"Maybe forty minutes," Shane answered, allowing Oliver to help her to her feet. "We haven't called the police yet, but I have called the neighbors, no one has seen her," she relayed.
"Well, unless she got on some form of transportation, she can't be too far," Joe acknowledged. "Would she get on a bus by herself?" he asked, looking between the two parents.
"Not likely," Oliver shook his head. Eleanor was a precocious girl, but she wasn't inherently daring, at least not yet. "We should get going. I don't want to risk it getting dark before she is found," he paused for a moment, a plan formulating in his mind. Their house sat within a mile of a park in both directions. Eleanor liked the duck pond at one and the playground at the other. She could be at either. "Dad, if you will head east, I'll head west and we'll meet back here in an hour if she's not found," he decided. He knew if they hadn't found Nora by then, they would have to get the police involved, but he hoped it wouldn't come to that.
"Oliver, take my phone. Call the house if you find her," Shane urged, offering him the device in her hand. He grabbed the phone and wrapped his fingers around her now empty hand.
"We'll find her, Shane," he whispered.
"Have you…um…" she stammered, emotion welling up in her eyes.
"Yes," Oliver answered simply, knowing she was asking if he'd prayed. "Already done," he added with the soft smiled he always used when she asked him that question. Shane returned his smile with a watery one of her own. While she said more prayers these days than she used to, she still felt Oliver's held more weight. He pressed a kiss to her forehead and jogged down the steps to meet his dad on the street. He took one last glance back at his wife. She stood there, red eyed and visibly worried, anxiously rubbing her pregnant belly. He felt compelled to say another prayer.
"Is she ok?" Joe asked, catching his son's gaze.
"She's strong," Oliver nodded. "I just don't want her going into labor before we find Eleanor."
"Then let's get going," Joe urged, turning east.
"Call if you find her first," Oliver reminded, turning west.
Every block Oliver walked without finding Eleanor made him regret his decision to not call the police. Time was crucial when a child was missing. Any number of things could've happened to a four year old out wandering on their own. By the time he'd made it to the turn off for the park, he had Shane's phone in his hand, ready to hit send on a 911 call. However, something caught his eye. Across the street sat a large pine tree and underneath it was the distinct figure of a child. His child.
"Eleanor?" he called, rushing toward the tree.
"Daddy?" a small voice replied.
"Eleanor!" Oliver repeated.
"Daddy," the tiny blonde girl cried, looking up at her father. Oliver dropped to his knees beside her. "Daddy, I tried to go to the duck park, but I got lost. So I was going to climb the tree to see better, but I fell," Nora sobbed. Oliver immediately stopped himself from lifting her into his arms.
"Did you fall from the tree, sweetheart?" he checked. Although she was sitting up and seemingly unharmed, if there was a chance she could be seriously injured from a fall, he didn't want to move her.
"No, I fell on the street," she answered, moving a small hand to reveal a skinned knee.
"Oh honey," Oliver crooned. He pulled his handkerchief out of his pocket and tied it around her leg to stave off the small trickle of blood and keep the wound as clean as possible until they made it home. He then hugged the girl tightly to his chest. For the first time since Shane called to say Eleanor was missing, he felt like he could breathe again. It was time to give Shane the same courtesy. "Let's get home to Momma," he said as he stood. He awkwardly fished Shane's phone out of his pocket and dialed the house number.
"Tell me you've found her," Shane answered immediately.
"I've got her, we're on our way back," Oliver confirmed, before ending the call. He then called his father and told him much of the same thing.
Eleanor shifted in his arms, tucking her face into the crook of his neck. Oliver could feel her little heart pounding nearly as fast as his own. He took a deep breath. The ebbing fear in him made him want to lecture the girl. He wanted to tell her exactly how dangerous it was for little girls to wander off on their own. But instead he sent up another prayer, grateful he'd been the one to find her and with nothing worse than a skinned knee.
They made the walk back in silence, both too relieved to say anything. Shane was sitting on the steps when they returned. Oliver set Eleanor down and she ran into her mother's waiting arms.
"Sweet girl, you scared me," Shane sobbed, tucking the girl as tightly against her body as she could manage.
"I'm sorry, Momma," Nora replied, crying nearly as hard as her mother. Shane released the child just enough to give her a once over. Her eyes caught on the now bloodstained handkerchief around one of her knees.
"Wait, is she bleeding?" Shane's eyes flicked up to meet Oliver's. "Oliver, why is she bleeding?"
"Shane, she skinned her knee. It's nothing a band aid won't fix," Oliver assured her. Shane nodded, recognizing her response was bordering on dramatic, but there was little she could do to help it.
"Grandpa!" Nora chirped as Joe came up behind Oliver.
"Glad you found her," the man whispered, gripping his son's shoulder as he passed. Oliver gave him an appreciative smile. "Hey kiddo, happy to see you home," Joe addressed his granddaughter, scooping her into his arms.
"I got lost, but Daddy found me," Nora nodded, her blue eyes wide and serious.
"Well, that's why you should always take an adult with you when you leave the house," Joe mentioned in a gentle way only a grandfather could. Nora nodded again.
Joe glanced around at his son's family. The girl in his arms was quickly losing the adrenaline from her hapless adventure, Shane looked utterly exhausted as she leaned heavily against Oliver's side and it was evident Oliver was ready to head inside to take care of his family. "Alright, well since my work here is done, I think I will let you get on with your evening," he announced.
"Can't you stay for dinner?" Nora asked hopefully. She was smart enough to know there would be some kind of consequence to her actions, and she thought she could buy herself some time if grandpa stayed for dinner.
"Not tonight, sweet pea," Joe declined, poking her nose. "But I'll come visit soon," he promised. Typically he took the girl to and from school, but with Shane on maternity leave, he was on hiatus. He made a mental note to stop by more often. If today's events were any indication, Eleanor needed a little attention. He kissed the girl's forehead and handed her to her father.
"Thank you, Dad. Really," Oliver mentioned, giving his dad a one armed hugged.
"Anytime, son," Joe smiled. He turned towards Shane and pulled her into a hug. "The next time you call me, it better be to tell me my grandson is on the way," he teased. It was nice to her Shane's giggle.
"Of course, it should be any day now," she beamed.
"Then I will see you soon," he finished with a wink, turning to take his leave.
Oliver carried Nora into the master bedroom and set her on the edge of the bed while he gathered supplies to clean her scrape. Shane sat down beside the girl. She suddenly felt drained, her muscles aching from the tension they'd been carrying for the last hour. A hand went to the top of her belly, responding to her son's kick to her ribs. Nora's hand appeared next to hers, always intrigued by her brother's movements.
"Shane?" Oliver's soft voice invaded their moment. "Did you let Norman and Rita know we found Eleanor?'
Shane nodded, "I called Rita as soon as you called." Oliver smiled softly and knelt on the floor in front of Nora. He careful removed the handkerchief from the girl's leg and took a closer look at the scrape. He soaked a cotton swab in hydrogen peroxide and looked up at his daughter.
"Eleanor, this might sting a little," he warned as he gently cleaned her injured knee. Nora let out a whine and attempted to squirm away. Oliver eased her discomfort by gently blowing on the skin. "Better?" he checked. Nora nodded enthusiastically.
Shane fought off another wave of emotion as she watched her husband tend to their daughter. Oliver took to fatherhood with the same grace as everything else he did. He and Nora were the perfect pair. He curiosity was as unwavering as his patience. Watching them together was one of Shane's favorite pastimes. Despite his outward composure, Shane could tell Oliver was nearly as rattled by Eleanor's brief absence as she was. However, she knew he processed his anxiety with by restoring order to his world. Tending to Nora's wound was part of that.
"Now all we need is a band aid. Do you have a preference, Miss O'toole?" Oliver asked.
"Just a purple one," Nora requested. Oliver nodded and dug around in the first aid kit in search of a purple band aid.
Now that Shane felt she had a little more control over her emotions, she decided to take this opportunity to address what just happened.
"Nora, sweetheart, let's have a little chat," she started gently. Part of her wanted to give the girl a stern talking to, but she thought there might be more to this story than Eleanor simply trying to run away. If that was the case, anger wouldn't help any of them. This felt more like a teaching moment.
"You're mad, aren't you?" the little girl ducked her head.
"Should we be mad?" Oliver asked. This was his way of helping her recognize when she had done something wrong.
"I didn't listen and I left the house without an adult. Momma told me we could go on a walk later and I didn't want to wait so I broke the rules," Nora explained. "But I was so scared when I got lost. I promise I won't do it again," she added meekly.
"It sounds to me like you learned a lesson all on your own, so I don't see any reason to be mad. What do you think, Momma?" Oliver's eyes flicked up to meet Shane's.
"I agree," Shane said with a soft smile. "But I would like to know why you went without me. Did you think I wouldn't take you?" she wondered. Nora's eyes dropped again, obviously reticent to reveal her reasoning. "You can tell me," Shane encouraged.
"I know that when Finn is born you won't have time for me anymore, so I thought I would show you I could do it on my own," Nora shrugged. Shane and Oliver exchanged a look before Shane scooped the girl into her side.
"Honey, what makes you think Daddy and I won't have time for you after Finn is born?" she asked, her voice cracking with emotion. She felt Oliver's hand slip into hers and gave it an appreciative squeeze.
"Jeremy at school. He said you guys won't have enough time or love for the both of us," the girl answered, her eyes darting between her dad on the floor in front of her and her mom next to her. "Is that true?"
"Of course not," Oliver bit out, sharper than intended.
"Oliver," Shane chided, squeezing his hand again. Oliver clinched his jaw. This was not the first time this Jeremy had said something that upset Eleanor. He had a few choice words not only for the boy, but his parents as well.
"Eleanor," he started again. "That is the furthest thing from the truth. Love is one of those beautiful things like hope and faith that when you use it, it grows. You end up with more, not less. And you my dear, Eleanor Grace, are so very loved. By me, Momma, Grandpa Joe, Grandma, Aunt Alex, Rita and Norman, and so many other people. And by all of us loving each other, our love is so big that there will be plenty for both you and Finn and anyone else who becomes a part of our family," he smiled. "As for having time for you, there will always be time. Yes, we're going to be busy with a new baby around here, but we're going to be busy together. You're going to be a part of it, sweetheart."
"You mean it?" Nora's blue eyes lit up. Shane nodded and hugged her for a moment.
"Of course," Oliver chuckled. The girl flew off the bed and into his arms. He gave her a tight squeeze and pressed a kiss to her head. "Now why don't you go grab your book and you can read to me while I make dinner," he suggested. As the girl darted out of the room, Oliver got to his feet and filled the space on the bed the girl just vacated. He pulled Shane into his arms. After his speech about love, she was in tears again.
"How are you holding up?" he asked, one hand drifting to her belly.
"We're fine," she assured him, her hand coming to cover his. "Scary afternoon," she added with a heavy sigh, dropping her head to his shoulder. He turned to press a kiss to her hair. "I haven't been that scared since you went missing,"
"In the woods with my dad? Years ago?" Oliver was surprised by her reference.
"You were lost for three days, Oliver. I thought I'd lost you before I ever really had you," Shane reminded. Oliver tightened his hold on her. He hated that he put her through that.
"Well, as scary as that was for me, I am not sure I have ever been as scared as I was this afternoon. It's certainly not something I care to repeat," he mused.
"Thank you for always knowing what to say to Nora. I'm not sure I would have handled it as well on my own. At least not as calmly," Shane sat up so she could see his face.
"Oh, I think you would have," he grinned. He had the utmost faith in her. She was truly grace under pressure when she needed to be. Today she simply didn't need to. "But regardless, we make a good team."
"I love us," she chuckled.
"I love us too," he agreed, leaning in to kiss her softly.