It had been 2 weeks since Jeff had last seen his daughter. It had all went by in a blur, tears, shouting, disbelief...

He rubbed a hand across his face. The coffee beside him was ice cold. How long had he been at his desk? He looked out through the window, the sun was coming up and was sending splinters of light to stab through the trees. All night apparently. He blinked, his eyes dry from staring. He had bought this beautiful island in order to keep his family safe. He remembered back to when he had brought them over, Scott's homesickness melting away, Gordon's face when he saw the pool, Tina was hardly walking...

Oh Tina.

Jeff fought the urge to cry out. The very thought of her tightened the clench around his heart that threatened to make him implode. Her little face had been his first thought in the mornings and it was all he could see when he closed his eyes. He had been avoiding sleep like the plague. He would give anything to see her again, his house, the island, his fortune, anything just to hear her laughing. He had discovered that there were some things that money just couldn't buy.

"Knock knock,"said a gentle voice from the door, "are you planning to move anytime from that seat or will we have to chisel you off?"

It was Lucille. Her soft smile shone with courage but the dark circles under her eyes betrayed the anguish that she felt as strongly as his. She glided over to the desk, always so elegant and poised, and placed her hand on his. Her smile faded, God only knew the acts of strength she had put on for their sons. A surge of guilt hit Jeff, he hadn't been much help or support.

He gave her hand a squeeze, their eyes falling simultaneously on the picture beside them. It was a family photo at the beach. The boys disheveled and laughing like usual, peeping out from behind a leg was Tina, a sun hat perched on her mop of dark curls and grinning shyly at the camera.

Jeff sighed, "she was our baby, huh Luce?"

"She still is, Jeff"

He squeezed his eyes tight shut,"Listen, honey" he began gently, "I know, it's so hard but-"

"I know she's still alive," her voice was a whisper but had no trace of uncertainty. She motioned to her chest, pain etched on her beautiful features, "I think if she was- you know- gone, I think I would feel it, like something was missing from me." Tears welled in her eyes, "Oh Jeff, it's just doesn't feel right."

"We have to face the facts-"

"What facts, Jeff?" Her outburst startled him. All softness gone. She was usually the calm voice of reason, him the brash, impulsive one. "Our daughter is gone but I know she's not dead! We had boats searching for days with the best equipment and they found nothing! There's no proof! She's a sensible kid for her age, you know that, she would have known better than to launch herself off a cliff!" She stopped suddenly, stunned by her own words and sank into Jeff's arms, defeated.

They were quiet for a moment. A feeling of truth descended on them both. Jeff didn't care to admit it, but that feeling of bereavement hadn't carved a hole in his chest like it should have. He tried to reason with himself. If she didn't fall, then where on earth did she go? Did she sprout wings and fly away? How could she not be dead? The thoughts exhausted his already aching soul, he rested his head on Lucy's shoulder, felt her steady breaths rise and fall and he let his mind drift back...

She was unearthly, ethereal, like something descended from the heavens. Her long, strong arms held steady above her lovely head with her eyes cast heavenward like she was longing to return. A dozen other girls flitted and glided across the stage but their powdered faces were a frozen beauty. He felt all humiliation of his presence at a ballet dissolve, transfixed, he felt everything she presented in her sweeping movements, her tortured expression melting to bliss at the return of her prince. He saw the story in her dancing, wordless but so obvious. All too soon the curtain fell, applause erupting for the prima ballerina. He reached for the programme, scanning frantically for her name. Lucille...

"Jeff?"

He landed back to earth. He met her eyes and kissed her cheek. There was so much he had to be thankful for.

"Sorry, I zoned out for a minute," pushing a strand of dark hair from her face.

She smiled softly, "so I can see," she looked back to the photo and pointed, "nothing changed there, did it?"

Jeff followed her finger, Valentina was clutching to a long, skinny leg. The owner was grinning sheepishly, his sun bleached hair ruffled with the wind. John and his shadow.

"I need you to do me a favour" she said,

"Yes?" He tensed inwardly, this couldn't be enjoyable.

"Will you talk to John for me?" Her face creased with worry "I've tried my best but he hasn't left his room since-it happened."

Jeff winced, the eerie look on his son's face on the clifftop had burned in his memory like a brand. Looking so helpless and young yet he was old enough to have known better... So many questions he should have asked, and just as an answer was forming on John's lips he had slapped it away. Jeff felt his face burn with regret, everything his own father had taught him had been disregarded in that second of frenzy.

Lucille shook her head, "I just don't understand it, it's just not like John. He was always fussing over her from the second she was born, do you remember?" She shook with a laugh, love shining through her features, "that time when Scott burnt his toast and the alarm went off, John had Tina up and out of her crib before we all had time to move!" Sadness settled over her again,"he can't talk about it, I don't think he can understand it himself. I'm not even sure if he even saw what happened."

"And you want me to talk to him?"

She nodded

"Listen honey, I don't know if I'm best-"

"Are you angry with John?"

Was he? Jeff wasn't sure. He wanted answers but any chance of them had been thrown away with his one senseless action. She sighed at his silence and pulled herself up.

"You're going to make a very isolated young man out of him. Please talk to him, before it's too late."

"What do you mean by that?"

She made her way to the door, sounds of squabbling calling her. "We called Valentina his shadow, remember? That was a bond even we couldn't understand. It won't have broken easy."

He leaned back and marvelled at his wife, "How do you stay so strong, Luce?"

She considered, "We have 5 sons with us now, who are as deserving of our love right now, as Tina is deserving of our remembrance."

X

Jeff woke gasping, he reached out for Lucy. Nothing but cold sheets. His throat tightened, that conversation had haunted him for twelve years. He never did talk to John about that night. His son had become a creature of isolation, up in the stars just as Lucy had predicted. He closed his eyes. His Lucille was dead, the hope she held of Tina returning alive had long since died with her.

X

"You did what I asked?"

"To the letter"

"You were undetected?"

"Sure"

"Completely?"

There was an uncomfortable shifting.

"Look boss, it couldn't have gone any better. It was like they had planned it all for us!" The henchmen insisted.

"Guess it was our lucky stars eh?" His partner sniggered.

"Focus please, gentlemen. Talk me through exactly what occurred."

"Well, we were waiting to break in, just like you told us," one began " we had the tools all ready and just before we got working, one of the older boys climbed out his window. Dunno what one. Looked about 15, blondey, real clever lookin'. You know, last time I saw somebody like that-"

His boss' hand slammed to the desk, making them both jolt.

"Oh yeah yeah sorry boss. Well anyway, we near hit the roof, we didn't even have to break in!"

"And that ain't even the best bit!" His partner added, "the little brat followed him on out!"

"Yeah that's right, all we had to do was follow them up this massive bloody cliff! It was perfect! We gassed the boy, grabbed the brat, and everything else just fell into place! They thought she must have smashed her wretched skull off the rocks, they weren't even suspicious!"

"All went perfect really."

Their boss sat back in his chair, if these two imbeciles were telling the truth, maybe this time he would finally be successful.

"Well done gentlemen, I must say I'm impressed."

They beamed.

"Kindly bring her to me."

They looked nervously at each other, fingers tracing bite marks and bruises. They knew the Tracys were a tough breed, but never in their lives had they encountered such relentless opposition as with that blasted little witch. Their boss read their hesitance with disdain.

"Useless fools, must I do everything myself?" He muttered under his breath, stomping over to a large, metal box. He paused over it, a sinister smile growing. The contents were going to make him an extremely rich man.

He opened the clasp to come face to face to the product of a year's planning, a red faced, scowling Valentina.

"You send me back right now, I have a mommy and daddy who don't like me getting lost."

The Hood raised his eyebrows, kidnapped, in a box, and fearless. He was under no doubt to her parentage.

"You will go back, Valentina. In a while. Whenever your mommy and daddy send me all the necessary requirements. I'm a needy man you know."

He turned back to the henchmen, "you two aren't finished, her final destination is London."

"Final? Ain't she going back home when Tracy has sent the money?"

"Do you think a man gets anywhere in the world through honesty? This child shall never return, nor will she feel the need to, I have no quarrel with her after all."

With that, The Hood turned his powerful eyes to Valentina's, wiping her memory of her last 4 years. Although, there are some minds too strong to be so easily broken.