Alex, Maggie, Kara and Emmi had spent some time at the aquarium, and were now at the restaurant, getting some lunch. Emmi was doing the puzzles that had come on the children's menu, Kara sitting next to her, the orange crayon in her hand as she coloured the fish that was at the top of the menu. "You want me to go get you a kid's menu of your own?" Maggie teased her sister-in-law. Kara looked up at her briefly before going back to colouring the fish.

"No, I'm fine sharing with Emmi." Kara answered, and Maggie chuckled before taking a drink of her water.

"She just gets to colour the fish," Emmi said, her eyes staying on the maze she was doing, trying to find her way to the treasure chest. "I'm doing the puzzles."

"Ah well it's nice you are sharing." Alex said, Emmi nodding as she used the yellow crayon, smiling as she reached the treasure chest.

"Are we going to see the fish again after lunch?" Emmi wondered. She was really enjoying her day so far and wanted it to continue.

"Yeah," Maggie answered. "I thought you wanted to go swim with the sharks."

Emmi's head quickly shot up to look at Maggie. "Mama, no," Emmi shook her head. "Why would you think that?" Emmi sounded terrified at the thought.

"She told us, right?" Maggie said, looking to Alex, who nodded.

"Yeah, that's why you wanted to come here," Alex kept the joke going. "We book it for 2pm."

"Mum," Emmi shook her head again. "No. I didn't. I really don't want too."

"They're just teasing you," Kara ran her hand through Emmi's hair. "You are not really going to swim with sharks."

Emmi gave a sigh of relief. "Phew," Emmi smiled at Kara before she looked to her parents, clearly still unimpressed with their teasing. "Mama can do it." Emmi said.

"Oh, just me?" Maggie pouted, faking sadness. "Why not Mummy too?"

"Mummy is having Jellybean," Emmi said, like Maggie didn't know. "She can't go in with the sharks, silly."

"Oh, I see. I'm sorry," Maggie bit her lip. "Well, maybe no one swims with the sharks then?" Maggie suggested.

"Hmm," Emmi scratched the side of her head. "Maybe with dolphins or just like the cool fish," Emmi suggested. "That would be fun, but not with sharks."

"Yeah, I agree, Em," Kara said. "Like when we were in Hawaii. Remember we went snorkeling?" Kara questioned. Kara and James had joined Alex, Maggie and Emmi on a holiday to Hawaii the previous April.

"Yeah," Emmi sounded excited at remembering the holiday. "Uncle J got stung by a jellyfish." Emmi gave a little giggle.

"Yeah." Kara smiled weakly, remembering the scene. They were coming out of the water after having been snorkeling and James let out a rather loud profanity before he started hoping around, his left leg bent sideways, as he held his foot.

"He said a very bad word," Emmi noted. "He said -"

"Emmi Danvers," Alex pointed her finger out to Emmi, her head titling slightly as her eyes widened. Emmi pursed her lips, stopping herself from repeating the word James had used. "Thank you."

"Was so much fun in Hawaii," Emmi sighed lightly, still thinking about her holiday. "Can we go back soon?"

"Maybe after Jellybean is here," Maggie answered. "We can have a nice family holiday then, yeah?"

"Okay," Emmi smiled. "And Auntie K and Grandma?" Emmi hoped they could come along too.

"Yes, of course. If they want to come." Alex answered and Emmi grinned, excited at the prospect of another family holiday.


The girl was standing at the edge of the road, holding her thumb out. The car went right passed her. She sighed lightly before she rubbed her hands together for a moment, trying to keep warm. She could see her breath it was that cold. She saw the truck approaching as she held her thumb out again, smiling gladly as it stopped. She opened the door and climbed in. "Where you headed?" The trucker asked as she put her backpack on the floor before she belted up.

"As near to National City as you can get me." She responded.

"I'll get you there." He told her. He glanced at her for a moment, before looking back to the road. "What's bringing you to National City?" The man asked. They were going to be in the truck together for a while, so he figured he'd try to make some conversation.

"I'm looking for someone." She answered vaguely.

"Right. I'm Big Dave," Dave pointed to the licence plate like sign on the dashboard. "You got a name?"

"Ava." Ava answered, her hands still felling cold. She put them into the pocket on her hoodie, clasping them together.

"So, where have you ran away from?" Dave asked. Ava stayed silent for a moment before she looked around to him.

"Nebraska." Ava pursed her lips.

Dave widened his eyes. "You've came pretty far then." Dave said. When he saw Ava wasn't about to reply, he spoke again. "Don't worry it's none of my business what's going on with you," Dave told her. "You are not the first runaway I've picked up and won't be the last," Dave explained. "You got some place to be once you get to National City?"

"Yeah," Ava answered. "I have someone." It wasn't technically a lie. She did know of someone in National City, she just didn't know her.

"Well that's good," Dave told her. "I've got a daughter about your age, I'd expect. Would hate to think of her out there all on her own," Dave said. "Your parents are probably worried about you though."

"Yeah well, my Mum is dead, and my Dad kicked me out, so…" Ava raised her eyebrows. "Can we put the radio on?" Ava didn't even wait for an answer. She pulled her hand out from the hoodie pocket and switched it on, her hand quickly going back in the pocket.

"Sure, but it has to be country," Dave told her, switching the station. Ava rolled her eyes before she looked out the window, but there wasn't really anything to see. It was just a long straight road they were travelling on, seemingly in the middle of nowhere right now. "Country not your thing?"

"It's okay." Ava shrugged, before she gave a yawn. She was tired. She hadn't really had that much sleep since she'd left Nebraska. She leaned her head back against the seat and closed her eyes for a moment.

"And I'm sorry about your Mum." Dave told her.

"It was a long time ago," Ava shrugged. "I mean, if she was still here I would definitely not be in this situation right now, but I guess everything happens for a reason." Ava murmured.

"So we are led to believe." Dave told her, his eyes staying out on the road, driving towards National City.


Maggie finished the story before she closed the book, putting it down on Emmi's bedside table. "Goodnight Mama," Emmi said sleepily. "I love you."

"I love you too sweet girl," Maggie placed a soft kiss on Emmi's forehead. Emmi smiled at her before she leaned forward and picked up the photo frame that was on her bedside table. The photo of her with her Ma and Pa in it. She kissed her Ma then her Pa, before putting it back down, looking back to Maggie. Maggie smiled down at her. Emmi kissed the picture of her birth parents every night. "Goodnight." Maggie murmured, giving her another kiss. She switched on Emmi's night light before she stood up and walked across the room. She looked back around to Emmi, who'd already closed her eyes to sleep. She switched off the main light and walked out the bedroom, closing the door just more than halfway. She walked down the stairs and went into the kitchen, seeing Alex was trying up the trash bag. "I can take that out if you want."

Alex looked up at her, her head shaking. "I can do it," Alex told her. "It's just taking a bag outside."

"I know," Maggie told her. "I just don't want you doing too much."

"Maggie," Alex exhaled. "I'm not an invalid. I can carry a bag to the bin outside."

"Sorry," Maggie apologised. She was trying to look out for Alex. It was only a couple of weeks ago she struggled to get out of bed some mornings she was so sick. "Uhm, well you take the trash out then we'll watch some Netflix or something."

"Okay," Alex picked up the bag and walked out of the kitchen, going to the front door. She grabbed a pair of sneakers from the shoe rack and put them on before heading outside, gasping as the cold air hit her. She had sweats and a hoodie on, but it wasn't enough clothing to be out in the cold. She walked to the garage, to where the wheelie bin was sitting outside it. She put the trash bag into it then wheeled it down to the bottom of the driveway. She turned around and was about to walk back up into the house when she heard what sounded like a twig snap. She turned back around, although she wasn't really sure why. It would probably just have been a bird in a tree, but something must have told her to look back around. She looked across the road and thought she could make out a shadow of someone between the two houses. She shook her head. It was probably just one of her neighbours getting their bin ready to take out. She shivered as the cold wind picked up. She ran up the driveway and back into the house, kicking the sneakers off and putting them back on the shoe rack. She locked the door, as they were in for the night and she was pretty sure they'd get no visitors. She walked into the living room, seeing Maggie was putting another log into the log burner.

"So," Maggie and Alex both sat down on the couch. "There's something called The Sinner. Sounds pretty interesting. We can give that a go, if you want."

"Yeah," Alex nodded. "I think I looked at that the other night when you were working late," Alex told her. "Was supposed to tell you about it, but clearly I forgot." Alex murmured.

"Aww baby brain, huh?" Maggie teased, her hand finding Alex's tiny bump and resting there. "I can't wait till you get fat."

"Hey." Alex slapped her wife, Maggie chuckling as she was going into Netflix to play the first episode.

"Sorry, I mean get more pregnant. Start showing. Get a nice bump," Maggie corrected herself, her hand still rubbing Alex's stomach. Alex figured Maggie did this so much as a way to try to feel closer to the baby. Biologically the child was Alex's and she was the one carrying, so she figured that Maggie was just trying to make a connection. "And we should find out what this little Jellybean is when we get our next scan." Maggie suggested.

"Uh," Alex wasn't sure she wanted to know but Maggie clearly did. "Maybe. Don't you want to be surprised when I give birth?" Alex questioned.

"Well…" Maggie shrugged. "I just think it'll be nice to know," Maggie answered. "And that way we only need to look at one set of names." Maggie said.

"Okay but the names we've both said are our favourites right now are unisex, so..." Alex looked around to Maggie as she twisted her lip.

"I guess," Maggie murmured. At the moment, Maggie liked Peyton and Riley, and Alex was a fan of Finley. Alex had also suggested they call the baby Sawyer, but Maggie didn't seem sure on that idea. "Well, I guess I've still time to get you to come around to finding out." Maggie nudged Alex's shoulder. It was a few weeks till their next scan, so it wasn't like they needed to decide right this minute.

"Hmm." Alex murmured as she lightly shook her head.

"Well, we'll see what happens." Maggie said, before she hit play on the remote and snuggled into her wife, her hand still on her belly and Alex wrapped her arm around Maggie as they started to watch the first episode.


Ava wasn't really sure what she'd thought she'd do once she got to National City. All she had was her name and the fact that she was a cop. She'd spent a few hours just walking around. She spent a lot of that time in the warmth of the mall but then after passing the security guard one to many time, he for whatever reason got suspicious of her and asked her to leave. She then decided to try to find her. She'd managed to find National City Police Headquarters relatively quickly. She took a deep breath before walking in, heading to the woman on the desk. "Yes?" The woman said, not even looking up at her.

"Uhm." Ava put her hands into her hoodie pocket as she looked downwards slightly.

"Do you need to report a crime?" The woman asked.

"No," Ava shook her head.

"Then what do you want?" The woman spoke sharply.

"Uhm, I'm looking for someone." Ava answered, biting her bottom lip, once again looking downwards.

The woman looked at her for a moment. She stood up from her seat and disappeared briefly, coming back with a missing persons report. "Fill this out." The woman said bluntly, as she passed it through the window to her.

Ava looked down to it then back up at the woman, slightly confused by her attitude. Granted it was late and she'd probably worked a long day, but there were ways to speak to people. "No, sorry. No one is missing," Ava said, realising she should have been more specific to start with. "A police officer. She works for NCPD."

"What do you want her for?" The woman wondered.

"I….It's uhm," Ava sighed. "I want to speak to her."

"Does she have a name?" The woman asked.

"Margarita Rodas." Ava told her. The woman looked to her computer and typed something in.

"There's nothing coming up," The woman said. "Do you know her badge number or what Precinct she works at?" The woman questioned her, needing more information.

"Uh, no," Ava shook her head. "I just thought you'd know. This is NCPD, right?"

"Yes, but there's more than one Precinct. It's a big city." The woman told her. Ava sighed lightly. What the hell did she do now.

"Maybe you could ask another officer?" Ava suggested.

The woman sighed. She didn't really have time for this and was about to say that but then she saw an officer walking passed Ava. "Officer Reynolds," The woman said. "This young lady is looking for an officer Rodas."

"Rodas," Reynolds shook her head. "You got the Precinct?"

"She doesn't know." The woman shook her head.

"Sorry, I don't know a Rodas." Reynolds walked away.

"So you can't help?" Ava questioned.

"I mean, I can have another look. Talk to more officers but it's not going to be tonight. You can come back tomorrow." The woman told her.

Ava sighed before she gave a little nod. "Okay. Thanks." Ava murmured before she turned and walked out of the building, shivering as the cold night air hit her. She rubbed her stomach and exhaled. She was hungry. She knew she needed to eat something. She still had her 5 dollars left. She knew she'd not get much but it would be something. She walked along the sidewalk and quickly found a 7/11. She got a hotdog with ketchup and a mountain dew. She left the shop, hoping that she'd more successful in finding her tomorrow because she'd just spent all her money. She wolfed down the hotdog and drank most of the mountain dew in one gulp. She took her backpack off and threw it down onto sidewalk. She leaned herself against the wall of the street, not knowing what to do with herself. She slid down to the ground, feeling her eyes stinging with tears. She brought her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around herself as she rested her head down. She looked up upon hearing the sounds of some coins falling. She glanced at the money before looking to the side, seeing a woman walking away. She looked back to the money before feeling a tear rolling down her cheek.


Thoughts? :)