Chapter Three: I'll Find You V, I Promise


Sam walked towards the open casket slowly. There were large bouquets of red and white roses surrounding it. There was this knot in his stomach that just seemed to grow the closer he got to the casket. He had no idea, whose funeral he was at. He couldn't see Andy anywhere and there was no photo of the deceased anywhere near the casket.

He took a deep breath and looked down into the casket and what he saw brought tears to his eyes. His little girl, the girl he had worked so hard to find and protect was laying there, her eyes closed and her beautiful brown hair, falling around her face in curls. He leaned forward to place a kiss on her forehead, when suddenly her eyes flew open.

"Daddy, I'm scared," she told him, her eyes wide and filled with fear, "Why is this happening to me? Why did you let him take me? Why did you let him hurt me? Didn't you and mom love me anymore?"

"Of course we do. We always will," Sam tried to say, but his mouth was too dry. It was like his voice had left him entirely when his daughter began to speak.

"You didn't care about me enough to find me before I died," she snapped, before closing her eyes, a single tear running down her face. He looked down at her and he reached to wipe the tear from her pale cheek. Her eyes shot open as soon as he touched her.

"I hate you."


Sam shot awake as his dream ended. He looked around to try and get his bearings. He and Andy had fallen asleep at the barn, at their desks; several file folders of possible suspects surrounding them as they slept. He leaned back in his chair. The dream had felt so real to Sam, the animosity in V's last words to him, hitting him particularly hard.

"I have to find her," he whispered to himself, "I can't let her think that we hate her. I can't let her think that we don't care enough to bring her home before something happens. I need her to know that I am always there for her, when she needs me." He put his head in his hands and continued to comb through the file that he had been looking through before he fell asleep.

"I need to find her," he kept repeating as he looked through each folder, leaving him emptier each time he couldn't find a single thing that could possibly lead him to anyone that might have taken his little girl. Frustration seemed to set in not long after. Everywhere he looked in these files, he saw a threat towards his daughter, and with every file he began to read, he had hope that this was the one that could've possibly taken his Veronica, but with each passing one, that hope began to dwindle.

Sam leaned back in his chair, took a quick glance at the photo of him and Veronica on his desk once more, before he looked over to Andy. She was still fast asleep at her desk. She looked almost peaceful, like she wasn't being plagued by nightmares of their little girl begging to know why; they didn't save her in time.

"At least one of us is getting sleep," he said, before walking over to Andy, lifting her into his arms, so he could find her a more comfortable place to sleep. He knew that Frank had added a couch into his office, soon after his son Will, was born, for those late nights, where they couldn't get anyone to watch him and when the rest of the Brat Brigade, as they use to be called, came, the couch never really left. Sam allowed himself to smile for a split second.

Veronica never slept on that couch. After Andy had returned from medical leave, V was always with her grandfather, who was now 20 years sober, but on those nights, where he had AA meetings, Veronica would come to work with him and Andy. She was always content either falling asleep on his lap or in his chair, if he wasn't there. He smiled at the little girl that had grown to be who his daughter was now. It was then that his smile disappeared.

Sam placed Andy on the couch in Frank's office, and went back to his desk. He grabbed the folders that were on Andy's desk and began his search once more. Oliver walked back into the barn, carrying some donuts and coffee, which he had offered to get, at that moment and he spotted Sam at his desk, still combing through dozens of files.

"Where's McNally brotha? It's not like her to abandon a search," he said, placing a cup of coffee in front of Sam.

"She fell asleep," Sam said, not bothering to look up from the file he was reading, "She didn't sleep much last night, to worried about V."

"And what about you? Have you slept at all?"

"I've slept for a couple of hours here and there," Sam said, still not looking at Oliver. Oliver nodded and then grabbed the file from Sam. Sam looked up at him, the frustration clear on his face.

"What are you doing," Sam snapped, "That could be the one that has V!"

"Sam," Oliver said calmly, "You need sleep. Veronica needs you alert, not delirious and exhausted."

"I can't Oli," Sam conceded, "I just can't."

"Why not? I've seen you sleep through a lot, as of late," Oliver said, pulling up a chair to sit across from Sam.

"Every single time, I close my eyes. I keep having the same damn dream about Veronica," Sam explains, taking a sip from the coffee that Oliver had gotten him.

"What happens in the dream,' Oliver asks, before stuffing a donut in his mouth.

"I'm walking towards this casket," Sam explains, "There are a bunch of large red and white rose bouquets surrounding it, but no picture of who died and as I get closer, I look inside it. I always look inside."

"And whose inside the casket?"

"Veronica. And as I look down at her, her eyes fly open and all I can see is fear. And then she begins to speak."

"What does she say Sam?"

"She tells me that she's scared and I can see it. The fear is in her eyes, and then she keeps asking me why I didn't save her, why didn't Andy and I love her and every time I try to contradict it, I can't. My throat is so dry, that I can barely speak and then-"

"Sam," Oliver prompted.

"Then she closes her eyes and single tear runs down her cheek, I go to wipe it off with my thumb, like I did when she was smaller, and she'd coming running to me when she was hurt, but as soon as I touch her, her eyes fly open again and she says that she," Sam stopped, this was the hardest part for him to hear every single time he had this dream.

"What does she say, Sam," Oliver asks.

"That she hates me," Sam finally said, after taking a deep breath. His head goes back to his hands and he rests them on his desk and it was then for the first time that since Veronica disappeared thirty-six hours ago did Sam cry. Oliver watched as Sam finally broke down and silently he offered Sam some strength by putting his hand on his shoulder.

"She'd never hate you, Sam," Oliver said, "Veronica is your little girl. She may say that she hates you, but trust me, even through all that hate that she's feeling right at that moment, she'll always love you. Sam you taught her everything. You taught her how to ride a bike, hit a baseball. Hell, Sammy, you taught her self-defense. We'll get her back, and when we do, she'll come running into your arms, because she wants to be held by one of the strongest men in her life." Sam looked up at Oliver. Oliver could see that his eyes were red.

"One of the strongest," Sam asked, "I think you mean the strongest." Oliver smiled.

"Yeah buddy, the strongest," Oliver agreed, before they both grabbed a file once more and began to look through the files. Sam stopped for one second and looked at Oliver.

"I'm thinking about going to see Jamie Brennon," Sam said, "Maybe he could give us something to go on." Oliver looked up from the file he was looking at, to look at Sam.

"Do you want me to go with you," Oliver asked. Sam nodded and they both descended back into silence, looking over any folder that they could get their hands on.

"Thank you," Sam whispered, but it was loud enough that Oliver could hear him. Oliver looked at him and nodded. He only did what any best friend would do.


"Why didn't you call me," Leo snapped, as he barged into his mother and step-father's house early that morning, his girlfriend, Morgan in tow.

"We didn't want to worry you," said Traci as she poured him and Morgan a mug of coffee. Leo watched as his mother placed the mug in front of him and Morgan. Jerry came and sat down in front of him with his in hand.

"So I had to find out when we watched the news last night?"

"We were going to tell you when you came over for dinner tonight," Jerry said, "Since the Swareks are staying here for the time being, you and Morgan were going to have to take the pull out couch in the living room." Leo nodded and took a sip of the coffee that his mum had made for him.

"I just want to know why I wasn't informed when it happened," he said, as he looked between his mother and Jerry. Jerry and Traci shared a look.

"We're trying to keep Sky from finding out," Traci explained, "She knows something is wrong, since Jerry hasn't been home every night to tuck her into bed, because he's been working overtime to try and find V."

"So where does Sky think V is?"

"We told her that Veronica had to go and visit Sam's sister for awhile, because Sarah really needed the help, but neither Sam nor Andy could take the time off work."

"And what reason does she think they're staying here for," Leo asked, taking another sip from his coffee.

"Their house is being fumigated, that's why Sam and Andy couldn't go and 'help' Sarah out," Traci explained, when she heard Sky making her way down the stairs.

"Leo," Sky shrieked as she ran towards her eldest brother. Leo smiled down at her and lifted her onto his lap.

"How are you Blue Sky," Leo asked, kissing his little sister on the forehead. Traci and Jerry smiled.

"Good, but Dean isn't," she said, before looking to her mother, "Mommy, can I have some toast with stwawbewwy jam?"

"Of course," Traci said, before walking over to the pantry to get the necessary ingrediants. Leo looked at Jerry, wondering what else they haven't told him, about the happenings of Veronica's disappearance.

"Yeah, where is the monster," Leo asked, as he looked towards the stairs, "You can usually hearing him snoring from the basement." Jerry put down his cup of coffee.

"Sky, why don't you go into the living room and watch same Barney, while mommy makes you, your toast," Jerry said. Sky looked in between her mother, father and big brother, before nodding and made to climb off her brother's lap, before skipping into the living room. As soon as they heard the familiar sounds of Barney's opening theme song, Leo turned back to Jerry.

"Where's Dean," Leo asked.

"Hospital-"

"Why is he in the hospital," Leo asked, interrupting Jerry before he could explain.

"When Veronica was taken, Dean, Laura and Zack were all at the Swareks. Dean had ordered them a pizza, when he went to answer the door, he got hit. It was just a hit to the head. It knocked him out for awhile. He has a bit of a concussion, but other than that he's fine," Jerry explained. Leo nodded.

"What's happening with Veronica's case," Leo asked.

"We're waiting on some footprint recognition, on some of the moulds that we found in the Swareks yard, and your uncle Sam and aunt Andy are looking through all of their old case files, to see if there is anyone with a big enough grudge against them, that would make them want to take Veronica, but so far nothing," Jerry said. Leo nodded. He couldn't believe that someone had taken sweet little Veronica, but then a thought dawned on him.

"Has anyone spoken to Laura yet," he asked. Jerry shook his head.

"She's still completely out," Jerry answered, "Zack woke up first and told us everything that happened from the moment Dean answered the door, to when he was knocked out and then Dean woke up and told us what happened when they got home to the point where he gained some consciousness and heard Veronica screaming at whoever took her to let her go."

"Zack also received some texts yesterday morning from Veronica's phone, but they're not actually from Veronica, but neither Sam nor Andy know of this," Jerry said, "Some of those texts will send Sam over the edge and at this point in the investigation, I don't need him going out and killing anyone that could have a grudge against him to find his daughter."

"What are on those texts," Leo asked, wondering what could in fact send his uncle Sam, that far off the edge, that he's probably already teetering on. Traci and Jerry shared a look, before Jerry walked over to a drawer beside the refrigerator.

"I keep it here, so Sam won't find it," he said, pulling out Zack's phone, that now had four new text messages.

It hurts, Zack, please help me! – V

All I see is darkness, Zack! I think I'm dying help me! – V

He keeps hurting me Zack! I just want to go home! – V

Zack, why won't you help me? – V

Leo looked through all of the texts that had been sent to Zack, after Veronica's kidnapping. As he read them, he could feel his anger coming through. Whoever had taken Veronica had, was playing with them. He wanted them to know how hurt she was, what she was going through, just to make them more desperate in finding her, which would lead them to making mistakes. Jerry looked at Leo.

"Why did you ask if we had spoken to Laura yet, not Dean or Zack," Jerry asked, as Leo handed him back the cell phone. Leo shrugged.

"Anything, Veronica knows, Laura knows right," he said, as if everyone in the world knew that. Jerry and Traci looked between one another and Leo. It seemed in their desperation to find Veronica quickly, they had over looked something that seemed so meaningless at the time.


"It didn't even follow them the entire way, they had cut through the elementary school park on their way to your house and lost it, but I could tell by the look on Veronica's face she knew something, but I thought nothing of it, until now," Will explained.


It had been right there in Will's statement; by the look on Veronica's face she knew something; and whatever Veronica knew, so did Laura. The two have them told each other absolutely everything that happened in their lives.

"There's only one problem though," Jerry said, before they could get too ahead of themselves.

"Laura had been hit from behind," Traci said, knowing Jerry's line of thought. Leo shook his head.

"I'm not saying that she would know who Veronica's kidnapper is, just because Veronica does. Laura isn't psychic, but maybe V knows who her attacker is. At least seventy percent of all kidnappings, they know their abductor," Leo said, as he remembered that staggering statistic from his law textbook. Jerry and Traci looked at each other once more. They doubted that Veronica was part of that seventy percent, she had struggled against her attacker.

"You said that Dean said, she was screaming at someone to let her go right," Leo said, causing both Jerry and Traci to nod, "Where were all the teens in the house, when Veronica was kidnapped?"

"Dean was in the front foyer," Traci said.

"Laura was in the kitchen," Jerry continued.

"And Zack?"

"In the hallway upstairs by her room," both of them said together.

"Was Zack anywhere near where she had been kidnapped," Leo asked.

"She had been in her en-suite, which would make Zack in her eye sight as soon as she walked out of her bathroom," Jerry said, something dawning on him completely.

"Which mean on the way out the front door, they would have walked by Zack's body, which would cause Veronica to struggle against her abductor, so she could make sure they were alright and that no further harm would be done to them," Leo said, as he thought about it some more, "She probably only ever left with him, because he threatened to hurt the people she loves and we all know that V is like-"

"Her father, to a fault," Traci said, before grabbing her and Jerry's coats and they both hurried out the front door. It was as the front door slammed that Sky came skipping into the kitchen looking for her breakfast.

"Did mommy make my toast and jam," she asked Leo. Leo looked over to the counter, where the loaf of bread and strawberry jam lay forgotten by his mother. He smiled.

"I'll make it for you," he said, before getting up to make his little sister breakfast.


"Please," Veronica screamed, as loud as she could, hoping someone could hear her, "Someone help me!"


A/N: Hi Everyone, glad you're all enjoying it! I'm enjoying writing it! May 24th is only 44 days away!

xo