Thanks for the reviews! To the guest reviewer, no I didn't write that fic and I've noticed it's gone missing as well...

Looking at his phone Lee grumbled. It had been an hour since Lucy had left to go get the present and she still hadn't returned, the amount of time she was taking was worrying him.

Making his way over to Hannah he tapped her shoulder and explained what had happened, telling her that he'd have to leave early and wishing her a happy birthday, he didn't get much further than saying that Lucy hadn't returned before Hannah had begun ushering him straight out of the door. The pair made their way down the street, the same way Lucy had done earlier with the feeling of dread settling comfortably in their stomachs. She'd be alright but why hadn't she phoned to say she'd be longer. He should've gone with her.

"Do you think she's ok?" Lee questioned Hannah nervously as they made their way into the building, legs striding as they ran.

"I'm pretty sure she's fine. It'll do no good worrying about it," Hannah said with sympathy as Lee shakily opened the flat door, both breathing heavily, the excursion taking a slight toll on them.

"I can't help it," he admitted as he pushed open the door, it nearly flying off of its hinges, "Lucy!? Luce?" Lee shouted but no reply, and he could see the colourfully wrapped present was still perched on the coffee table. Ok now he was beginning to worry. Nothing had moved since they had left and surely if she was going to be longer than intended she would've phoned him.

"Han, I don't think she's here," he muttered worriedly as he began running around the flat opening doors and slamming them shut again all the time shouting her name, he must have been making a right racket, "Lucy, sweetheart!?"

"I thought you two were only flatmates?" Hannah asked as she followed him, really worried now as well. Yet, she still had to question the sweetheart.

"Oh we are. I'm just worried now and terms of endearments tumble of my mouth especially when it comes to Lucy but I've always seemed to have done it and without noticing. Mum thought I was bonkers when I called my aunt love whilst she had fallen down the stairs," he babbled out in one breath as he pushed Hannah out of the way before running out of the flat, shouting Lucy's name down the street.

"Lee, calm down!"

"Calm down!? How can I calm down!? She's gone missing!" Lee panicked as he ran hands through his hair. She could be anywhere by now!

"Luce!?" He shouted again as he began jogging down the street, a few people glancing curiously his way, he only stopped when he tripped and fell, landing face first into the damp, dirty pavement. That hurt quite a bit. Ouch.

"Are you..." Her question trailed off as she noticed what Lee had tripped over, "you fell over Lucy's handbag." Hannah was pretty good at remembering what people wore and when she had first seen it she rather liked it.

"What?" Lee asked, thinking he hadn't heard correctly. What did she just say?

"That's Lucy's handbag," Hannah pointed at the article in question as Lee scrambled to his feet. If Lucy's handbag was just lying about in the street that meant she didn't even make it back to the flat. Which meant someone had taken her.

"Phone the police. Fuck," he spoke loudly as he gingerly made his way down the alley with the flashlight on his phone but he soon emerged and shook his head, she wasn't there. At this point in time he would've rather seen her beaten in the corner than not at all.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck," he repeated, as he ran his hands over his face, this could not be happening. Nope. No way. Not to her, not to her. Why the fuck didn't he go with her!?

Lucy was missing. Nowhere to be seen. What if something had happened to her? What if she'd been killed? What if? What if? What if? Was all that was running through Lee's head. And none of the options he came up with were particularly good results.

"I shouldn't have let her go on her own," he muttered just as sirens came into his hearing, a stray tear fell down his face as he stared at the floor, where Lucy's handbag lay. They hadn't touched it, just in case.

"Don't go blaming yourself. She'll be fine…she'll be fine…she'll be fine," Hannah repeated to reassure Lee and herself, her hands rubbing her arms to warm her from the chill of the night.

The police arrived then talking to the pair and taking notes as Hannah explained everything. Lee had started to but he was too emotional, too much in a panic to explain anything properly, he was really worried. Lee had passed the police the flat keys when asked and then had watched as detectives went looking around the alley, taking photos and collecting evidence. He'd seen it plenty of times on the police detective shows and TV programmes but never in a million years did he imagine even watching one let alone being right in the centre of one. It was surreal and he couldn't quite explain the feeling in his gut.

Hannah left an hour later after police had told her to go back to her party, that there was nothing else she could do. If she stayed any longer then people would be wondering where she was anyway. Handing Lee her phone number he nodded absentmindedly as he stood, hands in pockets and shoulders slumped, answering questions when asked and just generally staying out of the way.

Lee didn't leave until they packed up, saying they'd be in touch and they'd let him know anything about his girlfriend. There wasn't any point in denying that they weren't even together. The Detective Inspector had been helpful and promised him that they'd find her and that he'd done the right thing by phoning because she hadn't made it back to the flat, even if you had to wait 24 hours these days.

By time he got back to the flat, threw his jacket onto his desk he gave a weak smile as the detective walked passed him, offering a smile that showed he's worked in the sector too long to be even remotely sympathetic as he carried a box of Lucy's and his things. Then a thought hit him. He'd have to tell Geoffrey, Wendy Tim and Daisy. That was going to be heart wrenching.

Lee paced the flat for the first hour as he sipped whiskey thinking about what he'd tell her parents and where to look before deciding he couldn't sit around and do nothing. Getting his jacket he took a glance at the time, 2:30 am. It was as good a time as any to start looking. He didn't return home that night.