A/N: Sorry for the wait! And this chapter isn't even that long, either. I had some pretty bad writer's block for a while. I had to really push myself to get this chapter done, and I actually ended it at a point where I was not planning to end it. Therefore the next chapter may come out a little long. Thanks to everyone reading and reviewing and sticking with me! I really appreciate it. Bear with me on this chapter, folks.

Chapter 4
Intuition

Apartment 2J was utterly silent. The abnormal lack of noise made James's body feel heavy and stiff, like a thick, unnerving cloud had settled upon him. His heart thumped with trepidation, and the fear that something had happened to Kendall was eating him alive.

It was just after eleven o'clock. McNair and the other officers had departed a while ago, McNair taking with him a recent photo of Kendall to enter into the city's database of runaways, as well as placing his card on the table. He informed there wasn't much to be done, as many kids leave home every day. But there was an assurance to his words, however, when he mentioned an estimated seventy-seven percent of runaways return in less than a week. He advised Mrs. Knight to call all friends and relatives Kendall may turn to, and to drive around town and check all the places Kendall goes to relax or hang out.

Mrs. Knight somehow managed to fight away her tears for sake of the boys and Katie, but it was clear by the way she nervously wrung her hands together and never ceased pacing the floor that she was severely agitated. It wasn't long after McNair and his team left that Mrs. Knight gave each the boys a kiss on the head and told them she was going to take her car and go search around town for Kendall. Katie practically begged to come with, and Mrs. Knight eventually complied, apologetically leaving the boys home alone. James thought Katie was remaining surprisingly calm regarding her brother's absence, but he wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.

Gustavo and Kelly had yet to be notified of the current state of affairs. Though James didn't doubt they were suspicious, as Mrs. Knight had called Rocque Records twice asking if Kendall was there, and was most probably on her way to search the entire building top to bottom herself. Jo was also in the dark. She would be waiting downstairs for Kendall at about noon, undoubtedly knocking on the apartment door when he failed to show. James dreaded to see the look on her face.

He shifted his eyes to his two friends. Neither had moved in an hour. Carlos laid upside down on the far end with his legs propped against the back of the couch, helmet strapped tightly around his head. In the center of the orange sofa was Logan, who was slumped almost in defeat, his body leaning deeply into the thick cushions. James knew they were all thinking the same thing. But no one wanted to say it. Maybe if they kept quiet, the situation would solve itself like it normally did.

Kendall Knight was the unspoken leader of Big Time Rush. For as long as James could remember, Kendall was the one bailing them out of trouble, offering encouraging words when a somber situation fell upon them, going out of his way to try to help them. Then he just leaves? It didn't make any sense. That was not the Kendall Knight James knew. Kendall Knight wouldn't just abandon his precious baby sister, his mother, and his best friends. He wouldn't. He wouldn't.

A stray piece of hair tumbled down across James's forehead. He reached up and brushed it away with a swipe of his hand; the first time he'd moved in what felt like forever. He realized then that he had completely forgotten to blow-dry, comb, add mousse, and apply hairspray to his handsome locks yet this morning. Kendall's mysterious absence had distracted him from his daily routine.

"Was it us?" Logan whispered.

His voice snapped James to attention. He turned to his forlorn friend, taking careful note of the glassy shine in Logan's eyes and the way he stared unblinkingly at the floor. Even Carlos rotated his helmet-clad head, the sudden interruption of the silence shaking him from his own thoughts.

"Was it something we did?" Logan asked to no one in particular, voice hushed and laced with hurt. "Or something we didn't do?"

The questions were perhaps rhetorical, but James answered regardless. "No."

Logan finally shifted positions, sitting up a bit straighter and rubbing away the unshed tears welling in his dreary eyes. He sniffled, shaking his head. "How do you know?"

James pursed his lips. "Because," he said, simply. "Kendall wouldn't do that."

"Kendall wouldn't run away, either," Logan murmured bitterly. Resentment suddenly replaced sadness. "But he did."

"But, why?" Carlos spoke up.

Logan looked at him, but Carlos didn't return the gaze. He stared up at the ceiling, puffing out his cheeks in a nonchalant manner, as if the seriousness of what was happening hadn't quite connected with him. Logan frowned. "It had to be because of us."

"Logan, if he left because of us he wouldn't have apologized!" James snapped, more harshly than he intended.

Logan jumped slightly, and James immediately regretted raising his voice. He sighed and opened his mouth to tell Logan he was sorry, but was cut off by the smaller boy's angry retort. "What are you talking about?" Logan growled. "How can you possibly start defending him when we don't even know what's going on?"

James raised his eyebrows. "How can you start accusing him when we don't know what's going on?" he shot back.

Sensing an argument, Carlos flopped over on the couch, at last pulling himself upright to sit on his bottom. "Okay!" he declared, offering an optimistic grin. "How about we all just agree to disagree?"

Logan stood from the couch, placing both hands on his head and pacing slowly in a circle. "Shut up, Carlos," he muttered. "You don't even know what that means."

"Hey!" Carlos then rose too, face reddening and goofy smile vanishing instantaneously. He sounded genuinely offended. "I do too know what that means." He marched up to Logan. "And you know what else I know? That just because you're so smart doesn't mean you're right all the time."

Logan spun around to face him. "What are you talking about?"

Carlos stuck a finger out at the teen still on the couch. "I'm with James on this one," he said, quieter.

At the mention of his name, James hopped up as well, standing next to his friends in the middle of the living room. He didn't exactly want to argue, but he was going to defend Kendall as well as he could. It was reasonable for Logan to feel betrayed by Kendall's actions, but it was totally unreasonable for Logan to start jumping to such off-putting conclusions. James himself was beginning to feel betrayed - by Logan.

"What?" Logan asked Carlos incredulously, holding both hands out at his sides. "Why? How can you two be so casual about this? Kendall ran away." He then whipped around to James, making sure the boys knew he was talking to both of them. "Kendall's always saying how we need to have each others' backs and never give up on each other, and then he just walks out and leaves?"

"Yeah, just think about that, Logan," said James, maintaining a firm tone. "Does that sound like the Kendall you know?"

"No," Logan replied flatly.

"Exactly." James realized his ideas were emerging as he spoke, so he continued talking. "We all know that Kendall wouldn't just leave. He had to have some deep purpose. Something that he couldn't tell us. There has to be another reason."

"Like what!" Logan shouted, tossing up his hands in frustration. "What sort of purpose? Huh?" Tears sprang back into his eyes, chest heaved up and down.

"I don't know yet!" James exclaimed, matching the volume of Logan's voice. But there had to be something. There had to. Kendall wouldn't leave on selfish grounds. He definitely wasn't that sort of person. He was caring and thoughtful, putting friends and family before everyone else in his life, including himself. He wouldn't betray everyone by walking out.

Unless he had to.

"Maybe he had to go save the world," Carlos chirped with an unconcerned shrug. It was obviously an attempt to lighten the mood, but Logan found no mirth.

He spun around on his heel. "This isn't a joke, Carlos!" Before James could intervene, Logan had reached out and delivered a hard shove to Carlos's shoulders, causing the Latino to stumble backwards in surprise.

"Hey!" James cried, stepping in front of Logan. "Cool it, man!"

Logan glowered for a moment, then closed his eyes and inhaled a breath, fists unclenching at his sides. James looked over his shoulder to see if Carlos was readying himself to fight back, but, strangely, he wasn't. His bottom lip trembled and innocent eyes clouded with hurt. He gingerly rubbed a hand over the area Logan had hit, face scrunching up as if fighting off sudden emotion.

The silence had returned, aside from the light sniffling of Carlos. James's own throat tightened from repressed sadness as he lowered his hands, feeling the tension fizzle out of the room. It was distressing to see Carlos become so upset. He was never one to back down from a fight, not even a dispute between friends. In fact, he was frequently the one causing the arguments or the wrestling matches or the fistfights. He was a tough guy. But Logan's push must have had a deeper affect.

Logan finally spoke to James. His voice was low, but the ire remained subtlety present. "There's another reason?"

James looked him straight in the eye as he answered. "Yes."

"Then give me one," said Logan, holding up a finger. "One reason."

James blinked slowly. He opened his mouth to speak, but only a small croak came out. A reason. Come on, Diamond, think. What sort of selfless reason could Kendall have for leaving? There had to be something. Anything.

Why couldn't he think of one?

"Alright," Logan whispered with a dejected nod. He said not another word, brushing past James. He paused in front of Carlos, giving him a friendly pat on the shoulder. Carlos answered with a small bob of his head, showing his acceptance of the silent apology.

"Hey," James called when Logan proceeded walking. "Logan, hey. Where are you going?"

Carlos's eyes widened. "Logan?"

Logan approached the front door, one hand reaching for the handle. "I just need to take a walk," he murmured.

"No!" Carlos cried, rushing forward. "No, don't leave, Logan, please."

The pale boy turned, narrowing his eyes in confusion at his friend's desperate pleas. "I just need to clear my head for a while, okay?" he said, gently.

James followed Carlos as the Latino darted up to Logan, snatching the sleeve of his polo shirt. "Don't," Carlos begged, voice cracking. "Please don't go, okay? Please."

"Carlos -"

"You can't run away too!" he yelled with a sob.

James froze. And from what he could see, Logan's muscles tensed as well. Carlos looked down at his feet as he willed his unwanted tears away, Logan taking the opportunity to sneak a worried glance at James. The taller boy gulped, feeling like a jagged nail had been thrust deep into his heart.

"Okay," Logan said, voice nearly a whisper. "I'm not going anywhere." He removed his hands from the door and gave Carlos an affectionate slap on the back and squeeze to the shoulder. Carlos bit down on his lower lip and refused to lift his gaze, but nonetheless nodded, slowly.

Logan heaved a sigh, pushing a hand through his hair. James began to pace the floor in the living room. They had only discovered Kendall gone three hours ago, and already they were quarreling and at a loss of what to do. They needed Kendall's guidance.

"Look," Logan said after a long pause. "Can we just…" He trailed off, pinching the bridge of his nose, flustered. "Can we just sit down and talk about this?"

"Yeah, okay," James said. His voice caught in his throat, so he coughed to clear it. He shuffled to the kitchen table and pulled up a chair next to Carlos, who plopped down across from Logan.

Logan folded his hands and rested them on the surface of the table. He was trembling slightly, James noticed. Whether it was from fear or from unreleased vexation, he was not sure.

"So…" the smaller boy started. "Your theory is that Kendall ran away because of some significant purpose?"

James looked to Carlos. The two replied simultaneously. "Yes."

"But you can't think of an example?" said Logan, quirking an eyebrow in that patronizing way he frequently showed off when he knew he was right.

"…No," admitted James.

"Hmm." Logan rapped his knuckles on the table. "Well. I disagree."

"In regards to what?" James challenged. Beside him, Carlos crossed his arms over his chest, already fully recovered from his brief interval of panic. It was not surprising. Carlos's emotions could be flipped on and off like a switch.

"Logic," Logan said.

Carlos snorted and rolled his eyes. "Why do you have to be so logical all the time?" he asked. "Why can't you be unlogical for once?"

"Illogical," Logan corrected. He let out a startled yelp when Carlos reached across the table to smack the side of Logan's head. "Ow, hey!" he exclaimed, swatting away Carlos's hand. "I'm just being realistic here. This isn't a science fiction movie, okay? Kendall isn't running around trying to 'save the world' right now." He stopped to let the words sink in for all of them. "Don't you think it makes more sense to assume Kendall was sick of living in LA? We all love it here, so maybe he didn't want to tell us and hurt our feelings. Or maybe he was too stressed out about everything that's going on? Sudden fame can do that to a person, you know."

"If that was the case he would have talked to us about it," James said before Logan had a chance to rant on. After all, Kendall was always urging the guys to sit down and talk about their problems when he discovered something troublesome had evolved. Surely if something was bothering Kendall, he'd have enough sense to discuss it with one of the guys.

Carlos abruptly pushed his chair away from the table, sliding out and getting to his feet. James watched confusedly as Carlos strolled into the kitchen and dug around in a box on the counter.

"Seriously?" said Logan, making a face.

Carlos removed a chocolate doughnut from the container. "What? I'm hungry." He leaned his elbows against the tabletop and stuffed the squishy bread into his mouth, chewing noisily.

"Well," James said, getting back on subject, "wherever Kendall is and whatever he's doing, we need to bring him home."

"Yeah, okay, and how do you plan on doing that?" Logan asked, turning his attention away from the Latino in the kitchen.

James shrugged. He didn't exactly know the answer to Logan's question, but he did know he would do anything in his power to help his friend. Kendall would do the same thing for them.

"Ooh," said Carlos, mumbling through a mouthful his snack. "We could search his room."

James's eyes lit up. "Yes!" He slapped his palm on the table. "There might be a clue in there that says where he's going. Like another note, or something."

Chocolate smudged around Carlos's mouth as he nodded vigorously in approval.

Logan didn't seem as convinced. "The cops already searched his room, genius."

"Yeah, but maybe they missed something," said Carlos. He strode back to the table, leaning on the back of Logan's chair. "My dad's a cop. He says they screw up all the time."

"…That's comforting to know," Logan muttered under his breath.

"Besides," continued James. "We know Kendall better than anybody. If there is a clue, we'll probably be able to notice it." He paused, both eager boys looking to Logan expectantly for some sort of confirmation. Carlos tapped his foot, discernibly impatient. As Logan was busy trying to vocalize a response by opening and closing his mouth like a fish out of water, the teen with the helmet finally gave up on waiting.

"Let's goooo!" he cried excitedly, making a beeline for the hall. His heavy footsteps soon disappeared as he presumably raced into Kendall's bedroom.

James stood as well, ready to follow Carlos. "Let's go," he repeated with a smirk.

Logan heaved a sigh. "Fine. I guess I don't have much of a choice, anyway."

"Why's that?"

"Because Carlos is in Kendall's room. Alone."

James frowned. Logan had a point; Carlos's destructive tendencies appeared more commonly when he was without supervision.

As if on cue, a loud crash bang clang boom echoed from down the hall. Logan and James exchanged knowing glances before Logan rolled his eyes and darted away to make sure Carlos hadn't annihilated Kendall's bedroom in the eleven seconds he had entered. James hurried after him, skidding down the small hall and into the first door on the right.

Carlos was sprawled out on his back, arms and legs splayed across the beige carpet. All the items lining Kendall's dresser top had fallen and scattered every which way across the floor. Carlos twitched.

"Dude!" Logan exclaimed. He grabbed a hold of Carlos's arm and forcibly yanked him to his feet, giving his helmet a slap. "How did you even - ?"

James cut him off, cringing. "It's best not to question it."

Carlos blinked blearily, tottering slightly on his feet. He shook his head back and fourth in attempts to literally shake himself out of his dazed state. His wide eyes scanned over the mess he had made, then shifted over to the guys when Logan released his hold on Carlos's arm. "Oops…" Carlos murmured.

James stifled a snicker.

"Just pick this stuff up," muttered Logan. He lowered himself down onto the edge of Kendall's bed. He did it cautiously, as if he was afraid of wrinkling the comforter. James understood that Logan would be wary to intrude on Kendall's personal space, but it wasn't like he was dead or something. When Kendall came back he could rearrange all the items the guys made untidy.

Carlos gazed around the room. "Where'd my doughnut go?" he asked.

James shrugged, focusing his attention on searching for something that could possibly lead them to some answers about Kendall. He was secure in mind that the blond had a real, sincere reason for leaving. The notion didn't necessarily ease his fears, though, as James figured Kendall must have been in some trouble if he felt like he needed to leave.

As Carlos abandoned his quest to locate his missing doughnut, James wandered to Kendall's closet. McNair had said there were several articles of clothing missing from Kendall's room. Curious, James approached Kendall's closet door and pulled it open, being greeted with a colorful range of plaid and denim. Sure enough, there were several bare hangers dangling in the center of the rack, noticeably out of place. Frowning, James dropped to his hands and knees, thoroughly scouring the floor for anything suspicious.

"Hey," Carlos said from behind with a tiny laugh. "I didn't know Kendall had this picture in his room."

James crawled out just enough to see what Carlos was referring to. The Latino held out a frame which he had recovered from the dispersed items on the ground.

"Let me see," said Logan. Carlos turned around to do just that, and James went back to pushing aside Kendall's smelly hockey bag and pairs of neglected tennis shoes. He fought away the smile on his face as he remembered what had occurred when that snapshot had been taken. It was a picture of all the guys when they were ten. They were up high, riding on the Ferris wheel at the state fair. Little Logan was near-tears and clutching onto Kendall's arm, since Carlos kept rocking the seat and teasing him that they would fall and die. Said Latino had one hand up in a wave, grinning cheekily. Kendall, on the other hand, was simply wearing a smiling face for the camera; immediately before and after the picture had been taken he was busy scolding Carlos while simultaneously doing his best to prevent Logan from having an anxiety attack. And James merely had an arm draped around Carlos's shoulders, flashing the camera a dazzling display of his pearly whites.

"Nothing in the closet," James murmured, pulling himself to his feet. He brushed more hair from his eyes, for once in his life not the least bit concerned that it would take hours of intense styling to revert the unruly locks to its normal, silky luster.

"This is pointless," Logan muttered. "If Kendall left something, the police would have found it."

"Unless they didn't know it was a clue," Carlos pointed out.

Carlos's rare show of intellect made Logan fall back to silence. The boy sitting on the bed observed Carlos carefully as Carlos straightened the items on the top Kendall's dresser with careful precision.

Seeing Logan gave James an idea. He crossed the room and pushed Logan's feet out of the way, getting down on all fours to peer underneath the bed. When James was younger, he always found that particular spot to be the best place for hiding things he didn't want his parents to see.

James sighed, partly in disappointment, partly in annoyance. "Carlos, I found your doughnut." Sure enough, the only thing under Kendall's bed was Carlos's half-eaten snack, along with a few balls of dust.

"Eh, just leave it," Carlos said.

James picked himself off the floor, ignoring Logan when he chided Carlos for abandoning food in Kendall's room. James hopped up on the mattress, intending to use his fingernail to pry out the thumbtack that pinned up Kendall's Minnesota Wild poster to the wall. When James succeeded, he pulled back a corner and searched for anything taped underneath. He found nothing.

"Hey, look!" Carlos exclaimed. James whipped around as a surge of excitement jolted through him. But his hopes were dashed when Carlos held up a small, purple square. "Kendall has a whole pack of gum just laying here." He popped the treat into his mouth before going back to snooping around in the top drawer of the dresser.

"Dude," Logan said, "don't eat Kendall's gum."

All James heard from Logan's mouth was, nag nag nag.

Carlos shrugged, tossing the pack of gum back into the drawer, though still chomping loudly.

Meanwhile, James approached Kendall's desk. The top was littered with pencils and pens and various school assignments with scores scrawled out on the top. James examined each sheet carefully, hoping to find some sort of message Kendall had left that provided an answer to his whereabouts. Unfortunately, he found nothing but a few bad grades.

"It would help if I knew what I was looking for," James said to himself.

"Here's something," Carlos piped up. He held up a metal lunchbox which he had retrieved from inside the dresser. "Kendall usually keeps about two hundred bucks in here. And it's all gone."

Logan raised his dejected gaze from the floor. "How do you know Kendall keeps two hundred bucks in there?"

"Uh." Carlos quickly stuffed the box back in its home and slammed the door shut. "Lucky guess?" The drawer closed with such a force that it rattled the entire piece of furniture, sending a few items toppling behind the dresser. Carlos groaned.

James laughed at his friend's misfortune. Logan just rolled his eyes. It always annoyed James how serious and boring Logan could become when he was in one of his pessimistic moods. If Logan could learn to be a little more positive, he could be laughing with James instead of fretting himself sick. What good would worrying do, anyway?

Carlos fell to his knees on the carpet, reaching back behind the dresser to retrieve a fallen stick of deodorant. James was about to start a search of the drawers in Kendall's desk, when Carlos popped up again. "Guys…"

At the Latino's words, even Logan sat up a little straighter, narrowing his eyes in curiosity at what Carlos had produced. It wasn't the deodorant stick; it was a slip of paper, about the third of the size of an index card. Carlos's eyes scanned it over several times.

"What is it?" James asked eagerly.

Carlos turned to him and grinned jubilantly. "Found something."