I has the stomach flu! It is so yuckie. If this chapter is not edited up to par, I greatly apologize!
My only advice for this chapter is to pay attention to the time! I wrote it out of sequence on purpose to enhance the effect :P
The air was cool, but comfortable. It may have still been partially black out, but at least the temperature was mostly tolerable. Peyton walked from the porch steps and down the walk way, wearing the same jeans and t shirt from the day before; yesterday, when she found out her five year old daughter had been kidnapped by her high school stalker. Her feet continued down the side walk as she hooked a left. She pulled her hood over her head and walked at a slow pace.
Where was she going?
And what was the point of this?
She felt her pocket, smiling when her cell phone was poking out over the jeans. Peyton pulled it into her hands and let her fingers do the work before holding it against her ear.
"Peyton" A very exhausted raspy sounding voice answered the phone.
"Hey, I know it's early, but can I please come over?"
"Of course Peyton, I'm not even sleeping. I'm sitting on the back deck, just come on up Sweetie"
The blonde sighed. "Thank you Brooke, I really appreciate it."
"Of course" Peyton hung up the phone and increased her speed slightly.
The sun was rising just over the trees in the distances as Peyton came to stand in front of her best friend's home. She walked over towards the deck steps on the side of the house and made her way up towards the second floor. Brooke was sitting on the reclining bench with a blanket wrapped around her shoulders.
"Honey you're pregnant, what are you doing out here?" Peyton asked when the brunette came into view.
"Relax, Julian made me tea and brought me the blanket and I'd be warmer if you came and sat next to me." Peyton walked forward and sat on the edge of the chair; bring her legs out in front of her. Brooke offered her some of the blanket and the two snuggled into each other's sides.
"I'm assuming you've heard?" Peyton asked solemnly.
Brooke nodded against Peyton's head and squeezed her shoulders. "Haley called me"
"Oh"
They were silent for a while, listening to the waves as they crashed against the beach. "Hey Peyt, you're going to get through this; you and Lucas. You're going to get her back, I know it"
"It's Ian, did Haley tell you that? He took Sawyer because he couldn't have me and he's using her to get to me and I don't know what to do. I can give myself up if he promises to give Sawyer to Lucas, but what if he keeps us both. I don't trust him. He called us. Ian called my cell phone and let me talk to Sawyer and I hate myself because I couldn't tell her to run away or scream for help or not to trust him because he has her and if I make him angry he'll take it out on my girl."
Brooke let her own tears slip down her cheeks as she comforted her long time friend. "I wish I had the words to make things better for you Peyton, I really wish I did. But just know I want Sawyer back just as badly as you do and I'm going to help you and Lucas get through this in any way I can."
They lay there and watched the sun come up together.
-x—x-
"Excuse me" Sawyer stood at the side of the queen sized bed, her tiny body unable to see over the top.
"What do you want?" The elder man groaned and turned his head from off the pillow.
"I'm hungry" The five year old whispered and took a step back, alarmed by the anger in the man's voice.
"Why are you up?" He demanded. "Go back to sleep or I'll make you take a bath again" Her eyes enlarged and tears welled up in her green eyes. "What time is it?"
The curly blonde shrugged, freighted. "I don't know, I can't read that kind of clock"
"What do you mean? You can't tell time?" He sat up and looked at the analogue clock on the wall over the motel television set.
"I'm only five, and I haven't learned to read that one yet. My mommy was teaching me, but I didn't get it"
"It's seven thirty, go back to bed for a few hours." He fell back onto the pillow and shut his eyes.
"But I'm hungry!" She cried. Sawyer stood silently for a moment, watching the bed. "Ian" She called. He didn't respond. "Are you asleep?" She asked, but there was only silence. She walked towards the motel door, slowly, and leaned up on her tip toes to pull down on the lock and handle.
She waited with the door wide open, looking back into the crappy motel room. He was asleep, and she could leave to get something to eat, and come back, right?
Sawyer looked outside quickly, tilting her head.
Where was she?
-x—x-
Lucas barreled out of the bedroom and into the kitchen. His eyes enlarged when he saw his mother sitting at the table, cup of tea in hand.
"Mom?" He walked forward, hands at his side. "Have you seen Peyton? I thought she was asleep, but when I woke up she was gone."
"She went for a walk" Karen tried to explain, but Lucas' face turned crimson.
"You let her go for a walk Mom, her daughter is missing and she's angry, imagine where she'll end up."
Karen raised her hand. "Peyton's at Brooke's house. She called about an hour ago"
"What time is it?"
"Quarter to Seven"
Luke nodded and sat down next to her, holding his face in his hands. "Mom, thank you for coming. I really appreciate it."
Her hand came to rest on the back of his neck. "I'm so sorry this is happening to you my boy"
He looked up to meet her eyes. "Me too" His cell phone rang and he sighed in relief as he noted the call was coming from Peyton's phone. "Peyton" He stood up.
"Hey" Her angelic soft voice answered. "You sound worried; I told your mom I was at Brookes."
"I know, she told me, I just, I don't know… I…never mind, what's up, what do you need?"
"Can you come pick me up please? Because Brooke crashed on the couch and I'm ready to come home now."
"Of course baby, I'm on my way"
"Thanks Luke"
"You're welcome Peyt" They shut their phones and Lucas looked up to his mother. "I'm going to go pick her up; I'll be back in a few. Actually, if you and Andy get a chance, could you pick up Peyton's car from the Hot Shots bar on the beach? We left it there yesterday when we found out about…"
"Sure Lucas, we can do that"
She smiled as Luke leaned down to kiss her cheek. He left through the kitchen door, grabbing his keys off the counter and running for his mustang.
He was happy the entire "family" lived in close proximity to one another. He speed off to the left, out of the driveway, and hurried the short distance to Brooke's beach house. When he pulled up, Peyton was sitting on the front steps, knees drawn up to her chin.
When she saw him, she stood up quickly and hurried into the passenger seat. Her eyes were blood shot and Luke knew she had spent most of her visit crying. He held her hand and squeezed it in acknowledgment.
"I feel so-"
"Awkward" Peyton started and Luke finished her sentence.
"Yeah, like nothing I'm doing is right or wrong. I'm just waiting for something to happen. And I'm hungry, but I don't want to eat because it doesn't make sense. And nothing makes sense. " Her green eyes met his blue ones and frowned. "This won't be forever, will it? We'll get her back"
"Peyton, I promise you we will get her back. I will start the search for that bastard myself if I have too"
"Luke" She reached for his cheek with her dry hand. "You can't get angry. If you get angry, he'll hurt her. And she has to be safe, she just has too."
"Sawyer is so smart Peyton, she probably knows something's not right and is trying to find a way out of there"
Peyton's cell phone began to ring. She looked down to her pocket and pulled it out. It wasn't and unknown call, yet she didn't know the number either.
"Hello?" Peyton answered.
"Mommy?"
"Sawyer!? Thank god baby, where are you?" The mother couldn't help let her guard down in relief.
"In a bar"
"Why are you in a bar? Did Ian let you call me?"
"Ian's asleep"
"Ian's asleep?!" Peyton repeated in panic. "Baby, not to scare you, but run. Get away from there. Whose phone are you on?"
"Someone's cell phone"
"Sawyer, give them the phone"
"But I'm hungry!" She cried.
Peyton couldn't help but let her own tears fall as she sighed. "Baby, your daddy wants to talk to you"
"Okay" She whined.
"Sawyer" Lucas half yelled as he pulled the phone away from Peyton. "Are you okay baby girl?"
"Daddy I'm hungry and I want to come home now!"
"Give the person their cell phone back and let me talk to them"
"My dad wants to talk to you" Her sweet voice came from the other line.
"Hello?" A frazzled man answered the phone. "Seth Broderick, uhh, can I help you?"
"Hi, my name's Lucas and this is going to sound crazy, but I need you take my daughter. Hide her, and tell me where you are. My daughter was kidnapped by a man and it's a very series situation. Can you do me a favor and tell me where you are?"
"Uhh, Charlotte, The Whipplestop Motel off of I-77."
"Shit, that's a 4 hour drive"
"I can meet you half way if you like." Seth suggested.
"I really couldn't ask you to do that, but I would really appreciate it if you would call the police. Ask my daughter where Ian is?"
"Do you know where Ian is?" The man asked Sawyer.
"Asleep upstairs in the room"
"He's upstairs in the motel room, she says."
"Great" Luke's voice alighted. "Take her and lock her in your car and call the cops. You cannot let that man get his hands on her again."
The man lifted Sawyer into his arms and carried her out to his car. "I need to hang up on you to call the cops" He explained to Lucas.
"That's fine. We are going to start in that direction now; call us back please as soon as you know anything."
"Will do, and don't worry about anything. I'm sure you'd do the same if it was my daughter and you were in my place. If you don't mind me asking, how long have you been separated?"
"Just about twenty four hours."
"Worst twenty four hours of your life?"
Luke couldn't help but let out a dry laugh. "You have no idea."
"I don't think I want to know."
"Thanks again" Luke spoke honestly.
"No problem; I'll call you back shortly." They hung up and Luke nearly dropped his phone as Peyton leapt into his arms.
"It's over" He told her. "We are getting her back"
"Oh God Lucas" She held her face into his neck. Peyton pulled back quickly. "Call Hilarie, tell her that we're going to pick her up. Tell her someone needs to meet us there."
"Of course baby" He kissed her hard on the mouth and pulled away to look into her smiling eyes.
"We're getting her back!"
-x—x-
The Mustang was pulling 90mph on 74, Peyton's hand clasped tightly in his. They could hear the noise before the saw it. Hilarie had directed them to Charlotte central where they drove into a maze of police cars. Peyton had dove out of the car before Lucas had even parked.
"Where's my daughter?" She was screaming at the top of her lungs, as she made her way through the group of officers. "Where's Sawyer Scott?"
A hand reached out to touch her shoulder and she spun around and faced a man she had never seen before. "Hi, I'm Seth, the guy from the bar; I had your daughter with me while we waited for the police." Peyton didn't know why, but she wrapped her arms around him and gave him a short hug.
"Do you know where my daughter is?" The man saw the tears that were falling from her eyes and the relief that filled them when he nodded.
"She's right inside the station." Peyton squeezed the man's hand before dashing towards the entrance to the police station. At some point, Luke caught up with her and snatched her hand. They ran in through the sliding doors and whipped their head around the lobby.
"Mommy!" Sawyer yelled out; she jumped down from off a chair in the corner just as Peyton turned to see her.
"Sawyer, my god" She cried and fell to her knees in front of the girl, pulling her into her arms. "SoSo" She sighed, pressing her nose into her hair, taking in her scent.
"Mom I missed you" Sawyer whispered as Lucas leaned down, pulling Sawyer into his arms and bring Peyton up with them. "Was he a bad man?" She asked. "Why are you crying?"
"I'm so happy you're safe" Peyton kissed her daughter's soft cheek and felt at ease in her husband's embrace, clutching Sawyer's waist for dear life.
"But you told me I was going to be okay" She said confused and he was very mean.
Luke nodded at the five year old blonde and held her arm in his hand. "He is a very bad man who hurt mommy a long time ago and he took you from us and we told you that you were safe because we didn't want you to be scared. We knew we would get you back"
"He was so scary and he yelled and through things and made me take a bath and I told him I didn't want to" The girl cried.
"He watched you bathe?" Peyton inquired and her heart fell to her stomach when Sawyer nodded.
"And he washed my hair and I yelled at him and he hit me!" She defended her actions. Peyton turned her head into Lucas neck and cried.
They stood hold each other for a while until a man in uniform approached them remorsefully. "Mr. and Mrs. Scott" He shook each of their hands and sighed. "I know this is the last think you want to do, but we need you to identify Ian Banks for us. The man from the motel room is confined in one of our temporary jail cells down the hallway, but I have his photo graphs in this folder here. " He lifted it to their view.
Lucas looked down and Peyton and kissed her forehead, watching as she agreed to the man's request. "We can do it together" Luke stated, taking Sawyer fully into his arms.
Peyton nodded and the officer opened the folder.
Her heart stopped.
"That's not Ian Banks" She whispered.
Sawyer looked into her mother's face. "Mommy that's the fireman, he's the one who had me"
She stared up at Lucas in pale wonderment. "They don't have Ian"
Too good to me true.. Oh well. We sha'll see.
For a good time hit the review button and write me a nice note.
Question I'm wondering: What cell phone do you have? Do you like it? If you could have any cell phone, what would you get (by any phone company.)
^_^ MAYGEN!
