A/N: Meant to have this up yesterday, but it wasn't quite ready. I think it is now, so please enjoy. And thank you again to those of you who are reviewing - I love hearing your thoughts on this story!
"Uncle Bo!"
Bo looked up from the map he was studying and nodded to the officer guarding the edge of their make-shift field headquarters. "He's alright, Rick, let him through."
"Uncle Bo, tell me you've found something," Kevin said anxiously as he pushed his way past the officer and toward Bo.
"I wish I could, Kevin," Bo said. "We've only just started searching. It might be a while. How're your parents taking it?"
"Not good," Kevin admitted. "It took everything I could think up to keep them from coming out here right now."
"Are they back at the house?"
Kevin nodded. "Jessica and Kelly are there with them. I think Tina and Gigi were on their way over too."
"Good, good," Bo nodded and glanced back down at the maps spread out on the table in front of him.
"Where are you focusing?" Kevin asked, squinting to see in spite of the bright lights set up around the table.
Bo sighed and pointed to a spot on the map. "Natalie's car was found here. We're starting a few miles south of there and working our way outward from that spot."
"You really think he would have stayed that close to where he grabbed her?"
"According to the FBI, five of his victims have been found within a seven mile radius of where they were abducted," Bo said. "It's not much, but it's the best information we have. Anywhere else and we're looking for a needle in a haystack…and we don't have time for that."
"They've been on this guy for a year and they can't give us anything more than that?"
"Kevin, if they could, don't you think that they would?" Bo pointed out. "You heard them when they briefed us - this guy's good. He's left very little evidence except what he wanted them to find. This is the first time there's even been a chance of finding someone alive, and that's only because your sister knew enough to make sure there was something in the car to identify him."
"It just seems like there should be more," Kevin said. "Something specific, something you could use to get a better idea of where she is."
"I wish there was," Bo said with a heavy sigh as he looked at the maps and considered the vast area they had to search. "Believe me, I wish there was."
Viki felt an uneasy sense of deja vu as she sat on the couch in the library and stared at the phone on the coffee table in front of her.
"Are you alright, Mom?" Jessica asked, slipping onto the couch next to her and slipping her hand into hers.
Viki frowned and looked at Jessica out of the corner of her eye.
"Okay, right, stupid question." Jessica sighed and squeezed her mother's hand. "You know, Mom, we seem to spend an awful lot of time sitting around worrying about Natalie."
"I've spent an awful lot of time worrying about you as well," Viki pointed out.
Jessica smiled. "I know. And I'm sure there'll be plenty more opportunities for worrying about both of us in the future."
"I certainly hope you're right," Viki said, glancing down at the phone. "I just wish one of your brothers would call. There are so many people out there looking, they have to find something…right?"
"Of course they're going to find something," Kelly said, taking a seat on the other side of Viki and taking her other hand. "Come on, Viki, this is Natalie we're talking about. If anyone knows how to outwit a psychopath, it's her."
"She's certainly had enough experience," Jessica agreed.
"Do you remember the last time?" Viki asked anxiously. "When Hayes Barber had her? We all sat around here, so helpless…"
"And do you remember what I told you then?" Jessica asked gently.
Viki frowned and shook her head.
"She's not going to quit until she finds her way home," Jessica repeated. "And what happened last time?"
"She came home," Viki said with a sad smile.
"More like, John brought her home," Kelly pointed out.
"I think it's a good sign that he's back," Jessica said. "It has to be, right?"
"John's back in Llanview?" Kelly asked in surprise.
Jessica nodded. "Kevin saw him down at the station. He said Uncle Bo gave him his job back."
"In that case, that's a really good sign," Kelly said. "He's out there looking for her and he'll bring her back, just like he did last time."
"Except last time, at least they had an idea of where to look," Viki said. "This maniac could have her a hundred miles from here or she could be a hundred yards out the back door, and we don't have a clue."
Jessica sighed and shook her head as Kelly struggled for a response. All three women looked up expectantly when they heard the front door slam.
"I hope I'm not intruding," Roxy said anxiously as she rushed into the library. "I heard they were out looking for Natty and I figured everyone would be here and I…"
"Roxy, you're not intruding," Viki assured her. "Please, have a seat."
"Oh, I don't think I could sit," Roxy proclaimed as she flopped down in a chair across from the couch. "This is all just so awful! My poor kid can't seem to catch a break."
"They'll find her," Jessica insisted.
"But when?" Roxy asked impatiently. "And in the meantime, just think of poor Natalie out there, all by herself. My poor, poor Natty, she's probably in so much pain…she must be so scared…"
Natalie smiled and let out a soft sigh as she opened her eyes and found herself surrounded by a soft white light instead of the darkness she had expected. She couldn't quite make out the person she saw standing over her, but she instinctively reached out her hand and placed it in the one outstretched toward her. She was momentarily surprised that she was able to lift her own hand, but as she let herself be pulled up off the cold ground, she felt an overwhelming sense of peace, as though a great weight had been lifted from her chest.
Following closely behind what she could now see was a blonde woman in an airy white dress, she soon looked around to find the woods of Llantano Mountain gone, replaced by a pure white room.
"Where am I?" Natalie hesitated and looked around as a thought suddenly occurred to her. "Is this heaven? Am I…dead?"
"Not quite."
Natalie frowned and took a few steps closer to the woman who had led her to this place, realizing for the first time that she had blindly followed someone she didn't even know. And yet, despite being certain that they had never met before, Natalie couldn't shake the feeling that somehow she did know this woman standing in front of her.
"Who are you?"
The woman smiled and took Natalie's hands in hers. "Don't you know me, Natalie?"
Natalie started to shake her head but stopped as it suddenly hit her with absolute certainty - she didn't know how, but she knew exactly who she was talking to.
"Megan?" she whispered in amazement, staring in awe at the older sister she'd never known.
The other woman smiled broadly and nodded. "Hi, Natalie."
"But you're…you're…"
"Dead?" Megan prompted gently. "I know. It's a lot to take in, isn't it?"
"But I'm not dead?" Natalie asked anxiously.
"Not quite."
"You said that before, but I still don't know what it means," Natalie said. "If I'm not dead, what is this? Some sort of dream?"
Megan smiled and shook her head as placed a hand on Natalie's cheek. "Oh no, this is all very real, Natalie."
Natalie brought her hand up and placed it over her sister's. "You're really here?"
Megan nodded as she wrapped her arms around her younger sister and hugged her close. "Oh Natalie, I am so happy to finally be meeting you. I've watched you for so many years, but I never imagined that we'd be meeting this soon."
"You watched me?" Natalie asked skeptically as pulled back, wiping at the tears on her face.
"Well, yes," Megan admitted. "We're allowed to look in on our loved ones from time to time. Things in Llanview have certainly been…well, exciting since you arrived."
"You saw all of that?" Natalie asked sheepishly. "That first year in Llanview?"
Megan laughed. "Yes, I did. But before you get embarrassed, let's just say I wasn't exactly daughter-of-the-year material when I first found out that Viki was my mother either, so I'm in no place to judge. I came around, though, and so did you. Mom tends to have that affect on people."
"Yeah, she definitely does," Natalie agreed. "Do you miss her?"
"Every day," Megan said sadly. "But as I said, I get to look in on her every now and then."
"Is that enough?"
Megan shrugged. "It's all anyone gets, so it has to be."
"Is that what's going to happen to me?" Natalie asked anxiously. "Am I dying? Is that what this is?"
"I don't know," Megan admitted. "All I know is that I'm here to help you be ready if it is your time."
"It's not," Natalie said immediately. "I can't die, Megan. I have a son who needs me. And I need more than just looking in on him from time to time. I need to be with my son, I need to watch him grow up. I can't die, not now."
"Everyone who comes here has someone who still needs them, Natalie," Megan said gently. "There will always be ties to our earthly life that are hard to break, but that's what you're here for - to decide if you're ready to move on from those."
"I'm not," Natalie insisted. "I'm not ready. I want to go back, Megan! I have to live…I have to!"
