-X-

Piper said her goodbyes to Diane, hugging her tightly and assuring her that she would bring Alex home safely. Diane had tried to offer to drive Piper home, but Piper had insisted that she was fine to walk home on her own. She pulled out her phone as she walked and began flipping through her pictures. Most of her camera roll was images of her and Alex on different trips around the world, some pictures of them in their old apartment, and a few of Alex as she slept. Piper had once tried to pick a favourite picture of the two of them, but she couldn't do it. They all held the most beautiful memories. Trips to the beach, (when Piper couldn't stop staring at Alex in her bathing suit,) trips to different tourist attractions, when Alex slept, she always looked so peaceful, so calm. Piper could never manage to delete any pictures if Alex was in them.

Piper finally found her way home and began packing a small carry-on bag. Piper assumed that Alex would not have stayed in the United States, but Piper didn't know where she would go. Her best bet was to go to the airports and talk to security, see if anyone had seen her.

Piper took out the SIM card in her phone, telling herself that she would figure out a way to get another one when she found out where Alex had gone. Piper finished packing her bag and hailed a cab, instructing the driver to the nearest airport. Once the driver stopped she threw some money into the front seat and ran into the airport. She found her way to security, and found one security guard there.

"Hi, my name is Detective May Charles," Piper said quickly. She grabbed her phone and pulled up a picture of Alex. "I'm investigating the disappearance of this woman. I need to see any footage that you might have of her. She would have been here the night before last," She said. "It's very important that she is found."

The security guard was young, she seemed new. She looked up at Piper and raised an eyebrow. She shrugged and nodded. "Yeah, sure." She muttered. She took another look at the photo and pulled up a new screen on the computer she was sitting in front of. She clicked through each frame individually before stopping and turning the screen to face Piper. "There." She murmured. She pointed at a tall figure standing at one of the counters.

"Where is that?" Piper asked urgently.

The security guard pointed over Piper's shoulder. "Just down there."

Piper nodded and ran down to the counter. She recognized a man who helped Alex buy her ticket. She showed him the picture, frantically asking where she went.

The man shrugged softly. "Paris." He explained. "Odd though, she said she didn't care where she went. She just wanted a ticket." He said.

Piper nodded. "One to Paris." She said.

-X-

The hotel that Alex had been brought to was a reasonably priced one, and with the funds Alex had with her, she would be able to stay for a while. The first day she was there, she stayed in her room and cried herself to sleep. She kept seeing Piper's face in her mind, with different ranges of emotion. Happy, and then sad, scared, and vulnerable, and angry. Her sleep was filled with nightmares. They would start out happy, with Alex and Piper at home or on a trip together. But from there they would turn into a horror story.

But Alex could never seem to wake up. She tried, over and over, and when she finally did, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was horribly and terribly wrong. Her dreams scared her so much that she didn't want to leave the room for anything. But eventually, she had to. After two days she needed to get something to eat. She cautiously crept out of the room and found a small café two blocks away. She order a few sandwiches and took them back to her room, nearly running the entire way there.

She locked the door behind her and stayed in her room for the next three days, until a loud knock finally called her to the door.

-X-

Piper landed in Paris late that night. She managed to grab a cab and ask to be taken to a hotel. She would have to wait until the next morning to begin her search. The cabbie took her to an old hotel that looked beaten down and worn. She gave the cab driver some cash and grabbed her bag, making her way to the front desk.

She asked for a room in broken French, ignoring the desk-clerk's winks. She took the room key and began to head towards the stairs, when a thought occurred to her. She pulled out her phone and pulled up a picture of Alex. She showed her phone to the desk clerk, sighing softly. "Avez-vous vu cette femme?" she asked quietly.

The man took a long look at the phone and shook his head. "Jamais vue." He said.

Piper sighed. "Merci." She murmured. She climbed the stairs to the top floor and found her room, opening the door and collapsing onto the bed. She fell asleep without even changing.

-X-

Piper woke up to the sun shining brightly in her face. She covered her eyes and turned to tell Alex to close the blinds. She reached out an arm, reaching nothing but the covers on the bed. She sat up, slightly panicked but suddenly remembered all the events of the previous days. She groaned loudly and covered her face with her hands, shaking her head.

She took a fast shower and walked out of the hotel, beginning her search. She went from café to hotel to café again, showing Alex's picture to everyone she could talk to. She walked into the last café that day and showed the picture to the waitress.

"Oh, oui!" the waitress exclaimed. "She came in a few days ago. Ordered many, uh….sandwiches!" she said.

Piper's eyes grew wide with excitement. "Did you see which way she went?" Piper asked.

The waitress nodded and pointed towards the setting sun. Piper smiled and nodded. "Thank you! Merci!" she said, running in the direction that the waitress pointed. She ran into the first hotel she saw and pulled up Alex's picture again. She didn't even bother to try speaking French again. "I need to know her room number." She pleaded. "Please. I need to find her." Piper urged.

The desk clerk stared Piper down for a moment, considering what the best route to take would be. He nodded softly and wrote the room number down on a piece of paper.

Piper smiled widely and nodded. "Thank you! Thank you! Merci!" she shouted as she ran up the stairs. She ran down the hall, counting room numbers as she went, and almost running past the room. She stopped quickly and banged on the door, pleading silently for Alex to be in the room.

-X-


Cliff hanger! Don't worry, I'm working on the next chapter right now, so you guys probably wont have to wait very long.

I own nothing.