First of all, I'd like to thank all of you that have been reading, rating and reviewing. You guys make me want to continue writting this story! :D

Now, I tried to make this chapter bigger than the others, but I think it came out as it usually does.

Diclaimer: do NOT own anything!


CHAPTER 7:

December 17th 2031

Alpharetta, GA

8.30am

By 7am, Quinn was already out of bed. Rachel managed to fall asleep between 4 and 5 in the morning, so the blonde woman just let her wife and son rest together in bed. She had been in the kitchen not knowing what to do. It was still incredibly early to start making breakfast given the circumstances, and it was pointless to start making it now, only to get cold.

She sat in the living-room couch, when she heard a sound from the 3rd floor and, a few minutes later, Santana was next to her.

"Hey…" The Latina whispered while sitting next to Quinn.

"Hi…did you sleep well?" Quinn asked; they were still her guests.

"Yeah…how are you holding up, Q?"

"I…I don't know, S… Rachel's barely reasonable, Levi misses his sister and I feel like an incapable moron unable to take care of her family…I don't know…"

"Don't say stuff like that!" Santana whispered forcefully.

"I just want her to come back…" Quinn whispered as well, but much more softly. Santana's eyes started tearing up, and she nodded.

"Everyone's doing everything they can to bring Aree back. She will be back. Believe me?"

Quinn leaned against her best friend, and Santana rested her head on the blonde's; they stood quiet in the big living-room. The silence was deafening; it was as if the house itself knew something was wrong.

Eventually, people started waking up. First, Brittany came down stairs and sat next to her lover and best friend. Then, Kurt appeared holding a whining Hazel.

"What's wrong?" Quinn asked; her voice even more nasal than usual.

"She…she wants to play with Aree." The blue-eyed man muttered. Quinn nodded in comprehension.

"Good morning..." A soft voice echoed from the top of the stairs "She's really missing…I went to her room, and everything is as it was yesterday…Arianna's really gone, isn't she?" Rachel's voice trembled as she came to her wife and let herself be soothed by the blonde woman.

The doorbell ran just as Blaine and the boys came downstairs. Rachel got up and held Levi's hand as he passed her while running towards the front door. There was no way she would lose another one.

"Rae-Rae!" A tall, dark man exclaimed once the door opened to reveal his only child.

"Daddy…" Rachel welcomed her Daddy's hug with zealous need.

"Oh, baby…" Rachel saw her Dad, Hiram, sigh as he observed his daughter "Everything will be ok, don't worry…"

"Dad, I want her back…" Rachel whimpered to her father's chest.

"I know you do, baby girl. You'll see she'll be back in no time."

"But I want her now!" If the situation was different, Hiram would've laughed at his daughter's tantrum.

"Hey, little man." Leroy Berry said to his grandson. The little boy looked dejected. "Come here."

"Hi, Pappy. I'm sorry you can't take us ice-skating this year…"

"That's quite alright." The older man smiled kindly as he hugged his youngest grandkid "There's always next year, right?"

"Come in." Rachel sniffled, letting her Daddy hug her shoulders while her Dad picked Levi up and into the house.

"Quinn." Leroy said. Quinn's lips trembled as she threw herself into her father-in-law's arms. "There, there…it's ok…"

"It's not, it's not…I'm supposed to protect them! And everything's falling apart!"

"Now, don't say that!" Hiram's voice was strong as it echoed through the living-room, almost repeating Santana a couple hours earlier.

"It's just how I feel…" The strong lawyer sounded unusually weak.

"C'mon, sweetheart. Let's get you two some tea, ok?" Leroy suggested making his husband was following him, supporting their daughter and daughter-in-law weight in his arms. Levi was still in Leroy's arms, and the man made no effort to let his grandson go.

Q&R Q&R Q&R Q&R Q&R Q&R Q&R Q&R Q&R Q&R Q&R Q&R Q&R Q&R Q&R Q&R Q&R Q&R Q&R Q&R Q&R Q&R Q&R Q&R Q&R Q&R Q&R Q&R Q&R Q&R Q&R

2pm

Officer Roberts was making sure the neighborhood where the Berry-Fabray family lived was being investigated. His team was off to search the perimeter and Roberts, together with his boss, Deputy Director Sarah Smith, were in the police station. Several reporters were currently at the place waiting for an interview.

"Journalists, reporters, Deputy Director Sarah Smith will now start her declarations. After, there will be no time for questions. Any further details will be mentioned later, with the progress of the investigation." Officer Roberts spoke loud and clear. The room fell quiet as the cameras and tape recorders were on, waiting for something to pass on television, radio and newspapers.

"Yesterday, 7-years-old Arianna Fabray went missing from her home. The family was about to go on Christmas' holiday, when Rachel Berry-Fabray noticed her daughter wasn't home. This is a recent photograph of the child." Sarah held the small picture of Arianna up "There are still no leads on who might have taken the young girl from her home, but the authorities are doing their best to bring the child back, safe and sane. If you have any information that might be useful to the disclosure of this disturbing case, call this or other police headquarters' number. Every little detail is precious and time is crucial to find the child alive. Thank you."

Deputy Director Sarah Smith left the room followed by Roberts.

"This is a case that needs to be solved right away, Roberts." She barked. "When it starts spreading that the child is the offspring of a gay couple, there might not only be one crime here. You know how people get when they are faced with theses kinds of relationships."

"Yes, ma'am. Our best men are out in the field interviewing the neighbors and searching the perimeter."

"You better take care of this quickly, Roberts. I don't want any angry citizens due to the exposure of this case and family."

"Yes, ma'am." Roberts nodded quickly.


Hope you enjoyed it!

A last note: I'll probably update once more before I go on holliday.

An interesting fact: chapter 8 will start with Rachel's birthday (for now, at least) on December 18th. Ironically, today's December 18th! Had I post this chapter sooner, we would be reading right on time! :D

R&R! (And please, give me some ideas of what you would like to see happen in this story! It is for you, after all! :D)

Xx, MissAMSousa