I am sooo sorry that I kept you all waiting for over a week! I've been so busy lately with parties (3) and projects (3) and finally graduation from 8th grade! Class of 2009!

I did just make some itty bitty changes, just to let you all know. I won't be able to update with a new chapter for at least a week since I'm going on a family vacation that I'm dreading. Leaving Saturday and back by Friday. Fun. :(

This should be one of the last deep chapters. It's been hard to write them. Thanks for all the reviews and please continue!

24 presumed 2974 confirmed 19 hijackers. 1 from dust exposure

XXX

Kate paced in her apartment. She just couldn't figure out this case. It was her day off and only 8:30ish, but she still couldn't get it off her mind. Getting a cup of coffee and sitting on her windowsill, she watched the cars and planes.

"I need to get a dog." she said to herself. Minutes passed and her eyes focused a single airplane flying unusually low in the distance. Her curiosity was stirred by it, but that soon transformed into horror. She ran to her phone and ripped it off the wall, running back to the window and dialing at the same time. It rang once, and a chipper voice answered.

"Hello?"

"Rebecca! Get everyone the hell out of there NOW!"

"What's going o-"

"I SAID NOW!"

Rebecca ran out of her office, phone still in hand. She trusted Kate too much not to do as she said. Bulling into another small office, she yelled.

"Emileigh! We're leaving! NOW!"

"What-" Emi was sitting at her desk.

"NOW!"

Emi also dropped everything and ran. While they were headed for other offices, she threw down the fire alarm. It seemed like only seconds until floods of people packed the staircases.

XXX

The collision dragged on in slow motion for Kate. The fire and smoke overwhelmed her even though it couldn't physically touch her. She saw people scattering, and as she ran down to the street she prayed; she prayed for her friends, for her family, and for the strangers.

When she got to the street there was only chaos. She pushed through the torrent of bodies running in the opposite direction, trying to get somewhere where she could help.

Then the other plane came.

The dust was hard to fight, strangling anyone in it's range. The world went silent to the lone woman running against the flow. The screams disappeared and the sirens were gone. All Kate could hear was herself yelling out names of those she knew had been inside.

"REBECCA!... EMILEIGH!... JOSH!... KAREN!..." she dropped to her knees, choking on dust and sobs. But somehow a small yell penetrated her silent wall.

"Kate!"

Kate's head went up and her eyes searched franticly. Out in the distance, a pair of terrified and dusty women were running toward her. Kate could only manage to yell once more and run to them one more time.

The sobs tore loose from her restraints when they finally met, their arms wrapped around each other for dear life. Nothing could break them apart now.

XXX

Kate's mind slowly came out of the long flashback which in reality was only seconds. She was still looking out the window, but not looking at all. It was almost 6 in the morning, but she knew that the sun wasn't going to show itself today; the rain had never stopped.

She didn't know what exactly she was doing, but she could tell that she was going somewhere. Kate felt herself leave the hotel and hail a lonely cab on the street. The short drive was unbearable. When she finally got to Ground Zero, she let her legs tell her where to go and walked aimlessly before reaching the edge of the South Tower and eventually moved on to the North. The seemingly bottomless holes were dark and cold, and the memories of the horrid days at the morgue came flooding back. She didn't leave that building for eleven days, and when she did, it was on a stretcher.

Kate was soaked to the bone, but she didn't care. She stumbled away, into the trees, still in a daze. She finally fell to her knees, wrapping her arms around herself and leaning her shoulder against a trunk. The tears came then; they came because now no one would be able to see her cry through the rain on her face.

XXX

"Jordan!" Nigel called. Jordan, who was walking down the hall to her room, stopped and turned.

"Hey!" she said with a smile. But Nigel was more serious.

"Have you seen Kate anywhere, luv?" he asked when he caught up with her. Jordan shook her head.

"No, why?"

Nigel looked very disappointed as he answered.

"Damn... Well I woke up this morning and she wasn't in the room. No note or anything." Nigel rubbed the back of his neck. Jordan was sympathetic, but didn't have any idea where Kate was at that early hour.

"Look Nige, it's 7 am. She's probably out getting coffee or something. Besides, she can take care of herself. This is where she grew up, remember?"

"I guess." It didn't make him feel much better, but Nigel knew she was probably right. "I just wish she had told me where she was going."

A sleepy yet somehow perky voice answered from a few feet away.

"Well, she's probably miserable right now, so cut her a little bit of slack today." Lily said as she walked up to them. Jordan and Nigel gave her curious looks.

"Why would she be miserable?" Jordan asked. Lily looked just a bit surprised that they didn't know.

"Well, come on, it's September 11th. She must be having a hard time." she said gravely. Realization covered both of their faces.

"Poor Kate." Nigel whispered to himself, his heart going out to her.

"Did you try calling her cell phone?" Lily asked.

"Yeah, but she left it here."

"If you're really worried, maybe you could try calling her friends. Maybe she's somewhere with them."

Nigel thought for a second. It felt extremely uncomfortable calling anyone

"Maybe."

XXX

He tried everyone. All of the people from the airport, even some that he didn't recognize, they all either didn't pick up or hadn't seen her, but, for some odd reason, nobody seemed concerned. They all reacted nonchalantly, as if it was no surprise. Nigel was worried, though. He had even checked all of the obvious spots- Statue of Liberty, Central Park, even Ground Zero- but she was anywhere.

Nigel was just returning to the hotel when he saw familiar faces headed for the elevator. Emi and Rebecca, two people he had remembered and called but hadn't picked up, stopped when he called their names. They both looked tired.

"Who are you?" Rebecca asked.

"Nigel Townsend." he shook their hands politely, "I work with Kate."

"Oh yeah, she told us about you." said Emi nondescriptly. Nigel was curious about that, but didn't ask what she had said.

"Um, have either of you seen Kate today? Or even heard from her?"

They shook their heads.

"No, why?" asked Rebecca. She didn't look as concerned as Nigel felt she should be.

"Well I haven't seen her since last night."

"And?"

Nigel got a little aggravated.

"And I'm concerned!"

Emileigh sighed deeply; she could explain this better than Rebecca.

"Listen, Nigel, Kate's not the kind of person to let other people know what's wrong, to let her feelings show. She sees that as weakness. And ever since 9/11, she always disappears on the same day. Everyone had ideas on where she could be, but nobody tries to find her because they know that she needs to be alone. Can you understand that?"

Nigel nodded softly. That little bit of explanation helped him a lot. But a question did pop into his head.

"But if you knew that she would be gone, why did you come to the hotel?"

Both looked a little embarrassed, like they were caught in a silly game.

"We always check. Even though she's always gone." Rebecca said softly.

XXX

It had stopped pouring rain, but the little specks of water fell slowly, making heavy mist in the wooded area Kate was walking in. It was a good distance from the city, but it felt like a universe away. This is where Christine called home when she wasn't away. A relatively large house sat on the edge of the woods, now closed up and empty.

Kate hadn't gone in the house, but passed by it on her way to the trees. After only a short walk, she came up unto a small ledge looking over a small stream. There, implanted into the rock, was a metal cross. It served as a tombstone, even though there was no body lying underneath it.

Kate stayed there for awhile, remembering. Then she turned back; her day of mourning was over.