Yes, its true, you're not seeing things. I have returned. Not that that is a cause for excitement, but what the hell XD

Firstly, I would like to apologise for the fact that I've been gone for a long time now, but I swear I had good reasons. Coursework, exams, university applications, and all that schiz have taken up huge amounts of time and I just haven't had the time to update. So if people are still reading this but have no idea whats going on, I don't blame you. Neither do I. Lol. Kidding, though I did have to re-read what I'd already written to figure out what the hell was going on.

Anyway, as I have no more exams, and no more school - does a little victory dance - I will have many many hours to dedicate to writing again. So I will get these stories finished. This story is my priority and should hopefully only have a few more chapters. Saying that, I do have other things for other fandoms to post too, so its going to be a bit of a calamity for a while XD

This chapter is probably not as long as it could have been and probably isn't up to scratch, but its taking me a while to get back into the swing of writing something that isn't related to school or exams. If you need to re-read the previous chapters, please do :D

I would like to dedicate this chapter to Lily Moonlight, Montana Angell and afrozenheart412 - thank you very very much for reviewing the last chapter. I know you wanted me to update quickly, and I didn't, so I hope you don't want to hit me with a rock, but this update is for you all :D I was slightly terrified I was going to be cyberstalked for a while there lol, but I'm glad you like the story so much. It's very encouragaing for me, and I will get the next few chapters hammered out over the next few days. I'm not sure how often I will update, but it shouldn't be too long between each update :D

So without any further author babble from me, here's my latest update :D

Disclaimer: See Profile page. All mistakes are mine. Please be kind with my mistypes, exams have turned my brain to mush XD

After trying to distract herself for another good half an hour, Celia finally gave up. She needed to tell someone about what she'd heard. Whether she'd heard wrong, or whether she'd misunderstood, she didn't care, she just had to tell someone otherwise she was just going to go crazy. Most people didn't know it, but she was quite an emphatic person, and everytime she did something horrible, despite her steely façade, she was deeply embarrassed of herself for having sunk so low. But she so craved that the popularity that she just couldn't help herself.

Excusing herself for her lesson, claiming she felt sick and needed to go to the medical room, she slunk out into the corridors and walked in the direction of the main office. Her form tutor would be in the staff room at that point, and she was the only person Celia trusted to tell something like this to. But before she got halfway there, she thought she heard a scream. Pausing in the corridor, she waited silently. But on hearing nothing for a few seconds, she carried on.

Before she'd taken a couple of steps, she heard another scream. She was positive that she'd heard this one. Of course it could be a drama lesson, but she'd been told earlier that the drama studio was out of action until further notice. Something to do with costume rehearsals. Wanting to reassure herself that it was indeed just a lesson, she took a detour towards the drama studio. As she got nearer, she heard a door slam, and felt a shiver go down her back. She knew something was wrong. She no longer heard screaming, but she could hear a buzzing, like a mobile phone vibrating against a wooden surface.

She peered around the door to the drama studio, and gasped at what she saw. The lights were off, but there was enough light coming in from the hall for her to see inside. No costumes anywhere in sight. Instead all the saw was a woman lying prone on the floor, a broken chair next to her, and she had a small pool of blood forming near the floor. The painted black walls leered menacingly and the phone was ignored as Celia stumbled forwards, checking that no one else was around before she knelt on the floor, turning the woman into the recovery position. It was only then she realised that this was the Detective that had been hanging around with Sienna all morning. Shit.

Celia's instincts kicked in - she'd taken a first aid course a couple of years back and could still remember the basics. She made sure that the Detective's airways were clear, and checked that she was still breathing. Relaxing slightly when she felt a weak pulse, she paused to consider her options. It looked like the woman had been hit over the head, which meant she could have a concussion (which was more than likely if she was unconscious), and it would be dangerous for an untrained teenager, such as Celia herself to do anything.

It only occurred to her then that if the Detective, the one who was keeping an eye on Sienna, was unconscious, then where was Sienna?

Celia hesitated before getting back onto her feet. She needed help. Sienna needed help. Checking on the Detective one last time, she turned on her heel and flew through the corridors, back on course for the main office. She needed to alert the headmistress, call the paramedics, needed a first aid kit at the very least. Thankfully, everyone was still in lessons, so the corridors were empty, and she ran unrestricted through the halls.

Until the rounded the last corner near the main entrance and ran straight into a man. She felt herself falling backwards, until an arm shot out and steadied her. "Help." She wheezed, slightly winded from the running. Chancing a glance upwards, she saw a man staring at her, a frantic look in his eyes. His eyes were a deep blue, and were framed by glasses, and from his body language, she could tell he was very worried about something. It was when she looked back down that she caught sight of the badge on his belt. NYPD.

He was with the other Detective.

Celia gasped for air again, before waving her hand frantically over her shoulder, noticing as her headmistress appeared behind his head, looking immensely concerned and serious.

"Female…Detective…Drama studio…head injury….blood…need first aid." Before she could even finish her sentence, the man had taken of at a run, back in the direction from which she'd just come.

The headmistress took her arm instead and led her over to the bench besides the reception desk, allowing her to catch her breath. Celia distantly heard a car tires squealing, and looked up to see a bright, blood red car speeding out of the car park.

***

Danny and Flack had arrived at the school two minutes after they'd left the motel, Danny still trying to get hold of Lindsay, and Flack talking rapidly to Stella. Flack hung up and shouted at Danny, "Stella is a couple of minutes away." Danny nodded as best as he could whilst running, but his attention was still diverted towards the person who was not answering her phone.

Flack was now on the phone to Sienna's parents, insisting that they try ringing her on her mobile. Jodie stayed on the phone to Flack whilst Ethan tried Sienna's mobile, but he got no answer. "Keep trying." Flack called down the phone before he hung up.

Just as they got to the car park outside the school, a red fiat came shooting out of the exit and took of down the street. Flack skidded to a stop and squinted after the car, determined to get a plate. He got GH5 before the car sped out of sight. Danny ran into the school, surprising the receptionist witless when he demanded that he speak to the principal immediately. The headmistress came out upon hearing all the noise.

Flack explained the situation and the headmistress's expression became graver by the second. "She was in this morning, insisting that she finalise the costumes before tomorrow's performance. I didn't even think anything of it."

"Where was the fitting meant to be?"

"The drama studio. Second left and the third door on the right." Danny took off down the hall, and the headmistress turned to the receptionist. "Call the police. Tell them there's been a kidnapping and get them down here ASAP."

***

Danny skidded down the corridors, mind solely focused on finding Lindsay. He wasn't paying any attention where he was going - although he was repeating the directions to the drama studio over and over in his mind - and he ended up crashing into a girl that came round the corner at the same time, with the same expression of panic and too much responsibility etched into her face. He automatically reached out a hand to steady her, and he would have continued his running through the halls if he hadn't heard her desperate plea for help.

He waited, despite his instincts telling him to carry on, to find Lindsay, knowing deep inside that this girl knew something. How he knew that, he wasn't sure, he just knew. Maybe it was the expression on her face (there were unlikely to be two incidents in the same school in the same day, especially seeing as nothing ever seemed to happen in the town).

As good as his intentions were to help this girl, at that moment, Lindsay was much more important. As soon as he heard what she said "Female…Detective…Drama studio…head injury….blood…need first aid", he took off again, leaving the girl in the capable hands of the school headmistress.

It took him another couple of minutes to find the drama studio, missing it the first time because the room was dark and he was moving too fast to take a proper look inside. When he realised he'd gone to far, he turned around and backtracked, this time managing to find the right room.

When he saw Lindsay lying prone on the floor, his heart almost stopped. He ran into the room and fell down besides, checking her breathing and her pulse automatically, as if to reassure himself. He was dimly aware that she had been moved into the recovery position, most likely by the girl he'd crashed into not minutes before. But he was much more focused on the small cut on Lindsay's forehead. The cut itself wasn't too bad, but there was a large amount of swelling around the cut and bruises were already starting to form. Other than that, and the fact she was unconscious, there appeared to be no other injuries.

Taking his own mobile phone out of his pocket, with trembling hands he dialled the emergency services. He had to type the number in twice because the first time, he dialled 911 before remembering in England they had a different emergency services code.

"999, what is your emergency."

"I need an ambulance!"

***

Flack had spoken to the receptionist who'd pulled up the recommendations for the costume designer. The school was much better than most in that it kept paperwork on anyone who'd ever been employed, and the production staff were no exception. Flack had scanned the list whilst the police chief waited patiently on the other end of the line, looking for who had recommended Julia/Nicole, whatever her name was, remembering in the back of his mind that she would have had to have had a partner to have made the whole plan work.

Jack Stiller.

Flack waited impatiently, hoping that the police chief would be able to link the red fiat with either Julia or Jack Stiller through the partial licence plate he'd collected.

"Got it. Car is registered to a Mr Jack Stiller. Red fiat. GH5 XY67. It's got a GPS signal on it, and it's been activated remotely. Can't say how long it will stay on though. Some of my men will be with you shortly, they are much better equipped for a car chase. They will pick you and your colleague up on the way past."

Flack thanked him profusely and hung up, and ran out of the school entrance, throwing a thanks to the bewildered and confused receptionist over his shoulder as the door slammed heavily behind him. He could hear the sirens coming closer, and he felt the adrenaline pumping around his body. This was what he enjoyed doing. Chasing perps. He felt like he was back in New York.

***

Whilst Flack was in the school office, Stella came speeding into the school car park. She'd finally managed to get the hang of the British car, and was now able to drive just as well as she had done before (except with the roundabouts). As she pulled up outside the main entrance, Flack came running out. Stella opened the door and jumped out, locking the door securely before making her way over to Flack.

He filled her in as they were waiting for the police to arrive, which didn't take long. Two cars flew past, sirens blaring and lights flashing, causing all traffic to move sharply out of their way. The third car pulled into the car park, sirens and lights going still, waiting for the two detectives to get in.

Flack and Stella got into the car, Flack in the front, Stella in the back, much to her distaste. She was thankful though, as the police has disabled the child locks on her door so she would be able to get in and out by herself.

The car sped off before either of the doors were fully closed, narrowly missing a collision with another car, the sound of brakes screeching ringing in their ears, as they shot off out of the car park entrance, tyres squealing in protest against the tarmac, leaving a faint burnt rubber smell behind. Stella braced herself against the car door and the back of the seat, desperately searching for the red car Nicole had taken off in. The mesh between the front of the car and the back seat made it more difficult to see clearly, but Stella didn't give up, eagle eyes scrutinising every car they passed.

Hope you liked it :D I tried not to leave it on too much of a cliffie, I'm not that mean :P Please review and let me know if there are people still reading this after my extended absence.