A/N ook people i am seriously unhappy with this chapter and have considered removing it completely but it is sorta integral to the next chapters... :( so please ignore the rubbishness. i have tried to rewrite it but alas nothing makes it better :(

Danny returned to the hospital. Sat with Amie. She woke up again, wasn't the best company. She was full of pain but refused any strong pain relief. They tried to give her pethadine but Amie isn't stupid. She knew it was a derivative of morphine and refused it. So Danny sat helplessly and watched while his daughter tried to fight relentless pain. He grew angrier by the second. At Amie for being too proud to give in. For Missy for not being here to support him, for ruining their relationship and for constantly keeping things from him. Angry at Alice for not taking care of Amie properly and for not taking care of Zoey either. He was just angry at everything at the minute!

A few hours passed. Ryan and EJ had turned up then promptly fell asleep in their chairs. All the excitement of the last week had caught up with them.

"I best get them home." Lexi said. Yawned widely.

"Look Lex, it's best I warn you. Missy has gone. Left leopards Den, and who knows when she will be back."

"What?" Lexi asked shocked.

"On your mo-ped." he added.

Lexi squashed a kernel of worry. That hadn't been m.o.t'ed in forever! "What did you say to her dad?" she asked and exhaled tiredly.

Danny frowned.

"Only you make her that angry dad!"

"Look Lex I just need you to make up an excuse for Ryan tonight. I'll sort everything tomorrow." he told her.

"What as in finding her and bringing her home?" Lexi asked.

"No as in divorce proceedings." he muttered.

"NO WAY!" she exclaimed loudly then glanced over at the kids.

"NO Lex, she was right. Marriage is far harder to un do then just living together. We should have just stayed as we were. I can't live with her when she is like this. It's like living on a knife edge wondering what's coming next it's just too hard!" shook his head. Rubbed his eyes. He was just too tired to be dealing with all this stuff right no. He didn't do his best thinking when he was tired.

"Dad just think about this huh? You love each other!"

"Lex love isn't enough sometimes!"

Lexi decided to stay quiet. Knew she was in no position to be talking to him about divorce seeing as she was going through one herself. "If your sure this is what you want dad!"

"I don't want this Lex. I love her but….there's a load of stuff I thought was sorted and it turns it isn't and never will be. I can't live with that hanging over me!"

"I'll tell him she is staying at the hospital with Amie tonight. If he asks why she hasn't been home then I'll say she went to the shops beforehand or something."

"Thanks Lex." he said gratefully.

"I still think that you should find her and work this out. You and her have been at your best when your together. So find a way dad. She needs Miss more than you think." Lexi pointed to Amie. "Missy had been here since she was barely more than a baby herself. She can't lose another mum. Not to mention Ryan being shuffled between two houses. Look at what it did to Zoey." she finished on a whisper. Her eyes glistened. She swallowed thickly.

Danny stood up and pulled Lexi to him. Hugged her tightly.

"Lexi…." What could he say? "She's like you. Tough , thinks on her feet." he murmured.

Lexi didn't answer. She knew the truth, missing children. After the first 24 hours they didn't hold out much hope. After a week the police didn't hold out ANY hope of finding them alive. Zoey had been missing a month! "I'll get the boys home dad."

"Ok I'll try and get home later."

"Stay with Amie dad. Missy will probably be at home anyway."

"I wouldn't count on that Lexi!" he told her seriously.

Lexi roused Ryan and EJ. "C'mon boys. We'll stop off at the pizza place then head home."

They nodded and yawned.

"See ya dad." Ryan said.

"See ya son." Danny said. Got up and gave him a quick hug. No way was Missy taking him away. No freaking way!

(X)

Missy was foaming. Who on earth did Danny think he was? Watched as the African scenery passed her in a blur. She had tried to warn him not to push her and he ignored her and did it anyway! How dare he bring their son into it? Take pot shots at her in that way? It was pretty obvious he enjoyed hurting her! And she wasn't putting up with it anymore. At her angry thoughts the speedometer began to move up slowly.

(X)

Lexi arrived at home. As the truck pulled to a stop she spoke to the boys.

"Right kids. Quick shower then bed."

"Mum we're not babies!" EJ moaned.

"Yes you are my baby boy."

Ryan sniggered.

"Dunno why your making faces Ry. You know your Missy's one and only. That makes it worse!"

Ryan stuck his tongue out at her.

"O so mature little bro!" she drawled and cuffed his arm softly. "Shower then bed. Both of you!" she said sternly.

"Where is mum actually?" Ryan asked. The house was dark. The light was burning down in the surgery.

"She's staying with Amie tonight." Lexi told him.

Ryan nodded.

They walked into the house. Lexi went into the kitchen.

"I get first dibs on the shower!" EJ declared.

"That's fine." Ryan said. He knew where the stop cock was for the water.

"Don't bother mate!" EJ warned.

"Or what?" Ryan asked cockily.

EJ clenched his fists to show him.

"You can try Ethan!" Ryan told him coldly.

"I wouldn't have to try Ryan!" EJ said taking a step forward. Ryan did too.

"KIDS!" Lexi snapped.

They glared at each other then backed off. EJ stalked off down to the shower.

"Sorry Lex." Ryan murmured.

Lexi shook her head. "Your boys." she murmured. Rubbed her eyes tiredly.

"Go to bed Lex." he offered. "We won't stay up all night." he promised.

"I'm good Ry."

The phone rang it had just been reconnected that morning. Ryan picked it up.

"Hello Leopards Den."

"Hello." A polite voice said. "May we please speak to Alexis Bell?"

Alexis? He wondered. "O you mean Lexi! What about?"

"Will you please inform her that the police are on the phone please."

"Sure. Lex the police are on the phone. They wanna talk to you!"

Lexi ran to the phone. Ryan walked off. Worried about the implications of the call.

"Hello!" she said anxiously. "Is this about my daughter Zoey Bell?"

"No Mrs Bell."

Her shoulders slumped and she felt tears rise and blur her vision. "Yes." she murmured defeated.

"We can see from records that you own a silver mo-ped with the registration…." he rattled off the reg.

"Yes." she answered. Not understanding what he was talking about.

"We had a call this afternoon from a Daniel Trevanion reporting it stolen."

Stolen? Oh yeah Missy had took it. Her brother must have noticed it was gone and thought the worst.

"No no it's fine. We know who has it. Why you phoning?"

"Miss that vehicle has been involved in a serious RTA. The driver was wasn't wearing a helmet was driving way too fast died instantly. They impacted a tree violently."

Lexi froze. Suspended in time for a moment. The information they gave her refused to penetrate the fog that had suddenly descended.

"Look the driver wasn't carrying any ID. Could you come down and identify them. Since you know who took the bike?"

"Can you just give me a brief description please?" Lexi asked. Heart pounding.

"Miss they impacted a tree. Any description we give you may not be very accurate."

Lexi cleared her throat. "Look about the ID is tomorrow ok?"

"That is fine Miss. If you come down to Johannesburg Police Station and ask For Djama Zumba."

"Ok I will." she said mechanically and put the phone down. Picked it up again. Dialled her dad's number. It went to his voicemail.

"Get home dad!" she said in monotone. Then went down to the huts. Saw Ryan and EJ awake playing on the Kinect.

"Sorry Lex. We'll go to bed now." Ryan said with his oh aren't I charming grin.

"Just go to sleep please boys. I'll see you both tomorrow."

"Night mum." EJ said.

"Night Lex." Ryan echoed.

(X)

Lexi sat on the veranda with her head in her hands. The phone rang again and she ignored it. One more person gave her bad news and she was literally gonna snap. She was sick of her whole life at the moment. It rang incessantly. It annoyed her. Stalked over and picked it up.

"Hello. Lexi Trevanion." she said harder than she wanted to.

"Lex you ok? It's Shauna."

"Yeah I'm fine. Long day." she murmured. No way was she telling her about Miss!

"ok. Lex can you put Miss on for me. I keep phoning her and it's going to voicemail. I pissed her off earlier. Thought I'd giver her time to cool off before I rang back. You know what's she like. You can't talk to her sometimes!

"She isn't here right now Shauna." Covered her eyes with her hand.

"You sure you ok Lex? Have you got a cold or something . Your voice sounds funny."

"No Shauna I'm fine." she tried to perk up her voice. She REFUSED to tell her. She couldn't! at least not til she knew 100 percent sure. That's why she wasn't telling her dad either. He'd freak out!

"How's the clean up operation going? Just so you know I'll keep you on the phone for a bit til Miss shows up." Shauna said with a laugh.

"Look Shauna I can't talk right now." she whispered sounding strangled.

"Lexi?" Shauna asked. Knowing something was up.

She exhaled. "Can you ring back tomorrow?"

Lexi tell me what's wrong!"

"I'll tell you tomorrow!" she pleaded.

"is it Zoey? Oh god it is and I'm upsetting you!" Shauna beat herself up.

"it isn't Zoey." inhaled a shaky breath. What the policeman said was finally beginning to hit her fully. She'd put the phone down but Shauna would only call her dad and then she would be in trouble!

"Tell me what's upsetting you Lex."

"Please I'll tell you tomorrow!" she repeated. A lone tear fell. She swallowed a sob.

"Please Lexi. I'll worry myself sick all night. It can't be that bad. Unless someone has died."

Lexi stayed quiet, her eyes were closed and she tried to calm her breathing. Moments passed and neither person spoke.

"Who Lex?" Shauna asked calmly.

"Shauna." Lexi began.

"It's Miss isn't it. Anyone else and you would have told me by now."

"Shauna." Lexi repeated.

"Tell me if she's dead Lex!" Shauna shouted.

"Look Shauna. It's believed that Miss…." Lexi exhaled. Her voice shook. "She was on my mo-ped and wasn't wearing a helmet. Hit a tree." swallowed thickly at the vision of Miss impacting filled her head. "They need someone to make an ID."

"What was that Lexi?" a voice asked from the shadows.

Her heart stopped. "Shauna I gotta go!" lexi declared. Pressed disconnect. "dad."

"Did I hear you right Lex?"Lexi looked at the ground. Nodded slightly. "The police need someone to make an identification." she whispered.

Danny stood frowning. "She isn't dead lexi. I'd know."

"I'm so sorry dad." she murmured. "I know…."

"I'd feel it!" he repeated. "I felt it with your mother. I knew the second she left. I'd know it with Missy too!"

"Maybe not dad!"

"I WOULD!" He stressed. Heart pounding.

"Look tomorrow we'll know for sure. And I'm praying this is just a mistake!"

"Why not tonight?" he whispered.

"Coz I wanted to give them time to…clean her up. She hit a tree dad!"

He paled. "I refuse to believe this!"

Lexi's tears fell. "I am so sorry dad!" she said to his retreating form.

(X)

Danny walked down to his hut. Entered and looked around. Traces of Missy were everywhere. Missy's pyjamas tossed across the back of a chair. Her side of the bed the blanket was bunched at the bottom of the bed from her being too hot in the middle of the night. Her brush and cosmetics lay haphazard on the table opposite their bed. Her towel hung over the door drying. Her slippers in the middle of the floor. He always tripped over them without fail. This room was nothing like their bedroom in the house. Up there everything had it's place.

He stripped off and pulled on some sweatpants and a t-shirt. Usually he only wore shorts as he got too hot with Missy wrapped around him. Tonight though she lay alone in a cold mortuary. Felt tears gather and forced them away. He wouldn't believe it! He would know if she died he knew he would!

'You didn't know she had a heart attack!' a mocking voice taunted. 'Your thinking about getting a divorce. Cutting ties!'

The heart attack was different. And the divorce, it would have never got to that! They would have sorted it out!

'It's the same danny!' the voice mocked. 'She's dead and you know it!'

He closed his eyes to block out the taunting voice. Closed his eyes. Missy is alive was his mantra. She just wasn't here! He couldn't believe what he was told. Missy wouldn't leave. Him or Ryan.

'Obviously she did!' the voice said finally. It's cold rationalism scared him. It nearly made him believe.

"Alice is she dead?" he whispered to the night.

Alice too was uncharacteristically quiet. He was all alone.

A/N bleh!