Wrong Direction

"There's gotta be a window we can get in through." Thea nodded, standing in front of Joey's house as Punk turned to her.

"What if he's in there?" Punk asked.

"He's at work." Thea scoffed.

"I don't think this is a good idea." Punk shook his head. In his old age, perhaps there was some sense within him. Eighteen year old him would have just smashed one of the windows and climbed through.

"Don't be a pussy." Thea shook her head.

"Uh… I'm not. But this is breaking and entering. A crime." Punk nodded to her like she was a child.

"I'm aware, but it won't take us long. You standing here and swaying back and forth on your heels like a little girl is just wasting time." She batted, "Just stay here if you're not going to be useful." She shook her head, walking around the house as Punk followed.

"Uh… who is the parent here?" Punk questioned.

"Is that window open?" She noticed the window slightly above them, "It looks like it is." She said hopefully.

"Ok, let me just magically whip up a pair of ladders for you." Punk nodded.

"Just put your hands out and boost me up." Thea shook her head as Punk rolled his eyes, clasping his hands together and stretching them down as Thea stood on them.

"Jesus Christ, Thea." Punk groaned, trying to boost her up.

"Yeah, ok. Easy. I'm not King Kong." Thea batted, putting her other foot on his shoulder as Punk groaned.

"Just hurry up." Punk said as Thea got a hold of the window, pulling it up enough to give her access to go through.

"Ok, I'm going in." Thea nodded, pushing herself through the gap in the window as Punk watched her eventually disappear.

"Don't be long. I'll keep watch." Punk called, waiting outside whilst Thea got to her feet, realising she was at the bottom of the stairs.

"Ok." Thea dusted her hands off, walking upstairs quietly.

She checked the few bedrooms upstairs and surprisingly found nothing but average bedrooms and bathrooms. She even went as far as checking dressers and closets. She was desperate for something to indicate where her mother could be if this was Joey's doing, but there was nothing.

She headed back downstairs, checking the living room and kitchen. She saw what looked like last night's dishes sitting by the sink, a pretty normal kitchen. It frustrated her. It worried her.

She walked back to the window where Punk was standing outside.

"Ok, I'm coming." Thea told him as he looked up.

"You find anything?" Punk asked.

"No." Thea sighed, climbing out the window, draping her legs down as Punk got a hold of her, helping her down to the ground as she sighed.

"Nothing?" Punk asked.

"No, it's… pretty normal and boring in there. Plus, his dinner from last night is sitting which means he… he was probably here whilst mom was… whatever." She sighed as Punk looked at her, "I just thought it'd be obvious, you know?"

"Yeah, I know." Punk nodded.

"The more time goes by, the more it feels real." Thea shook her head as Punk nodded.

"We'll find her." Punk nodded, wrapping his arm around her and kissing her head as Thea frowned.

"Why does this stuff always happen to us?" Thea sighed. She wasn't one to throw a pity party. She wasn't one to ask why me? Or why us? But it was exhausting to have this feeling of dread as much as they all had.

"You should have damn well told me about this." Cassie said, power walking back to her car as Theo walked after her.

"I've only known for a few weeks and I just… I thought what was the point?" Theo asked, "Just to have your parents worry or think about it?"

"No but at least we'd all be aware." Cassie turned to him fiercely as he stepped back a little, "I thought we ran them all out of Puerto Rico." She looked at him.

"The uncle went to prison. He got out five months ago." Theo said.

"That means he served three years?" She questioned, "Three?"

"Look, I'm not a judge. I don't decide that shit." Theo said, "But if he's out, maybe he's looking for some answers from your mom."

"What kind of answers?" Cassie shook her head.

"Cassie, your mom killed her mom. I know we were all in agreement that it needed to happen, but she still did it." Theo said, "You don't think maybe her uncle got out of prison and is kinda pissed off about it all?"

"I don't know what to think, Theo. I just know my mom is gone. She's been gone for twenty-four hours now. Her car is here, abandoned with nothing in it." Cassie pointed over to the car, "And I know she's not just gone to clear her head somewhere." She shook her head, "She could be anywhere and I'm supposed to find her." She said hysterically, on the brink of tears, a lot of tears.

"Hey… no, it's not your job. That pressure shouldn't be on your shoulders right now." Theo said, "Exactly, this is your mom. This is too personal for you. You should be with your dad and sister."

"I want to find her." Cassie shook her head, "I need to."

"I'll work with the team, ok? I'll make sure we're doing everything we can." Theo nodded to her, "We will find her."

"Where? I mean where would she be?" Cassie sighed, "And if it is her uncle who's got a hold of her then what the hell does he want? Revenge?"

"I don't know. For all we know, it could have nothing to do with him. I'm just telling you what I know and that it might be just too coincidental." Theo said as Cassie took a deep breath.

"She's always here, telling me it'll be ok. I mean… how come when it comes from her it's more believable?" Cassie sighed stressfully.

"Cause she's a good mom." Theo nodded, rubbing her shoulder, "And we're gonna find her. Safe and well." He assured her as Cassie sighed, "I want you to go back and find your dad. Make sure he's ok. And… tell them about the uncle."

Punk had gone back to Thea's house, waiting for Cassie to call or check in with them to let them know what was going on and if there was any updates, which they were hoping and praying for. They could speculate themselves about what could have happened but they weren't the cops. Punk had accepted that in his old age.

It was hard to sit still, though. As someone who would walk to the ends of the earth for his wife, he had trouble waiting for news that may or may not be coming. He could only pace.

"We could try calling her again." Thea said, sitting on the couch in a trance as Punk just nodded along, not really listening to her, listening to the front door opening as Punk lifted his head.

"It's just me." Cassie called, coming into the living room.

"What's going on? What's happening with the car?" Punk asked her.

"There's nothing abnormal about the car besides from where it's parked in the middle of nowhere. There's no… blood or anything. No sign of an altercation or a struggle." Cassie nodded to them, "No damage to the car either."

"So what?" Thea waited.

"The thinking behind it is that it's probably someone who has driven her car there to… dump it and get rid of the evidence. Wherever she is, whoever she's with, having her car sitting outside isn't very wise." Cassie rolled her eyes as Punk ran his hands through his hair stressfully.

"So… someone has got her then?" Thea questioned as Cassie looked at her.

"It's likely, yeah." Cassie nodded as Punk kicked the coffee table angrily, causing Cassie to jump a little as Thea watched him.

"Fuck." Punk spat angrily, "Ok then now what?" He asked Cassie, "This is your field of expertise, right? What now?"

"There's still cops questioning the people she works with. They're also checking the surrounding area from where her car was left, although it's unlikely she's near there. Theo's… leading it." Cassie nodded, "He's probably a lot more helpful to it all than I am right now." She shook her head.

"Well it's our mom. Don't beat yourself up about it." Thea understood.

"There is… one thing I should let you both know." Cassie nodded as Punk looked at her.

"What?" Punk said.

"Mom's uncle, Derek, the one who went to prison when we went to Puerto Rico… when Janet died." Cassie said, "He's out of prison. Has been for about five months now. Theo found out."

"What?" Punk screwed his face up, "That's only been like… a few years." He shook his head.

"Yeah, I know." Cassie said, "So Theo is looking into it. He's got friends in the Puerto Rican police department, from when he worked down there for a year, so he's checking in with them to get a scope on it." She nodded, "Trust me, they're doing everything they can." She nodded.

She knew with confidence that the cops were all over this situation, and she was grateful for that. But it still didn't make it any easier for them.

"Has someone contacted Jude about all of this?" Cassie wondered.

"Yeah, I have." Thea nodded, "She's getting a flight out today."

"Ok." Cassie nodded.

"Well we… we can probably rule out Joey. We checked his house out." Thea nodded as Punk looked at her, widening his eyes, wishing she hadn't told Cassie that.

"What?" Cassie shook her head.

"Nothing." Punk said.

"What do you mean you checked his house out?" Cassie asked.

"I climbed in one of the windows." Thea said, "It was a pretty normal house."

"Are you insane?" Cassie questioned.

"You guys should probably not say that to me anymore." Thea nodded, "Mental illness and all."

"I don't give a shit. You don't break into someone's house, Thea. That's breaking and entering." Cassie spat, "And you…" She turned to her father, "What'd you do? Give her a leg to stand on?"

"Yeah, he did actually." Thea nodded as Cassie shook her head.

"You two doing shit like this doesn't help." Cassie said tiredly.

"Well what are we supposed to do, Cass? I can't just sit here knowing mom is out there and… with god knows who-"

"And you think I can?" Cassie spat.

"Quit arguing." Punk warned them sternly in his scary dad voice that still scared them even as grown woman, "We're gonna find her, alright?" He said fiercely as they looked at him, "I don't wanna hear it otherwise." He said, walking out of the living room and into the kitchen whilst Thea looked over at Cassie.

"Just come sit down." Thea told her sister, "This doesn't have to be your case to solve. Not this one." She assured her as Cassie sat down on the couch, placing her hand over her forehead and letting go of a few tears as Thea gave her a hug.