Disclaimer: The characters of Walker do not belong to me.
A/N: I'm giving a very explicit warning here. If you have not seen the Walker season three premiere yet, DO NOT READ THIS STORY. There is a major spoiler in this first chapter here.
One more chance. If you haven't watched the Walker season premiere, don't read this. Big, big spoilers ahead.
Okay, now that I've given not one, but two, warnings, let me explain the story. After Liam goes missing, Lulu misses him and Abeline explains the concept of the invisible string to Lulu. After this week's episode is over, I'll write a second part from Liam's POV.
Lulu had never been so worried and confused.
Her daddy had gone outside for a minute to get something from his car. He said he would be right back and that he'd read her a story before she went to bed that night. Lulu had been sitting at the kitchen table, coloring, and she'd gotten lost in the picture and hadn't noticed how long Daddy was gone. There was a lot of different people wandering around the ranch that day. Daddy had explained that Uncle Cory had gotten lost when they went out earlier, and that the rest of the rangers and the police were helping to find him.
Lulu knew that her daddy was scared for her uncle, and she was too. Uncle Cory was big and strong, and he protected everyone else. If nobody could find her uncle, who was protecting him? But Lulu had decided early that day that everybody else had enough to worry about, so she'd do her best to behave until her uncle got home.
Lulu finished her picture and looked at it. It was beautiful. There was a rainbow above a big open field, with horses walking around freely and a man at the edge of the field watching them. The man was her grandpa, and Lulu nodded. She was happy with the picture and put it away to give to her gramps later.
The rumble of her stomach brought Lulu's attention back to what was going on. She noticed that it was dark outside. When Daddy had gone out, it had still been daytime. Where was he? Lulu had been given strict instructions not to go outside without telling a grownup, so she went to the window and looked out. Daddy's car was there but Daddy wasn't anywhere around. Lulu looked around, and all she could see was other rangers walking around. Auggie was sitting on the couch, looking really sad, and Mama was cleaning again.
Lulu went to her daddy's room, thinking that maybe he'd gone to bed early. He wasn't in there, so Lulu searched the other rooms of the house. When she didn't find Daddy, she went to the living room, trying hard not to cry. Daddy wouldn't just leave her. Something was wrong.
"Auggie?"
Auggie looked up and smiled at Lulu. Even though he was smiling, Lulu could tell he was still sad. Lulu wanted to give him a hug, but she was worried. She knew Auggie was upset about his daddy, but right now she wanted hers.
"Hey, kiddo."
"Have you seen my daddy?"
Auggie looked surprised at the question. "Not lately."
Lulu couldn't help the tear that fell. She was trying so hard to be brave for everyone, but now her fear felt like it would swallow her. Auggie got up and ran over to her, bending down in front of her like he did when she skinned her knee.
"Hey. What's wrong?"
"I can't find him. He's gone too."
"I'm sure he's around here somewhere." Auggie said. "Come on, let's go look around outside."
"Mama told me not to go outside."
"I'll go with you. Come on."
Auggie searched for Daddy with her, but of course, they didn't find him. Auggie went and found uncle Cory's boss, Captain James, and told him that Daddy was missing too. Lulu couldn't help it now. She cried, and she cried hard. Where was Daddy? What if he was hurt, or scared? No one was there with him.
Stella and Auggie stayed with Lulu for a while, but Lulu eventually went to Daddy's room and just stayed there. Her bedtime came and went, but Lulu just stayed on the bed. Eventually, Mama came in. She looked angry at first.
"Peyton Louisa, I told you to stay where I could see you."
But when Lulu looked up, Mama's face immediately softened. Lulu was crying again, and Mama went to the bed and wrapped Lulu in a hug. Lulu cried hard into her grandmother's shoulder, who just held Lulu patiently until she calmed down. When she did, Mama took a tissue from next to the bed and gently told Lulu to blow.
"I want my daddy."
"I know, sweetie. I do too."
"I'm sorry." Lulu said.
"What are you sorry for?" Mama asked gently, pushing Lulu's hair back gently.
"I tried to be brave and not cry but…"
"Hey, hey. Shh. Calm down, Lulu bear." Mama shushed her and held her a little more before she answered. "It's okay to be scared and worried. All of us are."
"Are you sad too?"
"Yes, baby. I'm sad too." Mama then looked like she got an idea. "Did your Daddy ever tell you about the invisible string?"
"The what?"
"The invisible string."
"What's that?" Lulu asked.
"Well, there's a string that connects all of us. Me, Gramps, Stella, Auggie, your uncle, and your daddy."
"And me?" Lulu asked.
"That's right. And you."
Lulu sniffed and wiped her face. "What's it do?"
"Well, when you're sad or scared, you just pull on the string and your daddy'll feel it."
"He will?"
"He will." Mama said. "It might make you feel a little better too. Why don't you try it?"
"How?"
"Close your eyes." Mama told her. Lulu did, and Mama kept going. "Just imagine the string and imagine your daddy at the end of it. Can you see it?"
It took a few seconds, but Lulu did see it. There was a long string, so long it was almost all she could see, and at the end of it was her Daddy. He was smiling at her, and waving. Lulu took the string and pulled it a little. Daddy smiled some more and blew her a kiss.
"I see it."
"You start feeling upset, just think about that and pull that string again, okay?" Mama said.
"Okay." Lulu opened her eyes again and yawned. "I will."
"I think it's someone's bedtime."
"Will you stay with me please? Till I go to sleep?" Lulu asked. "I don't want to be alone."
"I don't want to be alone either." Mama said. "How about you and me be sad together, huh?"
Lulu crawled into Mama's lap, and Mama held her and sang to her until she fell asleep. Lulu did something she hadn't done since she was a baby. She fell asleep sucking her thumb. But Mama didn't say anything, just held her long into the night. Lulu wouldn't recall it in the morning, but after Mama laid her down on the bed once and wrapped her up, she reached out and held Mama's hand when she started crying too.
