Authors note: Thanks to all of you for the reviews I love it. I am on a Kay hype after today's episode 1/10/02. So hope this comes out ok. I am really starting to hate Grace. She is getting to me bad.

Chapter 7

Miguel's decision

Early the next morning, Pilar crept into Miguel's room. It was, according to Miguel's clock, 8:00 am. Normally, she wouldn't wake her son so early, but Chief Bennett had showed up ten minutes ago. He wanted to ask Miguel help him look for Kay. If anyone could talk Kay in to coming home, It would definitely be him.

Pilar had explained to Sam that it would be Miguel's choice and then went to wake him. She still thought Miguel should do the right thing and marry Kay. But it wasn't up to her and she wasn't going to force him to marry someone against his will. With a sigh, she softly shook Miguel.

"Get up son, I need to talk to you."

Miguel groaned. "What time is it mama?"

"it is still early. But we need to talk."

Closing his eyes, he asked. "can't it wait?"

"No son, it cannot wait." Pilar said with a sigh. "Chief Bennett is here. Kay ran away last night. No one can find her, and Sam wanted you to come along to help him look for her."

Miguel sat straight up in bed. Kay had run away? Now he was wide awake. But he was torn. He had been awake late last night, thinking. He thought he might talk to Charity, to get some answers. He didn't want to stop loving her, but she had hurt him badly. Now the mother of his child and his best friend was missing. What should he do?

"Tell him I'll be right there," Miguel said as he climbed out of the bed and stumbled toward the bathroom. Why would Kay have run away? Was it because of the fight with Charity, or could it have been that she as tired of being ignored? Was it both? he didn't have the answers to these questions but he wanted to find out.

With a sigh he washed his face and attempted to tame his wild hair. Well, he might as well forget talking to Charity. And now that he was awake and Kay was missing, he wasn't so sure that he wanted to talk to her. In a way, he blamed Charity for what had came to be thus far.

"Chief Bennett, why did Kay run away?"

Sam turned around to look at Miguel. He still had mixed feelings about the boy. After all, he had taken advantage of Kay, after practically ignoring her for almost three years.

"I don't know Miguel. There was no note. Do you know if she was upset about something?"

Miguel hesitated. Should he tell him what Charity had done? Would Sam believe him? "Actually yes. I was talking to her about my break up with Charity. Then Charity came and yelled at her so... I mean I thought Kay was fine. If I had thought that she wasn't..."

Sam was stunned. Charity had always seemed so nice. It was bad enough that Grace was against Kay, but now Charity was too. Was he the only one her side?

"I see. So, do you want to come look for her?"

"Definitely." Miguel said, "let me grab my coat."

Once Miguel had gotten his coat the duo headed for the cruiser in silence. Each man was lost in his own thoughts. They could only speculate what had made Kay run away. They would never know the real reason until they found her.

That was if they found her. She had been missing for over 12 hours.

"When did Kay run away?" Miguel asked softly.

"I am not for sure. Some time last night before I got home from work."

Last night? Why had no one told him that Kay was missing? Why had his mother waited until this morning? Miguel couldn't help but feel a little a bit mad. Kay was his best friend!

"I can't believe it. I am so sorry chief Bennett. I feel like this is all my fault."

"Why would you say that Miguel?" Sam asked, intrigued.

"Well, if I hadn't loved Charity, or if I had never slept with Kay then none of this would have happened."

Sam sighed. He could see why Miguel would feel that way. But despite the fact that he was still mad at this teen for taking advantage of his daughter but this wasn't all his fault. He couldn't help falling in love with Charity and he hadn't said anything out of line to Kay that he knew of before she left.

"Don't think that way Miguel."

"But I have to. Where could she be?"

Sam started to answer but just then Miguel's cell phone rang .

"hello, Kay?" Miguel asked hopefully.

"No silly, its Charity."

"Oh I got to go."

"Miguel, come on." Charity said, sounding like her normal chipper self. "Let's talk. we can work this out! Please baby?"

"Not now Charity." Miguel sighed. "I got to go, what if Kay calls?"

"Oh leave finding Kay to Sam. And relax. Meet me at the cafe, ok?"

Miguel gritted his teeth in anger. "Charity, your cousin is missing, don't you even care?"

"Not really, Miguel. Not after all she has done to aunt Grace and me/"

"You're pathetic," Miguel shouted. "I can't believe I never saw you for what you were." Then he hung up disgusted.

He and Sam looked for Kay for hours. Finally the took a break to eat. This was getting them no where. But they planned on heading to Hallsville next.

Just as they finished their meals, Miguel's phone rang again.

"Charity just hang up." He shouted. "I'll never want to talk to you after what you said about Kay."

"Miguel?"

The voice wasn't Charity's. IT was Kay! "Omg Kay I have been so worried about you? where are you? Why did you run away? Let me come get you!"

Sam jumped up elated. Kay had called. Now he could find her and bring her home where she belonged. Then he and Grace and not to mention Charity were going to have a very serious conversation. He was getting tired of the same old scenario, the world verses Kay. and he hated to admit it but Ivy was on his side when his own wife wasn't.

"Miguel calm down," Kay said laughing. "I am fine, don't worry. I am in Hallsville, its horrible." she shuddered involuntarily. "But I do want to get out of here. Why I ran away is a long story, but I will tell you all about it when I get home. Will you ask my dad to come get me?"

Miguel was so happy that he couldn't speak. Kay was ok and she wanted to come back home. Maybe he had misjudged his feelings about her from the beginning. IT didn't matter all he wanted to do was make it up to her. Handing the phone to Sam he pondered how he could do that.

"Kay its me."

"Daddy!" Kay said " Oh daddy I am so sorry that I run away. Please come get me."

"I'll be right there honey." Sam promised. "Miguel and I have been looking for you all morning. Where are you?"

"Hallsville motel."

"Miguel and I will be there in less than an hour, stay put."

"I will daddy." Kay promised, "But hurry daddy I am hurting. I think something is wrong with me and the baby."

Then Kay gave a cry of pain and the line went silent. What had happened to Kay?

Please read and review and thanks to all that had. I felt so bad for Kay on today's episode and poor Antonio!