A/N: Actually, now that I think about it, the first two chapters are about the same size, the first one just had longer Author's Notes. I just did a word count, too. Yeah, 2 was shorter, but only by 200 words.
Okay, that over with, I can get back on track. Sometimes being obsessive compulsive really sucks. And trust me, if anyone reading this has OCD too, then you'll know exactly what I mean.
Oh yeah, Chapter 3...
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A week later, in Oregon, the girl who turned up at the ranger's station was in the hospital. He came in to see her.
"How you feeling?" he asked.
"Um... better, I think."
"What'd the doctor say?"
"That uh... I have two broken ribs, my arm is broken, I was lucky I was only shot in my leg, and I have a moderate concussion."
"They won't let you sleep, will they?"
"Just a little."
"Oh."
"When can I go home?" she asked.
"Where do you live?"
"I-- I can't tell you that."
"No one will know, I promise."
So she began to tell her story, every now and then stopping to make sure he wouldn't tell.
Prue stood in the kitchen that same night. She was washing dishes, but was watching Melinda in the foyer. It'd been a month an a week now... Prue was counting the days that Piper had been gone.
Prue could see Melinda until Leo came down the stairs. He picked her up and carried her into the living room, out of Prue's sight.
She could hear the little girl giggling, and then the innocent little question, "Where's Mommy?" Prue set the last dish in the drainer and left the kitchen, drying her hands on a washcloth. She entered the living room. Leo had occupied the little one with her coloring book. For a four-year-old, she colored all too well.
Leo looked up to see Prue standing there. She had come to the manor with Melinda so that the little girl could see her dad. When Prue saw Leo's face, she knew something was going through his mind. Rapidly. She motioned for him to follow her, which he did, and they went through the sunroom and outside. It was dark, but from the light on in the sunroom, they could see fine.
"What's going on in there?" Prue asked. Leo didn't answer. "You okay?" she asked, concern swelling in her voice.
"I had him, Prue... I had him... right there..."
Dan.
"I know."
"And he acted as if nothing was wrong. Like nothing had happened..."
"You'll get him, Leo, don't worry about that." No answer came, so Prue went on. "I mean, she could still be out there, right? Coming home?" Still, no answer. "And-- And then, after Piper comes home, she can... She can identify him and... And we'll all live happily ever after." Leo smiled a little, which made Prue smile, too. "Don't worry."
"I worry."
"...I know." Prue pulled Leo into a hug.
Doctors rushed down the hall.
The woman that had been brought in did not want any information given about her. She had only told the one person, Rick Jackson, about herself, and had asked that he not tell. He had asked why, and she'd told him that she didn't want to be found. Not by certain people.
She asked if Rick would come in the next day. She wanted to give him a number to contact someone. But she wouldn't be able to. The doctors were rushing into her room. She fell into a coma, mainly due to her injuries. Internal bleeding had occurred, as well, and the doctors did all they could to save her. They didn't see many chances of her pulling out, but she was mainly stable by the end of the day.
Three days later, Dr. Carter approached Rick Jackson. Since he was the only one who knew who the woman was, he was the only one who they could talk to.
"We don't know who her family is, and it'd be best to talk to them first."
"I understand that, but she asked me not to tell anyone," Rick said.
"Under these circumstances, though... Any family member. A-- a parent, sibling..."
"I'm sorry." As much as Rick wanted to tell, the woman had asked him not to, and he had always kept his word.
"Did she mention any family members?"
"Yes, but only gave me one name."
"If you could--"
"It's slipped my mind," Rick said.
Now it'd been a month and a half since Piper was gone. The same day that the Jane Doe in Oregon went into a coma. That was at noon, and now, around three o'clock, Leo roamed the streets, just... patrolling.
Jake and Thomas watched from the other side of the street. Tom was younger than Leo, but then again, so was Jake. Two years younger, to be exact. But Tom was a year younger than Jake. The two watched Leo walk down the street on the sidewalk. Not in uniform, not that he ever wore it. He never had before, and never would. Neither would his family members or Adam and Cortez, though, either. It wasn't Leo to dress like the cop that got the rep for eating donuts in their past time.
Every family member on Leo's father's side was a cop. It was like a family tradition, that no one felt obligated to break. Another was Never Wear Uniforms. It was pants, leather or trench coat, badge in wallet. Always had been, always will be. In Leo's case, though, when he had Kia, he was forced to wear the K-9 jacket, but he didn't complain all too much.
The town in upper California wasn't a thing like San Francisco or Los Angeles-- about ten thousand people tops-- so people knew people. Quite a few knew Leo for patrolling downtown.
Now, Leo turned down one street, and saw a little group standing off to the side near a building. He didn't notice his younger brother and cousin following from the other side of the street. The group of about five didn't budge when they saw Leo, not that he expected them to.
He looked up at them and stopped. "What?" he asked.
"Leo, Leo, Leo. How ya been?" one of women asked, turning to face Leo.
"Fine, Carrie, you?"
"Oh, you know, the usual... A few Missing Persons cases, but nothing much."
Leo said nothing.
"Find anything for Piper's case yet?" one of the men asked.
Leo still didn't answer. He just kept walking.
The man turned back to the group, laughing a little.
"Let off, Mike. He's got it hard. I mean, he hasn't seen his daughter in like, two days." The woman who made the comment looked at Leo go out of site, turning down a different street. She also noticed his brother and cousin, but didn't say anything about it. "I mean, what if you couldn't see Nicole for a few days?" Mike didn't answer, mulling over the thought of not seeing his daughter. "And to top it off, your wife is missing," Jessica added.
"Whatever."
The five lawyers split up.
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A/N: It was longer. When I wrote this chapter, I was experiencing a disease that is cousin to writer's block. I call it the Can't Write Anything Good virus, so don't hate me-- I think it sucks. Anyone can agree. The donuts and dress code thing... I don't know what to say... I could go on forever talking about how much I think I didn't do well on this chapter, but I won't. If you like, please convince me otherwise, because the next chapter is long, too, and I can't say I'm... I'm not crazy about it.
PLEASE CONVINCE ME OTHERWISE!!!!!!!! (unless you didn't like it, either. Then feel free to agree)
