Disclaimer (haven't had one in a while): Right, don't own Mort, but pretty much everything else in this story is mine.
A/N: Eeek! They left Levi behind! I would be very scared if that happened to me because America is a BIG PLACE!
Dedication: I'm going to dedicate this chappie to Dawnie-7 for the lovely reviews. (I haven't forgotten you Esmeralda Sparrow!)
Chapter Six: Back to Arizona
"Guys we gotta go," says Barkley, grabbing Icing, and Venice when she emerges from the bathroom.
"Why the panic?" asks Venice, shaking her hands dry.
"Because Levi isn't with Phoenix," sasy Barkley.
"She's not with us, we left her?!?!" exclaims Icing. "Oh my God!"
"Exactly, we're on our way back to Arizona for her," says Barkley. He started the car and Venice and Icing got in. Harley went with Phoenix and they both sped back down the highway as fast as they could. Icing, realizing they would never make it back to the state line and then into Los Angeles in the same day, it was already the afternoon, called Harley on her mobile.
"Harley? Yeah, we were just thinking, we'll have to try and find a hotel in Yuma, by the state line because we won't get to our hotel before tomorrow unless we drive through the night. Hang on. Barkley says he's fine driving through the night is one of you's ok with that," she pauses, Harley talks to Phoenix.
"Yeah, I'll drive through the night, I'll get some sleep as soon as we hang up then."
"Alright, Levi would have stayed at the state line wouldn't she? She wouldn't have gone anywhere else?"
"No, she's have stayed, I'm gonna go in a minute because she'd try and phone us, we're only surprised she hasn't tried before now, and we want to keep our line open so she can get through, keep your phone open too," says Harley.
"Sure, ok, good plan, we'll talk to you in Yuma," says Icing and hangs up the phone. "Harley's gonna sleep now and drive through the night, keep our phone open incase Levi tries to call, they're surpirsed she hasn't called them yet but they think that's what she's gonna do," Icing quickly drafts Barkley and Venice in on the phone call. "We'll speak to them next at Yuma."
"Alright."
"Barkley, do you want me to drive the night? You've driven all day, and most of yesterday you must be exhausted," offers Venice.
"If you're sure, you better try and sleep now so you're awake," says Barkley. Icing hands her a pillow from the back seat and Venice settles down, eyes shut.
Three quarters of an hour later, both cars pull into the same state line service station and everyone looks for Levi. Harley bounds up the the girl behind the desk.
"You haven't seen a girl here have you? She's have been here a good hour and a half, she eighteen, dark hair, dark eyes, what was she wearing Phe?" Harley asks her brother.
"An Outlaws tank top and jeans, I think," he replies.
"I don't think so," the girl says.
"You don't think so?" Harley questions. "Think harder, this is really important, we left her behind."
"No, I don't remember seeing anyone like that, sorry," the girl says again.
"Oh God!" Harley exclaims. Icing comes into the station.
"She's not in the bathroom, or the shop, she's not here?" she asks.
"No, they haven't seen her, we left her here where the hell could she have got to?" says Phoenix, more to release anger than to get a reply.
"You don't think she'd have tried to hitch-hike a ride to the hotel do you?" asks Venice.
"No, we've always been told, mom always used to say, if yo get lost stay whee you are and we'll come back for you, if you move we won't know where you are," says Harley.
"What are we gonna do? There's no point us staying here if she's not here," says Icing.
"Do you wanna go on to the hotel?" Barkley asks Phoenix.
"Do we have a choice? Not really, lets look round once more, really really carefully, look a little further than just the service station, she could have got a long way in ninety minutes but she wouldn't have walked because of the heat, if she's not anywhere around here then we'll have to go on and report her missing as soon as we get to the hotel, alright? I'll look out the back," says Phoenix. The others name a place to search and they all walk off, rather quickly.
Half an hour later, they all met up at the front of the state line service station.
"Nope."
"No."
"Nothing."
"Nada."
"Well, on to the hotel, then?" asks Icing. Phoenix sadly nods his head.
"On to the hotel, and we'll phone the police as soon as we get there," says Phoenix. Harley has tears in her eyes.
"Come on darling," says Venice taking her into an embrace. "She'll be fine."
"But, we left her, and drove fifty miles, how can we not notice for fity miles," sobs Harley.
"Because we were in separate cars, she'll understand that, she'll be alright about it," says Venice. "Come on, the best thing we can do is get to the hotel, report her missing, she could be at the hotel already, by the time we've lost today, don't panic."
"Yes, alright," Harley wipes her nose on her arm and gets into the car. Both cars pull away, and drive back down the same stretch of highway, for the third time.
Harley drives the Andrews' car through the night, still sniffing, while Phoenix lies sprawled out on the middle seat, slightly snoring.
As the new sun crept slowly up, both cars turn into the hotel where they have four nights booked, now three, and everyone meets up.
"Did she call you?" asks Harley as soon as she steps out of her car. Icing shakes her head and takes her into a cuddle again.
"I'll phone the cops as soon as we're checked in," says Phoenix.
"Good, well, lets get on with it then," sasy Venice, stepping towards the entrance.
Phoenix called the police and the other went and checked in, got their keys and found their rooms.
"The cops can't do anything until she's been missing for twenty four hours," says Phoenix, trudging into the hotel room where Harley is unpacking a suitcase. Venice comes from the next room.
"What did they say Phe?" she asks.
"They can't do anything until she's been missing twenty four hours," he repeats.
"Well, that's not too long away," Venice comforts him.
"Yeah, I suppose, I can't believe we left her though, and that we can't find her," says Phoenix.
"Don't worry about her, she's a big girl," says Venice.