Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters mentioned in the story, except of Dawn Lynette Miracle-Ellis and the experiences (Renate, Lawrence and Ross). I also don't own any of the "Annie" songs mentioned in the story, or any brand names (Tim Horton's, etc.)
Note: Takes place few weeks after "Stone Dreams", assuming that Mia died in the end.
Summary: A trainee data analyst joins the team and struggles to find her place in the team. Meanwhile, the team is investigating a case in which Lindsay gets emotionally involved.
Lindsay and Peter sat in the mobile lab, in front of Anton, who summoned them for an important talk. It has been only few weeks since their colleague, Mia Stone, was killed in an experiment that Anton conducted and that was their first day back at the O.S.I.R. since her death.
"Peter, Lindsay, I know that on the last few weeks the two of you have been seriously considering resigning. I know it has been very emotional year for the both of you. First losing Matt and then losing Mia." Lindsay stared at the floor when Mia's name was mentioned. The pain was still fresh in her heart and she hasn't fully accepted her colleague's death yet. Peter took her hand and squeezed it. "But I also know that the two of you are capable of making and new team again." Lindsay's jaw dropped.
"Wha… Uh… New team?" She mumbled.
"Yes. I know it's gonna be hard for the two of you, but I believe in you. Therefore, I decided to have a young woman joining the team. Her name is Dawn Lynette Miracle-Eliss; she's a trainee data analyst. I trust you to teach her everything she needs to know." Anton said.
"Our team doesn't need two data analysts, Anton." Lindsay whined.
"I believe that she'll be a refreshing addition to the team, Lindsay. She can learn a lot from you. I know that the two of you can be a successful pair."
"But, Anton, we really don't need another data analyst and especially not a trainee." Peter protested. "We need a parapsychologist, like you or Mia."
"I know the two of you are upset with having to get used to another team member, but she's a really smart woman. She won't slow you down. Trust me." Anton said softly. "She'll be here tomorrow morning. Lindsay, I want you to guide her and train her to the best of your ability. I know you can do the job."
"Wait, what about a case manager?" Peter asked.
"I wanna keep the rotating case managers format." Anton replied. "Once you read the case details I left for you, I'll have the mobile lab transferred to the investigation site, but right now I have a meeting soon, I'll check on you tomorrow." The moment Anton left, Peter could see Lindsay's tears gushing out of her eyes.
"Hey, don't cry." He embraced her. "I swear that if she even tries to take your place, she'll regret the moment she was born." Lindsay's cries grew louder. Peter's fingers caressed her soft hair. "And you know what, she'll never be better than you. No one will be."
Lindsay entered the mobile lab and put her knapsack in her locker. Then she made herself a cup of coffee and went to the conference room, to take a look at a file that Anton left for her and Peter and the new team member on the previous day. As she opened the door, she saw a young, beautiful woman sitting in her chair.
"It's my seat." Lindsay said. The woman got up and moved to another chair. "That's Pete's seat."
"Is that someone's seat?" The woman pointed at another seat.
"No, it isn't." Lindsay replied and opened the file. She started reading the details of the team's new case.
"I'm Dawn Lynette Miracle-Eliss." The woman said.
"I'm reading. Be quiet." Lindsay replied coldly. She heard Peter entering the mobile lab and moments later, he walked into the conference room and took his seat next to Lindsay.
"Hi, Linds." He said. He threw a glance at Dawn, who was almost as tall as Lindsay and had a short dark brown hair and green eyes.
"Hi, I'm Dawn Lynette Miracle-Eliss." Her voice shook.
"Yeah… yeah. Let's get started." He said. Lindsay handed him the file and he read the details for few minutes.
"Anton wants you to take the lead on this one." He said to Lindsay.
"So, what paranormal activity are we going to investigate?" Dawn asked. Lindsay glared at her for few seconds and then started giving her the details of the case. "This is so exciting. So, what do I get to do?" Dawn tried to ignore the chilly attitude that her teammates displayed towards her.
"Right now, you get to go home and pack a suitcase for a week and then meet us here at 3 pm sharp." Lindsay replied. She took the file from Peter and wrote something down on it.
It was early in the morning when Lindsay parked the O.S.I.R. van in front of the mobile lab in a small town called Catroville. Peter was sleeping in the passenger seat next to her, and Dawn was sleeping in the back seat. Lindsay yawned and sipped from a cup of cold coffee that she bought in Tim Horton's around midnight. It kept her awake all the night long, but she was still very tired. She choked back another yawn and woke Peter up. He opened his eyes and yawned.
"I can't believe it's morning already." He moaned.
"Oh, thank god it is." Lindsay replied. "That makes the day shorter." Peter smiled at her joke. He felt a little bit guilty for falling asleep and letting her drive all the night long. "Hey, Ellison! Wake up, nap time's over!" Lindsay called out. Dawn opened her eyes and looked rather scared.
"Oh, we're here." She went out of the car.
"Yes, we are." Lindsay and Peter went out of the car and started taking some equipment out of the trunk.
"Damn, I'm tried." Dawn moaned.
"Stop whining, Ellison, and make yourself useful." Lindsay barked.
"It's not Ellison, It's Ellis." Dawn looked at her angrily and then grabbed some of the equipment and entered the mobile lab.
"That's one hell of a welcome you prepared for her, Linds." Peter put his hand on Lindsay's shoulder.
"Excuse me?" Lindsay glared at him.
"Just don't let your emotions destroy this investigation." Peter said and followed Dawn into the lab. Lindsay sighed and then shut the trunk and entered the mobile lab, where Peter handed her a cup of coffee. They sat down for a roundtable session.
"Okay, so you know the basic details. Two teens, Ross and Lawrence Hart, claim that a ghost possesses an abandoned warehouse where they usually hang out. Only a month ago, one of their friends was killed there. Reportedly, he jumped from the third floor." Lindsay said. "Pete, I want environmental scans. I'll do background checks."
"What will I do?" Dawn asked.
"You're gonna do the preliminary interviews." She handed Dawn a paper. "Here is a list of questions that you must ask. Write down all of the information you get and do not forget to record the interviews."
"I will." Dawn said.
"Good, than get moving." Lindsay said.
"Environmentals show nothing." Peter said when the team met again at 6 pm for another roundtable. "In most of the warehouse. I didn't get to go to the third floor yet."
"You'll do that tomorrow. What about you, Ellison?"
"It's Ellis." Dawn replied.
"With a long name like yours, you really want someone to remember that?" Peter chuckled.
"I never said you have to call me by my full name." Dawn said.
"No, you just said 'My name is Dawna Lynette Something-Ellison'. How do you expect people to know what part of it is your name?" Lindsay asked.
"My name isn't Dawna; it's Dawn. And it's Miracle-Ellis; Not Ellison. But if it's so hard for you to remember, you can just use my first name."
"Anyway, what did you find, Dawn Ellis?" Lindsay asked impatiently.
"You know, you never introduced yourself." Dawn said.
"Lindsay Donner, Peter Axon. Now, what did you find?" Peter could see that Lindsay was trying hard not to get mad.
"Well, the experiences said that they saw things moving from one side of the warehouse to the other side, some things falling, and they heard weird noises." Dawn said.
"Typical to possessions." Lindsay said. "Well, there was nothing unusual in the background check I ran. They're just regular teens, regular families, average students, all that. The kid who died was the same. Did they say why they were hanging out at the warehouse?"
"They said that no one interrupted them there. It's a quiet and dark place, have lots of interesting stuff." Dawn replied.
"What were they doing there?" Peter asked.
"Smoking, drinking, gambling. Just the regular things teens do."
"Okay, this is enough for today. We better go to the motel now." Lindsay said.
"Good idea." Peter said and patted her shoulder in his way out of the conference room.
"We're sharing a room, aren't we?" Dawn asked. Lindsay sighed and nodded slowly. "You don't have to."
"Actually, I do. O.S.I.R. budget was meant to sponsor investigations, not sleeping arrangements." Lindsay replied.
"I won't make any noise." Dawn smiled. "Come on, I'll drive."
Lindsay unlocked the door of the motel room she shared with Dawn and entered the room, putting her suitcase down first and then turning the light on.
"Oh, that's just great. Only one bed." She complained. Dawn followed her into the room, but didn't seem to be so concerned about the fact that there was only one bed in the room. "Damn, I'm tired. What I really need right now is a good shower." Lindsay mumbled. "Listen, can you call the front desk and ask if they have folding beds? I'm gonna go and take a shower."
"Sure. I'll…" Dawn started, but realized that Lindsay wasn't even listening.
Half an hour later, Lindsay came out of the shower, wrapped in a big white towel. She grabbed some clothes that she put on the bed before she went into the shower and went back into the bathroom, to dress up. When she came out again, few minutes later, Dawn was sitting on the bed, looking at her.
"They don't have folding beds." Dawn said. Lindsay sighed. "Are you hungry?" Dawn thought that changing the subject would be the best way to break the awkward silence between them. "I ordered a pizza. Hope you like it all-dressed."
"Thanks, but I'm not hungry." Lindsay replied dryly and started brushing her hair.
"Hey, I like the shorts you're wearing." Dawn tried again.
"Thanks." Lindsay took a seat on the bed, few inches away from Dawn and buried her head in her palms.
"Where did you buy them?"
"Uh?"
"The shorts, where'd you buy them?" Dawn asked.
"I don't remember." Lindsay replied.
"Too bad, because I really like them."
"Eliss," Lindsay started.
"Dawn."
"Dawn, do you ever shut up?" Lindsay asked. "Because I'm seriously considering sleeping in Peter's room tonight."
"What did I do wrong now, Lindsay?"
"You're just… pissing me off. Stop babbling all the time. God, what did I do to deserve this?" Lindsay whined. "Isn't it enough that I had to drive all the night long? Isn't it enough that my back is torturing me? Now, I have to sleep in the same bed with this cheerleader who can't shut her mouth for a single moment?"
"Your back hurts?" Dawn asked.
"Wha… Uh… yes." Lindsay said.
"Lie down. I'll give you a massage."
"Massage?" Lindsay looked at Dawn with puzzlement.
"Come on. Just do it." Dawn insisted.
"You're weird."
"Don't mind that." Dawn said. "Just lie down."
"Okay." Lindsay said and lied down on her stomach. Dawn leaned above her and started massaging her back. Lindsay closed her eyes and enjoyed the feeling of her muscles relaxing, one by one as Dawn massaged them.
"You know, you have a lot of tension in your body. Especially in your back. I'm not surprised it hurts you so much." Dawn said. "Do you have any idea why?"
"Being a paranormal investigator is a stressful job." Lindsay replied.
"I guess it is." Dawn mused. "Is it good?"
"What's good?"
"The massage." Lindsay hated admitting that Dawn had done something that could please her, but the feeling of Dawn's hands releasing the stiffness in her back slowly drove that hatred out of her heart.
"Yeah, it's great." Lindsay replied, knowing that she'll hate herself for saying that. Suddenly, Dawn's pressed her elbows down on Lindsay's shoulders, keeping her pinned to the bed and limiting her ability to move. "Hey, what are you doing?" She could feel Dawn's weight on her back.
"You know, I'm really glad you liked my massage. Now, I want something in return." Dawn whispered into her ear.
"God, you're such a freak. Get off of me." Lindsay moaned in pain.
"Now, almighty case manager, listen to me. I want you to stop acting as if you're superior or something. You may be more experienced than me, but certainly not better. Now, promise that you will treat me as an equal to you." Dawn said.
"Damn you, get off my back. You're hurting me!" Lindsay gasped.
"Promise me and I'll let you go."
"I promise. Now let me go." Lindsay said.
"Promise nicely. I'm not some animal you're talking to. I'm a human being just like you, Heartless." Dawn pressed her elbows to Lindsay's ribs, making her scream in pain.
"I promise to treat you as an equal to me." Lindsay gasped the words. Dawn got off her colleague's body and took a seat on the edge of the bed as Lindsay respired heavily. Slowly, she rose from the bed. "You're a goddamn freak, Ellison." She said and then went out of the room and slammed the door behind her. She walked to Peter's room and knocked on the door, trying to hold back her tears.
"Lindsay," Peter opened the door. Lindsay flung herself against his body. He wrapped his arms around her and she let out a choked wail. "Hey, hey..." He caressed her hair. "What happened?"
"That freak went crazy and attacked me." Lindsay cried.
"What freak?" Peter looked confused.
"That... nutcase."
"Lindsay, calm down and tell me what freak you're talking about."
"Ellison, Garrison, whatever her name is." Lindsay replied, still shuddered by Dawn's violent act.
"Dawn?" Peter asked. "She attacked you? Why would she do that?"
"Because she's crazy. She's goddamn crazy! I'm not sleeping in that room tonight."
"Stay here, Linds." Peter said and went out of the room. He went to Lindsay's room and knocked on the door. There was no answer. "Dawn, are you there?" He opened the door and entered the room. Dawn was sitting on the bed, her head buried in her palms. "Dawn,"
"Go away. I don't wanna hear how much you hate me." Dawn cried.
"I didn't come to tell you that." Peter said softly and took a seat next to her. "I just came to ask what happened that made Lindsay so upset and see if I can help somehow."
"I didn't mean to hurt her. I swear, but I just can't take the way she's treating me." Dawn cried.
"What did Lindsay say to set you off?" Peter asked.
"Nothing. It's just her general attitude towards me. I really didn't mean to act so violently, Peter. I'm sorry."
"Lindsay and I lost two teammates this year. One of them died only few weeks ago and Lindsay is an emotional person. It's really hard for her. She's not as bad and coldhearted as she seems to be." Peter said. "You know, the both of us were really angry when we heard that you're joining our team and I admit I wasn't very nice to you as well. You're not as bad as we thought you are and if it makes you feel better, I don't really agree with Lindsay's attitude towards you."
"Peter, I really didn't mean to pain her the way I did. Please tell her that I'm really sorry and that I'd really like her to come back here, okay?" Dawn sniffled.
"I'll tell her that. Just calm down and wipe those tears. Okay?"
"Thank you, Peter." Dawn said. He nodded and went out of the room.
Lindsay came back to the room only two hours later. After brushing her teeth, she went into bed and fell asleep almost immediately. She woke up at midnight to the sound of Dawn's crying. She laid there, listening to the other woman's sobs that for some reason tore her heart into pieces. She buried her head in her pillow and tried to block the heartbreaking sound from reaching her heart, but she could feel Dawn's sadness penetrating her bones and muscles.
The next morning, Lindsay, Peter and Dawn went to the warehouse to see if they could find any evidence that could prove the case a hoax. Both Lindsay and Dawn were very quiet as Peter went to the third floor to finish the environmental scans. They stayed on the second floor.
"Lindsay, I'm really sorry about yesterday. I shouldn't have acted the way I did. I really didn't mean to hurt you." Dawn said. "And I know that you don't want to trust me after what I did to you..." Her voice shook. "But please try." Lindsay bent over to check a piece of metal she found on the floor.
"Why were you crying last night?"
"I... Uh... I didn't know you were awake." Dawn looked ashamed of herself.
"I wasn't. You woke me up." Lindsay said dryly.
"Sorry."
"You're gonna answer my question?"
"I just... What I did to you really bothered me. I'm not a violent person and it..."
"Scared you." Lindsay completed Dawn's sentence.
"Did it ever happen to you?" Dawn looked surprised.
"Kind of." Suddenly, they heard a loud noise from the third floor. Lindsay rushed upstairs, followed by Dawn. "Peter!" She saw him lying on the ground. "Peter, what happened?" There was a wound on his head.
"Damn..." Peter sighed and sent his and to his forehead. "There was someone here. He beat me and went upstairs."
"There's another floor?" Lindsay asked.
"It's the roof. Go after him, I'm gonna be okay."
"Dawn, stay with him." Lindsay said and ran upstairs. At the end of the stairs, there was a door that led to the roof where the air was chilly and the view was breathtaking. She stood there for a moment, looking at the sleeping town and the mountains beyond it. She heard a noise behind her and turned around. A teenage girl was standing there and looking at her.
"Hello." Lindsay said. The girl was wearing an old T-shirt and torn jeans.
"Hi," She replied shyly. The girl stood next to her and took a deep breath of the chilly air.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?"
"Yeah..." The girl replied. "You're a friend of the man I beat?" Lindsay nodded. "Tell him that I'm sorry. I thought he was an intruder."
"What are you doing here? This is an investigation site."
"I live here." The girl replied. Lindsay arched her eyebrows.
"How old are you?" Lindsay asked.
"I'm seventeen. Why?"
"So, you're a runaway?"
"Look, lady, I don't want to mess with anyone. I just want to live here and have no one interfering with my living." The girl looked at her with anger.
"Do you have a name?"
"My name's Annie." The girl replied.
"Well, Annie. My name is Lindsay." Lindsay said.
"Are you from the police? Because I'm not going back." Annie said.
"I'm not with the police. I'm from the Office of Scientific Investigation and Research." Lindsay explained.
"You don't look like a science geek." Lindsay laughed. Annie took a cigarette pack from her pocket and lighted a cigarette. "Want one?" She offered the pack to Lindsay.
"No, thanks. I don't smoke." Lindsay replied. "So, where are you from?"
"Far away from here."
"And for how long are you living here?"
"Are you investigating me?" Annie asked.
"No. I just never met a girl who lives in an abandoned warehouse." Lindsay smiled at her.
"So this is not for the record, right?"
"Right."
"Well, I live here for almost a year." Annie said.
"Why did you run away?"
"Social services wanted to take me away from my parents. They were bad influence. You know, drugs, alcohol; all those things they warn us about in school." Annie avoided looking into Lindsay's eyes. Instead, she looked at the mountains that in that early morning hour were blue and foggy. Lindsay could see the tears that were shining in Annie's eyes.
"I'm sorry." They could hear noise coming from the stairs.
"I gotta go." Annie threw the cigarette on the floor and squashed it with her foot.
"Wait!" Lindsay stopped her. She took out a paper and a pen from her pocket and wrote something down. "This is my cell phone. If you need anything, just call me. Okay?" She handed it to Annie, who nodded and then climbed down the emergency stairs.
"Lindsay, are you okay?" She saw Peter and Dawn rushing towards her.
"Yes, I'm fine." She replied and looked at the squashed cigarette butt Annie threw on the floor.
"Did you find him?" Peter asked.
"It's a girl." Lindsay replied. "Her name's Annie."
"Where is she now?" Dawn asked.
"She went down the emergency stairs." Lindsay said. "Did you finish running the environmentals?"
"Yes. I did. Did you manage to find anything?"
"Nothing." Lindsay replied. "Let's go back to the lab."
Lindsay walked into the abandoned warehouse and climbed up the old wooden stairs to the third floor. It has been almost 12 hours since she met Annie, but she still couldn't take her out of her mind. She didn't like the idea of a teenage girl living in an old warehouse by herself and she was worried about her.
"Annie," She called out. "It's Lindsay. Are you here?" She heard a noise and saw Annie peeping at her from her hiding place, behind a big wooden box.
"What are you doing here?" Annie looked scared.
"I was worried about you." Lindsay said.
"Worried about me?" Annie's eyes widened.
"Yeah. I thought you may be hungry or cold." Lindsay replied. "Are you?"
"I… Uh…" Annie was at a loss of words.
"Wanna come with me and have dinner?" Lindsay offered.
"Why are you doing this? Why are you so nice to me?"
"Why are you so suspicious?" Lindsay crossed her arms.
"Because I am!"
"Listen, I just want to talk to you over a dinner." Lindsay said. Annie looked at her suspiciously and then nodded slowly.
Lindsay and Annie sat in a small and cozy restaurant. Lindsay was looking at the menu, pretending not to notice the inquiring looks Annie sent her.
"So, did you decide what you wanna order?" Lindsay asked.
"Uh… I don't know. I'll take whatever you're taking." Annie said.
"Sure." Lindsay said. "I'm having cheeseburger. Is it okay for you?" Annie nodded. "Good." Lindsay called the waiter over and placed the order.
"I… Uh… I wanna thank you. Even though it's kinda weird. I mean, seating in a restaurant with a stranger. My mom, she would go crazy if she knew that I accepted your offer." Annie's voice shook.
"You're mom's right. Don't make it a habit."
"I know it wasn't the right thing to do, but I trust you. You're not going to betray my trust, right?" Annie's brown eyes were shining as if she was going to cry.
"I won't." Lindsay promised. The waiter came and put their food on the table. Annie grabbed her cheeseburger and finished eating it only several moments later. Lindsay stared at her, barely able to believe what she was seeing. "Annie, when was the last time you ate?" Annie looked up from her plate.
"I don't remember. Why?"
"You look very hungry." Lindsay replied.
"Uh… I just… Well… I guess I just have bad manners." Annie smiled shyly and started nibbling her fries.
"How do you usually get food?"
"I work." Annie replied.
"Where?"
"I know some boys… They're coming to the warehouse sometimes and they want all kinds of stuff, so I give it to them and they pay me."
"What kind of stuff do they want?" Lindsay asked suspiciously.
"Nothing special. Some affection, mostly." Annie replied.
"Affection…" Lindsay said. "Does that mean they want to have sex with you?"
"Look, I make a lot of money doing that." Annie defended herself.
"Then why are you so hungry?"
"Because I don't buy food with that money." Lindsay's eyebrows arched. "I save it so I can go to college and get out of this dump."
"It's really nice that you're thinking about your future, but how do you think you're gonna go to college if your not in school?" Lindsay asked.
"I don't need school. I have books and I study during the day. I try really hard and soon, I'll have enough money, I'll take the high school supplement exams in the summer and then apply to a college." Lindsay sighed. Annie surely was the kind of people who thought of anything and made a lot of plans for the future.
"Annie, what I really wanted to talk to you about was the case that I'm investigating. You see, some kids who usually hang out in the warehouse claim that the place is haunted. They claim they heard noises and saw things moving with no apparent reason. You don't happen to stand behind this, do you?"
"No, and I don't know what they're talking about. I haven't seen anything moving and haven't heard any noises." Annie replied.
"Do you know any of them?"
"Look, the warehouse is a big place and when there's a noise in the first or second floors, I'm not able to hear it. I never leave the third floor and even if I do, I never use the main stairs. I only use the emergency stairs. I never saw anyone coming up my floor." Annie replied.
"A month ago, a kid jumped from the third floor and died. Did you see him?" Lindsay asked.
"This isn't for the record, is it?" Lindsay shook her head. "I was there. He came up the stairs and then he saw me. We were both very scared and then he just climbed over the banister and jumped. I figured that someone's gonna find the body and call the police, so I ran away and came back only after few weeks, when the investigation was over."
"Why did you run away?"
"I was afraid that they'll send me back to where I came from." The waiter came over.
"Are you done?" He asked them.
"Yes, we are." Lindsay replied.
"Would you like anything else?" He asked. Lindsay looked at Annie.
"Would you?" She asked the teenage girl.
"No, thanks." Annie replied.
"I'd like to get the bill." Lindsay replied. The waiter nodded and took their plates away. He came back few moments later with the bill. Lindsay paid and then she and Annie left. She drove Annie back to the warehouse.
"Listen, what I told you… Can it be our secret? I don't want to get into trouble."
"Don't worry, you won't." Lindsay replied. Annie thanked her again for the dinner and was about to go out of the car. "Annie, wait!" Lindsay called. Annie turned around. "Take some money, okay?" Lindsay pulled few five dollar bills out of her purse and handed it to her. "It's for food, not cigarettes and not college, okay?" Annie nodded, thanked her again and then went out of the car and started climbing the emergency stairs. "Good night."
"Good night."
Lindsay unlocked the door of her motel room and entered went inside. Dawn just came out of the shower.
"Oh, you're back, where were you?" She asked.
"I went out for dinner." Lindsay sat on the bed and took her shoes off.
"You could go with us." Dawn said, while dressing up.
"I needed to take care of some matters."
"Something about the case?" Dawn took a seat on the bed, next to her.
"I don't know yet. I need to do some research." Lindsay replied.
"Is there any way I can help?"
"Yeah, I need you to get the details of the investigation of Aaron Lubek's death for me." Lindsay replied.
"Sure." Dawn took her cell phone and started dialing.
"You don't have to do that now. You can do it tomorrow morning." Lindsay said. Dawn nodded and hung up the phone. "I'm going to take a shower now." Lindsay said and took some clothes out of her suitcase.
Fifteen minutes later, Lindsay went out of the shower, wearing her pajama. She sat on the bed and rubbed her neck and lower back.
"You're back still hurts?" Dawn asked.
"Yeah…" Lindsay moaned.
"I can give you another massage." Dawn offered.
"I think I'll pass." Lindsay said. Dawn grinned.
"I think you're working too hard."
"What can I do? Wait few months and you'll suffer the same pains too." Lindsay said.
"Wait, for how long have you been with the O.S.I.R.?"
"Almost five years." Lindsay replied.
"Don't tell me that you're suffering those pains for five years." Dawn said.
"No, actually, it only started few months ago."
"Maybe you need to go to the doctor. Maybe it's not just stress that's causing the pains." Dawn suggested.
"Look, I'm not a paranormal phenomenon. You don't need to investigate me."
"Sorry." Dawn said. "If you ever want a massage, I'll be happy to give you one."
"Thanks, but I'm not gonna fall for that again." Lindsay said.
"Lindsay, are we okay?" Lindsay arched her eyebrows. "Are you ever going to forgive me?"
"I did."
"So why are you so sarcastic? I wanna be your friend, not your enemy." Lindsay could see the pain in Dawn's eyes.
"If you'd really want to be my friend, you'd accept my sarcasm, but obviously, you don't." Lindsay replied.
"I do, but you make it so hard to reach you. Since I joined the team, you've been anything but nice to me. I tried every technique I knew to reach you, but you're so egocentric, I can't even get close to you." Dawn raised her voice.
"Don't tell me what I am. You don't even know me."
"Because you wouldn't let me get to know you. I'm a nice person, you just keep rejecting me and calling me names." Dawn blamed her.
"With the behavior you've displayed since I met you, you really expect me to like you?"
"I've been nice to you. I tried to ignore your mean comments,"
"But it really got on your nerves, didn't it?" Lindsay could see how Dawn's cheeks were turning red.
"I gave you a massage,"
"And then you beat me up."
"I offered you help with the case." Dawn called out.
"You're supposed to do that." Lindsay smiled in satisfaction.
"You see? You keep making those annoying comments that drive me crazy."
"You'll make a horrible data analyst." Lindsay said as she went into bed and turned the lights off.
"Excuse me?" Dawn turned the lights on.
"What are you doing? Turn the lights off."
"I want an explanation."
"I said you'll make a horrible data analyst." Lindsay said and turned the lights off again. Dawn turned the lights on again.
"I wanna know why."
"If you let my comments get on your nerves, you just don't have the right skills to be a data analyst." Lindsay replied and turned the lights off again. In the dark she could see Dawn sending her hand to the switch. "Turn the lights on again and you're dead." She said coldly. She heard Dawn swearing at her and then fell asleep.
"Hey, Lindsay, where were you last night?" Peter asked her when they met for a roundtable session the next morning. "We missed you at dinner."
"I ate dinner with Annie." Lindsay replied.
"Annie? The girl who lives in the warehouse?" Lindsay nodded. "Why'd you do that?"
"I wanted to ask her some questions concerning the case."
"And?"
"And I recorded a very interesting piece." Lindsay smiled and pulled her tape recorder out of her pocket. She turned it on.
"Look, the warehouse is a big place and when there's a noise in the first or second floors, I'm not able to hear it. I never leave the third floor and even if I do, I never use the main stairs. I only use the emergency stairs. I never saw anyone coming up my floor." Annie's voice was heard from the tape recorder. Lindsay clicked the pause button.
"She's lying." Lindsay said.
"What makes you think that?" Peter asked.
"First lie: she claims that she can't hear anything that happens on the first and second floors. That can't be, because yesterday, when we were on the second floor, we could hear it when you fell." Lindsay said. She clicked the play button again.
"A month ago, a kid jumped from the third floor and died. Did you see him?" It was Lindsay's voice.
"This isn't for the record, is it?" Annie's voice could be heard again. "I was there. He came up the stairs and then he saw me. We were both very scared and then he just climbed over the banister and jumped. I figured that someone's gonna find the body and call the police, so I ran away and came back only after few weeks, when the investigation was over." Lindsay clicked the pause button again.
"Lie number two: if she claimed that she saw no one climbing up the third floor. Now she claimed that she saw Aaron Lubek climbing to the third floor and committing suicide. Third lie: she also claims to work as a prostitute. She told me about a group of boys who's coming sometimes to have sex with her. But she claims to know none of the kids who hang out there." Lindsay explained.
"Smart." Peter said.
"Dawn, did you get the information I asked you for?" Lindsay asked. Dawn nodded and handed Lindsay a picture.
"This is a picture of Aaron's body." Dawn said. Lindsay took a look at the picture.
"Did the police conduct an autopsy on the body?" She asked.
"His family refused to let the police conduct an autopsy." Dawn replied.
"You know, something just doesn't add up. If Aaron jumped, wouldn't his body be facing down?" Lindsay asked.
"Yes, unless her jumped backwards." Peter replied.
"I think I'm gonna pay Annie another visit." Lindsay said. "Peter, I want you to talk to Lawrence and Ross Hart. Ask them if they know anything about Annie. Dawn, I want you to check the records of missing people from the last year."
"What should I look for?"
"A 16 years old girl who ran away from social services. Her parents are alcoholics and drug-addicts." Lindsay replied.
"How does she look?"
"She's about 5 ' 7, she's a redhead and she has brown eyes." Lindsay replied and went out of the mobile lab.
Lindsay climbed to the third floor of the warehouse and called Annie's name but couldn't find her anywhere. She climbed the stairs to the roof, where she saw Annie standing and looking at the mountains.
"Good morning, Annie." She said.
"Good morning." Annie replied without looking at her.
"Annie, I need to ask you few more questions." Annie nodded. "When Aaron jumped from the third floor, was he facing you?"
"No, he wasn't." Annie replied.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"Did he say something?" Annie shook her head. "Okay, that's all I wanted to know." Suddenly Lindsay's phone rang. "Donner," Lindsay answered it.
"Lindsay, you better come back to the lab right now. I have something to tell you." Dawn said.
"I'll be there as soon as possible." Lindsay replied and hung up. "Annie, I have to go now, but I'll check on you later." Annie nodded, but didn't say a word.
Lindsay came back to the lab, where Dawn was waiting for her in the conference room. One of the walls was covered by pictures of missing girls.
"What did you find?" Lindsay asked.
"I called the social services and I need you to identify Annie from those pictures they sent me." Dawn replied.
"Okay. Show me the pictures." Lindsay said. Dawn handed her laptop over to Lindsay and Lindsay started browsing the pictures. After fifteen minutes she stopped.
"This is her." Dawn clicked on the picture and printed the information.
"Renate Anne Wolfstein, born January 14, 1988 in Toronto. She ran away 10 months ago from her foster home. Her father is an alcoholic, he died two years ago of kidney failure and her mother is a drug-addict. She has two sisters, one is 10, was taken to foster care, the other is 5, was born with a drug-addiction and currently lives in an institution." Dawn read the information.
"So her name isn't Annie." Lindsay mumbled.
"She probably used her middle name." Dawn said.
"Renate suffers from a hearing loss. She lost 24 percent of her hearing." Dawn kept reading the information. "It says that she needs to undergo a surgery and there's a number to call."
"So she was speaking the truth when she said that she couldn't hear anything that happened in the first and second floors." Lindsay said.
"Yes."
"Call the social services. Tell them to send here a social worker ASAP."
Dawn was sitting in the motel room and reading a book when Lindsay opened the door and entered. She took her shoes off and threw them to the other side of the room and then lied down on the bed and sighed.
"It was a long day." Dawn said. "Wanna eat something?"
"I ate already." Lindsay replied.
"Dinner with Renate?"
"Her name is Annie." Lindsay said.
"Whatever." Dawn said. Lindsay rolled on her side and brought her knees to her chest. "How's your back?" Lindsay didn't reply. "Lindsay? Dawn put down her book and came closer to take a look at Lindsay. Her eyes were closed and she seemed to be sleeping. "Someone desperately needs a vacation." Dawn said and continues reading her book. Suddenly she heard a knock on the door. "This day just isn't over." She mumbled as she opened the door. Annie was standing there.
"Where's Lindsay? I need to talk to her urgently." Annie said.
"She's sleeping." Dawn said, but it was too late, because Annie already entered the room and shook Lindsay's shoulder. Lindsay's eyes fluttered open.
"Lindsay, there's someone in the warehouse. He took my money and tried to push me from the third floor! He's got a gun." Annie called out.
"Do you know who he is?"
"No, but he's nuts. He just climbed the third floor, pulled his gun and started pushing me towards the banister, he told me to jump, but I ran away." Annie said.
"Stay here with Dawn, okay?" Lindsay said and grabbed her car keys.
"Wait, where are you going?" Dawn asked.
"To the warehouse." Lindsay replied. "I want the two of you to stay here. If I'm not back in fifteen minutes, call the police." She said and went out of the room. Few moments later, they heard her car starting.
"We have to go after her. He's gonna kill her." Annie said.
"I don't know. She said. "Lindsay wants you to stay here."
Lindsay climbed the stairs to the third floor. The warehouse was dark and the squeak of the stairs sent a shiver through her spine. She took a flashlight out of her pocket and turned it on. Her cell phone rang and she picked it up.
"Donner,"
"Lindsay, it's Dawn. Annie ran away."
"What? I only left five minutes ago, how could you let her run away?"
"She said she's not gonna let him kill another person. She's making her way to you." Suddenly, she heard Lindsay scream. "Lindsay? Lindsay, is everything okay?" There was no response. "Lindsay, hang on, I'm gonna be there as soon as possible."
Dawn rushed to the warehouse. She could hear Lindsay's screams even before she went through the door and called her partner's name, but heard no response.
"Lindsay, where are you?"
"Dawn…" She heard Lindsay's voice coming from the third floor.
"Hang on, Lindsay, I'll be right there." She started climbing the stairs and was shocked to see her partner hanging from the broken banister of the third floor, trying to climb back up. The banister was squeaking and wobbling and Dawn could see that few of the screws that held it in its place were about to fall. She ran over, grabbed Lindsay's wrists and started pulling her up. Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder.
"Get away from her or I'll shoot you." She heard a man's voice. She felt his fingers wrapping around her throat and pulling her backwards. Lindsay's wrists started sliding out of her hand and she clawed it, refusing to let her colleague fall. The man's fingers tightened around her neck and she started gurgling in an attempt to breath. Suddenly, she heard a loud thump sound and felt the man's grasp of her throat loosening. Then he fell backwards, pulling her down with him and causing her to loose grip of Lindsay's right wrist. Lindsay shrieked, but managed to pull her upper body over the banister. Dawn wrapped her arms around her waist and pulled her over the banister. They fell on the floor on the floor together, Lindsay on top of Dawn and gasped.
"Damn, that was scary." Lindsay said and got up. "Are you okay?" Dawn nodded and got up as well. The man who attacked them was dead on the floor and Annie was standing above his body with an ax. Dawn's eyes widened in horror.
"He's he… dead?" He voice was shaking.
"Quite dead." Annie smiled. "And he won't hurt anyone else ever again." Annie replied.
"Good." Lindsay replied. "Dawn, I want you to call the police while I go back to the motel and have a small talk. Tell the police that we're gonna give our statements tomorrow."
"So, tell me everything you know about what happened in the warehouse. No lying this time." Lindsay asked Annie. They sat on the bed in Lindsay and Dawn's room and even though Lindsay was very tired, she wasn't going to let this go.
"I only found out about that man a month ago, when he climbed up the third floor with Aaron. He pushed him down and he threatened that if I say anything to anyone about it, he'd kill me too." Annie said. "And then I ran away and only came back after the police finished investigating his death. I guess he ran away too, because obviously, the police didn't catch him."
"Why did he kill Aaron?" Lindsay asked.
"I don't know." Lindsay gave her a suspicious look. "It's the truth. I don't know anything about this man or about his motives."
"And what about your other friends, Lawrence and Ross?"
"They didn't know anything about him. I asked them to stop coming because I was afraid he might hurt them too." Annie replied.
"But they did come and they heard him make noise in the second floor, so they assumed that there was a ghost in the warehouse. Could that be the case?" Lindsay asked.
"I don't know that. I already told you. I couldn't hear anything that happened in any of the other floors." Annie said.
"You couldn't, but I could. I could hear it perfectly when you knocked Peter down." Lindsay said.
"Listen, I…"
"You're going deaf, aren't you?" Lindsay said. A frightened look appeared in Annie's eyes.
"How do you know that?"
"I'm a data analyst. My job is to find information and I have access to many sources." Lindsay replied calmly.
"You're not gonna get me into trouble, aren't you?"
"You're already in trouble. But I have a deal for you."
"A deal?" Annie asked suspiciously.
"Yes. I can get you out of your trouble very easily, but I'll do it only if you agree to a small condition."
"What is that condition?"
"I want you to turn yourself in to the social services tomorrow morning. Let them take you back home." Lindsay said.
"You swear that you can fix matters with the police for me?"
"For a girl your age, you're way too suspicious. What happened to the innocent 17 years old girls of my generation?" Lindsay asked.
"Were you innocent?" Annie asked.
"No, but most of the other girls were." Lindsay replied with a smile. "And the answer to your other question is yes. I swear that I can fix matters for you."
"If you're so smart and capable, can you fix something with social services for me?"
"What do you want me to fix?" Lindsay arched her eyebrows, trying to think what other trouble Annie found herself in.
"If I can't live with my parents, I want to live on my own and take care of myself. I don't want to go to an institution or a foster home." Annie answered.
"Well, I see what I can do, but you know, you're almost 18, and it couldn't be that bad even if they send you to a foster home for few months."
"Obviously, you've never been in a foster home. If you did, you would know what it's like to be on the second place all the time. They love their kids more than you and you have to go far and beyond in order to satisfy them. I'm not gonna go to a foster home!" Annie said.
"Well, as I said, I'll do my best." Lindsay put her hand on Annie's shoulder. "Meanwhile, I want you to go to sleep."
"Here?" Annie asked. Lindsay nodded. "Where are you gonna sleep?"
"Oh, I'm not gonna sleep. I have to take care of some matters." Lindsay said.
"Thank you. I really appreciate what you're doing for me. I've met very few people who care about others." Annie said. "You're a good person."
"Thanks. Now, go to bed. I don't have to tuck you in, do I?" Lindsay smiled.
"Actually, it would be nice." It was the first time Lindsay saw Annie smiling. "You know, my mom used to tuck me into bed when she was not high. She used to kiss me goodnight. I liked it. She was so beautiful when she wasn't using. Now, she's a big mess."
"I'm sorry." Lindsay said.
"Lindsay, can you tuck me in?" The question surprised Lindsay a little bit.
"Sure." Lindsay replied, feeling a little bit awkward. She tucked Annie into bed and caressed her red hair. "You know, Annie, the sun will come out tomorrow." Annie smiled. "Everything's gonna be okay. You're gonna be okay."
"Yeah, right."
"Bet your bottom dollar." Lindsay smiled. "Now, go to sleep. Don't worry about anything, okay?" She squeezed Annie's hand and then turned the light off. She sat in the darkness next to the window and looked at the moon. When Annie fell asleep, she went out of the room quietly and went to Peter's room. She knocked on the door and Peter opened it, looking surprised to see her.
"Did you and Dawn fight again?" He asked. Lindsay shook her head and explained to him what was going on.
"So, she's in your room right now?"
"Yes, she's asleep. There's a social worker coming here tomorrow morning. I'm gonna try and help Annie." She told him what she promised Annie.
"What kind of other arrangement can be done? As far as I know, a foster home and an institution are the only options available." Peter said.
"I thought… maybe she could stay with me until she's 18. What do you think?"
"This is crazy, Linds. I can't even believe your thinking about becoming a foster parent."
"Look, Pete. She's going to run away if they put her anywhere else. I know it. But she likes me, she trusts me. I know she'd agree to that idea." Lindsay said.
"I really doubt that the social worker's gonna agree to this."
"Oh, she will. Believe me."
"What are you gonna do? Bribe her?" Peter laughed.
"Better. I'm gonna offer to pay for Annie's surgery." Lindsay replied.
"That's bribery and it's illegal."
"Believe me; the social services will do anything to save money. They'll agree."
"You're crazy, Linds. I can't believe you'd do that for a troubled teenage girl. You know, you may just wake up one morning and find out that she's gone with your credit card and jewels, maybe even worse." Peter laughed.
"It's good that you have faith in people. She's a good girl and I trust her and have full faith in her, Pete. She's not gonna steal anything from me, and even if she would, I don't care. I don't have any fancy jewels."
"It's easy for you to say that now, but wait until that actually happens to you. You're gonna cry for days: 'how could she have done that to me after what I did for her?' You know I'm right." Peter said jokingly. Lindsay patted on his shoulder. "You're serious about it, aren't you?"
"I am."
"You know, as your best friend, my duty is to tell you when you have a bad idea. This is a horrible idea. It's the worst idea you could ever come up with."
"Why?" Lindsay asked.
"Why? Because you cannot deal with the madness of having a teenage girl in your house. She's gonna have a boyfriend and he's gonna break her heart or get her pregnant, she's gonna have lousy marks and she's gonna skip school or drop out. She's gonna do drugs and alcohol. She'll be going to parties and coming back late at night, maybe even early in the morning. She's gonna throw crazy parties in your fancy apartment. You just can't be a mother of a teenage girl. Not for few months and not at all. And you know what? She's gonna make you look old."
"Peter, I made up my mind. I really did. I want her to stay with me until she's 18. I want to go through this madness." Lindsay said.
"Lindsay, can't you at least pick a younger child? Someone who's less troubled? I mean, she's gonna mess every aspect of your life. The two of you are going to hate each other after five minutes."
"Pete, I don't care." Lindsay grinned. "I really don't care living in a mess…"
"You don't know what you're talking about. You're gonna want to kill yourself. She's gonna want to kill you. The both of you will end up killing each other. You'll…" Lindsay attached her lips to his, slowly sweeping him into a deep kiss. Few moments later, they pulled apart. "What the hell was that?" Peter's eyes were wide.
"To make you shut up. I see it worked perfectly." Lindsay smiled.
"What's going through your mind lately? You're starting to lose your boundaries."
"I hope it's good. Do you like it?"
"You're a good kisser, but your ideas are too crazy." Lindsay smirked.
"I need to make a call." She said and picked up the phone. She called Dawn and told her what went on, asking her to come back to the room as soon as she could and make sure everything was okay with Annie.
"Why don't you do it? You're already there." Dawn asked.
"Cause I need to get some sleep. I worked late every night this week and I'm exhausted." Lindsay replied. "It's time for you to get your hands dirty too."
"I'm done with the police. I'll be in back in the motel soon."
"Good. I'll see you tomorrow morning." Lindsay said and hung up the phone.
"So, is she coming back?" Peter asked.
"Yes. She is." Lindsay said and yawned. "I'm gonna sleep here tonight. Are you okay with that?" Peter nodded. "Then let's go to bed. I'm tired." Lindsay crawled under the sheets. Peter came and lied down next to her. They turned the lights off. "Good night." They lay next to each other for several moments, listening to each other's breaths.
"Linds,"
"What?" Lindsay asked.
"This feels awkward. I mean, lying in the same bed together after you kissed me like that." She felt his hand rubbing her back.
"Forget it, Pete. I know what you want and you're not gonna get any." Peter giggled.
"Can I get another one?" His hand climbed to her shoulder. Lindsay turned on her side.
"Will you shut up and let me sleep if I say yes?"
"Damn, yeah." Peter said. Lindsay pushed him on his back and leaned above him.
"You know, it's a one time thing and it means absolutely nothing." She put her hand on his chest and brushed her lips over his. He captured them between his lips and sucked it gently. Then she pulled away from him. "Now, good night, Pete." She turned around and closed her eyes.
"Good night. That was great. We should do it again sometime." Lindsay grinned and after giving it some thought and deciding against Peter's idea, she fell asleep.
The next day, the social worker arrived and Lindsay asked her about becoming a foster mother for Annie. The social worker seemed very anxious to end the whole thing and find a proper home for Annie; Lindsay thought that she got her on her side. She explained to Lindsay the responsibility of having to be a foster parent, but seemed very satisfied when Lindsay offered to pay all the expenses of Annie's stay with her.
"You realize you have to be fit to raise a child." The social worker said.
"Test me. And ask Annie too. She deserves a say in this as well." Lindsay said.
"May I ask you, Ms. Donner, why do you want to be Annie's foster mother?"
"Because I care about her. She's a smart girl and she needs the right person to take some control of her life. I have the financial and emotional capacity of doing that believe me." Lindsay explained.
"And what makes you believe that you're the 'right person' to do that?"
"I can't promise you that I'll be a perfect foster mom. I'm just a human being and I'll make mistakes for sure. But I'm capable of loving her and giving her the attention she needs."
"By saying 'loving her and giving her attention', you don't happen to mean that you're have hidden intentions, right?" The social worker asked.
"Hidden intentions?"
"Using her for personal pleasure, for example." Lindsay arched her eyebrows. "I mean, having… physical relationship with her."
"God, no! Do I look like a pedophile to you? Jesus, what happened to trust?"
"To be frank, I don't trust you. She's an innocent girl and I don't want her to get used by anyone. Especially not a person she trusts."
"You know, I'm on your side and you can run every test on me. I'm completely capable of taking care of Annie and I have some people who can confirm that. I can give you a list. Now, as a social worker, you probably have one of those foster parent applications, right? So let me fill one and we'll let the psychologists decide if I'm fit to be Annie's foster mother or not."
Annie liked the idea of staying with Lindsay, but had to be sent to an institution until the court decides whether Lindsay was a fit foster mother for her or not. It took a month and a half until the court decided that Lindsay was completely capable of taking care of Annie. Even though Peter thought that it was the worst idea Lindsay ever came up with, he tried to be supportive.
"I wanna take a break, Anton, be with Annie until her 18th birthday." Lindsay told him.
"That would be in seven months, wouldn't it?" Lindsay nodded.
"I know it's a long break, but I haven't taken a break at all in the last year and a half. Annie needs me more than the O.S.I.R. and anyway, you have another amazing data analyst who can do my job perfectly."
"From your words I assume that the two of you got over the issues between you." Anton said.
"I didn't know you knew about this. Yeah, we did and things are great."
"I'm glad to hear that, Lindsay. Take this break, then, and make the best out of it. Let me know if you need some counseling about raising a teen." Anton smiled sadly, remembering Nicole, his dead daughter.
"I promise I will. I can't wait to tell Annie about the court's decision."
"She doesn't know yet?" Anton arched his eyebrows.
"No, she's going on her surgery today and I'm gonna tell her the news when she wakes up." Lindsay replied.
"Good. I hope you'll have the best of luck. I'm sure that you'll do a wonderful job." Anton smiled and patted her shoulder.
Lindsay rushed to the hospital in Toronto, where Annie was supposed to undergo her surgery. Lindsay knew she wasn't going to make it before Annie's surgery and that gave her some time to buy her a small gift and some balloons. But Annie's surgery was longer than expected and Lindsay couldn't see her until the next morning. She fell asleep in the waiting room and it was 9 am when a nurse woke her up and told her that Annie was awake. Lindsay rubbed her eyes and followed the nurse to Annie's room.
"Annie, you've got a visitor." The nurse said. Annie smiled when she saw Lindsay.
"Hi, Annie. How do you feel?" Lindsay asked.
"Okay, I guess. A little bit dizzy." Annie replied.
"I brought you some balloons… and a gift." But it looked like in Annie's opinion, the real gift was Lindsay's being there. "And I've got some good news too." Lindsay smiled. "The court decided that I'm capable of being your foster mom. When you get out of here, you're gonna come and live with me."
"Really?" Lindsay nodded. Annie wrapped her arms around Lindsay's neck. "Thank you so much, Lindsay. You cannot imagine what it means to me."
"I told you that the sun will come out…" Lindsay said.
"I owe you a dollar, then." Annie smiled. "Can we rent that movie sometime?"
"Which movie?"
"Annie." Lindsay laughed and nodded.
"Sure we can." Lindsay caressed Annie's red hair. "I have only one question for you. Should I call you Annie, or Renate?" Annie's jaw dropped.
"You know my real name?"
"Yes, I do. For a short while." Lindsay replied.
"Well, back home, my parents called me Nat. You know, a short for Renate." Annie said.
"Would you like me to call you that?" Annie nodded. "Okay, Nat. I like that name."
"Thanks." Nat replied.
Nat was released from the hospital a week later. While she was a runaway, she lost a great deal of her hearing and needed to use hearing aids and even learn how to read lips, but it didn't bother her too much. She started going to a summer school and passed all of her exams with high marks. Lindsay tried not to show her surprise, but she was barely able to believe how a kid who missed 10 months of school was able to complete so much material in such a short time. It amazed her even more how easily Nat was accepted to college, even though registration already took place two months earlier.
"So, what programs are you going to take?" She asked when Nat got an acceptance letter from the college.
"I thought of taking Psychology and Sociology."
"Good choice." Lindsay said. "It's gonna come handy for sure, one day. Actually, I took psychology in university."
"Was it interesting?" Nat asked.
"Yes, very. I think you'll like it."
"You know, Linds, three months ago, I wouldn't believe my life could look like this. It's never been so stable. I've never been so happy in my life."
"I'm glad you feel that way." Lindsay said and smiled.
"And it's because of you. You're the one who came to me and started singing those optimistic songs from 'Annie'. You made me want to be happy again." Nat smiled. "Can we sing them together?"
"Sure. You wanna start?" Lindsay asked. Nat nodded.
"The sun will come out, tomorrow…"
"Bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow,"
"There'll be sun."
"Just thinking about tomorrow,"
"Clears away the cobwebs and the sorrow,"
"Till there's none."
"When I'm stuck in a day, that's gray and lonely,"
"I just stick out my chin and grin and say: Ohhhh!"
"The sun'll come out tomorrow,"
"So you gotta hang on till tomorrow,"
"Come what may,"
"Tomorrow, tomorrow,"
"I love you, tomorrow,"
"You're always a day away." It was supposed to be Lindsay's line, but they sang it together, very happily. There was a tomorrow for the both of them and they knew that the sun was going to come out, tomorrow and the day after, and the day after.
THE END