Hello everyone! I'm sorry I haven't updated in such a long time!! But, it was a snow day today, so I decided to take advantage of it. Midterms are over--FINALLY! I'm not sure how well I did though...
To my reviewers:

Madmaddy: well. you are no longer hanging. In the wonderful words of Claire (uh.yeah), at the end of one of my chapters later on in the story, she said something like, "you shouldn't leave us hanging there. we might fall." So, i hope you didn't fall!! Thanks!!
Marvelgirl08: Jess won't rescue her parents in THIS chapter. Next chapter. That MAY be put up today too, I haven't decided. But, Jess will save 'em. Yes, Rob IS the best boyfriend ever. haha yah, no more painkillers for Jess! Thanks!
sparklinqt87: Thank you Holly! I will keep writing! ;)
flonshoe: don't worry Lauren. You are not alone. I am a dork also. My friend calls me a dork, but she's kidding, of course. teehee. Thanks Lauren!!! :D
yah, i know. Jess and Rob are really OOC in my story. I'm sorry! You're the first to tell me Jess is out of character. If you can like, give me ideas on how to fix this, I would gladly do it!! I think I need to reread all the books. This chapter, I'm sorry to say, is VERY unlike Jess. But, I'd love it if you kept reading and reviewing! But if you don't, I understand. Thanks for the review and the heads up!
nikki: Aww thank you!! Yah, I want Rob too haha! Thanks for the review!
PrudencePiperHalliwell: Thanks!! Yah, I had midterms. My brother had them before vacation, also. I prefer it that way. I dunno why they do that...huh. ;)
Uh.yeah: Hi Claire! Haha, I made a funny. teehee. I'm so out of it today. Aww thanks. Well, I guess I'm not doing as well as you are, because it's been a while since I last updated this...are you a bad influence on me? teehee j/k. :D Update sooon too please!
sSilver sStarz: Thanks! Well...this isn't very soon, but I hope you're back on the net now!! :)
Musicalspazz13: Thank you Chandra!! Eww. Yes, midterms stink big time! Ooh, 9th grade algebra, way to go! Aw that REALLY stinks; the day before your birthday? Well, Happy Birthday!!! :D
Twilight Singer: Thanks!!! Yeah, I use the phrase "TGIF" a lot!! teehee! :D
smgirl: Thanks for reading! Ooh, you MUST read the 1-800 series!! They rock! It's okay if you read this and haven't read the series. I havelike 3 friends who read this and haven't read the series! I'll review your story asap!! :)
Sunchaser: yes. the HORROR!! hah. Don't worry no more knee buckling for Jess. teehee. Thank you!!!
Anywien: haha you are sooo funny! I luffles joo too!! Thanks for the review!!!

Dudes. I LOVE YOU! 59 reviews for my story.I feel so loved. :)
DISCLAIMER: I seem to have forgotten this for the past chapters...I do not own anything you recognize. The all-mighty Meg Cabot does. If you're not sure, just assume it's Megs. ;) I, sadly, do not own Rob. I wish I did. Please don't sue. I've only got like, 20 bucks.
OH! Jess get kinda teary in this chapter, but i figure it's okay, because she was crying when she was at Crane in the first book, because she missed her family, and stuff and now they're KIDNAPPED, so i think it's okay that she cries. thank you.

ENJOY!!!

CHAPTER 9: Tears, Krantz, Rob's Special Tonic

"Jess! What's wrong? What happened?" Rob asked, he now was off the couch and kneeling on the floor so he could try to see my face. But I wouldn't look up. I had my chin buried in my chest.

"Tell me Jess! What happened?" He lifted my chin so that he could see my face, probably hoping to get a look into my eyes. I was going to try not to let that happen, because I was sure that my eyes were a mirror to the extreme fear I was feeling.

"My…mom…dad…Doug…screams…" I sobbed. I just let it out, all the tears. I don't think that Rob understood one word of what I was saying, but he just sat next to me and hugged me tightly. He was rocking me back and forth, like someone does to comfort a child. His hold was so protective that I soon really did feel better, just being there with him.

He kept saying, "It's okay, everything will be okay." Just like when we were in the truck and I just had the vision of Sean. But everything was not really alright then, was it? And it's not alright now.

I had finally stopped crying enough to form actual sentences, and Rob said that we should call Dr. Krantz. He was right. He was always right. Even though I had stopped crying, I was still shaking. I just couldn't help it. But I would rather shake than cry. Crying is just so messy.

Rob had to call Krantz, because we both didn't think that I could hold the phone to my ear without dropping it. But I did have to talk to Krantz because I heard what my parents said, not Rob. Surprisingly, Dr. Krantz said that he would be right over, even though it was almost ten-thirty at night.

In the meantime, Rob had gotten me a blanket and some water because, I swear to God, I couldn't stop shaking. I was so scared. My family didn't do anything to deserve this, it was all me. All me. Rob placed me in his lap and held me tightly. I could tell that he was scared, too.

Thank God Mike went skiing this weekend with Claire, so I know for a fact that he's safe. Maybe I should call him and let him know…but then he might get in the same trouble as mom and dad.

When the doorbell rang, Rob lifted me off of him and placed me at one end of the couch. He leaned down and kissed me, right on the lips. I curled up into a ball, hugging my knees to my chest.

A few minutes later he came back, along with Dr. Cyrus Krantz. "Jessica! Dear God, you were right, Mr. Wilkins, she is shaking too much." What was I going to do? Shake so much that my brain turns to mush and pours out of my ears?

"Go get her a couple more blankets. She's very cold," Dr. Krantz observed by touching my cheek. Rob came back a minute later with my down comforter and a fleece throw. "This was all I could find."

"That's good," Krantz said. They wrapped me up similar to a mummy and then Rob sat on the couch and lifted me onto his lap again. I leaned my head back so that it leaned on his chest. Normally, the steady rise and fall of his chest would have comforted me, but this time, he's chest was moving rapidly.

I looked up at him and saw—for the second that he didn't shield his eyes from my gaze—fear. Dead, cold fear. (A/N: when I said "shield his eyes" I didn't mean like with his hands. Like he stopped all expression in his eyes, like he always does.)

"Okay, now we must take action on this matter with your family immediately, Jessica," Krantz was saying.

"I know," I spoke, for the first time in like half an hour. I think this kind of startled Rob, but he quickly recovered.

"And I can find them. I know I can. I just need to go to sleep and find a picture or something," I said.

"I think that's a good idea," Rob said.

"I agree. Now, lets see if we can find some pictures of them," Krantz said.

We found some pictures of them in the scrapbook that was on the coffee table. I studied them, although if I could just think long enough, then I could see all of their features. Right down to the little scar Douglas got when he was 15 and he fell off his bike.

I had decided to sleep in the living room because I didn't feel safe in my room. I mean, if I was in trouble, it would take someone a long time to run up two flights of stairs to reach me. So, I slept on the couch. I had the protection of the Feds outside, Krantz who was on the floor near the door, and Rob. Ever faithful Rob, who slept on the couch across from me. I quickly fell asleep, but I didn't stay asleep for long.

Everything is dark, as black as Zorro's cloak. Fear is bubbling inside of me, and I see Joe and Douglas, sitting to the right of me. They look equally, if not more, scared as I am. Why are we here? And where is Jess? I hope they don't find her, I'm not sure if I could handle that. I don't know what they are going to do to us. I hope they don't hurt us, oh God, please no. How long are we to stay here before someone comes? Hopefully not long…

I woke up with a start, breathing rapidly. It took me a while to gather my thoughts as to why I wasn't in my room, and why Rob was sleeping soundly on the couch across from me. Dr. Krantz came over to me when he noticed that I was awake.

"Jessica? What's the matter? Calm down, now. Breathe, breathe…" I did as he said. I normally don't like doing what people tell me to do, but his voice was so soothing and I really didn't know what else to do. I calmed down, and my breathing steadied.

"What happened?" he asked me.

"I had a vision. My mom's vision. No-no one was hurt…it was just dark…and they were scared. So scared…" I broke off crying. I was crying. I didn't know I had enough fluid in me to cry this much. I sobbed into the pillows, Dr. Krantz awkwardly patting me on the back, trying to comfort me. Ha! Like anything could comfort me now.

My sniveling woke up Rob and he jumped up with a start—it's no wonder why, I mean how often do I cry?—and came and sat next to me on the couch.

When my eyes were all dried up, Dr. Krantz began to question me. I really didn't think this was a good time to be interrogating me, but whatever.

"What did you see Jessica?"

"I told you, it was dark. I didn't see anything. I just know that they were scared and that the 'guys' weren't in room and um…she was thinking about me." I started to tear up again. Where did all these tears come from? Maybe it's from holding them in all these years.

"It'll be okay, Jess. We'll find them, don't worry," Rob said. It was so nice just being there in his arms. So nice.

"Yes, we will find them. Now, do you know where they are?" Dr. Krantz asked.

"Where? Um…no. I don't. How can this be? I always know! Always!" I was getting mad now.

"Maybe your powers are…changing. Do you think that you could try again?"

"Of course I'll try again! I have to. I'm not sure if I can fall asleep again, though."

"I can fix that," Rob said. This surprised me.

"Wha? What do you mean?" I stammered.

"Wait here. I'll be right back."

So I waited as Rob was doing something with the blender in the kitchen. I had no possible idea what he could be doing in there. Rob knows how to use a blender? I didn't know Rob was so domestic. This is yet another quality I admire in him. He came back a few minutes later, with a glass in his hands. The milkshake type beverage was white—as far as I could tell. There were no other lights on except the ones in the kitchen that Rob had turned on.

"Here, drink this." I took the glass, sniffed it, and looked up at him. He was looking at me with an expression somewhere between eagerness and worry. I drank it. All of it, and it was surprisingly very good.

"Wow. That was good. Where did you get the recipe?" I was genuinely curious.

"It's an old Wilkin's family recipe. It's what my mom used to make me when I would wake up with nightmares when I was little. Always knocked me out," Rob said with a chuckle. Aw, Rob used to have nightmares. I felt sorry for him. But I didn't think about that for long, because my eyes started to get very heavy.
"I think it's working, Rob." He smiled and sort of cradled me in his arms. There, I fell asleep, and when I awoke, I knew exactly where my family was. And I would do anything to get there.

REVIEW PLEASE!!!!! I'll update again asap. Maybe even tomorrow...if i get a bunch of reviews!
Much love, Catie