After about an hour of walking, I realized how tired I was. I also realized how stupid it was not to bring food and water. The trip would take probably the rest of the day on foot. So I did what I thought would work the best. I decided to hitchhike.

'If my mom finds out that I'm doing this she'll kill me,' I thought, but I did it anyway.

After awhile, a woman in a dark blue car drove up and stopped when she saw me. When she rolled down the window, I could see who it was. I gulped down the growing lump in my throat and I walked over to her.

"Lindsey, what are you doing out here! Not to mention the fact that you're hitchhiking at four in the morning!"

"Look Sara, I can explain. Please, it's important."

"Fine, get in and talk fast."

So I got in the passenger side of Sara's car, and I explained the whole story to her. I was crying throughout most of it. Despite being shocked, she decided to take me there.

I fell asleep on the drive. The sun was just rising as we pulled into the driveway of the house. Sara gently shook my shoulder to wake me up.

"Lindsey, we're here. I don't know if anyone's awake yet though. I can drive back down to the lake, and we can sleep there for awhile, and then we can come back later."

"Ok," I answered, still asleep.

When I woke up again, we were by the lake, and Sara was sitting there drinking a cup of coffee. She handed me a doughnut and some hot chocolate, which I ate and drank quickly.

When I finished, she asked me if I was ready, I nodded yes. So we drove back to the house, and we got out of the car. We went over to the door and knocked.

An older woman answered; she had long black hair with a few streaks of grey in it.

"May I help you," she asked.

Sara noticed that I was hesitant, so she spoke.

"Yes, do you know anyone named Lydia?"

The woman smiled lightly. "I do. I've known her since she was a child; Lydia Michaels?"

"Yes, that's her. Is she here; can I see her?" I asked excitedly.

"I'm afraid not. She left here about two years ago. Are you Lindsey Willows?"

"Yes, why isn't she here? She promised that she would be."

"Why don't you two come in? When she left here she wrote a letter for me to give to you if you ever came."

So the three of us entered the house, and Sara and I sat down on a couch in her living room while she went off to get the letter.

After a few minutes, she returned, and she handed me a letter.

'Dear Lindsey,

Today is July 4th, 2003. You're 10, and I'll be 20 in a few months. There isn't a day that goes by without me thinking about you, mom, and Eddie. I can't help but wonder how you are. These past few years I've been home schooled by Miss Charlotte Marks, the woman who lives here.

When I left I took my social security card and birth certificate when I left home, so I haven't had any problems with school, getting a job, or drivers license.

I've spent the past two years as a student at LVU. Now I'm going to be a student at Sanford. I know that I promised to be here, but I had to seize the opportunity. I'm sorry.

You can come out to me if you get this, when you get this. I hope everything is alright with you and the family.

With much love,

Your sister,

Lydia Michaels'

I passed the letter to Sara, and she read it too.

"What do you want to do?" She asked.

"I want to see her," I answered.

"I need to call Grissom and tell him."

"You can't! He'll tell mom and she'll want me to come back. I have to find her." I started to cry.

"I can't take you across state lines, it's considered kidnapping. Plus I need to take off of work to go. You said that Lydia knew Grissom right? Well don't you think he might want to know that she's alright?"

"Yeah, I guess so. Plus Mom's probably going to worry. You can call."

So she took out her cellphone and dialed a number.

"Hey Grissom, its Sara."

"What's wrong, you do realized that its time to sleep?"

"Yeah, well you know me, I don't believe in sleep."

"I know. Can you hold on, Catherine's at the door."

"Wait, um…what I have to say has to deal with her."

"What?"

"Maybe she should tell you, let her in."

"Alright."

Grissom let Catherine into his house, and she was crying. He is holding the phone in one hand, but not next to his ear.

"My mother just called me. Lindsey was staying with her this weekend, and this morning she didn't come down for breakfast. My mother went to check on her, and she found a note saying that Lindsey has gone searching for Lydia. Lydia's diary was on Lindsey's bed along with several cards and a family portrait." Catherine said.

"I told you long ago that you should have told Lindsey." Grissom responded, his tone was kind, firm, and worried.

"I know. But I don't know where Lindsey is now either."

"Hey Grissom!" Sara's voice said through the phone.

"Oh, I forgot. Cath, why don't you take a seat, and I'll get off the phone with Sara."

"Ok," Catherine responded, and then she went and took a seat.

"What is it Sara?"

"Lindsey is with me. We know where Lydia is, and we want to go get her, but we need permission from you and Cath."

"Alright, I'll tell her."

So Grissom went over to Catherine.

"Cath, Sara says that Lindsey is with her, and they're fine. She also says that they know where Lydia is, but they need to have your permission to go to her."

"Of course. Can I talk to Lindsey?" Catherine asked, her voice tired, confused, but relieved.

"Hold on a second." He put the phone to his ear again. "Sara, you can take as much time off as you need to get her. Cath says it's ok, but she wants to talk to Lindsey first, can you put her on the phone?"

"Sure."

Sara turned to me and said, "Your mom is there, and she wants to talk to you."

"Ok," I said, and Sara handed me the phone. "Hello."

"Lindsey," my mom asked.

"Yeah mom, it's me. I'm sorry about worrying you."

"It's ok, I should have told you about Lydia, I'm sorry. Grissom said that you and Sara have found out where she is."

"Yeah, can we go find her?"

"Yes, I guess. Will you be alright?"

"I'll be fine mom. I love you, and it's ok, I forgive you."

"We'll talk about it when you get back ok?"

"Alright."

"I love you."

"I love you too. Bye."

"Bye Linds."

So I hung up the phone. Sara and I left the house after thanking the woman. Then we drove first to Sara's house to get some things, and then we set off for California to find Lydia.

Again, thank you for all of your reviews, they are so nice.

I'm sorry if the dialogue is a little confusing between the characters, but it was the best I could do.

Lydia, for those readers who are a little confused, is Catherine's daughter, she is 10 years older than Lindsey, and for why Catherine hasn't told Lindsey about Lydia, the story has many chapters to go. : ) Lydia ran away because she was being ignored by Cath and Eddie due to the fact that they were high.

The next chapter will come soon, it's already finished, but I like being a chapter ahead of you guys in case I change my mind.