Mia was snoring softly on the train chairs with her head slumped to the side when she felt a hand on her shoulder and she quickly shot awake and looked at a woman bending down to Mia's level beside her, "hey sorry love, we arrived five minutes ago."
"Oh shit" Mia muttered as she scrunched up her eyes, then she looked at Noah still sleeping on her lap and at the woman, "yeah cheers for waking me up."
The woman looked at Mia with concern, "i'm sorry to intrude but are both of you alright, do you need help?"
"Yeah we're good" Mia quickly replied, "don't worry he sleeps like the dead." Mia gently shook Noah and she sighed, "literally like the dead, hey dude, dude."
Mia leaned her head down to whisper in her ear, "Noah come on dude, hey sleepy bear wake up."
Noah finally stirred, stretched and looked around, "where are we?"
"New York" Mia said as she gave a huge yawn, "come on we got to move."
"Are you sure your alright?" the woman said.
"Yeah don't worry" Mia quickly said, "we're not like on the run or anything like that, come on dude."
Noah climbed to his feet and slowly walked forward, Mia put her hands on his shoulders, why did you say that Mia she's going to think you've kidnapped Noah, she thought to herself "keep moving" she said to Noah.
Noah looked around and Mia whispered in his ear, "don't look back."
"Why Mia?"
"Because that woman is eyeing us and not in a good way, keep moving."
"What's eyeing us mean?"
"Just come on lets go, stop asking questions."
Mia emerged from the train station with Noah and she stretched her arms out, "okay, ah fuck i'm tired."
"Mia" Noah looked up, "fook is a bad word."
"What are you" Mia yawned, "your mother or mine, actually scratch that my mum wouldn't say things like that to me. Lets just go and find the hotel."
"Are we on vacation?"
"No we're on the run, I mean" Mia quickly said, "we're going to find somewhere to get some sleep, or at least I need to get some sleep you had plenty of sleep last night."
"What does on the run mean?"
"It means we're like ah, like we're running a marathon a very long and slow one."
"What's a mara something?"
"Dude" Mia grumbled, "you ask more questions than someone hosting a quiz night can we go."
"Your grumpy" Noah muttered.
"I'm not grumpy" Mia moaned, "i'm just tired."
"I'm not tired" Noah replied.
"Well" Mia moaned, "you slept on me the whole night and I slept on a uncomfortable train chair, so that's why i'm buggered and your, plus you sleep like you have passed out on a nightclub."
"What's a nightclub?"
"And there's another question, come on lets just go and please I beg you not one more question until after I sleep."
"Could you be good Mia again?"
Mia gritted her teeth, "what did I just say, ok i'll be good happy cheerful lovely and tolerant Mia, after I get some sleep."
Mia wandered on through the streets with Noah stopping to check the map app on her phone groaning whenever she couldn't find the street that she wanted and resisting the urge to scream whenever Noah asked her where they were going. After half an hour of searching Mia felt she was ready to punch a wall when she finally saw the hotel and with a huge sigh of relief she walked through the door to the hotel. Mia walked up the reception area with Noah running to keep up, "hey um room for Priscilla Baker."
"Hi, sorry sweetie" the reception lady said with a sympathetic smile, "our rooms are not ready until after 2pm."
"Well what the fuck am I meant to do" Mia exploded with rage, "I have been walking around this shit hole forever I need to sleep."
"I understand that your tired" the lady calmly said "but i'm going to have to ask you to keep your voice down otherwise we will have to ask you to leave."
"Okay fine" Mia muttered as she rubbed her eyes, "whatever, when can I go to the room?"
"I'm sorry, we can't have the room ready until 2."
"I don't care if its clean" Mia groaned, "I just need to sleep."
"There's a waiting coach in the guest waiting area" the lady started to walk with Mia trotting behind, "there's no one in there at the moment, so what i'll do is i'll close the drapes and do my best to keep others from coming into the room. Is that little boy with you?"
"Yep" Mia muttered, "he is."
"There's a television in there, can I ask you when your parents are coming?"
"I'm not a little kid" Mia pulled a face, "look I flew in with my little brother, we're camping out here for the night and meeting our folks tomorrow. Its a long story just catch you later."
"My apologies" the lady said with a professional caring smile, "now I understand why your tired, come through here."
"Yeah thanks" Mia muttered as she wandered into the room and collapsed on the sofa as the receptionist closed the curtains, "sorry just sleeping on a train sucks."
"Train?"
"I mean plane, I slept on a plane and he's" Mia pointed to Noah, "used to that stuff, i'm not" Mia muttered.
The receptionist smiled at Noah, "if you or your big sister need anything please ask." Noah nodded and walked up to Mia, "your my big sister" Noah said with a smile that reached his eyes.
Mia sighed, "I made up that story to sound believable."
"You made it up" Noah said softly.
"Noah, dude" Mia said as she looked at Noah and rolling off the sofa she bent down to Noah's level as Noah looked at the floor, "look please don't get upset. I'm sorry I said that, its not that I don't want to be your big sister, its just i'm not allowed, I mean, okay" Mia muttered, "I need to get some sleep." Mia went to lie back on the sofa and rolling onto her side with her back to Noah she closed her eyes.
"Mia" Noah whispered.
"What" Mia grumbled.
"I'm hungry."
"Join the club" Mia muttered as she rolled onto her back.
"Mia can I have a biscuit please?"
Mia moaned and pointed to her bag, "there's some shit in my bag go crazy with it."
"What?"
"Oh bloody hell" Mia got out of the sofa and opened her bag to take out a sandwich, "okay see this its good, eat it and let me get some sleep."
"Mia" Noah said.
"Dude" Mia said loudly, "sleep, let me sleep, please."
"Can I watch tv?"
"I can't sleep if your, okay" Mia said as she got up and turned on the television, "you know what fine just here" Mia said as she gave Noah the remote and reached into her bag, "i'll just put it in my headphones."
Meanwhile in Seattle Meredith and Derek were sitting in a waiting room in silence holding each others hands, the door opened, Meredith and Derek looked up simultaneously and two policemen entered the room carrying notebooks, coffees and serious faces. They sat down at the table and the oldest policeman gave Meredith a understanding nod, "Doctor Grey, Mr Shepherd i'm Sergeant Dolt, this is Detective Rain, we understand your son is missing."
"Yes" Meredith replied, "not just my son."
"Mia is missing as well" Derek said, "she's our foster child."
"So obviously we need to know as much as we can about them." Detective Rain said, "maybe though we should start with Mia."
Meredith gathered her thoughts and said, "Mia is sixteen, she is a few inches shorter than I am when I am standing at full height" Meredith stood up to demonstrate. Sergeant Dolt raised an eyebrow, "we'll lead you into a room later on to measure your height."
"Of course" Meredith said, "sorry i'm just."
"Take your time" Sergeant Dolt said with a hand gesture signalling Meredith to continue.
"Okay Mia" Meredith continued, "she has blonde hair but often has different colored hair extensions." Meredith gathered her thoughts, "she has several tattoos one of a eagle that's on her shoulder and a tattoo of a crescent moon on her arm, I would describe her as blue eyes, pretty and smart."
"She likes wearing torn outfits" Derek added.
"She does" Meredith said as she nodded, "if she is out of the house, than she likely would be wearing them."
"We don't know" Derek looked at Meredith and at the policemen, "what she could have been wearing when she left, that's the truth."
"Do you know if she has a backpack?" Detective Rain said, "or any bags at all that she likes to take with her?"
"She does have a backpack" Derek said, "its a brown one that has a logo of the world on the back."
"Anything else that really stands out?"
"She did have a pierced nose" Meredith said, "she took out the piercing a few months ago but I don't know if she would have it back in."
"What about your son, describe his appearance?"
"Noah is five, he's got green eyes, shortish brown hair in a crew cut and if he was wearing his usual pajamas when he left they have green stegosauruses on them."
"They might still be in Seattle" Detective Rain "but just in case they have left the city we need to ask, has Mia ever lived anywhere else?."
"Mia she mentioned" Derek said, "she well, she moved around a lot and-"
"And" Sergeant Dolt gestured.
Derek and Meredith exchanged a look and Meredith looked at the detective, "she has a criminal history" she said softly, "she has broken into people's homes and has done other things that have put her in juvi."
"I can see this is difficult but can you honestly say that she won't try and commit a crime again."
"She might do something, honestly" Derek said as his mind raced, "she might do it again but just to survive not because she wants to."
"We'll do what we can to find them, in the meantime if there is anything else you can tell us please let us know."
Meredith and Derek walked outside the station, "well" Derek said to break the silence.
"Mia has turned off her phone" Meredith said, "or she has changed her number, I can't reach her."
"What else can we do?"
"I can't think of anything" Meredith said softly as her eyes turned away.
They walked to their home and Derek making a sighing noise said, "do you think it was a good idea telling the police about Mia's criminal record?"
"What do you mean?"
"If the police find Mia than..."
"Derek" Meredith said as he starred into his eyes, "we're not charging her, she's not going to go to prison."
"And if she commits another crime."
"I know what your saying but I don't think she will, right now I just want to get both of them home."
"I'm sorry" Derek said, he kissed Meredith's forehead and opened the door to find Cristina sitting on the sofa in silence, Cristina looked up and went to them, "how did it go with the police?"
"They asked us a lot of questions and said if we thought of anything else we should give them a ring."
"Ally's upstairs, she went to bed early, she's feeling very flat."
"No wonder" Derek put his hand on Meredith's shoulders and walked upstairs, Meredith looked at Cristina staring at her with empathetic eyes, "how are you holding up love."
"I feel like i'm in a bad dream and i'm wanting it to end."
"Something tells me they're both going to be fine and they'll be found and home very soon."
"Yeah" Meredith whispered as she wiped her eyes. Derek entered the kids bedroom and found his daughter with her eyes closed, he bent down to kiss her forehead and Ally's eyes opened she looked at Derek and started to cry.
"Ally, hey Ally" Derek lifted Ally into his lap, "what's the matter?"
"Its my fault daddy."
"Ally" Derek said softly, "hey, hey ally cat, what do you mean this isn't your fault."
"I told Mia she was bad" Ally sobbed "and she ran away and Noah went to, its all my fault."
"No Ally" Derek rubbed Ally's back with his hand and kissed her forehead, "this isn't your fault, we don't know why Mia ran away and we don't know why Noah went with her but one thing I do know is that we are going to find them both of them. When we do we'll give them the best cookies that you and I have ever made and they won't want to leave ever again."
Ally sniffed and rubbed her eyes, as Derek continued, "Ally don't worry they're fine, your big sister is with Noah she'll be looking after him."
"Will we find them soon?"
"We will" Derek said, "we'll find them."
"And then they'll come home?"
"They sure will" Derek nodded.
"Okay daddy" Ally hugged her dad tightly as Derek hugged her back and held her for a little while. When Ally's breathing had deepened Derek went downstairs to the kitchen as Meredith sat at the table and put her face in her hands.
"Meredith" Derek said as he sat down and took her hand.
"Derek" Meredith starred at the table trying to clear her head, "I once had a nightmare about Mia taking Noah and selling him."
"Meredith" Derek put his arms around Meredith's shoulders, "you and I know Mia better than that, she would never do something like that to Noah."
"I know she won't but I just can't stop thinking about that dream."
"They're our kids Meredith, Mia is going to look after Noah and make sure he's okay you know that."
"I know" Meredith got up with Derek and drawing her hands around Derek's back she closed her eyes and melted into his arms.
Several hours later Mia woke up on the couch with a start, she clutched her face with her hand feeling a burning headache, "oh god what time is it?"
"Its sun set time" Noah responded.
Mia looked at her watch, "oh man it is almost dark." Mia got out of the bed and started to look through her bag for food finding only empty wrappers, "how much did you eat Noah, that's almost all the food."
"Sorry" Noah whispered.
"That's all the, oh" Mia said softened as she looked at Noah's face, "never mind, hey hey." Mia bent down to Noah's level, "look i'm sorry, i'm being such a grumpy bitch come on, do you need a raspberry hug?"
Noah smiled slowly and walked into Mia's arms, Mia hugged him and blew a loud raspberry on his neck as Noah squealed and laughed, "there okay" Mia smiled, "look lets go and get some dinner okay, you like burgers?"
"Its not special time, you only have burgers at special time."
"Well your with me" Mia smirked, "so when your with me its always special time, so we'll go and get burgers and then afterwards you and I are going on a little trip."
"Where to Mia?"
"The police station."
"Why the police station?"
"Well its just so we" Mia clicked her tongue as a thought popped into her head, "you know what we'll talk about it later."
Two hours later after they left the burger joint Mia took Noah's hand, "okay lets go for a walk."
"Why are we going to the police station?"
"So you can go home."
"And you to" Noah said as he looked up at Mia.
"No" Mia said quietly, "as much as I am liking hanging out with you, i'm staying here while your going home."
"No" Noah shook his head, "your going home with me."
"Hey" Mia said with a smirk, "i'm older and bigger than you, i'm the boss here remember, you said so yourself."
"Your the boss" Noah said.
"Cool now we're talking."
"And your going home with me."
"No dude, listen I can't go home with you." Noah sniffed and Mia sighed, "come on don't start crying again, look its not that I don't want to come with you its just something I gotta do but it doesn't mean we're not still buddies."
"Why can't you go home?"
"I can't tell you, if I told you the doc I mean your mum would its, I just can't tell you." Mia said with pained eyes, "come on lets just get you home and it doesn't mean we won't see each other again okay. We can still write letters to each other and stuff and maybe video chat, over a very private link if I can figure out how it works."
"Seeing you is better."
Mia put her hand to her forehead, she felt like was at the end of her rope, "okay look lets just walk."
"Where are we walking to?"
"Why does this kid ask so many questions" Mia whispered to the sky. They walked until they got to the police station, "okay do you need to use the toilet?"
"Yep."
"Okay you just go in there and ask someone in there can you use the toilet and then you say to them that you are lost."
Noah looked at the door, "I don't see a toilet."
"Well" Mia muttered, "you'll find one if you go in there and ask someone in there."
"Are you coming to?"
"No I can stay out here."
"I'm to little to go in by myself."
"Your big enough."
"Are you being tricky?"
"Tricky, no i'm not" Mia pointed at the entrance, "there is actually a toilet in there."
Noah shook his head and grinned, "there's no toilet, your being tricky."
"Noah come on" Mia groaned loudly, "I have to get you home."
"And I have to get you home" Noah said as he grinned.
"Just look" Mia stammered, "we, can't, I."
"That's a police station, we can both go home" Noah said as he jumped up and down before he grabbed Mia's hand, "come on Mia."
"Noah" Mia tried her hardest to think of a excuse, "if we both go into the police station than i'm going to go to jail."
"Jail?" Noah said softly.
"Yeah jail, i'm going to go to jail for um, look, the police will think that I have kidnapped you. So that's why i can't go to the police station with you."
Noah shook his head as his grin faded, "I don't want you to go to jail."
"I know" Mia smiled softly, "your a sweet little dude."
"We'll not go into the police station."
"You need to" Mia sighed, "ok i'm fighting a losing battle, tell you what lets just go back to the hotel and sleep on it."
Mia walked with Noah to the hotel and walked to the reception, "yeah reservation for Priscilla Baker."
"There you are" the receptionist said as she handed the key to Mia before she eyed Noah, "you had a reservation for a room with one bedroom."
"Yeah its cool" Mia muttered as Noah started yawning beside her, "i'll sleep on the floor, he's tired can we just go in."
"There's a fold out couch in your bedroom."
"Cool thanks" Mia muttered as she took Noah's hand and walked to the elevator.
"Mia" Noah said, "why does everyone look at us strange?"
"Because we look strange, we're a sixteen year old punk and a five year old ankle biter, people give us looks."
Noah giggled, "I don't bite ankles Mia."
"No your right you don't" Mia replied, "although I used to do that with your mum, I mean never mind, lets just go in." Mia opened the door to her room and let out a whew sound before she gently patted her face with her hands as she tried to think, "okay what does a babysitter do in this situation, well your in your pajamas so I don't have to ask you to get into pajamas, ah maybe we should have bought you something to wear today other than dinosaur clothes."
"Dinosaur" Noah pointed at his pajamas, "I have dinosaurs on my clothes."
"Yeah stegosaurus" Mia yawned, "they look good to."
"Your tired" Noah said.
"Yeah dude I am a bit buggered, I didn't sleep well last night being on the train or being on the couch and oh jeez" Mia looked through the bag, "we haven't got a toothbrush for you, man how does Meredith do this parenting thing every day its really hard."
"I like toothbrushes."
Mia let out a snigger and ruffled Noah's hair with her hand, "you've been raised really well you know that."
"Huh?"
"Okay look just for tonight" Mia reached into her bag, "you can use my toothbrush."
"Thank you" Noah replied as he took the brush as Mia nodded, Noah's so lucky
Noah walked to the bathroom and came out ten minuted later as Mia rubbed her hands together, "so you brush your teeth?"
"Yes boss" Noah said.
"Did you go to the toilet?"
"Yes boss."
"You do your homework?"
Noah blinked and pulled a face, "I don't have homework."
"I know" Mia smirked, "I was testing you, well done you passed."
"I passed?"
"You sure did" Mia muttered, "you ready for bed, just ah try not to pick your nose in the bed so people won't come after me with a cleaning bill."
"Pick my nose before bed?"
"No just look" Mia muttered, "picking your nose is gross and believe me when I say something is gross it is very gross. Just instead of picking your nose you use a tissue and just blow" Mia passed Noah a tissue, Noah looked at the tissue and up and Mia, "Mia what do I do?"
"Okay look, if you don't know how to blow, then you stick the tissue up your nostrils."
"Nostrils?"
"Yeah" Mia said as she handed Noah another tissue, "just when no one is looking and your bedroom door is closed you get a nice big tissue and ram it up your nose."
Noah laughed, "your funny Mia."
"Yeah" Mia chuckled, "I try to be and there's your bed, i've got the couch, hey you don't get scared at night when you sleep somewhere else do you?"
"Sometimes" Noah whispered.
"Well you will get used to it, sleeping in this bed."
Mia stared at Noah and what felt like the hundredth time that day found her heart softening, "okay I sound like a broken record i'm being, you know what if you have to jump into the sofa with me in the middle of the night that's fine, just as long as there's no spooning."
"What's spooning?" Noah asked.
"Its um" Mia muttered as she tried to think of a good explanation and finding none she shrugged her shoulders, "never mind, just if that happens stick to your side of the sofa."
"Ok" Noah whispered as he looked away with his fingers in his mouth.
Mia stared at Noah and sitting down on the chair, "what's the matter little guy?"
"I miss mum."
"Yeah" Mia put an arm around his shoulders, "I know how you feel".
"When can we go home?"
Meredith snuggled Noah close to her, "you want to go home?"
"Yeah."
"Okay I'll get you home dude, tomorrow i'll get you home."
"Are you coming to?"
"No kiddo remember i'm staying here."
Noah looked up into Mia's eyes, "are you and mum still fighting?"
"No its um" Mia sighed, its just complicated."
"Don't you like us anymore?"
"Hey hey" Mia said in a loud voice as she smiled at Noah, "of course I do silly." Mia closed her eyes and looked away for a moment before she looked back at Noah, "look you want to know the truth?"
"Telling the truth is good."
"Yeah it is, okay" Mia took a deep breath, "the reason why i'm staying here and you need to go home is so bad guys won't get you."
"Bad guys, who are the bad guys?"
"My mum and dad, they told me that" Mia paused until she felt the strength inside to continue, "they told me that if I didn't run away then they would hurt you, your mum, Ally, Derek and other people that's why I ran away from home. Its not that I wanted to, its because I don't want anyone to hurt you or your family."
"Why are your mum and dad bad?"
Mia bit her lip and felt her eyes clouding with thought, "i've been asking myself the same question for a long time, my mum and dad they're nothing like your mum and Derek who soon will be your dad."
"I wish they went away for good, they tried to take Ally away to."
"Yeah I wish they would go away to but I think they'll always be around as long as i'm around you and as long as i'm around they could hurt you and I don't anyone especially you my favorite little dude in the world getting hurt because of me."
Noah put his little hands on Mia's face, "will you ever come home?"
"I don't know buddy" Mia whispered, "I hope we see each other again someday when you're a lot older and i'm ancient just like your mum."
"Me to but mum's not ancient Mia."
"I know, she's still a hot babe."
"What's a hot babe?"
"Well dude" Mia smirked, "i'm a hot babe."
"You are?"
"Yeah" Mia said as she continued to smirk, "boys my age would agree with me and when your as old as me you will be dating hot babes like me and hot babes will be chasing after you."
Noah stood back and stared at Mia with wide fearful eyes, "hot babes will chase me?"
"Yeah but don't worry" Mia said in a reassuring voice, "that's a good thing."
Noah cringed, "I don't want them to squeeze me into jelly, that's what the other girls tried to do."
"Oh you mean the girls I used to be friends with who used to come round to your house, no no its cool because you'll be bigger than they are so they won't be able to squeeze you into jelly, your going to like it dude trust me."
"No I won't" Noah muttered.
"You will look look hey" Mia walked closer to Noah, "i'll show you what it is." Mia gave Noah a gentile squeeze and a kiss on the head. Noah smiled as Mia kissed his head again, "there see, that's all that it is, that's not so bad hey. I mean they'll be other things as well but there's plenty of time to learn all that stuff when your older."
Noah looked at the carpet, "mum kisses my head and hugs me."
"Yeah she does" Mia whispered, "she's done that with me a few times to. Hey do you want to give your mum a ring?"
"Yeah" Noah nodded.
Mia got out the phone and typed in a number and handed the phone to Noah, "okay dude all yours i'll just be in the bathroom" Mia walked into the bathroom and Noah picked up the phone, "hello Meredith Grey speaking."
"Hi mom" Noah said with a smile.
"Noah" Meredith breathed quickly as she heard her son's voice, "Noah."
"Hi mommy" Noah said.
"Noah are you ok?"
"I'm ok mommy."
"Thank god, oh honey i've been so worried about you."
"Are you ok mommy?"
"Sweetheart i'm fine what about you, are you hurt, where are you?"
"I'm on a bed."
"Who is with you."
"Um."
"I mean how many people can you see."
"Um no one."
"Ok, where's Mia honey?"
"In the bathroom."
"Are you in a house?"
"Ah, I don't know."
"Are you in a hotel?"
"What's a hotel?"
"It has a bed and a television and its a place where just you and Mia are."
Noah looked around her, "I think i'm in a hotel."
"Noah can you get Mia for me so I can ask her which hotel you are staying in."
"Hold on" Noah wandered to the bathroom, "Mia mommy wants to talk to you."
"Dude" Mia put her hairbrush down, "first of all you don't barge into bathrooms when chicks are in them, what if I was naked, people will think your a pervert."
"What's a pervert?"
"Um ah never mind um, just tell your mom i'm busy, why does she want to talk me anyway?"
"So you can tell us where we are."
"Oh shit" Mia muttered.
"Mia that's a bad word."
"Um, ah, okay" Mia patted her face with her hands in fear, "dude dude, think dude think."
"Mommy's waiting." Noah went back to the phone, "mom Mia's busy."
"Noah" Meredith said, "can you tell me where you are?"
"Um I don't know."
"Can you see any paper?"
"Yeah" Noah said as he picked up a pad.
"Can you tell mommy what it says on the paper."
"Um" Noah paused, "I don't know this word, its a big word."
"That's ok sweetheart you're doing good can you spell the word for me."
"Um a, l, ah e."
"Your doing very well" Meredith said softly, "what comes next sweetheart."
"X."
Mia came out with a toothbrush in her mouth, "dude what are you doing?"
"Spelling a word" Noah raised the paper, "can you help me."
"Ah yeah" Mia said slowly, "um" Mia took the paper from Noah's hand, "I got to do something with this."
"Mia" Meredith said firmly, "if you can hear me answer the phone."
Noah looked at Mia, "mom wants you to answer the phone."
"Well i'm busy" Mia huffed as she put the toothbrush back into her gums, "can't she take a hint."
"Mia" Meredith said as she raised her voice, "when I get hold of you your going to be in very very deep water young lady. The term grounded for life is going to take on a whole new meaning for you, now pick up the phone and tell me where you are."
"Tell her to chill out" Mia muttered to Noah as she walked back to the bathroom.
"Mia says chill out" Noah said to Meredith.
"Mia" Meredith said loudly, "Mia answer the phone, I swear i'm going to keep you locked up in your room for weeks on end when I get you home and lecture you until your ears bleed, you pick up the phone right now."
"Mia's gone mommy" Noah said.
"Noah honey" Mia said as he voice softened, "I want you to stay with Mia."
"Ok mommy."
"And I'm going to come and get you ok."
"I'll get Mia home mommy."
"No sweetheart" Meredith whispered, "don't worry I'm going to get both of you home."
"But mommy Mia doesn't want to come home."
"Well don't worry sweetheart, I am going to make her come home when I find her and when I am finished with her she will be so grounded that she won't be able to leave her room for any reason other than school and the bathroom for a very very long time."
"Mia's not bad" Noah's whispered.
"I know she isn't honey but what she has done running away and kidnapping you was a very very bad thing for her to do."
"Is kidnapping bad?"
"Yes Noah kidnapping is very bad, Mia kidnapping you and taking you away from home when she ran away was a very bad thing for her to do."
"Mia didn't take me with her mom."
"Honey" Meredith paused before she asked, "what do you mean?"
"She told me she had to go away and I followed her."
"You followed Mia?"
"Mia told me to go home" Noah looked at the bathroom where Mia was brushing her teeth "but I followed her, Mia says I have to go home and she has to stay."
"Noah why did Mia ran away?"
"Mia said um" Noah said as he thought, "I know, she said she ran away so the bad people wouldn't hurt us."
"Honey, who are the bad people?"
"Um, her mum and dad."
There was a long silence before Meredith said, "Noah please pass the phone to Mia let me talk to her, tell her I won't be angry with her."
Mia came in to the room, "hows it going little buddy."
"Mom says she wants to talk to you, she's not angry."
"Wait" Mia said slowly, "your mum can't calm down that quickly she's not cool enough, Noah what did you say to her?"
"I told her about the bad people."
"Oh shit" Mia dashed to the bed, "um okay time for bed say goodnight."
"Goodnight mom" Noah said.
"Noah wait" Meredith called out.
"Here" Mia held her out hand, "Noah give me the phone."
"Noah" Meredith said, "sweetheart hold on to the phone, talk to me. Mia if you can hear me please talk to me."
"Noah come on" Mia said with a desperate voice as she waved her fingers at Noah, "give it to me, come on."
Noah looked at Mia and looked at the phone, "what do I do."
"Mia please talk to me, sweetheart tell me what's going on."
"Look" Mia put her face to the phone and said quickly, "don't worry i'll get him home Meredith he's going to be okay love you bye" before she clicked the button on the phone ending the call.
"Mia" Noah said softly.
Mia gently took the phone from Noah's hand, she put down the phone and took a deep breath as she sat down on the bed closing her eyes, "Mia" Noah said as he got off the bed and put his hands on Mia's thighs.
Mia gave a small smile and reached out her hand to head rub Noah's head, "i'm okay little dude."
"Are you going to be locked up?"
"No" Mia chuckled despite how she was feeling, "your mom is not locking me away, she's not a prison warden although she acts like one sometimes. No wait I didn't mean that your mum is really great, look I mean i'm not going home so now lets just go to bed."
"Sorry" Noah whispered.
"No I'm sorry" Mia's hands rubbed his head and she bent down and kissed his forehead, "look don't worry about a thing ok everything's going to be alright." Mia climbed into her sofa bed, a few minutes later she felt Noah lying beside her, "dude" Mia muttered, "you got your own bed."
"I like this bed."
"You can't keep sleeping on me forever."
"But your a good pillow."
"Well" Mia muttered, "when I get a gym membership and start pumping irons i'm going to get so buff with big hard muscles I won't become a soft pillow anymore."
"Yes you will" Noah smirked.
Mia chuckled and shaking her head, "okay this couch is uncomfortable anyway" Mia got up and picking Noah up she lifted and carried Noah to the bed and climbed in she watched Noah close his eyes as she lied there with her thoughts and trying to fight back her tears she rolled over and closed her eyes.
Meanwhile in Seattle Meredith approached a house with flowers growing around it, she knocked on a door and after a minute a familiar brunette teenager answered the door, Meredith smiled as the girl's face lit up, "hi Chloe."
"Hey Meredith" Chloe reached through the doorway to give Meredith a quick hug before she drew back, "um my grandma is asleep but you can come on in."
"Thank you" Meredith said as she walked through and watched Chloe hurry to the kitchen.
"Do you want some tea or something?"
"Yes please honey, this house is looking very nice."
"Yeah I do a lot of housework, my grandma pays the bills its the least I can do." Chloe came back a few minutes later with two cups, "there you go milk, no sugar, just the way you like it."
"Thanks honey" Meredith said as she took the cup from the girl's hands.
"So what's going on, you just came by to say hi, i've been doing really well in school."
"That sounds really great Chloe, i'm really pleased, actually" Meredith paused, "I came here to talk about Mia."
"Um sure ah where is she, I mean that sounded rude ah" Chloe said. "Is she like grounded again, I caught up with her at school the other day and she hasn't said anything."
"Chloe" Meredith said as she tried to Chloe to look at her, "Mia has gone."
"Oh you mean like she ran away" Meredith looked into Chloe's eyes and Chloe feigning what Meredith thought was surprise said, "Chloe please if you know where she is tell me."
"I don't know anything" Chloe quickly said.
Meredith tried her best to stay controlled and not start crying and begging Chloe on the spot to tell her what she knew, "Chloe Noah has gone with Mia."
"You mean" Chloe whispered, "she kidnapped him?"
"No I thought so to at first but I think Noah just followed Mia when Mia told him she was going and now they're both missing."
"Oh."
"Sweetheart please" Meredith pleaded, "if you know where they are please tell me."
Chloe swallowed before she looked down, "Mia went to New York."
"New York, are you sure?"
"Yeah, she said so."
"Did she tell you why she went to New York?"
"She said it was because" Chloe got up, "i'll show you" she said as she went to her bedroom and came back a minute letter with some paper in her hand, "she got this sent to her from her parents."
Meredith read the note and put her hand to her mouth in shock.
"She's didn't want to go away" Meredith looked at Chloe's eyes welling up with emotion, "when she told me what she was going to do, where she was going she was a mess." Chloe's hands grabbed Meredith, "please don't put her in jail."
"Honey" Meredith said softly with a smile, "she's not going to jail, did you think that I was going to have her arrested for kidnapping."
"Sorry I don't know why I said that" Chloe said, "I know you would never do that."
Meredith wiped her own eyes, "i'm sorry" Chloe continued, "I didn't tell you before, I didn't know Noah was with her."
"Hey its ok, its ok honey" Meredith put her hands on Chloe's shoulders, "don't worry i'm going to go to New York, find Mia and i'll convince her to come home. Noah followed Mia, Mia didn't kidnap him she's not going to prison."
Chloe nodded, "I guess I can't come with you."
"Don't worry" Meredith put her hand on Chloe's cheek, "we'll all come and visit next week."
Chloe nodded and wiped her eyes as Meredith nodded.
Meredith drove home as quickly as she could she opened through the front door and called loudly, "Derek."
"Meredith" Derek came running, "what is it?"
"I spoke with Noah Derek."
Derek walked to Meredith quickly and turned her around to look in her eyes, "you talked with him, what over the phone?"
"He rang me while I was at work from a hotel."
"Did he say anything else, where he he, anything, or anything about Mia."
"Mia stopped him before he could tell me anything that would give away where he is."
"Did Mia say anything?"
"She said she would get Noah home don't worry before she hanged up the phone but Noah said to me that Mia took him away so the bad people wouldn't get us."
Derek stopped and stared, "bad people?"
Meredith took out a letter and gave it to Derek, "Mia received this."
Derek took the letter from Meredith's hand and read
You took away our daughter
If you don't leave in a week we'll take away that what matters most to you
Leave and don't come back
Show your foster parents this note and they're dead
You know who this is
"Mia" Derek said before his fist tightened in anger, "those bastards, those spiteful vindictive scum."
Meredith then handed Derek another note which had just one word
Tomorrow
"Derek" Meredith said with tears streaming down her cheeks. Derek looked at Meredith and feeling tears of his own coming to his eyes he drew Meredith into a tight hug, "we're going to find them Meredith."
"I know where they are Derek."