Beginning A/N: Ok, well, this is my first Without a Trace fan fiction that I've actually posted. I randomly came up with it one day, and so I wrote it within the next two days in my free time. I've been out of school for three months, so my writing is a little rusty, but I'm pleased with the overall product. So, without further ado, I give you my story.

Chapter One: Picture Perfect

Seven Hours Missing:

Danny walked up behind Jack as he stood outside a nice looking house in a quiet neighborhood. Police cars were parked next to the house, and men in uniforms were emerging and submerging into the house every few minutes.

"So. Who's it going to be today?" he asked, peering over Jack's shoulder.

"Natalie Bruckner. 16. Last seen leaving her best friend's house at 9:45 last night. She never made it home."

"Parents?"

"Julia and Brian Bruckner. The mother's the head nurse at a doctor's office down at Doctor's Hospital. The father's in accounting with a small company."

"Money problems?"

"Not yet."

"Marriage?"

"Stable."

"Siblings?"

"One brother. Twelve. He's pretty shook up. He doesn't really understand what's going on."

"What's the girl's profile so far?"

"She's sixteen. She'll be a junior when school starts back up again in August. You should look at these grades," Jack said, handing Danny a sheet of paper as they walked into the house.

Danny chuckled as his eyes ran down the sheet of paper. "Honors English, A. Honors Chemistry, A. Honors Latin III, A. World History, A+."

"And check out her schedule for next year."

Danny turned the sheet over and read. "My God, Jack, I didn't even know they had half of these classes... Honors Physics, AP Latin IV, AP English... so did she run away from the pressure?"

"It's the middle of July. It's doubtful."

"But possible.

"Fine. Go talk to the teachers."

Danny turned on a dime and headed back the way he came.

Martin walked out of a room on Jack's left and gave him the run down on the information that he had found.

"According to the little brother, Natalie doesn't have a boyfriend or any troublesome ex's. She likes horses, white tulips, and her dog. And she's pretty active in her church's youth group," Martin looked up at Jack. "Maybe something happened there."

"Follow it up. Take Samantha with you," he added after some consideration. "I'm going to talk to the parents.

Martin gave a small nod before heading out the door that Danny had left through a few moments ago.

Ten minutes later, Jack was sitting in the Bruckner's kitchen with Mr. and Mrs. Bruckner sitting across from him.

"Has Natalie ever been in any sort of trouble?" Jack questioned, his eyes going between the tearful, nervous mother to the brooding father. "At school, with friends... anything you can think of?"

The mother shook her head and dabbed her eyes with the Kleenex in her hand. "No. Never. Well, I mean, she got a detention last year for being a few minutes late to class. But she was walking from one side of the campus to the other."

"Has she ever been involved with drugs or alcohol?"

She shook her head again and hiccupped. "She would never."

Jack gaze landed on her father who sent him a piercing glare as if daring him to accuse his daughter of doing drugs.

"What about any friends or boyfriends that might lead her into trouble?"

Jack was expecting the same answer, but instead the mother glanced up to her husband before she turned to Jack.

"Well. She does have this one friend… Heather..."

"You don't think Heather has anything to do with this, do you?" her husband asked, looking rather taken aback.

"Who's Heather?" Jack asked shortly.

"Oh, um, she and Natalie have been best friends ever since they were about two. We went to the same school until they were in sixth grade. And they still go to church together."

"And why would Heather be a cause of concern?"

The mother hedged a little bit before answering. "After sixth grade, Heather went to public school and Natalie was accepted into a very good private school. Heather... she fell into the wrong crowd. She became angry and hostile. She did drugs. She stole. She had sex with random boys—"

"And Natalie is still friends with her?" Jack asked, surprised that such a good school girl such as Natalie would even associate with a girl that Mrs. Bruckner was describing.

"She always stood by Heather," she continued. "At times, it was almost too hard for Natalie. All of Heather's problems became Natalie's problems. Heather was not being a very good friend, but Natalie couldn't seem to let go of her."

"And even now? They're still close?"

"Well, Heather's parents finally got her a therapist, and she's been much better. She's been clean for several months now, and she's acting more normal. I mean, as normal as things can be. Natalie thinks that Heather's behavior is obnoxious and... well, as she put it, slutty."

Jack nodded as he understood. "But other than her past behavior, you have no reason to suspect that Heather had anything to do with Natalie's disappearance?"

Mrs. Bruckner hesitated for a moment as she thought and then shook her head. "No."

After jotting a last note on his pad, Jack stood up and observed the worried couple. "We'll find her. If you hear any news about her, please call us."

Jack left the Bruckner house and immediately upon setting foot on their front porch, his cell phone rang. The caller ID flashed "Taylor"

"Danny boy. What do the teachers have to say?" Jack asked, as he unlocked his car.

"They all say that she was the perfect student," Danny's voice crackled from the other line. "Never caused any trouble. Didn't have any friends that could cause any trouble either. They didn't have any idea of where she could have gone."

"Well, I've got a lead for you. Take Vivian and go to 857 West Avenue and see if you can get anything out of Heather Birch and her parents."

"Heather Birch? As in Natalie's best friend?"

"As in the person who was last to see her and has a drug, alcohol, and sexual history."

Danny made a disgusted sort of noise over the phone before switching gears. "What'd you get out of the parents?"

"About the same as the teachers. The girl is a perfect angel in their eyes. She's got impressive grades—"

"I know. 3.8 GPA. Her teachers made sure to tell me several times. And she's only a junior in high school."

"She goes to church, she's active in the youth group they have there… Martin and Sam are over there now. There's got to be more to this girl than meets the eye."

"What, she's got a secret drug addiction?"

"Maybe. Heather Birch was into that scene a few years ago before she went into therapy."

"The source, hmm?"

"Guess you'll find out," Jack said grimly before hanging up. It was sad really to see such a smart, highly esteemed girl get caught up in such a bad scene just because of her loyalty to her friend.

Ending A/N: Yeah, another author's note. Ok, well please leave reviews. As you all know reviews are what authors thrive on. So please help me thrive. :) It gets more interesting as it goes on, I promise. This is meant to be written as an actual episode runs. But the characters and the all of the background information (minus the name changes) are based on things that are going on in my life. The missing girl is based off of me. Heather is based off of one of my friends, who I have known since I was two. Oh, and bonus points if you can figure out who's my favorite character is by the end.