A/N I really didn't like the first version of this, it didn't turn out at all like I had planned. So I went back and rewrote it the way I had intended the first time. The first chapter is still the same but everything else is going to be completely different. So give it a try, it will definitely be better this time around.

Tommy didn't sleep well that night; he kept tossing and turning as a thousand questions raced through his mind, each one more frightening than the first. He finally gave up and just lay there staring forlornly out the window.

It wasn't enough to ruin my life one time, he thought savagely to himself. No, just when I finally get settled and feel like I'm doing something with my life, she has to come back and destroy it too!

Disgusted, Tommy rolled out of bed and headed for the bathroom. He splashed icy water onto his face to try and rid himself of the painful memories, but as he stared at his reflection in the mirror he knew that it would take more than cold water to wake him up from his current nightmare. Sighing, he slammed the light switch into the off position and went in search of something cold to drink, something that would calm his nerves or at very least put him back to sleep for a while.

As he reached into the refrigerator his hand froze. What was he doing? It was two am and he had to be at school early in the morning, there was no way he could deal with a bunch of rowdy teenagers and a hangover form hell at the same time, he'd be killed half of them before the day was over.

Deciding that it wasn't worth risking the safety of innocent kids and his sanity, Tommy switched gears and violently grabbed the milk carton instead. He poured a small glass and sat down on a stool.

This is not how I wanted the school year to start out, he thought. Just when you think you've escaped that life for good, it always seems to come and suck you right back in. As if I don't have enough to deal with already!

It didn't take him long to decided that he needed to sit down and come up with a plan of action. He didn't know much about what had happened and he wouldn't until he meet with Andros and Jason, but at least some plan was better than no plan at all. Besides, he knew that sleep would elude him for the rest of the night. It was something that he was truly grateful for, the nightmares were too much to bear.

--- --- ---

"If I knew, I wouldn't be asking you," said a very irritated Jason.

Zack sighed. "I know that man; I just thought that maybe you had come up with something better."

"Oh you mean better than sitting here and doing nothing? Nope, sorry but I'm at a loss."

"Don't be like that," said Zack rolling his eyes. "You're acting like we're still in high school or something. Sarcasm will get you no where in the real world."

"Thanks for the warning man, but in case you haven't noticed I get along just fine. The way I see it there are two kinds of people in this world. The ones with a sense of humor and the sticks in the mud without a sense of humor, and since we graduated," he clapped Zack on the back," you have fallen into the latter category bro."

Zack shot his friend a death glare before deciding to let his comments go.

"Whatever man, can we just concentrate on what were doing. I mean, this is Kimberly were talking about here."

Jason immediately sobered and the mischievous smile that had been plastered across his face just moments before vanished.

"So," he said turning to face the man kneeling on the ground around Kim's steps, "find anything yet?"

Andros shook his head and turned off his scanner. "No. There is nothing here to find. It really is like she vanished into thin air."

Jason slowly nodded as the realization began to sink in for the first time. A cold shiver ran down his spine and fear began to grip his heart, "so we are back to where we started? Back to…nowhere." With no way of knowing if the girls are ok, or even alive he added silently to himself. He watched Andros' face in a desperate attempt to see something that wasn't there. He wanted the man to say something else, anything else. That they had been taken by a monster, at least then they would have a place to start looking, but Andros merely stood there, his eyes downcast and watery, his hands hanging limply by his sides.

"Don't worry," Jason heard himself say, "we're gonna find them."

The words sounded hollow and distant to his own ears, but as he spoke he saw a gleam of hope light up Andros' face.

Hope, he thought bitterly, was something that was he had never put much stock in. Hope was the stuff of fairytale endings…

--- --- ---

Tommy slowly walked to class, hating the cursed bell as it reverberated through his brain and intensified the pounding in his head.

I shouldn't have had that drink.

He stopped outside the classroom to gather his thoughts and catch his breath. The noise that greeted him as he entered the room made his head pound even more, and for a second he thought that his brain was going to explode.

"Settle down," he said, and then he shouted to make himself heard over the unruly teenagers. "Today we are going to have a free day," he said.

A few of the student's mouths fell open and Cassidy immediately raised her hand. "What's the catch Dr. O?"

"The catch is that you have to be completely silent or I will assign a nine thousand word essay due at the end of class."

He watched as his students immediately fell silent and was overjoyed when they stayed that way for the rest of the period. Smiling to himself he went to his desk and started to check roll. He ticked off the names one by one until he came to the F's. He looked around the room twice but Kira was no where in sight.

Odd, she rarely misses class. He marked an A for absent by her name and kept on going without thinking any more about it, and it wasn't until Conner and Ethan approached him after class that he remembered her absence.

"Dr. O, we need to talk with you."

"What's is it?"

Conner waited until the last student had disappeared out the door before he spoke. "It's about Kira….she's gone."

"Gone," repeated Tommy with a sinking feeling in his stomach.

"Yeah," said Ethan, "and there was a little…"

"…puddle of blood," finished Tommy.

"How did you know?"

Tommy placed his head in his hands and silently cursed himself for being so stupid.

"Dr. O," said Conner, with concern creeping into his voice. "Are you ok? Dr. O?"

Tommy finally looked up. "I've got to go. Go to you're next class, I'll find Kira."

"But…"

"Go."

Tommy made it back to his car in record time. As soon as his seat belt was fastened and he was on the road he dialed Jason's number. After the third ring his friend answered.

"Jase, its Tommy. Kira's disappeared too."