Time really does fly in summer, doesn't it? This one is longer than most of the last ones! I'm getting excited! Also, it's ridiculously late and I'm not sure if there are some crazy typos in here or not, but please bear with me! I wanted to get this out to y'all.

P.S. AHHHHH 800 REVIEWS. You guys complete me.

CHAPTER STATS

Word Count (excluding A/N): 1531

Date Updated: 7-18-13

Current Review Count: 806

Vaughn sat down on his futon, only to stand right back up again and resume pacing around his apartment.

It was a Wednesday morning. He wasn't on Sunny Island and he hated that, Goddess help him.

"Vaughn, man, relax," Riley said, watching the agitated cowboy from the kitchenette. "You haven't even been back a full day. Aren't you tired?"

"Of course I'm tired, Riley," Vaughn spat. "Those were longest two weeks of my life."

"Two and a half weeks," Riley amended, ignoring Vaughn's icy glare.

Vaughn wiped his hand across his forehead, sighing deeply. He hadn't spoken to Chelsea since he had to get on that boat and she was running after him. The last time he'd seen her, he'd hurt her.

He frowned as he remembered that jarred look in her perfect blue eyes. He should have just stayed on the island and caught the next ferry out. He should have told that ticket guy that was hassling him to screw himself. He should have done anything else but what he'd done.

Now it had been almost three weeks since he'd had any sort of contact with her and he was going crazy. He hadn't thought he was all that attached to her until he started missing things about her that he didn't even notice when she was around. He missed the way her nose crinkled up when she laughed. He missed the way her freckles shifted when she smiled at him. She missed how she had to skip a little to keep up with him when he walked. He missed her stupid, meaningless stories about the townspeople and the goings-on of the previous week on the island. He missed the way her lips parted when she was surprised. He missed how she overreacted to everything. He missed how she always listened to him, even when he had nothing to say.

He missed her—everything about her—and he didn't think he could manage being away from her for another day.

After a moment's silence, Riley shook his head. "You know, man, you don't have to wait until the boss tells you to go to the island. You could just buy a ticket and go."

Vaughn stopped in his tracks.

He hadn't thought about that.

Riley watched as an uncharacteristically frantic Vaughn threw some clothes into a bag and raced out the door towards the docks. He pushed off the counter and called after him. "Hold on man, I'm coming too!"

Ooo

Dear Mom and Dad,

I know it's been a really long time since I wrote to you. I'm sorry. Things have just been really hectic. I didn't want to worry you guys before, and I still don't, but I have to tell you what's been going on because I don't know who else to turn to.

Daisy died. And my crops all failed. Vaughn and I were fighting over something stupid, and Julia and her mom were away on business. I didn't know what to do, and I was so sad, and I missed you guys so much, so I just spent all my money on a boat back to Mineral Town and ran away. Again. But there was a big storm when I got to the city to change boats, and I had nowhere to go and no money and it was the middle of the night and I was so scared. Something really bad almost happened, but somehow Vaughn found me and everything was okay.

And then I decided not to give up so easily. I still missed you guys, but I didn't want to quit.

Anyway, everything was okay, but then there was a storm and Vaughn's boat went down. I don't know where he is. It's been weeks and I haven't heard anything from him. I don't know what to think anymore, and Julia has been trying to help but nothing seems to make me feel better. And then I remembered how you guys always made me feel better, so I decided to write to you.

I love you guys.

Chelsea XOXO

Ooo

Claire sank down into a chair at the kitchen table, reading and rereading the newest letter from her daughter. She tried to avoid smudging the ink anymore than it already was. Chelsea had clearly been crying when she wrote this, and now Claire was crying as she read it.

"My poor baby," Claire choked out, shaking her head. She was aching to be with her daughter and comfort her—really, physically aching. Chelsea had always been so fragile, and it seemed like the world had just been beating her to a pulp. She needed to protect her.

Claire heard the front door open followed by the heavy footsteps of her husband. She looked up at him, meeting his gaze. He froze, taking in the scene in front of his: his wife crying over a letter at the kitchen table.

He knew who it had to be from.

"What does it say, Claire?" Gray asked, hurrying over. "What's wrong?"

His mind jumped from horrific scenario to horrific scenario, playing out all the horrible things that could have happened to his daughter. Most of them involved that damn cowboy. Chelsea trusted him too much—and she was so naïve—

Claire interrupted his thoughts by shaking her head and handing him the damp paper, trying to compose herself.

He read over every word, trying to take in all of the information. He could feel his heart breaking for his little girl with every word.

After he finished reading the entire letter for the third time, he tossed it onto the table, sitting down next to his wife. A thick silence filled the room, only broken by Claire's occasional sniffling.

"What—" Claire hiccupped, "what do you think she meant by 'something really bad'?"

Gray sighed, rubbing his forehead tiredly. He didn't want to think about it. "Exactly what she said, I guess. Something really bad."

Silence fell over them again, each of them trying to decide what that meant to them.

"Our poor baby," Claire whimpered out, willing herself not to break down again. "I can't even imagine—Gray, she can't handle all of that stress. And with Vaughn gone…"

Gray couldn't think of anything to say. As much as he hated Vaughn, he knew that his daughter had lost someone close to her and he hated to think of her being upset. That damned Vaughn guy had upset her, Gray thought, scowling slightly.

Gray was pulled from his accusatory thoughts by the sound of his wife's soft sobs. He sighed, pulling his chair right next to hers. He placed his arms around her and pulled her into him. "Claire, she'll be fine."

The blonde shook her head, wiping at her eyes. "Gray, she's got to be hurting so badly—I just—I want to be there with her."

"I do too," he sighed again, closing his eyes. "At least we know she's alright."

"But is she really?" Claire asked, pulling away from him slightly. "Gray, Chelsea is so sensitive and young and—she's never been through anything his hard before. I don't know that she's alright."

Gray swallowed. His wife was usually the optimistic one, and if even she thought Chelsea may not be alright, then he knew something had to be done. He stood up. "Claire, we need to do something."

"Like what?" She asked, standing up as well. She wiped at her red, puffy eyes. "What is there to do?"

"She can't be far, if that Vaughn guy visited her and Forget-Me-Not. We could probably figure out where she is."

Claire blinked. She hadn't thought about that.

She nodded once, a small smile on her face. They were going to find their daughter.

Ooo

Chelsea sat on the floor of her dirty farmhouse. She had finished her chores for the day and had fallen into her usual routine of hiding out in her house until it was dark enough out to go to sleep.

It was still midmorning. She had a long while to wait until she could go to sleep.

She sighed, remembering the letter she'd sent to her parents. She probably shouldn't have sent it. It would just worry them. But she really did want them to know what was going on—even if she couldn't hear their advice.

She'd debated telling them where she was. The main thing that kept her here was Vaughn, after all, and now…

She shook her head. She couldn't leave the island. Not now.

As stupid as it was, she couldn't help but hold onto a little light of hope that maybe he was alright. Maybe there were some extraordinary circumstances that had kept him away for nearly a season. Maybe there was an explanation and he was totally fine.

She swallowed hard, her vision going blurry again with another round of tears. Who was she kidding? He was gone. He had to be. But her damn optimistic self had to go hoping for the impossible. She was expecting a miracle, and until she had some concrete evidence that Vaughn really was never coming back, she would hope.

Hope was all she had.

Well, I suppose we'll see what happens next chapter! I'm moving in 20 days, so expect sporadic updates during the next month or so. Thanks for sticking with me, and thanks for your lovely reviews They make me so happy (: