AN: Hi all! I know it's been a while. Like a long while. And honestly I didn't think I would finish this (I stopped watching the show), but I got a few requests to continue and so here we are (mostly because season 1 is still one of my favorite shows to rewatch). So this picks up right where I left off. Please note that I started this before the second season came out, so the character Ben in this story is completely different than the Ben in the show. Drop a review if you're so inclined. I hope you all enjoy. Happy reading.


As they weaved their way out of the crowded café, Carter felt Lori tightly grab her upper arm. It was something she'd normally try to pull away from, but she let it go as her focus was solely on her hope that Taylor would get the message to their mom. She took a sip of the coffee Lori got her. It was a sugary, frothy concoction, something she would never order and was surprised Lori had ordered something like that. The woman clearly didn't know her as well as she thought.

Lori continued to stay close as they walked down the street towards the car. Carter hated the hovering, it wasn't like she was going to take off running, and with each step it was becoming more apparent that she couldn't even if she wanted to. Each step made her vision become a little blurrier. Focus became harder to hold and her thoughts had started to turn into a fog.

She had felt this way once before, when Lori had taken her from the café, and now she realized the reason for the fancy coffee, to mask whatever she had put in her drink this time. Although she knew it wouldn't help she gave her head one large shake to try and clear the feeling, but it only made her lose balance and fall into Lori's arms.

"Oh, careful Carter," Lori said, her voice seeping with fake concern. "We should get you back to the car. You aren't looking too great."

The world had started to spin and it was becoming harder for her to keep her eyelids open with each passing second.

"You…drugged…me…again," Carter managed to get out. Her words were slurred but still decipherable. And she strained to hold her concentration long enough to hear what Lori was going to respond with.

"'Baby, it had to be done. The police and FBI are on to us, and as much as I don't want to admit it, I think you are helping them," Lori started. "It has always been the two of us against the world. There has been nothing that could hold us back. And I had hoped that you would recognize that again, but I can see that Elizabeth has gotten to you too. Just like she did David all those years ago."

"What are…you…saying," Carter managed to get out, not sure of where her answer was going.

They had slowed down and she could make out the fuzzy outline of the car. She clung to Lori for support as the woman began to open the door, something Carter desperately wished she didn't have to do.

"My life has been so full with you in it. I can't imagine having lived it any other way, but I also can't imagine knowing you would willingly replace me. Choose people who are practically strangers over the woman who raised you your entire life," Lori began to explain.

And Carter wanted to point out that she hadn't raised her her entire life. She hadn't been hers from the beginning. That was the whole reason for this convoluted situation. But she didn't have control enough to do so, instead she kept her focus on listening and retaining every word the woman said.

"Do you have any clue how much that hurts? That you would turn your back on me, your mother?" Lori paused as she helped Carter sit down in the back seat of the car. "Carter, you have no idea how much I love. How much I will always love you. But I can see your love for me has been lost and I can't bear the thought of you giving it to those people. So, if I can't have you then no one can."

If Carter's eyes could have gone wide they would have. She still had no idea what Lori meant but she knew it didn't sound good. Trying to yell, a soft whisper escaped her lips. She could tell she was about to black out and struggled mightily not to.

"Shh, shh. It's okay. You'll see, everything will work out for the best," Lori said in a calm, and at the same time crazy, manner, just as she shut the door.

Carter remained awake a few moments longer. There was no telling what the woman was going to do and she was afraid. Her mind became clear for a moment as she flashed to thoughts of her family. Hoping that she would get to see them again before all went black.


She was on the phone with Kyle in what felt like mere seconds after Taylor and Grant explained what had just happened. Once again they chose to leave the FBI in the dark. Elizabeth knew it was a risk, but she had a gut feeling that this was it. The final time Lori got the best of them. When she would finally catch her. And she wanted to be the one to rescue Carter. To show her daughter she would always be there to protect her.

When she had called Kyle he had already been on his to do surveillance on the bank, giving him a large head start. She relayed all the information she was able to get from Taylor and Grant so he could begin to follow up immediately.

It took her another five minutes to convince David, Taylor, and Grant that they couldn't come along. She understood that Carter was their daughter and sister too, but Lori was unpredictable, and she couldn't put anymore of her family within the woman's grasp. She gave each of them a kiss on her way out, making them the promise she would bring Carter back with her. And she vowed to herself it would not be an empty promise.

As she drove, Elizabeth was conscious of how tight she was gripping the steering wheel. And convinced herself her knuckles were going to remain a permanent white color, but she couldn't relax her hands because the alternative was an uncontrollable shaking. It came from a combination of adrenaline and a surge of racing emotions, something she had thought she had become used to over the past couple of weeks.

But new images and thoughts of Lori flooded her mind and with them they brought anger, and if possible, an even stronger need to rescue Carter from her. She was startled from her thoughts by her ringing phone, and answered it quickly upon seeing Kyle pop up in the caller ID.

"Kyle, what did you find?" she asked, trying to bury those emotions and keep a cool demeanor.

"Elizabeth, they're gone… all of them," he replied with a frustrated sigh. "I asked around, no one remembers which way Lori and Carter went. And it seems this Ben Leonard is new in town, no one knows exactly where he lives. I'm going to need an address before I can follow up with him."

"It's coming. I called in a favor and they're going through school records. I should be getting it soon…" she trailed off as her phone buzzed. Quickly glancing down at the screen she could see a text message from the officer she asked to look up the information. "1307 Bell Ave."

Elizabeth could hear Kyle scribble down the information.

"Do you want me to hold off until you are here?" he asked.

That is exactly what she wanted him to do. She wanted to be the one to gather the information, make sure nothing was left out, that no mistakes were made. But she couldn't afford to waste any time. This was the best lead to their whereabouts since the motel, and she trusted Kyle.

"No, don't wait. I'm still about an hour and a half away, and I don't want to lose this," she explained. I don't want to lose her, she silently added.

"I'll call if anything comes up before you get here."

Elizabeth just nodded as they hung up and stepped on the gas a little harder while looking over to the empty passenger seat, and she knew coming back her daughter would be sitting right there. Both of them ready for home.


Elizabeth arrived at the address a little under an hour later, making better time than she thought possible. Not that it had mattered much. Kyle had texted her 15 minutes after they spoke to let her know no one was home, but that he was going to stay parked down the street to wait for the boy to arrive. Elizabeth had initially thought to tell him to stake out the bank instead, but she knew there was no certainty Lori would show up. However, this Ben Leonard had to go home at some point, and so that's where she found her partner when she arrived.

"Hey," she tried to greet him, but her voice came out shaky and raw, giving away how she really felt.

"We're going to find her," Kyle reassured, earning a nod from Elizabeth. "It's a small town, but still too large to canvas without knowing exactly where to look."

"Lori knows what she's doing," she said. She thought about bringing up the details of who Ben Leonard was, but she knew he would have already done that, so instead she jumped to the plan. "I figured we could continue to stake out for a little while longer, and if nothing we could…"

"Elizabeth," Kyle cut her off and pointed down the street. She turned to see a beat up sedan pull into the drive way and a teenage boy get out, beginning to grab things from the trunk.

They briskly walked past the couple of houses that separated them.

"Ben Leonard," Elizabeth said as they reached the driveway.

The boy stopped rummaging through the trunk and turned to face them.

"Uh, yeah," he replied, clearly confused.

"We're detectives with the Fairfax police department," Kyle began. "We'd like to ask you a few questions about any knowledge you may have regarding a girl you met today."

"Okay," he replied, drawing the word out as he was still unsure of what they were talking about.

Kyle turned to Elizabeth and waited for her to take over. He understood this was her battle, her fight, and he was just there for support. She remained quiet for a few moments more, hoping and praying this would lead them, before breaking the silence by clearing her throat.

"Were you at Mugs Coffee shop earlier today?"

"Yes I was," he kept his reply short.

"Did you happen to meet anyone while you were there?" she asked.

"Yeah, this girl…uh, Carter was her name. Why?"

Elizabeth gave a small shake of her head, almost an involuntary movement. It wasn't her job to answer questions, jus ask them. And at the moment she could have cared less about how curious the boy was, all she wanted were the answers that would lead her to her daughter.

"Can you explain your interaction with her for me?"

"Sure," he said, noticing both detectives carried no nonsense attitudes. He ran the morning through his head once before replying, wanting to make sure he got everything right. "She came in with her mom. The lady looked really strict and uptight, like something was really bothering her. Carter, the girl I met, slipped away for a minute and we talked briefly, mostly about how she was grounded. She asked if she could use my laptop to send a friend a message, since her mom had taken away everything, and so I let her. And then only seconds later her mom was over with their drinks and said they needed to leave."

Elizabeth waited to see if he would add on anything else and when he didn't she proceeded with her questioning, recalling the unfinished message Carter had sent.

"Did she say where they were going or mention where they were staying?"

She watched as a light bulb seemed to go off in Ben's head, and instantly he began to nod.

"As she was leaving she mentioned she was staying at…" he paused as he tried to recall the name of the hotel. "…the Traveler Inn."

Elizabeth's heart started to beat fast and hard against her chest, making it difficult to maintain the last bit of professionalism that still remained. Every fiber in her body wanted to to jump in the car at that moment and speed to her daughter, but she also knew she needed to do things by the book. Follow all proper protocols and stick to how she had been trained so she could nail Lori once they caught up to her.

"You're sure? The Traveler Inn?" she asked.

Ben nodded without any hesitation, and she could tell from his eyes to his body language, that he was confident it was the correct place. Elizabeth only hoped they weren't too late this time.

"Thank you for your help," she told him and reached for the inside pocket of her blazer, grabbing one of her cards and handed it to him. "We'll be in touch if we need to follow up, but if you think of anything else, please don't hesitate to call."

He nodded and turned to head inside, while Kyle and Elizabeth walked back to their cars. Kyle could see her mind was running through everything at a million miles per second, and he gave her some time to think. But after a minute of watching her pace back and forth in silence he spoke up.

"Sounds like we have a pretty good lead, so what are we still standing around here for?"

Elizabeth looked up and instantly Kyle noticed the welled tears in her eyes, but he waited once again for her to speak up.

"What if they aren't there anymore? Lori has been one step ahead the entire time, what if this lead is no different? I don't know how many more times I can get my hopes up, only to have them crushed again by that woman," she started.

Kyle had figured she had been thinking something along those lines. He knew she was one of the toughest people on the force. She held a "take no prisoners" mentality, but he had also seen her in a different light, and knew that when it came to her family, she could also love like no one else. And though he had been through loss himself, he could only imagine how painful the last few of weeks had been.

He moved closer and placed his hands on her shoulders.

"We will find them, no matter how long it takes. But one thing is for sure, they aren't here. So, I say we head over to the motel and see if we can nail this woman, once and for all."

Elizabeth nodded in reply and the both jumped into Kyle's car to head for the motel.

As they approached the motel, Elizabeth's emotions settled, making everything clearer. She told Kyle to circle around the property once so they could canvas it first before making their way in to speak with whoever was working the front office. As they pulled around back her heart quickened as her eyes fell on a black, unmarked car. Kyle picked up on it as well and instantly put the car in park.

In what seemed like slow motion, movement caught Elizabeth's attention and she watched as a woman began to exit one of the rooms. She was a blonde, carried a duffel bag, and moved in a swift motion. She kept her head down while making sure she could see most of her surroundings. And though she was a good distance away, Elizabeth knew in all certainty, that the woman was Lori Stevens.

Without another moments hesitation she jumped out of the car, followed closely by Kyle, and moved across the lot, weaving through the other parked cars. Her hand reached for her gun as she got closer. She had taken an angle that allowed her to come up from behind. Lori was about to open the trunk of her car when Elizabeth shouted out.

"Lori Stevens! Freeze!"

The woman slowed, taking a few more steps before coming to a full stop. Elizabeth and Kyle moved closer, guns drawn, ready for anything the unpredictable woman may try.

"Drop the bag, put your hands behind your head, and turn around slowly," Kyle ordered. They waited a few moments, and with no response, Kyle barked out again. "Now!"

This time Lori obliged and Elizabeth felt something sink in the bottom of her stomach as she saw the unsettling smirk that was on the other woman's face. There was something eerie and menacing about it, and instantly her thoughts shifted to Carter. All she wanted was to have her daughter back safe in her arms, and she quickly glanced to the car and back to the door, but saw no sign of her.

She looked over to Kyle and he gave her a nod. Cautiously she lowered her gun and placed it back in it's holster while Kyle kept his own firmly pointed at Lori. Elizabeth grabbed Lori's wrists, one at a time, with more force than was necessary and noticed the discomfort it caused in the woman, the monster, that stood right next to her.

She had wanted to be a part of this moment for so long. It was one of the things she had obsessed over the past 13 years, and yet now there was something missing. While she was glad to finally have Lori in custody, the relief she had hoped would accompany it was absent. And she knew the only way she would find it, would be once she finally saw Carter.

With Lori handcuffed, Kyle lowered his gun and walked over to her to read her the charges against her. He knew Elizabeth could do it as well, but he could tell most of her mind was elsewhere, and his would have been too if it had been Gabe in the situation. Elizabeth waited for a moment to listen to Kyle read the charges.

"Lori Stevens, you are under arrest for the kidnapping of a minor, fraud, and multiple counts of false personation…"

She began to tune everything out as she quickly went through the duffel bag, finding the one thing she needed, the key card for the room. Falling in a pace somewhere between a jog and speed walk, Elizabeth made her way to the room, fumbling with the card for a moment before finally getting the door open.

"Carter!" she softly shouted as she burst into the room, but instantly that excitement turned into dread.

Her eyes fell upon the seemingly empty room. There was no sign of her daughter, hardly any indication anyone had been staying inside the room at all. It was almost exactly like the first motel room the FBI had stormed into, and she couldn't let the outcome be the same. She couldn't lose Carter again when she was so close. Elizabeth frantically searched the rest of the room, checking the closet, bathroom, even under the beds, but to no avail. Carter wasn't there, not even a trace of a note or clue like before.

"Please, no. Carter."

She felt a surge of anger and frustration, but mostly loss. She stormed her way out and back across the parking lot, earning a puzzled expression from Kyle as she emerged without Carter. Lori startled for a moment as the door to the car was yanked open and Elizabeth pulled her out to her feet, getting right in her face.

"Where is she? What have you done with her?" Elizabeth yelled, giving Lori a firm shake, as if the movement would force an answer out. Her voice was quivering. And as much as she didn't want to show the woman any emotion other than the anger she held towards her, Elizabeth couldn't stop the few tears that managed to slip out. "Where is my daughter?"

Lori just smirked. She enjoyed having this much control. She enjoyed seeing the pain on Elizabeth's face. She enjoyed knowing that even though she had been caught, Elizabeth couldn't bask in the glory because she would never have what she truly wanted, Carter.

"She's someplace neither one of us can have her," she replied.

"Why would you do this to her? You love her, I know you must."

Lori rolled her eyes at Elizabeth. There was no trying to cover the disdain she still had for the other woman.

"I do love her, more than you could ever know," she started, attempting to insult Elizabeth. "But I could see she didn't love me anymore, her own mother. And so, if I can't have her, then neither can you."

"Lori don't do this," Elizabeth began to plead, but she could tell she had already lost the deranged woman.

She shoved Lori back into the car and slammed the door. Running her hand through her hair she mindlessly wandered through the parking lot, attempting to gather her emotions. There could only be so many places Lori could manage to take Carter. They had only been a few hours behind and she knew Lori wouldn't actually hurt Carter. She had to believe that, for her own sake. And so she started to think. Think of all the places her daughter could be.

"I'll find you Carter. I promise."