Chapter 24

"Mark?" said Kathleen. Mark had called her five times during the night. Grace hadn't gone home at all the night before, and nobody Mark had called had heard from her.

"Where is he?" he demanded.

"He's in his room," said Kathleen. "Jake hasn't heard from her, he's in pieces."

"Let me talk to him," said Mark. "He has to know where she is."

"He said he hasn't."

"Please," Mark pleaded. "I just want to hear him say it."

"Alright, but no trouble," Kathleen warned.

"I promise."

"You called her a tramp?" said Jake as he appeared at the top of the stairs.

"Where is she?" demanded Mark.

"I'm not telling you!"

"Jake, he's worried about Grace. You have to tell him if you know anything," said Kathleen.

"I'm not telling him," said Jake stubbornly. "He called her a tramp."

"I'm sure he didn't mean it," said Kathleen, both Mark and Jake looked ready to kill each other.

"I'll call the police, Grace is a child and she is missing. If you don't tell me what you know, I'll have your assed hauled in so fast…"

"She's 18," snapped Jake. "She isn't a child, there isn't a damn thing you can do…"

"Jake!" Shouted Kathleen. "His daughter is missing. If you or your sister were missing…please just tell him what you know…"

"She's safe," stated Jake. "Sorry Mum, if she wanted him to know where she was she would call him."

"Jake, tell him!"

"Sorry Mum I can't."

"Call her," Mark growled.

"Just help put his mind at rest," said Kathleen handing him the phone.

"I don't know if she'll pick up though," said Jake, as he hesitantly dialed the number. Grace picked up on the third ring. "Your Dad is here."

"Where?" asked Grace.

"Here at my house."

"Why?"

"Why do you think?"

"Where is she?" Mark growled, he could only hear Jake's side of the conversation.

"Where are you?"

"At the Brownstone," said Grace. "I already told you that."

"In the Hampdens," said Jake.

Mark grabbed his car keys and made to leave.

"No Jake just tell him where I am, it's okay," said Grace.

"He's on his way to your Hampden house," said Jake.

"Jake…"

"Thanks," said Mark.

"Give him the phone," Grace demanded.

"No," said Jake.

"Jake, I'll just hang up and call him."

"Fine," snapped Jake. "Here she wants to talk to you."

"Grace where are you?"

"I'm at the Brownstone," said Grace calmly. "I left you a message…"

"When?"

"Last night," said Grace. "I told you I would stay at the Brownstone and come home tonight before you went back to Seattle."

"Stay where you are," Mark ordered. "I'll be right there…Grace why did you leave me a message?"

"I didn't want you to worry," said Grace. "Why didn't you check your messages?"

"I didn't expect you to call," Mark admitted. "You never call when you run off."

"I must be growing up."

"I'll be there in twenty minutes."

"Okay, see you then." Said Grace then she hung up.

"Dad please don't be mad at me, okay?" said Grace warily as Mark let himself into the Brownstone.

"Mad at you?" said Mark slowly. "I'm not mad at you."

"You're not?"

"No," said Mark. "I'm scared out of my mind, what the hell were you thinking? Just running off like that, all night!"

"I called you," Grace protested.

"You should have come home."

"I couldn't face you," said Grace quietly. "I'm sorry I worried you."

"But somehow you managed to talk to him," said Mark. Both of them knew who 'he' was.

"We spent a lot of time together, Jake is a friend as well as…he's a friend, okay?" snapped Grace.

"Among other things," Mark muttered.

"Dad I don't want to fight with you anymore, I'm tired of fighting," sighed Grace. "If you make me choose between you and Jake…it's you, of course it is, you're my dad."

"Choose, me or him," said Mark without hesitation.

"You," said Grace blinking back her tears. She never thought he would actually make her choose.