Well this is almost the final chapter everyone. enjoy
While the worriers had been getting their lunch ready, reporters eating solitary sandwiches were disturbed by cries and yells from up the street. Three children came dashing from that direction with a red faced angry man in pursuit. Just as he caught up with the slowest one: a girl and tallest of the trio the reporters realised who they were watching. It was the missing Locksley children! Camera flashes went mad as everyone with eye room tried to catch a shot.
The flashes blinded Roger; who was no friend of their family, allowing Grace to pull her wrist free from his filthy grip.
"RUN! Run through them Freddie, they won't let Rodger catch us" Forcing her tired legs to sprint she wove through the crowd of suits and Cameras, glancing to check Mary and Freddie were still keeping up. Her body burning she scrambled the steps and slammed her fist on the doorbell; once long, once medium, once short. As Mother had taught her.
Edward ran for the door and wrenched it open just in time to catch an exhausted Grace and allow her siblings to avoid a collision by entering. Slamming it shut before anybody could notice the opportunity for questions he stared in disbelief
"Marian, Robin come here!"
His daughter dashed up the hall and screamed in delight "Grace, Mary Freddie my darlings" she fell to her knees and hugged them close.
"What happened to you children?" Robin was stunned
"Roger... he drove up when we walked to school and said that you had asked him to pick us up and take us somewhere as a treat. He showed us this ring as proof of his trustworthiness" Grace reached down and pulled out a ring
"I lost that on the Saturday before you went missing" Marian grimaced as her mind put two and two together
Mary interrupted before her sister could speak "Roger must have stolen it"
"He drove us for miles then stopped at a deserted house. Then he tried to... make me undress in front of him" Edward sucked in his breath at his eldest granddaughter's words
"But I kicked him father, he'll never speak to my sis that way again" Freddie grinned
"Well hopefully he'll never speak to you again full stop" Robin's voice was calm and firm
"We kept being moved from place to place in disguise. Then this morning I had the radio on and heard something
"there is still no resolution to the case of the Locksley's missing children. Grace, Mary and Freddie have been unaccounted for since 20th March"
I realised that Roger had kidnapped us and stolen your ring. So we grabbed our cardigans, the ones we'd worn that first day, and ran. Somehow we found our way here, like homing pigeons."
"You followed your heart. Robin???" Robin had suddenly turned round and gone to the phone, he spoke quickly and agreed something, then rang the school and told them to meet somewhere.
"Come on you lot, time to meet the media" once Grace was steady on her feet he led the party outside.
Lights were blazing and sirens wailed as Roger was dragged away into a police car. As the Locksleys stepped out all eyes turned to them and, for the second time in an hour, flashes went mad. The family stood together on the step until the reporters tired and created a respectful path through to the street.
So the children are home. Just the epiloge to follow, if you want to read it please do