Gillian watched as Emily pulled the sheets up to her chin. She brushed the matted hair from her face and Emily smiled in appreciation. Gillian was about to stand up when Emily spoke again.

"I'm afraid Dad's going to think I'm an idiot." Gillian stared at her.

"For what?"

"For not calling him to come pick me up. For walking down a dark alley. For not telling him what was wrong…" She sniffed again and Gillian laid her hand back on the girl's arm. The comforting hand. It had done a lot for her over the years. The fact that Cal hadn't stampeded into the room yet told her it would have more to do tonight.

"Your dad loves you. And nothing that you do or didn't do would change that, you know that. And he'll understand why you couldn't tell him. Emily, this wasn't your fault. Don't ever think it was. I'm going to go talk to your dad. Get some sleep and call me at any time if you need me, ok?" Emily nodded as Gillian stood up and made her way from the room. She took one last look at the traumatised teenager before opening the door and walking out.

OXOXOXO

The sight outside Emily's door broke her heart all over again. Head in hands, shoulders tensed, Cal wasn't crying but she could tell that he was in just as catatonic a state as his daughter inside. She hunched down beside him and put a hand on his back.

"Come on Cal. Downstairs." He didn't move so she pulled at his hand. He obliged, standing up next to her. She looked at him. His eyes were dead. He looked, he looked as though his world had crashed down around him. She guessed that for him, it kind of had. She laced her fingers through his and lead him down the stairs back into the sitting room where she put him sitting on the couch while she went about making fresh tea.

Once it had brewed, she made two cups and brought them through to the sitting room, laying one down in front of him. She sat down next to him. They basked in uncomfortable silence for a moment before Gillian broke it.

"Talk to me Cal." He looked at her.

"I don't know what I can possibly say. I'm going to kill him. I'm going to find him and I'm going to kill him. I don't care if I go to jail for the rest of my life, I'm going to kill him…" Gillian laid a hand down on his and squeezed it tightly.

"She said she saw his face. I'll contact Reynolds in the morning. You need to call Zoe," she said quietly and Cal ran his hands over his face, shaking his head.

"How do I even begin to tell anyone this Gill? How do I process it? She's my whole world…" Gillian saw that look in his eye, that look of self-loathing and she immediately jumped on it.

"Cal, you need to stay calm. You can't blame yourself for this…"

"Bloody right I blame myself! I blame myself for not being a smothering parent who insists on driving his kids everywhere, I blame myself for pushing her to such an extent that she won't even call me because she thinks I'll use it against her in the future. Of course I blame myself Gill, who else am I going to blame?" Gillian swallowed and took a sip of her tea. Suddenly he stood up and moved to the doorway in the hall. She bolted after him.

"Cal, leave her alone. Let her sleep. You can't do anything tonight…" she said, grabbing his arm. He slipped out her grasp pretty easily.

"Bloody right I can't. I'm going to go find him…" Gillian's jaw dropped.

"You don't even know what he looks like! Cal, come back here. There are more important things to do right now than to go driving the streets looking for trouble. Listen to me! You need to call Zoe and tell her what's happened. Then you need to sit down and talk to me and think about what you have to do for Emily. Not to make you feel better. I know you'd like nothing better than to beat him to a pulp. I would too. But there's things closer to home right now that need your attention." Gillian was quite sure her raised voice would have woken Emily. She felt bad about that but the look that crossed Cal's face convinced her that it was worth it. He pulled her into a tight hug.

"Thank you," he said in a strained voice.

"It's ok." He pulled back from her.

"No. Honestly. Thank you. " She nodded and lead him back into the kitchen. He picked up the cordless phone and looked at her. She nodded. He took a deep breath and dialled.

OXOXOXO

Slow going I know but it is going somewhere I promise.