Thanks to everyone who reviewed the first chapter I love you guys, you give me faith in continuing with this fic although I don't think Em will let me stop...she'd probably come all the way up to Scotland to strangle me into continuing he he okay so maybe not that far but she'd plead...quite a bit maybe :P
He he yeah but thanks guys, seriously, it means a lot. Here's chapter two :D
Annie paced the floor of the kitchen frantically. Her feet stuck slightly to the cool lino and made a slapping noise when they were placed back down on another section of the cheap, peeling floor covering. She heard a noise along the walkway and launched herself at the window only to see one of her neighbours disappearing into her own house. Annie let out a sigh and reached for the phone. Her stomach was doing back flips as she punched in the Sun Hill number from the back of the phonebook. The soothing voice on the end of the phone made her momentarily forget her problems until she realised they were asking her for details of what had happened.
Taking another rattling breath she began. "My Mum stormed out last night after we had a row. She doesn't normally do it but I…I think I pushed her too far last night. She's been gone for almost 24 hours now and she hasn't been in touch. I'm really worried about her. Can you help me find my Mum?" Annie asked, trying to control her emotions.
"Okay sweetheart, calm down for me. You're sure your Mum hasn't tried to get in touch. Right okay I'll get a few officers to come round and pick you up so you can give us a statement and they can check for anything unusual at the house. You did the right thing phoning us; we'll try and help sort this all out." The FDO said in the same level tone.
Twenty minutes later, Sam, Phil and Beth arrived on the Jasmine Allen Estate and began the long climb up the stairs to Annie's flat as the lift was in permanent disrepair. Sam wrinkled her nose at the smell of the stairwell and she listened to the crisp click of her heels on the floor. She banged on the door and they all waited outside feeling rather out of place as there was no need to get the cuffs out and considering that it was the Jasmine Allen, there was always a reason to get the cuffs out!
A small, tired figure answered the door hopefully but she sighed and let them into the flat as she saw it wasn't who she'd been hoping for. Sam and Beth followed the pyjama clad girl into the kitchen where she flicked on the kettle and drew out several mugs and tea bags. "Annie…Annie Marks wasn't it?" Beth said tilting her head to the side and looking at Annie.
"Yeah…Beth…Beth Green wasn't it?" Annie said playfully and then she remembered why they were there and she turned solemn again. "I know it's not often that someone from here…or someone like me is asking you lot for help but seriously I need my Mum back, she's all I've got." Annie said plaintively.
Sam's heart went out to her and she rested a hand comfortingly on her arm. "We'll do our best to find your Mum but you need to tell us everything you know that could be of any use. You might want to get changed first though…or is this some kind of Jasmine Allen trend?" She asked gesturing to Annie's pyjamas.
"Oh right no. I just didn't have time…I was standing at the window in case Mum tried to come back." Annie said sheepishly and she shuffled off towards her bedroom to get dressed. Ten minutes later she emerged looking more presentable. Phil, who had been standing in the living room did a double take as she walked past him. Annie looked far from the dishevelled girl who'd answered the door. Her hair was freshly curled, her makeup flawless and her clothes, although they were very "Estateish" looked fantastic on her and Phil had to remind himself that she was both underage and a victim.
For the second day running Annie sat in the soft interview room with a cup of tea clutched between her hands, a worried frown on her face. "So you had an argument with your Mum and she ran out of the house crying right?" Sam asked looking down at the short statement that Annie had just written. She nodded and Sam continued to scan the little that was on the page. "What was the fight about?"
"Dad." Annie said shortly. Beth and Sam sat looking at her, almost willing her to continue. "We were fighting because I thought I'd met my Dad but Mum said I wasn't allowed to contact him because he's not interested in me or her. He doesn't want anything to do with us." She elaborated slightly.
"Okay and your Mum has never done anything like this before." Sam continued trying to pace the interview so that Annie wouldn't clam up.
"No…not exactly no. She's gone away but she's always phoned or told me beforehand." Annie replied choosing her words carefully so it didn't make Emma out to seem like a bad mother.
"Right well I think you should fill out a missing persons form now, I think we have grounds to do that." Sam said reaching behind her and pulling out the form she'd picked up earlier just in case. "Right can you fill in your Mum's name, address and personal details here. If you write down yours as well then we can keep that on file in case we have to contact you in connection with it."
"Oh right…you've already got my details." Annie said as she picked up the biro and winked at Beth. "It's not like I haven't been in a police station enough times." In her loopy writing she inked her Mum's name and their new address. Sam picked it up from behind her and gulped loudly.
"Emma…Emma Keane?" She whispered softly looking between the paper and Annie and then back again. "I should have seen it before." She muttered and both Beth and Annie stared hard at her. "I knew your Mum when she used to work here…before she left. Left without a trace, nobody's heard from her since the phone call she made to her parents telling them she wasn't coming back." Sam said remembering the turmoil that it had put her family and fiancé in, not to mention Will, her best friend.
"Have you ever met your father, except for when you thought you had yesterday?" Sam asked, her voice hoarse and her throat dry.
"No…but I've always had a photo of him. It was the only one that Mum would let me have." Annie said pulling it out of her jacket pocket. It was a little worn around the edges now from years of wear and tear but it was still as clear as day who it was. "PC Will Marks." Annie said in the same proud tone as she'd used exactly 24 hours before, when her Mum had left the flat.
Sam coughed as she stared at the picture. There was no doubt about it, Will Fletcher's handsome face stared up at her, laughing at the camera, one arm around Emma's shoulders the other pointing at whoever had been taking the picture. So was Will really the father of Emma's now very grown up baby? Was that the reason she'd left? The real question though still faced her, where was Emma now?
"There's something else…I don't know if it makes a difference but see…for as long as I can remember well Mum's been on anti-depressants." Annie admitted looking shyly at the carpet. "She didn't take them with her." She added hollowly.
"Okay Annie." Sam said sitting back down and taking the young girl's hand. "And how bad is Emma's depression?"
"Bad. She tried to kill herself when I was three…and four…and ten…and again last year. Every time she'd not taken her medicine." Annie said, tears finally falling from her eyes and dripping slowly down her cheeks and now onto Sam's top.
"There, there darling, we'll find Emma, I promise." Sam said rocking Annie back and forth like a little kid. She knew she could find Emma…the question was could she find Emma not in a body bag? "Do you have any family you can stay with tonight?" Sam asked, beginning to think logically again.
"N…no…Mum told me her Mum and Dad were dead and her other family didn't want to know her. It's just me and her. We do just fine without them." Annie said sounding uncannily like Emma.
"Okay sweetheart well do you mind awfully if you stay up in CID for a bit before we can sort something out?" Sam asked helping Annie to her feet.
"No I don't mind…I'm starved though…I haven't eaten since last night!" She said as her stomach rumbled noisily.
"Course, Beth will you take her down to the canteen and get some grub in her, she'll waste away soon if she doesn't get some chocolate in her." Sam said laughing slightly as the two of them raced off down the corridor talking about what the canteen actually served that was edible.
You should never fight your feelings
When your very bones believe them
You should never fight your feelings
You have to follow nature's law.